Skyrim Week One Impressions

It has been six days now since the release of the latest installment in the Elder Scrolls franchise, and after investing a little over 50 hours into the game, I feel as if there is still so much left to explore. Entire regions of the Nord homeland of Skyrim remain untouched by Myrddin, my Breton mage, and only six dragons (five of which were random and/ or unnamed) have been felled by his spells. While I don't feel as if I've experienced nearly enough to give it a proper review, I still want to share my first impressions of this truly epic game.

Character creation is far more free-form in Skyrim than in previous Elder Scrolls games. Gone are the days of picking a specific class and birth sign, and no more are the major and minor skills of old. Players have equal access to all 18 skills, which will increase as the player uses them. The lack of a class system allows players to mix and match desired skills to create a truly unique character, rather than being shoe boxed into a specific role.  As a veteran Elder Scrolls player, I can recall all too well the feeling that I was being punished for trying to play my character contrary to his pre-set class role in Morrowind and Oblivion. The presentation of the skills as constellations in the night sky is also clean, crisp, and easy to navigate.

The skill tree -- err, skill sky? -- is the core of character customization,
yet remains simple to understand and navigate.

In addition to the changes in the skill system, Bethesda introduced skill-related "perks" in Skyrim, similar to those first seen in the developer's hit game, Fallout 3. The new perks allow further customization of individual characters by granting bonuses based on a specific skill. For example, my wizard Myrddin has unlocked perks in the Destruction Magic skill tree that allow him to cast spells at half the normal magicka cost, and even stagger enemies when hitting them with an overcharged spell.

Speaking of overcharging spells, another new feature of Skyrim is the ability to dual wield weapons and magic. In prior Elder Scrolls games, a character could only wield a one-handed weapon, a two-handed weapon, a one-handed weapon and a shield, or a single magic spell. Skyrim gives players more flexibility in their combat styles, allowing them to also wield two different weapons or spells in each hand. With the correct perk, spellcasters can even cast the same spell in both hands to create a more powerful "overcharged" version of the spell.

Myrddin can halt even the toughest foes with an overcharged Firebolt.

Combat has been polished and feels much more realistic. Weapon swings have weight behind them now, meaning players won't be able to fight with Jedi-like speed anymore. Mashing the attack button will no longer get you very far in most combat situations, either. You can block quick attacks with a shield or weapon, but attempting to block a power attack can leave you staggered. Instead, players will need to keep any eye out for when enemies begin readying a power attack, and then lay into them with a shield bash to knock them off their feet. Agile characters can opt to just sidestep the attack, of course. A good deal of focus has been placed on blocking and sidestepping, and adds yet another layer of immersion to combat.

Personally, my favorite thing so far about Skyrim isn't the combat, graphics or story (as awesome as all of them are), but rather the depth of world-with-world interaction. NPCs converse with one another in a much more believable manner than in Oblivion, and enemy NPCs interact (and attack) one another, instead of aiming solely for the player. I've run into a dragon going toe-to-toe with a bear, and have often had bandit groups aid me in taking down one of the game's signature creatures. Of course, it would be a mistake to count them as allies once the dragon is vanquished; enemies are quick to turn their sights to you once the (supposedly) larger threat is taken care of.

You're not alone in your struggle against these winged monstrosities.
Just keep an eye on your new "allies"!

All in all, I believe Bethesda has truly raised the bar with Skyrim, and that this game could very well be the average against which future RPGs may (and should) be compared. The user interface is crisp and simple, combat is realistic, magic is a viable combat option now, NPC interaction is (for once) believable, and all together the complete package creates one of the most amazing and immersive games I've ever had the pleasure of playing. If you've been on the fence about The Elder Scrolls' latest installation, I encourage you to hop on over to my side and enjoy this masterpiece. If you've already experienced the magic that is Skyrim, I wish you the best of luck as you explore and (potentially) save the most fantastic world in gaming today.