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Bottom Line
Gameplay: 9.5/10
Skyrim features some of the best and most varied gameplay for the open world RPG genre. There are a ton of quests to find and complete with some quest lines lasting as long as the entire single player campaign of the recent Modern Warfare titles. Combat is a major improvement over Oblivion but still isn't perfect. Social interactions are also much improved. Freedom of choice is still a huge component of the series and shines brightly in Skyrim.
Visuals: 9.5/10
Everything within Skyrim is tied together with beautiful scenery, small details, various weather conditions, much improved animations, and competent texture work. While the PC version could maybe use slightly higher resolution textures, the sum of its parts far outweighs the minor complaints of the texture quality.
Audio: 9/10
Really, the audio is the only "low" point for the game, and even then it's still damn impressive. The music is beautifully crafted, swelling to dramatic levels in the heat of the battle and then taking it down to soothing tones when peacefully walking through the beautiful landscapes. The only sore spot in the entire game are the often reused voices for many of the NPC's but even then, there are still a far greater number of voice actors in Skyrim than there were in Oblivion. This is something that should make most every Oblivion fan happy to hear.
Replayability: 10/10
If Skyrim only consisted of the main story, it would take gamers just a small handful of hours to complete. However, given the number of sidequests, guild story lines, and more, the replayability goes through the roof. Expect to sink dozens, if not hundreds of hours into Skyrim and still not see a majority of what the game has to offer. This doesn't even take into account the mods that add in additional content or the DLC that is currently in the planning stages at Bethesda.
Overall: 9.5/10
This is easily our top contender for game of the year.
This is easily our top contender for game of the year.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was reviewed on the PC. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is also available on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
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