There is no doubt that “Skyrim,” the fifth installment of the “Elder Scrolls” video game series, was as much anticipated as it was in high demand by the time it came out Nov. 11. “Skyrim,” a fantasy/adventure and role-playing game, was designed by Bethesda, creator of “Oblivion” and “Fall Out 3.”
The plot of “Skyrim’s” revolves around defeating Alduin, a dragon god who is prophesized to destroy the world. The game takes place in the province of Skyrim, upon the continent of Tamriel and the planet of Nirn. Skyrim is the home of the large and hardy men and women called the Nords.
“Skyrim” has earned praise from critics. The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences for the Interactive Achievement Awards nominated “Skyrim” for Game of the Year, Outstanding Achievement in Story, Role-Playing/Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year, Outstanding Innovation in Gaming, Outstanding Achievement in Game Play Engineering and Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction.
I originally bought “Skyrim” as a present for my boyfriend James, for our six-month anniversary. For a while after we bought it, I thought it was a game for nerds and men of all ages, but lo and behold, I ended up playing it one night out of sheer boredom. Thanks to that fateful night, I’m hooked.
“Skyrim” is brimming with hundreds of hours of gameplay. It can be as much like your real life as you want it to be, or it can be the opposite. Of course, as in reality, there are limitations. We don’t live in a fictional land that harbors dragons, giants, and trolls (among other things). However, characters can get married to an array of other characters as long as the requirements of each individual are completed. But don’t let your spouse die in the game because you cannot get married again.
“Skyrim” is insanely popular. The midnight release of “Skyrim” at Game Stop, Nov. 11 was ridiculous. The line was really long and it was freezing cold outside. Game Stop employees wouldn’t even let people into the store until around 10:30 p.m. to pay for the game, and then they ushered them back outside to freeze until midnight rolled around. Once midnight came, we still waited outside for another half hour until we were able to pick up our game. All together, we spent three and a half hours in line, from 9:00 p.m. until 12:30 a.m.
Now for the glitches, every game as large as “Skyrim” is bound to have some. “Skyrim” in particular has many hilarious glitches that don’t hinder the player so much as provide a laugh. The first NPC I acquired was named Lydia and boy was she a funny one. Every time I turned around she was blundering herself into traps, getting us caught by enemies, and many other things that are too extensive to convey. She also liked to talk back to me.
However, “Skyrim” does have infuriating glitches that make it almost impossible to finish some quests. As you progress through the game, you may find a quest entitled “Blood on the Ice,” located in Windhelm. This quest has so many problems. “Blood on Ice” is supposed to start automatically once you enter the city of Windhelm for the fifth time. I could not get this to work no matter what I tried. Looking online for help was fruitless; asking fellow players didn’t help either. I finally did get it to work, but only after so much grief! So far, that’s the only serious glitch I’ve found.
Overall, “Skyrim” is an amazingly fun game that anyone can enjoy. It’s not just for nerds and men as I had originally thought. It has such a vast array of things you can do. For instance, I saw videos of people just going around and placing buckets on the heads of various NPCs. You can go on main or side quests. There are also randomly generated, miscellaneous quests that will forever be there. In “Skyrim” there will always be something to do. Put down your other games and pick up “Skyrim” because it truly is a five-star game.
Opinions expressed in editorial and opinion articles are the views of individual NIC students. These views do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Sentinel, North Idaho College, or any other organizations or groups there-in. North Idaho College is not responsible for the accuracy of statements or opinions shared.
