Sunday, December 4, 2011

Skyrim: My Game of the Year 2011

I've been waiting quite a while for Skyrim to arrive. I've travelled with my Dunmer through the plains and dungeons of Morrowind, fought the Oblivion in Cyrodiil and now my Dunmer has inflicted some serious Dragon damage!

Skyrim is the province in the north ruled by the nord. It is located in between Hammerfell, Cyrodiil and Morrowind. This is also the place where dragons were said to have lived, and will now relive again. You are a Dragonborn also known as Dovahkin, a person born with a dragon soul and a person who is able to use the dragon's language called Dragon Shouts. You are able to kill dragons and absorb their spirits, which can be used to learn more Dragon Shouts.

The World Eater or commonly called Alduin has returned to Skyrim and this malevolent dragon has to be killed. This is where you come in as the Dragonborn. The legends say that only the Dragonborn can kill Alduin. Alduin was once banished by an Elder Scroll and now you have to use such a scroll in order to gain knowledge of the past and how to kill Alduin,

In the end you are the Hero of Skyrim and all is well. You are then left with a number of side- and miniquests you could do. You could buy yourself a nice shack or become the archimage of the Academy of Winterhold (Mages). The world is open for your conquests and hopefully open to new expansion packs from Bethesda.

I thank the Bethesda Team a million times in my head every day for having created this epic game. The graphics are so real that they are even better than reality. You get absorbed into the game and forget that for once you actually have a life outside too. The combat modes are much better now than in the predecessor Oblivion. You can now combine attacks such as two spells or magic and melee etc. The third person view also improved and it doesn't seem like you don't have control over your character anymore.

The classes are still the same, but the levelling has changed. While you work on levelling skills in order to gain a level up, you can now distribute Talent Points in which you can choose a skill such as Destruction and level a certain Talent such as Fire Damage which will allow you a 30% higher damage rate or such. This makes levelling extra fun and the skills are shown in form or Zodiac Signs.

There are plenty more additions and improvements such as the alchemy lab and blacksmith equipment. You can now mine raw materials such as coal or mercury and smelt them into ebony or mercury bars and then again smith them into armor, weapons or jewelry. There is just so much time that you could spend in this game and you will never regret a second. Skyrim is my personal favorite of 2011. I don't even think it can top other games that are to come out except a new Elder Scrolls adventure.

As always, let the pictures talk. (Game is in German)






































Alduin

Dragon Shout







Alduins defeat




Paarthurnax, brother of Alduin