Jump to content
Hellshade

OT: Attention Fantasy RPG Fans

Recommended Posts


just received my copy of SKYRIM........

 

 

have a nice weekend.

 

 

m

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Just got home with my copy. Starting the install now. Hope everyone who bought it has a blast.

 

Hellshade

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

A few reviews would be nice chaps...if you can tear yourselves away! :lol:

 

The negatives I have read are mundane graphics...not much better than Oblivion...and a really bad console(esque) UI

 

any thoughts on that?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

This just in: OFF is better than any other game out there. :grin:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

First off I have to say I love the setting. I love Norse mythology and Vikings are my favourite warrior from all eras. This is the games biggest plus point for me.

 

 

 

My thought are of someone who thought Oblivion was OK and was not duly excited about Skyrim and viewed it like any other new release. So I suppose you could say I'm unbiased and I'm looking at the game without rse coloured specticles on.

 

One day somene will make combat actually rewarding.

 

As an exploration game it looks lovely. As a sword weilding combat game it's just like all the others. The combat is pretty dire and mundane with little or no sword control, just mash your button.

 

I do love the mountians and wintery feel. The overall gameplay and mechanics are average. The start I never got the exhilarating feel as mentioned above. I just though, a shame the NPC's still look the same with little or no improvement. I then found myself running after a few prople as a dragon attacked but it never felt scary and did feel scripted also I noticed alot of poor animations and physics modeling. Again though the enviroment does look excellent.

 

It may hold my attention for a few hours but I see it destined to be uninstalled sooner rather than later.

 

If you loved Oblivion you will love this game to. If your after something new and revolutionary then your still going to have to wait. If your expecting enhanced combat and more humanlike NPC's you will be dissapointed. Near the begining you see someone shot with an arrow. They then hit the floor and slide a hundred metres, this was the first big immersion killer, surely things like this should be fixed by now.

 

Also why oh why did they set it in the cold wintery mountians and then not make it important to use fur lined armour\boots over iron armour. Especially when you start to go higher up. You should have a choice to make, wear the iron armour with greater protection but slowly your movements slow down as the armour freezes or put on the furs with less protection but you don't freeze. I was running around in a blizzard with iron armour and boots I then thought hey lets play realistically so put on some fur armour, which was sleeveless! If details like this had been in place I would have been impressed.

 

 

 

So if your a fan of the series you'll love it, it's an evolution of Oblivion. If you thought Oblivion was OK but gave up on it your probably in for more of the same, not enough has changed to make it revolutionary and certain eleents haven't really been touched like combat (except the two handed thing) and NPC quality both animations\reactions and looks.

 

Finally and this is probably saying more about me going off the RPG genre in general I bought a second hand Silent Hunter 5, I downloaded lots of mods and though I do have to save often due to CTD's I find it far more immersive and time does dissapear playing it. I owned three and four but never played 4 much due to it being the Pacific. Both those games have issues with widescreen monitors if they didn't I'd be playing 3 still now with the GWX mod. So I'm currently either flying over the West front or searching the North Sea for prey. Skyrim has taken a back seat. luckly I didn't have to buy it as someone I knew bought two copies by mistake.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Great review Wodin..thanks.

 

I suspect (as I mentioned in an earlier post) it will probably improve, once the modders get hold of it

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

A few reviews would be nice chaps...if you can tear yourselves away! :lol:

 

The negatives I have read are mundane graphics...not much better than Oblivion...and a really bad console(esque) UI

 

any thoughts on that?

 

Well from the short few hours I've played it, I'll say this about it.

The graphics definately seem similar to Oblivion, however in my personal opinion they are much improved. The character models faces show considerable improvement. Gone are the plastic-looking faces. Water, weather effects and environments all look very nice. Not the best ever, but they create an incredible mood!

It's not cutting edge graphics that makes the game look so amazing. It's the incredible art direction and epic scenery wherever you go. It all blends together so well that it is the most immersive fantasy RPG I have ever played. Talking to the NPCs is far and away better than ever dreamed of in Oblivion.

The UI was designed for the consoles. However I myself got a 360 controller for my PC and am using that on Skyrim and it actually works great. Even for archery. In just a few short hours the controller is feeling more and more natural to me in this game, and I have never used console controllers before.

The UI is very streamlined, with a Favorites menu that you can put spells, weapons, potions, etc on so simply pushing a button gives you a list of all your favorite stuff to select from. I believe the PC controls have hotkeys if you wish to use them. Personally, I love the UI. It does what it needs to without getting in my way.

Smart choices like having health, stamina and mana bars NOT appear on screen until you begin to drain them below 100% means the screen isn't cluttered up with info you don't need. When I lose health, mana or stamina THEN the appropriate bar appears. A nice touch.

The game is multicore enhanced, unlike Oblivion, so it runs smooth as glass on my system. 60 FPS on High settings. Usually60 FPS on Ultra, sometimes dropping to the mid 40s. Load times between indoor / outdoor areas are a mere 2 to 3 seconds. Much longer than that on the Xbox 360, I hear.

The Perk system you get every time you level is freakin awesome. You definately can build any type of character you'd like. I'm a stealthy bow assassin that uses fire bolts in one hand and a sword in the other when it comes time for melee. But I'm just getting started.

 

$60 is a lot of cash to drop on a game, but for me personally it was well worth it (ok, I had been saving up my gift cards to Best Buy) because I can see myself playing this game for a very, very long time. The average review score for Skyrim is around 95% and I have to agree. I haven't encrountered any bugs yet, but I'm sure there's some in there. However the ability to autosave your game every 5 minutes will take the sting out of anything that might result in a character death.

 

To me, the biggest thing about Skyrim is it's a game that rewards players who love to explore. If you want a purely linear experience, I would suggest something else. If you want a huge world to explore, Skyrim isn't perfect but it is immersive.

 

Pizzas almost done which means I'm back in Skyrim for the rest of the night after this! Hope some of that helps.

 

Hellshade

Edited by Hellshade

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

And thank you too Hellshade!...I shall be getting it soon.... :good:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

And thank you too Hellshade!...I shall be getting it soon.... :good:

 

I'd wait a week or 2. Right now, friggin' Steam is so clogged up with thousands of people downloading the 5.1gig game itself and/or the 400meg patch it's already got that you'll have trouble just logging in to register.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I´ll have to agree with Hellshade, his review is spot on. The ambient is just wonderful, the UI is just right. There are hotkeys for mouse and keyboard players additionally to the Favorites system. One "bug" I found is the way deer swim into lakes, rather funny stuff! Already bought my first house and settle in. Just reached level 10 and the quests are wonderful, quite differentfrom each other and with a nice background.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I'd wait a week or 2. Right now, friggin' Steam is so clogged up with thousands of people downloading the 5.1gig game itself and/or the 400meg patch it's already got that you'll have trouble just logging in to register.

 

Yeah m8... not getting it til the new rig is sorted anyhow :)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Just been next door, as my neighbour has just got it off steam..to have a look...wow :drinks:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I will also wait a little.

Morris will send me a better graphic card (:good:), and then, when the first bugs are patched, I may get it.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Well, ive watched my neighbour play for over an hour now..and I've yet to see any bugs at all...just great storyline and gameplay

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Damn - would you say it's worth 60,- Euro? Quite a lot of money.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Wait a few months and you'll get it much cheaper, Olham. And of course let the other guys find all the bugs first, so you can have a better experience. :cool:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Wait a few months and you'll get it much cheaper, Olham. And of course let the other guys find all the bugs first, so you can have a better experience. :cool:

 

I'm with you Hasse. Call me frugal but I usually wait on games (or anything else for that matter) until they come down in price and the kinks are worked out. It may not be new to the world but it will still be new to me. :good:

Edited by Shiloh

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Well, I played the PC version of Skyrim using an Xbox 360 controller (because that's what the interface is really designed for, to be honest) from around 11:00am yesterday until 1:45am this morning - almost non-stop. The only "bug" I encountered in all of that time was that I was challenged to a duel with a certain NPC who wanted to test me to make sure that I was good enough to get into his guild. My companion - a "Housecarl" - who was assigned by the king to protect me wouldn't let me duel him alone. She kept attacking him and he kept yelling at me to fight him one on one. It eventually sorted itself out when I left the area and came back. It didn't break the quest at all. I've seen several giant mammoths but none of them were ever flying. In fact no other odd behavior at all, from what I've personally experience. Obviously everyone's experience of the game is going to be different because it's such a huge sandbox and there are so many different ways to go about all of the quests, etc. However I feel it's unfair to say that Skyrim is "buggy" as that to me indicates a game that is riddled with bugs and is unstable. Crash prone or broken. A more fair assessment would seem to be that there are a few rare bugs, but they happen so rarely and the game is so huge that it's a bit hard to hold it against Bethesda that they missed a few. I'm sure they'll get sorted out soon enough but even if they aren't, it isn't enough to keep me from enjoying the game at all.

 

As far as waiting for the price to drop, that may be awhile. Generally games that have a universal score in the high 90s take a long time to drop in price. If you are a hardcore fantasy RPG person, (especially if you prefer first person views), this is some really good stuff. If your budget is tight and your saving for P4, Modern Warfare 3, Batman: Arkham City, Uncharted 3 or some other big name title and fantasy RPGs aren't your main focus, then you probably are better off saving your money for now.

 

Speaking of First Person View, I did find the field of view to be a bit claustrophobic for me. If you hit the ` key to bring up the console and type "FOV XX" where the "XX" is a number between around 65 and 100, you can open up your field of view in the game so the screen isn't bracketed by your hands. I personally seem to prefer a FOV of 90. I think the game default is 65. There is no = in the statement either. Just "FOV 90". Press the enter key and then the ` key again to drop the console. That's really the only graphic change I've made though. With Oblivion I remember running tons of mods to change all kinds of things. Wih Skyrim, it's like all of my favorite Oblivion mods have already been put into the game by the publisher.

 

oh and dragon fights? Yeah. Incredibly awesome. I came out of a dungeon nearly depleted of arrows and when I was in the middle of a huge plain, a dragon scream echoed across the area and sure enough one came flying in over the mountains. It was a hell of a fight but my companion and I got him in the end. In Skyrim, you always have to remember that you aren't the only one doing the hunting. Always have a good supply of whatever you need to fight with.

 

Hellshade

 

 

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hey Hellshade, seems we're in a similar path. I left her (the companion) home and doing the quests alone. Does she dies when she helps you, do you need to take care of her too? I'm right now into a real hard dungeon and having a hard time, maybe she could help a bit.

Raised the graphics to ultrahigh and the game flows like butter, no stutters, nothing. The only thing I'd like to see getting better are the textures. A high resolution pack for PC users would be great!

And Hellshade, you are right, dragon fights are amazing!

Edited by itifonhom

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

She doesn't die on me. None of my companions have. In fact one of them saved my life. I was deep inside of a dungeon with a warrior type companion and I fired off my last arrow at a bandit. It struck him square in the chest and he dropped to his knees for a second to recover himself before getting up and charging directly at me (arrow still sticking firmly out of the center of his chest). Just as he was about to bring his huge axe down on my head, my warrior companion rushes in front of me and does this awesome upward stroke with his sword, lifting the bandit up off the ground and impaling him on his blade! The bandit dropped over dead and there wasn't a scratch on me. They seem to do a pretty good job of holding aggro too if you prefer to be a ranged fighter (spells or bows).

 

Hellshade

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks mate, I'm going to take her with me to the next dungeon!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Lunch break! Here's a pic of my Housecarl companion and I sneaking through the countryside at night to attack some bandits. She's a great little fighter.

 

 

 

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Damn - would you say it's worth 60,- Euro? Quite a lot of money.

 

I've just been watching the gameplay etc m8..All I can say, is I will buy it...but I can't recommend it to you, as I would hate to say "Rush out and Get it"..just for you to not like it...I would feel bad about you wasting your money :drinks:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

×

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, and We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue..