Oh, great. Another "why do people even like Skyrim lol" thread.
First, Skyrim is an RPG -- one of the best and truest. More of a true RPG than anything else in recent times not made by Bethesda. Just imagine applying these rules to half the so-called RPGs out there. It just gives you the freedom to play it like it's not an RPG. I personally find that to be a bad idea. If I was going to work my fingers to the bone on making a game like Bethesda does, I'd grab people by the back of the neck and force them to get the point so my work doesn't go to waste like pearls before swine. And that goes for the gameplay, as well as the roleplaying.
Most elements of the game are actually above-average. And even if they weren't, I'll sacrifice polish for freedom and openness anytime -- that's where I get the most enjoyment in a game. But combat, story and visuals don't suffer from the epic size of the game. Rather, it improves on every aspect of previous entries in the series while continuing the grand tradition of freedom of choice first established back in 1994, when Bethesda released Arena, which at the time of its release was considered very innovative and groundbreaking. Over the years, Bethesda refined every aspect of Arena in their next main entry releases, Daggerfall and Morrowind. Though these games never quite broke into the mainstream, they still gave Bethesda the experience and the footing to continue to release and refine the Elder Scrolls series. When Bethesda released The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, it seemed like the entire gaming world started to pay attention. It was new, it was exciting, and it gave gamers a new perspective to open-world RPGs. It really fleshed-out the "do anything, be anything" mentality the Elder Scrolls series was most known for." And now they've gone and outdone themselves with Skyrim. You seem to have missed just how, so let's go over it.
When you first start up Skyrim, one thing is immediately apparent: the graphical fidelity. The sun shines through the trees and gives the world a fresh, morning feel; the wildlife adds a sense that the world is living, breathing and always moving; the details on spell effects are crisp and are generally treats for the eye; and when your attacks make contact, you can feel and see the force behind them. You really get the sense that you are a part of Skyrim. You are a real adventurer making an impact.
But unlike almost every other game, you don't have to make an impact. You can just wander off and take things at your own pace. Raid some camps to the south, help random travelers, listen to pub bards, smith or forge equipment. or just hunt for wildlife. All these things, plus much more, is available to you at the start. To finish off my incessant comments about freedom and openness, Skyrim really is one of the most free-form experience I've personally ever felt in a game. I can do whatever I want -- I don't have to worry about anything, and the game never pressures you too much. Enough on that. On to combat.
In addition to the free feeling of the world itself, combat has a similar vibe. Because of the perk system, you are capable of crafting your character meticulously -- be it a mage with potent one-handed skills; a warrior with high-level conjuration abilities; or a thief with mastery of healing arts -- you craft your character step by step, however you feel like. Melee weapons hit hard and pack a punch. Magic is empowering -- I never could quite feel like a powerful sorcerer in Oblivion or Morrowind and Skyrim lets me. From shield-bashing to dual-casting, every sort of combat ability feels, well, satisfying. For a game where combat is 1/1000th of the content, that's not too shabby.
The story is very well done. It keeps you guessing and aching to get to the next part. Fleshing out the stories from previous games about the Nord power of The Voice and all that lore about dragons and Dragonborn emperors is a dream come true for me -- made complete with intensive details like hundreds of in-game books and the invention of a Dragon Language just for this game (oh, I still get goosebumps when I turn it on and hear the choir). And then comes the perfect conclusion in
SPOILER WARNING: Click here to reveal hidden content.
I can't even see where the "Skyrim doesn't have a good story" meme comes from. But if the main story isn't your cup of tea there's only a few thousand other things you can explore in the game, from politics to poetry, from lutes to lore. I know you dump on the sheer size, but the Thieves Guild is like a game in itself -- and that's impressive no matter how you try to downplay the massiveness of the game.
It's not just big, it's a really good RPG. That's really all that has to be said about Skyrim. It's a massive, ambitious, immersive, detailed and technically and artistically impressive game. Every aspect lends itself well to another. Game of the Decade.
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