The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - 7 Things You Should Know
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7 Things You Should Know About The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The epic adventure role-playing series is back! Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’ll be filling you in on everything you should know about The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
The fifth installment in the series, Skyrim takes place two hundred years following the events of 2006’s Oblivion. Following its own narrative, it’s centered on the Empire’s recently diminished power and influence. This is due to there being no surviving heir to ascend to the throne, which has forced the Empire to cede territory to the Elven nations that it had once governed. Meanwhile, the king of Skyrim has been assassinated during the Nord Race’s civil war to cut ties with the Empire.
Continuing the tradition of previous installments, players assume the role of an unknown prisoner, this time slated for execution. Your character soon learns that Skyrim’s civil war is the final event prophesied by the Elder Scrolls before the return of the Nordic god of destruction, who will descend on the Earth in the form of an unstoppable dragon.
Your unnamed protagonist is soon revealed to be the last dragon-born, chosen by the gods to save the world. Fully customizable, you must select your appearance from several human and mythical races before beginning the adventure. Aesthetic differences aside, each race has specific skill bonuses and abilities that give them the edge in certain situations.
As a dragon-born, the player will also have access to special “Dragon Shouts”. These powerful spells can only be acquired by slaying dragons and absorbing their souls, and as such will be difficult to come by.
Lastly, developer Bethesda has brought over their popular “Perk System”, made popular in their Fallout games. After leveling up, players will be allowed to choose from a list of “Perks” that enhance their character beyond the scope of their skills and attributes.
Although a third person perspective is available, the game is primarily meant to be a first person game.
Continuing the tradition of non-linear gameplay, Skyrim allows you to explore its massive open world in any way you desire. A player can choose to charge through the main story instantly, or spend all of their time wandering the forests, hunting deer and slaying monsters.
New to the series is the dual wield system, which allows for even further character development. Players can place weapons, shields and even spells in either hand in order to create any combination they can think of. This means that you can, for example, wield a sword in one hand and a fireball spell in the other, or even have two identical spells in each hand and combine them for truly devastating effects.
Yet another new addition to the series is the radiant story system. This allows for dynamic changes to take place during your quests based on what you have already done.
Your actions play a major role in affecting the well being of the characters and settlements you come across. For example, you can help the farmer with his crops, or you can sabotage his house.
With Skyrim, Bethesda has chosen to address two of the major criticisms of their previous games.
The first has to do with animations. While Morrowind and Oblivion had stunning visuals for their time, stiff, unnatural character animations hindered the overall effect. Bethesda looks to improve upon this in Skyrim with a whole new animation system that promises natural fluidity for all its characters.
The second is the conversation system. In previous games, initiating conversation resulted in a mode that seemed to pause the world around the player and whomever they were talking to. In Skyrim however, there will be no conversation “mode” that is entered; the world will continue to function around the player as they converse.
Developed by Bethesda Game Studios for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360, Skyrim is the most ambitious and thrilling entry in the long-running series yet, and sets a new standard for the role-playing adventure genre.
The epic adventure role-playing series is back! Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’ll be filling you in on everything you should know about The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
Number 1: Prologue
The fifth installment in the series, Skyrim takes place two hundred years following the events of 2006’s Oblivion. Following its own narrative, it’s centered on the Empire’s recently diminished power and influence. This is due to there being no surviving heir to ascend to the throne, which has forced the Empire to cede territory to the Elven nations that it had once governed. Meanwhile, the king of Skyrim has been assassinated during the Nord Race’s civil war to cut ties with the Empire.
Number 2: The Plot
Continuing the tradition of previous installments, players assume the role of an unknown prisoner, this time slated for execution. Your character soon learns that Skyrim’s civil war is the final event prophesied by the Elder Scrolls before the return of the Nordic god of destruction, who will descend on the Earth in the form of an unstoppable dragon.
Number 3: The Protagonist
Your unnamed protagonist is soon revealed to be the last dragon-born, chosen by the gods to save the world. Fully customizable, you must select your appearance from several human and mythical races before beginning the adventure. Aesthetic differences aside, each race has specific skill bonuses and abilities that give them the edge in certain situations.
As a dragon-born, the player will also have access to special “Dragon Shouts”. These powerful spells can only be acquired by slaying dragons and absorbing their souls, and as such will be difficult to come by.
Lastly, developer Bethesda has brought over their popular “Perk System”, made popular in their Fallout games. After leveling up, players will be allowed to choose from a list of “Perks” that enhance their character beyond the scope of their skills and attributes.
Number 4: Gameplay
Although a third person perspective is available, the game is primarily meant to be a first person game.
Continuing the tradition of non-linear gameplay, Skyrim allows you to explore its massive open world in any way you desire. A player can choose to charge through the main story instantly, or spend all of their time wandering the forests, hunting deer and slaying monsters.
Number 5: Dual Wielding
New to the series is the dual wield system, which allows for even further character development. Players can place weapons, shields and even spells in either hand in order to create any combination they can think of. This means that you can, for example, wield a sword in one hand and a fireball spell in the other, or even have two identical spells in each hand and combine them for truly devastating effects.
Number 6: Radiant Story System
Yet another new addition to the series is the radiant story system. This allows for dynamic changes to take place during your quests based on what you have already done.
Your actions play a major role in affecting the well being of the characters and settlements you come across. For example, you can help the farmer with his crops, or you can sabotage his house.
Number 7: Non-Player Character Improvements
With Skyrim, Bethesda has chosen to address two of the major criticisms of their previous games.
The first has to do with animations. While Morrowind and Oblivion had stunning visuals for their time, stiff, unnatural character animations hindered the overall effect. Bethesda looks to improve upon this in Skyrim with a whole new animation system that promises natural fluidity for all its characters.
The second is the conversation system. In previous games, initiating conversation resulted in a mode that seemed to pause the world around the player and whomever they were talking to. In Skyrim however, there will be no conversation “mode” that is entered; the world will continue to function around the player as they converse.
Conclusion:
Developed by Bethesda Game Studios for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360, Skyrim is the most ambitious and thrilling entry in the long-running series yet, and sets a new standard for the role-playing adventure genre.
