Over the last week and half, I`ve had the chance and opportunity to get my hands on something a bit different for me. A few weeks back, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was released on the Xbox One as a re-mastered game, and is the latest game to join on the bandwagon of remastering games. We`ve seen games re-mastered this year such as Dead Rising, Bioshock and recently, Call of Duty Modern Warfare, and more and more companies seem to be open to doing it. But, when one of the most critically acclaimed games and one of the highest rated in the Xbox 360 community was being released as a re-mastered with all the DLC in a special edition, is it a game that has warranted the re-master treatment? Yes, it certainly has, and is a great throwback to those who lots endless hours of their time into the original.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is developed and published by Bethesda, and is the fifth instalment to the Elder Scrolls series, after the hit of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. It was originally released on the Xbox 360 and last gen consoles in November 2011, but after being announced earlier in the year near E3, a re-mastered version would be joining us in the market by the end of this year. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition was announced and would be released in October 2016. Containing not only upgraded and re-mastered graphics for next-gen, it would be released with every piece of DLC that was released for the game, giving you the ultimate package.
Now, Skyrim was a game that eluded me on the Xbox 360. It was a title that I never got the chance to play, and perhaps one of the standout games on the 360 that I never did play. I knew of it, and I knew how well It was doing critically and award wise, and so many people I`d spoken to who had played the game and loved it. Well, after playing the re-master, I`m surprised with myself that I didn’t take the chance to play it, as it is fantastic.
When I think of Skyrim, you think of magic and fantasy. We`ve seen so many other games and TV shows over the past few years that have added to that genre, and most notably, when I think of the magic and fantasy genre I instantly think of Game of Thrones. Magic and Fantasy are key within Skyrim, and one of the reasons why it was so successful back on the 360. It was something a bit different to what was already out there (at the times other fantasy games and TV shows didn’t exist to the extent that they do today)
Onto the game. Upon entering the game, we are thrown into the first quest where you are a prisoner, and you are being taken to Helgen for your execution. As you await your fateful death, the area is attacked by a dragon, and you are forced to flee and escape from the fiery wraths of it. Escaping into the nearby village of Skyrim, you`re going to have to build up your level and your weaponry and take on a range of quests to enhance your skills and level. You`re going to need to make sure you only carry the essentials and trade and craft your way into the game. Your end goal is simple. You need to stop Alduin the world-eater, the dragon who is out to destroy the world.
Now, Skyrim is an open-world game, and let me tell you know, you could spend 50 hours+ without touching the main storyline. That`s how big, and easy it is to get side-tracked within it. You`re going to need (and to be honest, want to) explore other parts of the map other than Skyrim, and with so many different side quests that become active by talking with other soldiers, villagers and minions, it`s so easy to get strayed away from completing the main story. It`s a lot to take in and it`s a lot to explore. Perhaps one of the best games for an open-world, you can take on side missions to earn gold and perhaps better weapons, and explore the forests for animals that you`ll need to destroy and use for crafting. I found myself after the first initial mission of escaping Helgen not touching a mission or a quest properly for a while, as I was just amazed at how big the game and map was, and I wanted to explore. I love to explore in these types of games at the beginning and not just jump into the game missions straight away. Many times, I`ve done that before where I`ve jumped straight into the quests and missions, and then missing out on potentially exploration time as the game progresses. Fans who have played the game on the 360, it`s a great throwback to being able to explore all of Skyrim, and you`ll remember where is where and what is what, but for me being a complete newbie to Skyrim, it made it even more special for me, as it`s just like playing a brand-new game. You think of re-masters you think of the exact same game just with upgraded graphics and perhaps DLC involvement, which in a sense is true, but when you`ve never played the 360 version, It then makes it a brand new game to play.
Of course, with any re-master, the graphics have had an enhancement that brings them up to the standards we`ve seen around current-gen consoles. Now, it`s not a game that`s going to graphically grip you and make you think wow across the board, but there are elements of the game that are quite beautiful, and you can see some of the finer detail, especially when it comes to the environment aspect of the game. Bethesda have done a fantastic job graphically, fining the detail within the environment which on a game like Skyrim, is a great feature.
Perhaps though, the biggest claw and new feature to the Special edition of Skyrim, is the involvement of Mods. For those who don’t know what Mods are, Mods are community creation add-ons that enhance the game or change an area of the game in a certain way. Mods can be fantastic creations and you do see some great mods that have been made. I don’t know whether it`s any different for any other console (PS4 users have a limited range of mods than Xbox One) but some of the mods that you get within the game are fantastic, funny, and offer something different to what you`d normally see. Although they offer good fun, be aware that using a mod will disable saving, and for those ones who like to fully achieve a game, they will disable achievements while you`re using them.
Skyrim is a game that offers a great lot of content for what you pay. For me, it`s a brilliant title that I love playing. I`ve found it so easily to be side-tracked within it, but that for me is what an open-world game is. Being able to explore and play a lot more than just playing through a linear storyline. For those who have completed Skyrim before on the 360, It`s a game that offer a good throwback and upgraded graphics with all DLC, but I could see the argument if people have completed it before, spent 100+ hours on, and don’t want to play a game that they`ve played before. But for fans, they won`t care, and it`s a game that I implore you if you`ve never played Skyrim before to go out, purchase and enjoy, because you`re getting a game that`s fully worth the money today.
A huge thank you to XCN for supplying us with a review copy of Skyrim.
Game: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Developers: Bethesda
Publishers: Bethesda
Genre: Action Role-playing
Price: £49.99 (From Xbox Store)