![]() ![]() Clear out a dungeon before someone tells you to, or collect an ancient relic before it comes into play in the story? No problem you simply get a new dialogue option that says, "Yeah, I already did that," and your quest giver praises you for being so on-the-ball. Rather than locking players out with invisible walls or other arbitrary barriers, it simply lets you do as you wish and then rolls with it. This is, after all, a game where players are given full freedom to do as they like, and that means sometimes you'll go somewhere and complete a task before the game tells you to. That's probably reaching a bit into the realm of hyperbole, but Skyrim actually does manage to modify quest goals and dialogue on the fly in reaction to your accomplishments. Developer Bethesda refers to it as the "Radiant Story" system, promising a dynamic story packed with quests that adapt to player's actions and customize the world to their experience. Much as we appreciate the simple innovation of Skyrim's not being painful to look at, the complex interlocking nature of the game's numerous quests is easily its finest feature. Yet the pleasant graphics and refined controls don't come at the expense of substance Skyrim is brimming with quests - hundreds of them, in fact, many of which have been interwoven in an addictive, just-one-more tapestry that should serve as a point of reference for all RPG designers going forward. The game looks far more beautiful than 2006's Oblivion, dropping players to do as they please in a sprawling, snow-dappled land and leaving them to interact with hundreds of characters who, for once, aren't hideous. They're but one of many fine additions Skyrim adds to the Elder Scrolls template in its bid to transform a beloved (but not quite blockbuster) series into a mainstream juggernaut. Hate the compass system that points your way to the next objective, preferring instead to find your own route? Waypoints are strictly optional. ![]() Admittedly, for many gamers - especially the sort that's been following The Elder Scrolls for a decade or more - "accessibility" is a dirty word, a hollow euphemism for "dumbed down." And while super-fans may take issue with some of the minute details of this game, the refinements and improvements it adds far outstrip anything that's been lost.īesides, many of Skyrim's more user-friendly features are optional. Where Skyrim stands above its predecessors is in the way it balances its tremendous scope with accessibility. One might argue that Skyrim is neither as large as Daggerfall nor as deep as Morrowind, and that claim isn't without merit. This is par for the course in The Elders Scrolls series, to be sure. Click the image above to check out all The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim screens. ![]()
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