So, Skyrim's out 11/11/11

[Roland]

As yet, I have not picked up the game. I was hoping there would be a playable demo to get a feel of it, before dropping very limited cash on it, but that is not to be due to its size and complexity. So, a question. In the past, I've had great fun with games where you manage every detail. The talk here seems to be that the fun is found doing so in this one. I'm afraid I don't have the patience for doing so anymore. Is there room in this game to basically "kill stuff and grab loot"? It certainly looks gorgeous, and for once I think I have a machine that might do OK with the latest and greatest, but I fear it might be too futzy for me to make any progress. Thumbs up or thumbs down - your opinions (well most of them anyway ) are greatly appreciated.


[edit] I've watched the three part official "demo" video, but that is another reason I feel like it might be too much micromanaging for me to enjoy anymore. It feels like it is being run by a very practiced hand and thus hides a lot of the possibly overabundant detail management required.

While it's not quite as "Click -> Reward" as Diablo II was, it's also not really anymore complex than that - perhaps even less so. There's minimal need to fret over how to "build" your character - no stats to worry about except Health, Magicka, and Stamina (which also affects carrying capacity). 1 Perk point per level that can be invested in any skill group you have enough points in (and skills level up as you use them), so the skills you use the most will level up the fastest (and will level you up faster, too), and thus will have the most options for Perks. Really, the game is meant to just be played, period. However you want. If you want to just run around shooting / bashing / burning stuff and collecting goodies, you can - I do it for hours on a nightly basis (I've probably spent less than 1/5th the entire time in the game doing questing). One of the greatest things about Skyrim is the sheer number of things that you CAN do - not that you HAVE to do. It's a deceptively simple game to play (and thus enjoy), but with plenty of depth and variation to prevent the majority of people from getting bored or frustrated.

My biggest concern at the moment is the ability to power level beyond your capabilities. Having faced off against my first Blood Dragon last night, and earlier against a fort full of very tough Bandits (who managed to kill me before I could quaff a potion), I'm finding all my investment in Sneaking and Smithing (Sneak happens naturally, but I've been raising Smithing to raise the quality of my weapons and armor; also found my first Glass weapon - a dagger - right after buying an Elven Dagger ) has pushed me to a point where I have to pick my battles carefully at times. I decided to go on a bit of a dragon hunting spree to recoup some gold, but when the first one I found was a Blood Dragon I quickly decided that was a bad idea. I don't feel underpowered - on the contrary, I feel more balanced now than ever before - but it did bring to light the biggest weakness I've found in the game. If you're not careful, you can level yourself beyond your capabilities if you don't keep enough of a focus on your combat skills. If you're entire game consists of exploring, spelunking, and looting though, I doubt you'll ever run into much trouble. I've never had an encounter that couldn't be beaten, but I have had a few that required a couple restarts to accomplish, simply because it required more or better tactics than I was employing initially.

It's a fair bit of money to sink into a game, and my budget is tight as well. I didn't hesitate to plunk down the cash for it, though, and I can honestly say I have zero regrets about it so far - more than can be said for most games I've bought, even ones costing 1/3rd or less what I payed for Skyrim. The value for the dollar is definitely there, as the sheer amount of things you can do (and the absolute vastness of the world) will keep you going for months. I'm playing a very strict character type (Thief Archer, emphasis on the latter more than the former save for very high Sneak skill - i.e. minimal Speechcraft and Pickpocket, but decent Lockpicking), and loving every minute of it despite having never touched spellcasting, and barely scratched the surface of melee combat (a couple duals with a Saber Cat here and there with my Orcish Dagger). This is definitely a world I could see myself playing through more than once, with different character archetypes, simply because it's so vast, so beautiful, and so awe-inspiring. I distinctly remember a recent part of the main quest in which I had to go into a cave to retrieve a Horn - and finding a massive underground cavern, complete with a small forest. The view was breathtaking, to say the least. Even coming across a new dragon roost in search of a word of power always causes a moment of awe, just staring at the great beast I'm about to awaken with an arrow through his hide.

If you enjoyed Morrowind or Oblivion, you'll probably like Skyrim. If you wanted to enjoy Morrowind and Oblivion, but like me couldn't get past the major grievances with the systems, you'll probably love Skyrim. It feels... a little consolized at first, almost dumbed down, because everything is rather "simple", but it's deceptively so - there's still plenty of depth, it's just more... optional. It allows you to just play without having to worry, and enjoy the game without having to micromanage - which is exactly what you're looking for, if I'm understanding you correctly. If you have an Xbox 360, try renting it for a couple days - may be your best bet in trying to see if you'll enjoy it. Personally, I've yet to find anything that bogs down the gameplay - whether I'm crafting armors or potions, running through the wilds hunting deer and wolves, or pursuing my way through dungeons killing skeletons and draugr (like zombies), the overall pace of the game is very smooth. I never feel like I'm getting hung up on anything, and the most complex decisions I've had to make so far have mostly been related to combat tactics.

In short, two thumbs up, and minimal (if any) micromanagement.