There aren’t too many games you can honestly say that you faithful put hours into every week, even a year after release. Like most gamers I enjoy the beauty that Tamriel proves, which has only been ramped up with the fifth iteration of the Elder Scrolls series. Even as a neglected PlayStation 3 owner I still love Skyrim. As the last year or so has illustrated to PlayStation owners Skyrim is not perfect; however, it sure is close.

The first thing you notice when Skyrim begins is the photorealistic beauty the game engulfs you in, but the beauty of Skyrim certainly is not limited to the intricate NPC design, nor the realistic construction styles of castles, homes, and settlements. This beauty extends to the score brilliantly composed by renowned composer Jeremy Soule which serves as a elegant and dramatic moodsetter, the same way Alfred Hitchcock would utilize the same tool in his iconic films. Even in the opening moment in Helgen, you realize how gorgeous the fiery destruction is with rubble burning with the ancient flames of Alduin.

As you flee the aforementioned destruction into the barracks at Helgen the open endedness of Skyrim truly begins to sink it when you realize that as an Altmer you can don heavy armor and bruise your enemies with a greatsword or an Orc can conjure up some Dremora from Mehrunes Dagon’s plane of Oblivion. If you do choose to go the melee route be prepared for some absolutely gnarly kill animation. Beyond mere combat styles you can choose how deep you wish to delve into the land and lore of Skyrim. Personally I spent countless hours hunting down and killing Daedra, just so I could forge my own gorgeous Daedric Armor. The astounding freedom to be whatever you want to be is granted through the game’s perk system which players invest points in skill trees for powerful and unique abilities and augmentations. For someone who has never played an Elder Scrolls title, all you need to know is this: Skyrim defines what ‘open world’ can and should mean. In other words if you don’t enjoy the good old time sink, steer clear of this one.

For everything the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim does with brilliant expertise, there are some, and I repeat some, weak points. The only reasonable criticisms of the game itself are the lack of any sense of morality, and a somewhat lackluster story. In main quest line itself is rather linear with only one real progression, and a rather rushed conclusion, but much of the criticism here is most likely a product of comparison to the bevy of side and miscellaneous quests. When it comes to morality, some players may desire a Fallout style morality rating, because without it all you need to become a murderer above the law is a few thousands gold at all times, which is not difficult at all.

If you are planning to play Skyrim, or really any other Bethesda title there is one piece of advice I have for you: don’t play it on the PlayStation 3. Between the hundreds of game freezes, confusing framerate drops, and the still missing downloadable content this Sony customer feels screwed, but that isn’t truly a criticism of the game now is it?

Taking the good with the bad Skyrim is a staggeringly amazing game. Beauty, freedom, and blood, What else does an RPG need? Without the PS3 issues this game would certainly deserve a perfect ten, but I can not ignore an entire sector of the gaming community therefore the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim deserves a rather loft 9.5 until the PlayStation Network is given a satisfactory fix for the subtle presentation issues within Skyrim, as well as any form of DLC.

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