The fifth installment in the Elder Scrolls saga, Skyrim is an all around masterfully created game. But the reasons why is why you’re all here, so enough  with the introductions and let’s delve in, shall we?

Now, many gamers say that graphics don’t matter, that you could stare at a cube all day so long as it entertained you enough (see: Minecraft). But in this case, graphics are top-notch and for good reason. The world seems so alive and vibrant because of them, like you could just reach in and grab that dragon about to incinerate you. It adds immensely to game feel, and that’s the kind of thing for which all RPGs strive.

The story is interesting, but since Skyrim has so much to offer, you will most likely get side tracked like we did. While killing dragons is always fun, you can join guilds for assassins, thieves, mages, and warriors in the meantime. Each guild has its own storyline, boasting over seven quests and extremely useful equipment or abilities.

There’s also the  Stormcloak Rebellion, in which the player will determine who controls Skyrim: the Empire, or the native Nords. The Stormcloaks are for a Skyrim ruled by Nords, for Nords and only Nords. They are somewhat xenophobic, and some are even outright racist, but they believe that by outlawing Talos worship, the Empire has attacked their religious and cultural heritage. The Empire believes more in racial equity, and that because Skyrim is a part of the Empire, it must follow its laws, a kind of  “one size fits all” mentality. Each embraces different ideals, good and bad, so perfectly that sometimes we question our allegiances when we hear the peoples’ reactions to our deeds.

But we digress; the reason everyone’s  here is the gameplay. The combat is great, as weapons, shields, and armor feel like they have actual weight. Spells are incredibly diverse, ranging from invisibility and shooting lightning, to raising the dead and turning iron to silver and gold. Archery is noticeably realistic, with power determined by how far back you pull the bow string, and power differs depending on your bow and arrows. Dungeons and caves are extremely fun to explore, containing treasures, traps, and enemies galore. Sometimes though, the A.I becomes clumsy beyond all mortal comprehension, as evidenced by enemies who just stand in place while you slaughter them senselessly. While extremely funny and occasionally helpful, it does break immersion.

Outside of combat, however, is a sprawling world full of lively and unique characters. You’ll find heroes and cutthroats, jerks and saints, beggars and lords, guards who did or did not take an arrow to the knee. The diversity of the people is matched only by the emotions they elicit. Some will make you want to kill them, some will open up your heart. To describe them would be almost impossible, as you have to feel it to really get it. The invested time, care, and dedication of the writers is readily apparent.

The last thing about Skyrim is the quests, which can be extremely interesting or just normal, mundane things. They can range from “trivial task” to ” SAVE THE WORLD!” One minute, you could be delivering a sword to some guy for a birthday present; the next, fighting the king of the dragons to save everyone’s lives. The thing is, they allow players to choose their own paths, instead of a one-track mentality that many games just force. It’s a welcomed reprieve, one that is not lost on players.

In summation, this Skyrim is just awesome. There’s no reason to hesitate to buy this game. You can dump hours and hours into the game and still barely scratch the surface. It’s that kind of depth, and multitudes of playability, that makes Skyrim just great. Enough said.