The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim for Windows is one of the most popular games in the legendary TES series that can attract you with its unique aesthetics and gameplay if you haven't played it yet for some reason. Times are difficult. Skyrim is mired in civil war, thieves, bandits, and Daedra adherents are everywhere, and the dragons have returned, predicting the end of times. As a Dragonborn, you will have to bring order (or chaos, if you prefer) to this dangerous and brutal continent in the north of Tamriel.

Do you want to support the rebellion of Stormcloaks to protect the true faith of the hash Nords and keep their traditions or fight for the Empire's integrity to stand against a more dangerous enemy, the Aldmeri Dominion? Do you prefer to solve problems with steel, diplomacy, or magic? Do you want to become a thief, a mercenary, a bard, a Dark Brotherhood assassin, a legendary dragonslayer, or everyone at once? Here you can be anyone and do anything you want because many opportunities and a large open game world will drag you for many hours, and you won't regret any of them.

What is this game?

What is Skyrim? It is freedom. Long-forgotten emotions. A living reminder that once upon a time, we could devote several hundred hours to a single game and not regret it. If you are a long-time fan of The Elder Scrolls series, the fifth part will also be a pleasant surprise for you, destroying all unnecessary fears. Everything here is played out and staged, suitable, atmospheric, and fascinating.

A large open world

Skyrim is a province of Tamriel in the universe of The Elder Scrolls. The developers created a vast land full of cities, villages, animals, exciting places, and quests. The world is alive, and the game encourages you to explore it because you can find an interesting side-quest or fight with strong enemies and take expensive loot from them on your way. You can find various chests, dungeons, and exciting stories in the vastness of Skyrim. Even a simple journey from Whiterun to Rorikstead can be a real adventure.

There are towns in different parts of the map; the largest are Whiterun, Windhelm, Riften, Markarth, and Solitude, the jewel of the Empire. Each of them is different from the others. Riften is a medieval town with wooden houses, poverty, and a corrupt jarl covered by the Thieves Guild and the Dark Brotherhood. Windhelm is an ancient snow town, stone and solid, ruled by Jarl Ulfric the Stormcloak, the true king of Skyrim, according to his companions, who defeated the previous king by the power of his voice and started the North rebellion against the Empire's dictatorship. Markarth, built on the Dwemer ruins, is something to be seen once to fall in love forever. Of course, every town, every little village, every fortress, and even every road is filled with numerous different quests.

Storyline

According to the tradition of the TES series, you start the game as a prisoner who a dragon saves from imminent execution and a trip to Sovngarde this time. In the beginning, you learn about the civil war tearing Skyrim through NPC dialogues. They also force you to take one of the sides (at the beginning of the game, you have the opportunity to escape from the dragon-ravaged city with a soldier of the Stormcloaks of an imperial legionnaire). Each side of the conflict has its truth. Fans still have discussions about what side to take: the Imperial Legion or the Stormcloaks. This is just one of the many storm branches.

The main storyline tells about the dragons who came back to Tamriel and began ruthlessly terrorizing Skyrim's villages and towns. You will soon discover that you are a Dragonborn and have been entrusted with a great mission. Of course, you will pass it later because many interesting side-quests are already waiting for you.

Adventures

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is not just about fighting between people and dragons. There are also other exciting stories. For example, you can become a head of the Thieves Guild, the Arch-Mage of Winterhold, an adherent of Mara who helps Skyrim people to find their love, or a ruthless killer who knows no honor.

An adventure you create yourself is the basis of Skyrim. You can be almost anyone: a mage, an archer, or a warrior, running around and knocking non-humans on the head. You can investigate crimes or become thieves, chop wood, hunt deer and mammoths, brew potions, or enchant armor and weapons. You are immersed in this fantasy, frightening, and harsh but still beautiful world. If you forget about the existence of the real world, don't worry, that's okay.

Freedom of self-expression

You can become everyone you want in this game. Guilds in The Elder Scrolls have traditionally received much attention. Except for the confrontation between the two major formations, the Imperial Legion and the Stormcloak, you can get the maximum respect in all factions at once. In the case of the first two factions, you have to make a difficult choice: if you start to serve in the glory of the Emperor, do not count on the leniency of fans of Ulfric the Stormcloak.

However, you can perform tasks for the Companions, the Dark Brotherhood, the Thieves Guild, the College of Winterhold, etc. Freedom of belief is also available here. You can safely perform tasks of both mad Daedroth (for example, quests of Sanguine, Molag Bal, or Sheogorath) and "good" Aedroth, bringing life and light into this hash-troubled world.

You can also master crafting professions in Skyrim, such as blacksmithing. However, now everything is performed much more seriously. First, you need to get the ore with a pickaxe (you cannot work at all without a pickaxe). After that, the resulting raw material is melted into ingots in the smelter. Then you need to perform some simple manipulations with the leather and produce the necessary equipment in the forge. Don't you like that kind of work? Well, woodcutters have always been needed in the provinces. And the skins of killed bears and wolves will always be required for purchase after a successful hunt.

Excellent graphics

Skyrim for Windows is beautiful. You can take screenshots of almost every frame here and put them on your desktop. If there is a forest on your way, it looks like a natural forest with detailed fir trees, bears, wolves, hares, and deer. Physically correct water behavior is worth special mention.

Snow lies in continuous layers throughout the world. It can be met rarely in southern regions. But everything is covered with a dense white veil as you get closer to the top of the map. Snowstorms here are beautiful, and the snow swirls incredibly. The Elder Scrolls games have always captured the souls of their fans with their unique beauty, but Skyrim has taken it to a new level. It is even more pleasant to know that external beauty hides the depth and perfection of the game world.

However, there is no limit to perfection, so you can continually improve the graphics with different mods.

New advanced engine

At first glance, it may seem that the engine of the new part of The Elder Scrolls is the same as the last one. The animation of the protagonist and the textures point it out, but the technology is already new. Creation Engine is the development of Bethesda. It was created specifically for Skyrim. The developers have extensively corrected the lightning, and now the palette does not hurt your eyes with its unnatural colors. During the game's passing, you will never feel that the artists have made even the slightest mistake.

Role system

Role system in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a bit abolished for greater versatility. The division into classes has become relatively conventional. Now you must put on a ridiculous robe with a long hood (of course, for intimidation and general solidity) and systematically improve the necessary skills to be a brilliant mage with evil thoughts and a lean physique. Unfortunately, there are no hidden bonuses from a chosen specialization.

Health, magic, and endurance are the primary parameters. With each new level, they can be increased if necessary. Controlling spells without blades and bows is much more fun. The visual effects that accompany all your magic tricks are at a high level. A powerful bit at each hand can turn an ordinary fight with a bear into unbridled fun.

However, it is also fun to fight with swords. The game now has a spectacular system of retaliation and a set of incredible angles. The developers have improved the animation and soundtrack. In Skyrim, each battle feels just like a real battle. This is one of those aspects that past games in the series lacked.

Conclusions

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim for Windows is one of the most iconic RPGs. Continuing the story of the Elder Scrolls world, it tells us about the adventures of Dovahkiin, a character with unusual destiny and unique abilities, who finds himself in the center of various intrigues and can significantly influence the fate of Skyrim.

The game has become a real hit due to the great freedom of actions the developers presented to the players and because the developers immediately took care of support for various modifications that are continuing to be released to the project.

Three official DLCs for Skyrim continue the storyline: Dragonborn, Hearthfire, and Dawnguard. However, the modding community is enormous so you can find mods for every taste.