A Closer Look at The Elder Scrolls V: SkyrimMany might associate Bethesda Game Studios
with the irradiated wastes of Fallout, but slightly older video game
fans know the company established itself on swords-and-sorcery fantasy.
Without the success of The Elder Scrolls role-playing series, there
likely would be no Fallout 3 as we know it today, and Bethesda's parent
company Zenimax Media probably wouldn't have been able to build the
impressive stable of studios it has. That's not the only reason The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a big deal.
Elder Scrolls games represent an old-school kind of open-world fantasy.
Go anywhere, do anything, kill anyone. The freedom offered in these
games is one of the most thrilling parts, as is encountering the
thousands of world-breaking bugs that tend to pop up. There aren't many
studios in existence capable of not only creating these kinds of games
but also making them comprehensible and fun. Now that there are a few
screenshots of Skyrim floating around, it's possible to more closely
examine changes Bethesda's making to its flagship series.
Better Character ModelsOblivionSkyrimBethesda's using all new technology to build Skyrim, which ideally means
a few things like shorter loading times and better draw distances and
so on. It also most definitely means the character models look a lot
better. The evidence for this is pretty obvious, I think. Hopefully it
also means 75 percent of Skyrim's population won't refer to you as "The
Hero of Kvatch." Maybe the new AI system that governs non-player
character behavior will make for some more interesting variation across
multiple playthroughs.
Better Spell Effects
OblivionSkyrimHitting someone with a fireball in Oblivion was a satisfying act. It
dealt damage, made you feel like a badass, and sometimes caused the
targets to fly across the landscape like victims of fatal trampoline
accidents. In Skyrim, judging by this screenshot and the small flecks of
flame around the impact point, it looks as though the spell effects
will be much more detailed. Bethesda decided to reduce the total schools
of magic from Oblivion, dropping Mysticism, but that doesn't mean
there'll be less to choose from in terms of combat options. Leveling
will be faster and Skyrim will include Fallout-like perks.
Fancier InterfaceOblivionSkyrimThis screen shows off some of some statistics for a character that's
talented at tossing out offensive magic but stinks at enchanting. It
looks very slick, displaying the game's magical schools in an
eye-catching way. As much I love picking through dense grids of numbers
to determine how to best optimize my equipment and skills (I'm not being
sarcastic), I also appreciate an interface that's fun to navigate. Is
it weird to say I'm looking forward to seeing the in-game map?
Dungeon CrawlingOblivionSkyrimHacking apart horrors in the depths of the earth is a big part of many
fantasy role-playing games, and looks to be a part of Skyrim, as would
be expected. The cool part is checking out all the graphical detail
packed in. Notice how each enemy is distinctly detailed, from the armor
to the weapons down the rotting neck muscles. Notice also the
curvilinear designs etched into the rock walls and the shadows and
lighting effects caused by the torch. This screen makes me kind of
scared about system requirements, but I suppose that's par for the
course with Elder Scrolls games.
Different Environment TypesOblivionSkyrimGone is the ubiquity of Oblivion's bright green forests. Oblivion, as
you might know, is set in Cyrodiil. Cyrodiil, as you might not know, is a
territory in the fictional land of Tamriel. Skyrim, where The Elder
Scrolls V is set, lies north of Cyrodiil, and appropriately has
different forest types, as you can see with the birch trees here. You
can also see a deer, meaning nerds like me who like to sit in the woods
and hunt non-hostile creatures in fantasy role-playing games will be
happy.
DragonsSkyrimSkyrimNot much of a description is required here. These winged monsters make
Skyrim instantly better than Oblivion. Dragons are the nuclear weapons
of fantasy games.
FONTE: IGN