‘The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’ — Roaming the frozen north of Tamriel

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David Holmes, Mass Media Student

Role-playing games have always been a popular genre of video games. Combined with the free roam aspect, “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is one of the most well-known games of all time. Released on Oct. 28, 2016, the game is still having content added to it by its users. Even without the official downloadable content (DLC), people still find time to play the game.

In Oblivion, someone had murdered the emperor. The protagonist is told to find his heir, but he can’t because he’s dead. The fictional continent, Tamriel,  was left in a weakened state which caused unrest. This caused the Stormcloaks to want freedom. The makeshift government known as the Empire did notwant a revolution, in fear that it would cause a civil war. Alongside the war, people start causing problems by resurrecting the old dragons. The player’s task is to stop the dragons and choose who to side with in the war.

One of the things I like about Skyrim, is the many different play styles incorporated. There are three main classes: warrior, rogue and mage. The warrior class is recommended to those people who wish to be able to take and dish out damage. They usually use a single-handed blade (except a dagger) with a shield or a two-handed weapon.

The rogue play style fits those who are looking to be more stealthy. By using a bow or dagger to get in close, this class offers high damage that comes with a sneak bonus. The mage offers a plethora of techniques to the player by including many different types of magic, like summoning monsters, healing allies or even controlling the battlefield.

The character creation isn’t just about classes, though, it brings in race and customization options. Race is an important factor in how you decide to make your character. The race you choose also affects how others treat you.

Each race has set skill points in certain skill trees, which help you get a build online. Out of the 10 race options, my favorite is the Khajiit. They can be be identified by their feline features. They are versatile due to their high advantage in sneak. They also have my favorite ability, which gives them 15 additional damage points to their unarmed attacks.

Another race I recommend is the Dunmer. These dark elves are proficient with destruction magic, which is the most useful for direct damage. Their special power gives them a 50 percent resistance to fire damage. This all ties in with the background of the series.

I give this game 8/10 stars.