Cant wait!

Well obviously I thought it was going to be good since I put it down for a 95 in the meta prediction thread (although I admit I was really doubting myself near the end about that)

I can't wait to play it though!

I hate to say this, but I started playing when I got home from last night and I'm actually quite disappointed... I honestly do not see where the those perfect scores come from.

yeah the first hour or so isn't so good and the graphics there was shit as well but then this game is EPIC! and nobody should expect a huge great storyline for the campaign that's not what a elder scrolls game is made for, but sure it would be even better then.

I'm currently level 17 (soon 18) and doing Thieves Guild quests (I'm guessing I have around 8 hours playtime). I really don't like some of the changes they've made to the series. Its pretty much a console port with fairly unimpressive tech and overly simplified mechanics. The game world is great, music is sublime and the whole interaction aspect is drastically improved but the watered down RPG elements makes it far less enjoyable than it could be. I did say this was going to happen though, no reason to think that Bethesda wouldn't go the same way as other developers and I saw the changes occurr in Fallot 3 and New Vegas.

The game is still good, very good even but it could have been so much more in some regards and I feel like an idiot playing a game that has been this dumbed down for the benefit of "appealing to a broader audience", as they say and it is certainly not worthy of perfect scores imo. There are also a few technical issues and the game seriously underdelivered on the visuals (I'm running everything on Ultra settings with everything maxed out).

There are no stats any longer, you have regenerating health and a lot more stamina, only some attacks cost stamina, the spells are in essence infinite in power since you regenerate mana and it goes rather quickly and they removed a whole lot of skills, smacking all the weapons into two categories and doing the same with some magic schools. In addition, they removed two of the most usefull skills from previous games; athletics and acrobatics. Athletics allows you run faster teamed up with speed, something this game could have used since you move extremely slow (there is a sprint function but the staminga drain is much too rapid so its largely useless). Acrobatics allowed for higher and longer jumps, again something that could come in handy seeing as how most of your time is spent in, on and around mountains and steep terrain, the jumping is horrible now and you can barely clear the fences around people's yards. Acrobatics also dampened fall damage, which is pretty handy at times. The removal of strength also seriously hampers your ability to carry stuff (I laugh at the idea that a big, strong fighter may actually carry less than a stealthy thief since the extra carrying capacity perk is in the sneak tree...) and since no one will buy stolen goods, I find myself dumping gear all the time. I could stop stealing things but that would end the biggest possible income source for a Thief character and would also mean that I won't be able to level up the Theif skills, rendering the whole thing useless. The perk system doesn't specialize you, it makes every class less relevant imo.

They claim they developed the perk system for further possibilities with specialization but it ultimately ends up biting its own ass slightly, you have far too few perks (max 50) to level up more than about three skills with all perks and the skill points themselves seem to do nothing so the perks are key. There is also the annoying tidbit of having no way to rid yourself of stolen goods until you have some leeway with the thieves guild, you need a speech skill of around 90 to unlock the "fence" perk which allows you to bribe merchants into buying stolen goods. This makes the whole Thief/Stealth character largely useless in the first ten or so hours of the game.

I also feel like some of the skills level up way too fast, I already have a pickpocket skill of 99 and have experienced gaining up to six levels in that skill alone simply from pickpocketing one persons items, which yields almost one full character level. That's kind of silly since I'll be spending perhaps 80-90 hours with a character that has already maxed one perk tree, leaving me the agonizing wait for the ones that are much slower to level (archery, lockpicking and sneak take a long ass time compared to pickpocket and this seems highly unbalanced).

All in all, they removed a heap of RPG elements, replaced them with simple mechanics, built an engine that leaves a lot to be desired compared to a lot of contemporary titles due to being made first and foremost for consoles and the menu system feels like it was designed for a gamepad (which it is, of course) and feels cumbersome and slow on the PC. How about adding a simply radial menu using the numeric keys like in Morrowind? Its simple and works, instead you need to scroll through all the favourited spells and weapons every time.

Like I've mentioned, I do like the game, its a good game but not a fantastic one and I cannout fathom how so many reviewers could let it get away with such glaring flaws and blatant stripping of RPG elements, I don't want any more bragging about how "deep" WRPG's are from here on out... And these were the same reviewers who knocked games like Dragon Age 2 for doing the exact same thing as Skyrim; making it overly simple to try to cater to a group that aren't normally keen on RPG's. At this rate, the next Elder Scrolls game will be a more or less pure action RPG.

Ive played about 6 hours so far. To early to call for sure, but so far this is loking like the number 1 game of the generation. So far its unbelievably good. No game is this expansive. In fact I looked at the river and there wa salmon jumping upstream. NO GAME HAS THIS LEVEL OF DETAIL.

Even Forza 4 cant bring me away right now. Im glued.

Bias, fanboyism, or they got paid. I'm sure Skyrim is a decent game (I have not played yet, may in the future. The reviews however indicate that this game isn't a 95+, even though that's what the score shows. So one of those reasons are to blame.)

Personally its the best RPG IVe played this gen. By along way. 

To counteract what Mummelmann is saying I have the difficulty at its highest, and its a real challenge. 

No other game ever has my total thought like Elder Scrolls. I mean total thoght. And I am positive even affter 150 hours it still will. 

Deserves GOTY for sure. And i'll see in another 60 hours, but it sure as hell feels like toppeling my Game of the generation. 

Adjusting the difficulty does not change the core gameplay mechanics. Its difficult to castrate ants while wearing boxing gloves, doesn't mean its fun.

Tweak all you like, I just don't find it to be that enjoyable as a RPG, its simply too consoleified (if there is such a word... ).

Also, I can see that Bethesda haven't learned more about AI since Oblivion and Fallout 3, some of the NPC's and enemies are dumb as doorknobs. Try stealing the arrows from someone at the shooting range, then steal their bow and then their melee weapon, they'll stand still shaking their fists at the far-away target! I actually stole every single item on a city guard, causing her to galavant around wearing nothing but a bikini, guess she didn't feel the autumn breeze suddenly becoming alarmingly cold! Its also fun to sneak up on enemies and steal their gear, drop it on the floor next to them and scamper back into the shadows and start shooting arrows at them. They'll walk around picking  up and donning their gear while shouting curses at you!