Skyrim, despite its flaws, is one of the most immersive video games I have ever played. The flaws are quite apparent as soon as you start the game. Melee combat sucks. Most questlines are not very good, a clear step back from Oblivion. But the world is so beautiful, cohesive and immersive, it’s easy to ignore Skyrim’s flaws.

The attention to detail is astonishing. I have found myself in awe in many situations where the world of Skyrim reacted in mind-blowing ways. I am not talking about scripted events, mind you. You can find your horse -Shadowmere- getting pissed at some enemies and climb hundreds of stairs to invade a bandit camp. You can become a vampire lord and play the game as such and it will still make sense within Skyrim’s world. On your journey to a mountain, you can see a dragon flying around, minding its own business. That said, you can engage with the dragon if you choose to. In Skyrim, you can pretty much go anywhere you like, anytime you like and engage with anything you see. For a game made in 2011, the ambition is spectacular. Even Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall was extremely ambitious when it came out in 1996, so you may think Elder Scrolls has always been an ambitious series. What takes Skyrim apart though is the fact that the game totally delivers in most aspects, despite being overambitious for a 2011 game. I loved Oblivion, but I can easily say Skyrim is the better game (except the questlines) and as far as the Elder Scroll series is concerned, Skyrim is up there with Morrowind.

There is one more thing that should be mentioned. If you are into high fantasy, you likely have a special love for dragons. It has been 10 years since Skyrim came out, but it still is, by far the best dragon game ever made. Dragons are part of the game’s world and they never feel out of place. Yes, the fights can be quite easy, but it never feels scripted.

Music is spectacular, although a more variety of songs would have been nice. Sound is really good too.

In summary, Skyrim is the perfect comfort food. Yes, it is even more casualized than Oblivion. Combat Is bad. It’s very easy even in expert difficulty. But despite all these, Skyrim is extremely good at what it’s trying to achieve. Skyrim is the second-best Elder Scrolls game, second only to Morrowind.

10/10

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Dawnguard:

I played the vampire storyline as a diehard fan of vampires. I like the addition of vampires, but this DLC is a bit sloppy. There are way more bugs than the original game. You will have very long walks in between missions, which aim to extend the gameplay hours for no good reason. Ghost mount is quite cool and you will see some beautiful zones. It is Skyrim after all and although still better than most faction questlines, I expected better.

8/10

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Dragonborn

Definitely the best Skyrim expansion. It introduces a big island with full of quests to explore. The main questline story is not very good but the design of Apocrypha is amazing. What I loved the most about this expansion is the island of Solstheim where it takes place. It is an island from Morrowind and it does make you feel like you are playing Morrowind with Skyrim graphics.

My major disappointment was riding dragons. It may be a good idea, but it’s very poorly implemented. Dragon control is weird and riding dragons in Skyrim is simply not fun.

9/10

My ranking of major questlines:

Main Quest (great) > Dark Brotherhood (great) > Dragonborn (good) > Dawnguard (vampire) (good) > Civil War (imperial legion) (good) > Thieves Guild (good) > College of Winterhold (alright) > The Companions (ok) > Bard’s College (bad)