Details on The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

If you don't know about The Elder Scrolls by now, then you must not know a lot about video games. Well, Bethesda is back with their next big hit, and it comes in the form of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, sequel to The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. The latest issue of Game Informer had some pretty fresh gameplay details on this newest installment in the Elder Scrolls series.

The setting of Skyrim is 200 years after the events of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and the world of Tamriel has seen better days. Elves have taken over the empire, the Blades are gone, hate is brewing between the Nords and civil war is on the verge of breaking out. Oh, and if you remember that big dragon the Elder Scrolls kept talking about, well, he has arrived too. Players will take control of the last remaining Dragonborn, a dragon hunter anointed by the gods to help defeat the threat.

The world of Skyrim is made up of five massive cities that range from frozen tundras to rocky mountain tops. Players will also engage with new wildlife like saber-toothed cats and wooly mammoths. The combat in the game is getting an overhaul as well. Players will have the ability to equip weapons and spells to either hand at any time and even dual wield two of the same weapon. A new customizable menu is also being added in order to easily swap loadouts on the fly.

The character class system is also gone and the leveling system has been reworked as well. Skills will be leveled up the more they are used which contributes to your overall level growth. According to Todd Howard, a designer at Bethesda, "Raising one skill from 34 to 35 is going to level you faster than increasing one from 11 to 12." Players can also increase past level 50 though doing so is much slower at that point.

Bethesda has also added the perk system seen in Fallout 3 where each new level gained allows you to add special abilities to your character like damage increases to dagger stealth attacks or having your mace ignore the armor of enemies. The conversations you have with NPCs is also more realistic. Aside from adding a bunch more voice actors, the AI will move around and continue on with activities while you speak with them. You will also find more activities in towns like farming, mining, woodcutting and cooking.

The menu has also seen a change. Howard stated that the team used, of all things, Apple's iTunes as inspiration and direction. Players will be greeted with a compass-style overlay that has four options. These options include Skill, Inventory, Map and Magic. Weapons and spells can be tagged as a favorite for quick selection and every item has a 3D object that can be viewed and examined. If Bethesda keeps up with these positive changes, then Skyrim may very well be the best game in the series.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is set to be released on November 11, 2011 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.

Source: IGN

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