Difficulty:

Easy

Time Spent:

20 to 40 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Don't believe the hype"

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is currently snapping up awards like dog biscuits. The main premise of its appeal is the huge and immersive world with almost unending questlines. But despite the hours of fun theoretically available, in practice the game quickly descends into repetitiveness and boredom, even when taking lengthy breaks away from it. Once the 5 or so main and thoroughly entertaining questlines are finished you are free to do hundreds or very boring, very similar quests amounting to "go here, get this" or "go there, kill that" that offer a few menial rewards and don't advance that experience of the game in any way. Bugs and glitches are persistent and thoroughly annoying. Combat is very linear and basic, with either simple hack n slash, enveloping foes in magic or crawling around firing arrows. Dragon battles are intense and enjoyable, but are always dealt with like any other enemy: wait for an opening and then all out attack. The landscapes and dungeons are similar and repetitive, and will awe you a few times before the power of "meh" sets in. Skills encourage you not to change your tactics- if you spend time levelling magic then you'll be completely destroyed as soon as you try to pick up a sword or bow, increasing the humdrum nature of combat. All in all, a supposedly massive game but one you won't want to finish.