The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is well worth the hype, complete with many quests, a storyline, and hours of fun.
Graphics:
The graphics on Skyrim blew my mind. Everything looked well, detailed, HD-quality.. However, there is a slight problem. When zooming in to an object, the floor, the wall, etc.. The image will appear blurry and.. Not as detailed as I originally thought. But from a distance, the graphics are great. Can't complain, since I hardly-ever spend my time on there zooming in on random objects and scenery. I just wish the girls on there were a bit prettier, it'll be hard choosing a wife, no doubt!
Sound:
Love it. The background music often well-fits the situation, the people talk as if they are in ancient times. Kinda like a Viking-like accent with them, almost. The swords clashing with enemies/objects sounds great, too. The sound effects/sound on that game are spot-on, and well worth listening to.
Story:
The story consists of main quests of which you must complete. I can't recall the exact amount, but I'd say that there were about 9 or more quests to complete. Basically, as a Dragonborn, you work your way up the ranks in order to kill Alduin, which is the "bad dragon" in this game, or also known as the "final boss." I'll admit that it took a very long time to actually beat the story, but mostly because I procrastinated in some parts. The temple runs were pretty fun, gave me a Legend of Zelda feel to them, oddly. The one thing I didn't really like after beating the main quests was that, after going back to town and what-not, nobody recognizes you as someone who just defeated the dragon that would end 'em all. It's like nothing ever happened, methinks.
Leveling:
Like most RPG's, you level up. I believe the max is 81, but I could be wrong as I am only a level... 15? It doesn't take much to level up, just fight, do quests, etc. Heck, you can defeat Alduin, himself, around level 11-15, as I did.
Online:
There is no online mode for this game, nor should there ever be.
Overall:
The game is really great. If you're into single-player RPG's, this game will surely interest you. Be warned, you'll be cramming 100s of hours into this game, regardless of the acheivements or not. But be rest assured, you'll (hopefully) have a blast playing this game at the same time.
On a side note, the guard says, "I used to be an adventurer like you, until I took an arrow in the knee..." He does not say, "to the knee."