Skyrim was one of the most popular games of last generation and its made the jump to current gen consoles. Kidzworld has your game review of Skyrim: Special Edition!
By: Max Cannon
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was one of the most beloved games of the PlayStation 3/Xbox 360 generation. Though it was full of bugs, less than ideal visuals, and weak performance, fans didn't stop loving the game and spending hours and hours in Skyrim. Well everything you knew about Skyrim 5 years ago is still true today with Skyrim: Special Edition, though the lighting is a little better.
Skyim may not be a looker, but it still has some impressive views.Courtesy of Bethesda
High Fantasy, Low Quality Graphics
The Elder Scrolls series is the perfect example of a high fantasy RPG and Skyrim is the most realized entry in the franchise. After escaping execution you discover your hidden power to shout magic as a dragon slayer, The Dragonborn. The story actually given to you in the game is weak and uninspired, but that's not why people still play Skyrim. The story that you create is what makes Skyrim exciting to play. Once the opening is finished, the game becomes completely open. You can go wherever you want and find adventure there.
Walking into a small village might introduce you to a man missing his family sword, a girl searching for her missing father, and guards searching for a mysterious woman. These missions appear organically and often. Though you could follow along the base story, which includes all the DLC from the original game, making your own character and imagining your own story is what makes this game shine.
Lighting has definitely seen improvements since the original release of Skyim.Courtesy of Bethesda
Dragonborn Again
If you follow along the story, you'll quickly take down your first dragon and absorb his power which calls you to the top of a snowy mountain. After proving yourself through ancient trials, you'll master the ability to use your dragon shouts. These magic spells range form attacks to dashes and can be paired with some clunky hand-to-hand combat. If you explore, attack, and shout, you'll level up in the standard RPG fashion.
Skyrim: Special Edition - Trailer
Armor can be earned through quests. Or new swords can be bought from merchants. Growing your character all depends on how you want to actually do it. As far as player choice goes, Skyrim is unmatched. But the moment-to-moment gameplay can drag on here and there and it's often marred by bugs. Walking up a mountain can be a frustrating ordeal as paths are often hard to find and you'll be walking up a hill where the game doesn't really want you to. It's cool that the game will let you go to these places but it's not easy to play there as you'll have to awkwardly jump through rocks to make your way around. And this isn't exclusive to these mountain climbs, the entire game is full of moments like this.
Combat still feels clunky despite the freedom of gameplay.Courtesy of Bethesda
Fus-Ro-Done Before
Though Skyrim: Special Edition does include the DLC from the original game and some slight bumps to graphics, it still has a long way to go before feeling modern. It's disappointing that the game only runs at 30 frames per second, and if you're playing the PlayStation 4 Pro version you'll be able to get a nice 4K resolution. But ugly textures still look ugly regardless of their resolution. It would have been nice to have the option to bump up the frame rate and really enjoy the game with some steady performance.
Loading times are much better on this rerelease but they can still take awhile. You'll see a screen whenever you fast travel, as expected, but you still have to suffer through one anytime you enter a building, or cave, or castle and those are less forgiving when you're waiting 10 seconds to keep the quest going. It was easily forgivable in 2011 on the PlayStation 3 but it's less so in 2016 on my PlayStation 4 Pro.
Returning to the tiny towns of Skyrim brings back some fond memories.Courtesy of Bethesda
Final Thoughts
Skyrim: Special Edition really brings both the good and the bad back to players. The scale is as impressive as ever but the bugs and graphics definitely date this game. It's a shame that it doesn't run closer to today's standards but it isn't a total deal breaker. If you loved Skyrim before than this is the best way to return.
Pros
- Sweeping, Epic World
- Interesting Side Quests
Cons
- Uninteresting Main Story
- Poor Performance
Skyrim: Special Edition PS4 Game Rating:
Available now for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One
Skyrim: Special Edition Cover ArtCourtesy of Dualshockers
Have Your Say!
Are you an Elder Scrolls veteran? Have you played Skyrim: Special Edition? Comment below!
