JOPLIN, Mo. —
Thanks a lot, Bethesda Studios, makers of the game “The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim.” I already have insomnia, but now you’re giving me reason to never get sleep again.
“Skyrim” is the king of open-world sandbox games. Any claim that Rockstar Games --makers of “Grand Theft Auto” and “L.A. Noire” --had on that title was just blown away in a single dragon yell.
And that’s saying something, because “L.A. Noire” is an amazing game. But even that game gets routine once you’re done solving all the major crimes that involve studying facial tics and searching for evidence. That game gets bogged down with shootouts and car chases that go against the grain of the rest of the game’s mental aspects.
The “Infamous” games by Sucker Punch Studios are also a good example. There is plenty for a player to do as Cole McGrath, and plenty to blow up. Players can also decide whether Cole should be good or evil. The “Batman: Arkham” franchise is similarly crammed with things to do.
But those games and the ones before them are based on a relatively narrow, shepherded storyline. Sure, you have an open city, but you get a video game version of a GPS navigation system, telling you exactly where to go and what to collect.
You get no such guide in “Skyrim.” Characters will tell you where to go and how to get there, but aside from that, you are on your own.
Further, you get to customize your character right from the start. There is a storyline, but finding it is just as difficult as finding many other things in the game.
True, the game has its flaws. I’m playing on PS3 and suffering the system performance issues. The combat is overly simplistic --there doesn’t seem to be a lot of value in blocking, for instance. Where the fighting in “Arkham City” is based on precision timing of hits, blocks and counters, “Skyrim” is a button-masher’s paradise. And an onslaught of unexplained items, ranks and perks is placed in front of the new player without a lot of explanation, leaving them to make uninformed choices that lead to bad situations.
But those disadvantages are far outweighed by everything the game does right.
“Skyrim” looks like it could exist in the real world. The scenery is that lush, that realistic. Navigating from town to town is a dangerous proposition, but not in a “Final Fantasy” random encounter. Rather, it’s a real world filled with characters both helpful and dangerous.
And getting to each location takes work. You get a compass and homing signals, but even with that, figuring out how to get across obstacles is a key part of the game.
As for the random things that happen, you may stumble across everything from a hungry wolf or angry giant to a whole new level, filled with bandits, treasures and precious minor healing potions.
I’ve built up my character to level 8, and I’ve explored only a portion of the map. It’s so big it’s almost frustrating, because there is so much I want to see. But to chase my wanderlust means leaving strength-building quests behind, and I know there are dragons flying around.
That means another sleepless night yelling, “Fus ro dah!” at bandits.
This game really needs to come with an addiction warning, it’s that good.
And there’s nothing like the feeling of killing your first dragon. FUS RO DAH!
Lifestyles
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Joe Hadsall
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Joe Hadsall: ‘Skyrim’ should have addiction warning
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