With just days to go until its release, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim just may be the perfect RPG to take a sabbatical for. While our detialed (and we mean detailed) review won't go live until tomorrow we thought now would be a good time to get you excited for Bethesda's next RPG masterpiece; and with that PlanetXbox360.com is commencing the top 10 reasons why you should buy The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
Editor's Note: Our extremely detailed review of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is now live, click here to read it and then scroll on to find out 10 more reasons why you should buy it tomorrow.
10. Dragons: Dragons have been a part of the Elder Scrolls lore since its inception, but up until the fifth game were thought to have been extinct. So why the sudden return? Well as it turns out there is this ancient prophecy amongst the Nords (the primary inhabitants of Skyrim) that foretells the return of Alduin, a god in dragon form that is primed to scorch and destroy the world. All four games leading up to Skyrim have included an omen signaling this prophecy, and thus dragons begin appearing to mark the final omen of Alduin's arrival. Also part of the prophecy is that an individual born with the soul of a dragon (Dragonborn aka Dovakiin) will be the only one capable of putting a stop to the apocalypse. This is the heavy weight your character will be carrying on his or her shoulders, and the subject of the game's main quest. As dragons begin appearing dynamically in the open world, it will be your job to battle and slay the majestic reptiles before absorbing their souls. Once a dragon's soul is yours and you have learned their proper language, a variety of powers called “dragon shouts” are at your disposal. Once specific objectives are completed in the main quest, the dragons will begin appearing more frequently. A total of six different kinds of dragons can be encountered in Skyrim and appear in a variety of colors and powers, while specific others will have names and likely be encountered as elite enemies. It has been confirmed that at least one dragon will be capable of becoming an ally and summoned when in times of need. Battling dragons is going to be a whole new level of awesome. Since the battles aren't particularly scripted, it will be completely up to the player to figure out what approach is best. Maybe you will stick to your dragon shouts, fire your arrows as the creature flies and circles you all the while shouting out its own abilities, or have it come crashing down in front of you and go up close and personal. Dragon battles will no doubt be an intense and engrossing affair.
9. Shout it All Out: When a dragon breathes a deadly stream of fire or encases you in ice, it's actually just talking at you. Dragons will be capable of using both their language and occasionally the common tongue. As stated above, the player will need to use the language of the dragons in order to defeat them. This is accomplished by finding tomes scattered around Skyrim and learning a series of words to perform the powers that dragons possess. There are at least 20 shouts to be learned and each one will bring the Dragonborn closer to fulfilling his or her destiny. Out of the shouts that have been announced so far; you will be capable of breathing fire, paralyzing enemies with ice, summoning a lightning storm, invincibility, firing a shockwave of great force, sprinting with super speed, slowing time, calling upon the help of animals, teleporting, and increasing your weapon's attack speed. Addition all of this with your other magic use and you could easily play as one ultimate badass for all of Skyrim to fear.
8. A Unique Experience: Skyrim boasts a new quest system called “Radiant Story” which keeps a record of all the actions and decisions you make during the game. As you affect what is around you, the world responds and generates content based on how you have played. For example, if you decide to murder an NPC and your crime is witnessed and reported, then it's possible that a family member of the NPC may hunt you down and confront you. Or maybe you are given a quest to save someone or retrieve an item...the game will find an area you haven't explored yet to generate the quest location so that it's unique and unlike something you have already completed. How you treat the citizens of Skyrim will also be a factor so if you accommodate them then it could lead to some larger tasks, or if you mistreat them then they will respond appropriately and your infamy is likely to spread amongst the province. NPCs now perform individually and live their own lives with every passing day. They have their own jobs, hobbies, and feelings with which to enact. No matter what decisions you make in the game, players will never have the exact same experience. There is also an ecology system with the game's wildlife, so you won't be the only one doing the hunting.
This feature top 10 list continues on the next page, please click Page 2 below to find out more reasons on why you should be picking up Skyrim when it hits stores.
