Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion was both a favorite, and an award-winning title earlier this generation, and fans have been begging for a follow-up while Fallout 3 keeps hogging all of the love. Finally, the silence was broken at the VGA’s when Bethesda announced Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Until now, we were only left with a teaser trailer, but today that has all changed.
In this month’s Game Informer, they offered the first look, as well as the first details for the highly anticipated Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim:
- Leveling will run on a 1-50 scale, but it won’t simply stop at 50. Once you reach level 50 you will gain experience at a slower pace, so leveling will be brought to a crawl.
- When you level you will gain health, as well as have the choice of increasing another trait: stamina, health, or magic.
- Unlike previous games, there will be no class selection at the beginning of the game. Instead there will be perks to unlock, similar to Fallout 3.
- Level-scaling has returned, meaning depending on how you play, the game will tailor the difficulty and your experience. Ex. If you enter a town, and are given a task of locating a missing person, the mission will look to see what dungeons you have been to, and place that person in one you have yet to explore, and place enemies that will match up well against your strengths and weaknesses.
- There will be 18 skills to learn, which is slightly down from Oblivion.
- Skills will adjust to those that want to focus on one, or those that want to learn a bit of everything.
- The game takes place in the Nord region of Skyrim, 200 years after Oblivion.
- The players are part of the dragonborn, and are called upon to stop the prophetic return of the dragons.
- The world is made up of five cities consisting of dungeons, cave and underground areas, as well as a host of other areas. Each area will have even more variation than any of the previous games.
- Unlike previous games, conversations will no longer zoom in on players faces, but this time the characters will act more realistic. They will walk around, and perform tasks while talking to you, while only occasionally looking at you.
- Combat is more dynamic, with each hand being assigned a function (weapon or magic)
- Each weapon is being designed to feel different in your hands, as the team is really focused on improving the combat.
- There is still a variety of enemies: zombies, skeletons, trolls, giants, ice wraiths, giant spiders, dragons, wolves, horses, mammoth, saber-toothed cats, and other creatures.
- Questing is also more dynamic as certain quests will become available depending on how you play. If you’re a mage you may be approached by another mage, where as a mêlée fighter may be avoided by the mage.
- Dropping items or not picking up certain items can also have a change on events. Drop a dagger and you may cause a fight between a group of men, or simply have a boy return it to you.
- The engine is also brand new, with snow falling realistically, branches react to the wind, and the water flows dynamically.
- You can now sprint if needed.
- The third person view has been improved.
- The in-game HUD has been removed, to allow for a more open screen.
- Finally, Dragons may attack cities at random times.
Look to re-enter the Elder Scrolls universe when it release on November 11, 2011.
[Via]
