The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Preview

An hour’s worth of hands-on time with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has made the author of this four-page preview on Ripten enthusiastically exclaim that he’s now a “true believer”, but you’ll need to read through its contents to understand why.

I pressed the map button and the camera shot up into the heavens. Talk about an in-game map! The map of the game is actually the game world itself! You will actually look down upon all of Skyrim in real time from the clouds. Talk about draw distance! It was gorgeous to say the least, and really conveyed a grand sense of scale. You are small, Skyrim. is enourmous. I saw a town nearby and decided to head off in that direction. However, it wasn’t long before I was approached by a woman who was trying to escape from yet another group of bandits.

She ran to me and asked for my help. I accepted as the bandits came toward me. It was too late to draw my bow so as I meant to draw my axe, I instead hit the wrong button (damned consoles) and ended up in 3rd person perspective. (Shit!) I thought. (This wont do at all, I’m fucked!) But there was no time. I side stepped one bandit and hacked at another. Before long they were all brought down as I circled my camera around to survey the damage I’d done. I jumped around in celebration. (.Hey) I thought. (The jumping animation isn’t terrible anymore and. holy shit I just played the game in 3rd person and it worked!) Not only that but it was damn near enjoyable. Dare I say that Skyrim is playable and outright fun in a 3rd person perspective?! Could such a thing be true?! Did Bethesda actually live up to the promise of making an Elder Scrolls game that was playable in something other than a first person perspective?! It had appeared so. I was impressed.

The woman thanked me and asked if I wanted to follow her to town. So, keeping third person view on, I followed hoping she would take me back to her place so I could show her how us Wood Elves get down in Valenwood.

Alas, she didn’t invite me up to her cottage but it was no matter. I’d found civilization. It was time to pick up some quests. This is a RPG after all.