The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Previews

At this point we’re really close to Skyrim’s release date and the flood of reviews that will precede it, but for now the two new previews for Bethesda’s open-world RPG we have rounded up will have to do for those of our readers who are looking forward to read more about the press’ opinion of the title.

Kill Screen has a fairly creative article titled “Things I Ate in Skyrim”:

A torchbug.

Night came as I was stalking a moose hoping to taste some of its meat. A nearby wanderer serenaded me with a lute as I crept after the beast in the moonlight. But my aim was too poor and the animal too quick. I caught some movement out of the corner of my eye and followed it toward a small grave. A bit of cloth held down by a rock flapped in the wind. A skeleton rose from the earth and we fought. After the melee I noticed a small swarm of glowing bugs circling a small pine. I took one and tasted the thorax.

Raw beef and chicken breast.

I found a small wooden shack near Half-Moon Mill. Inside was a makeshift abattoir with a freshly butchered cattle and some venison arranged on the workbench. A couple of pieces of gore appeared to have been kicked under the bench. Two rabbits hung from hooks. And in the corner, by a bale of hay, rested an enormous troll skull. Outside a chicken clucked, shuffling through the dust. I took to my knee, drew my bow, and put an arrow through it.

Meanwhile, USA Today has a more traditional preview:

A larger dungeon near town delivers my first taste of combat. Players can use any combination of items in their left and right hands, from wielding two daggers to a sword and shield. Most of the time, I fought with a Flames spell and steel mace in my left and right hands, each controlled by the left and right triggers respectively.

A key plus to Skyrim controls is the Favorites option. Players can select items and weapons they use regularly and add them as a Favorite. Then, pushing up on the directional pad brings up the Favorites menu to let players switch. In this menu, players can also map loadouts to the left and right D-pad inputs. This served me well as I switched from my mace and magic to a two-handed sword.

Fighting off enemies such as giant spiders and undead Draugrs is gratifying. The dungeon featured a room with a floor trigger that swung a giant, spiked gate forward. After unknowingly stepping on the stone and nearly impaling myself, I find a couple Draugrs and lure them with a fire attack. They follow me to the next room, and one of them is slammed into the wall after triggering the trap.