In Bethesda’s booth today at E3 2011, I got a chance to see the Skyrim demo that they are showing off. It was a set of in-game sections they spliced together to show off different areas and character progression. The very first thing that really shocked me was the sheer size of the game. When the demo started off, there was a massive mountain in the distance that looked like background scenery. However, we found out that when you zoomed out to show the whole map, if you have the time and patience, you could actually climb to the top of the mountain and explore it. The game’s world is absolutely massive. Even with one of the horses, you would be spending a lot of time if you decided to cross the whole world at once. That is, assuming you get through the whole world without stopping at one of the 5 major cities, 150 dungeons, or one of the other numerous ruins and villages.
Besides the scope of the game, I like the direction they are taking the character progression. You never really have to pick a set class or anything. Instead you mold to how you are playing. Yes, there are class style bonuses you can get, but these can be changed throughout the game. Instead of the traditional class you would expect in a role playing game, your “class” is defined by what you are currently using. Each of your hands is mapped to one of the controller triggers, and you can set each of them to whatever weapon or spell want. Feel like being a mage? Just assign a spell of a wand to each hand, or put the same spell in both hands to make it even more powerful. If you are more the warrior-type player, grab a couple of swords or a shield and start attacking. Because you are open to using any equipment at any time, your character’s skills are separately linked to each individual category. The more you case spells, the higher that skill gets, but at any time you can start using a crossbow and level up that skill instead. This flexibility allows everyone to play each section however they want and switch up at any time.
The quest structure in Skyrim is also unique with the game and it is always dynamically creating it as you play. If you miss a major dungeon in your travels, the game can set up one of the next quests to include it so that you don’t miss out on it just because you rode past it accidentally. The dragons and other beasts in Skyrim also are dynamic as well with the ability to move where they want and interact based on their nature. Domestic animals will ignore you unless provoked, while dragons and aggressive animals will attack when you enter their territory.
I’m excited to see more from Skyrim as November 11th approaches. With a massive game like this I doubt the trailers and screens that get released will even scratch the surface of the game’s depths.
