Skyrim PC Review: Just A Console Port? (GameFront)

GameFront, "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is the best console game I’ve ever played on PC. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Between the Elder Scrolls series and its adoption of the Fallout franchise, Bethesda has established itself as a leading name in open-world, singleplayer RPGs. Skyrim had big shoes to fill — shoes worn by giants who propel you into the stratosphere with a single swat of their tree-trunk clubs."

[JohnnyMann420]

Uhh no. I don't know how crappy this guys computer is but I can promise... not a console port. I run on Ultimate.

[iceman2885]

You should read his review before you comment. He's basically just saying that its a console port to point out that the game's user interface (menu's and weapon/armor selection and what not) is clearly geared for console users (or more generally gamepad users).

On that point I agree with him. B/c its cumbersome using the keyboard and mouse for the inventory, spell selection, and leveling up. I mean its a minor thing, not even close to game breaking...just frustrating.

[Venjense]

Consoles have gotten to a point where extra PC power doesn't mean PC-exclusive gameplay experiences that can't be done on consoles, it just means PC has nicer graphics.

Fundamentally, every PC gameplay experience can be replicated on consoles, even Crysis.

[FernandoMartinez]

Well if you ask me Oblivion and Fallout had a much better UI and items handling. They were both multiplatform games made for consoles too. So i dont think one can only blame consoles for the bad UI in Skyrim...

[JohnnyMann420]

Then you don't know how to operate a PC. The Inventory on PC is simple. You hit tab to open up inventory and use mouse to navigate. Whoopy freaking doo.

It works great.

Minor thing indeed.

[bobrea]

Best graphics and mods. Yea. Definitely a port.

Dumbass

On another note, WTF are you talking about with the mouse sensitivity? I'm using the defaults and they're absolutely fine. And you called them unplayable. AW YOU POOR LITTLE BABY :( :(

[Darkfocus]

you realize that aside from having adjustable draw distances and image quality settings it is an exact port all the textures and effects are the same on any version. The UI is also controller focused.

also the mouse problems are mouse smoothing and acceleration, any PC gamer worth his salt turns them off because your accuracy with them off is greater than with them on and skyrim has them forced on, that's why it feels awful to people who are used to PC play.

[ECM0NEY]

Its pretty close to a console port IMO. I also run the game on Ultra. I have edited my ini file for self shadowing objects and double the draw distance. So im really pushing the game.
The game looks great for how big it is but I still feel underwhelmed sometimes. They dont even utilize Directx 11, so no tessallation. A lot of the textures are still horrible in places and so on.

I still really love the game. My GOTY, but they could have done more for us PC gamers.

Oop should have read the article 1st lol. I use a 360 controller on my PC so yeah didnt notice that the menus were bad for PC lol

[Venjense]

Obviously it's a console port, just look at it.

Still, gameplay hasn't been affected so who cares, it's not maxing out PC graphics but Skyrim is about substance more than flash.

[GrumpyVeteran]

It is a console port, but at least the devs offer official tools to the PC to allow us to fix up their mess with relative ease.

[AhnnQuirajj]

Most of my problems are to do with the control scheme, UI and lack of options.

Mouse and keyboard would be fine if they used them together correctly. Pressing 'e' through most of the crafting inventories and then being asked to click yes seemed a bit off to me; why can't I press 'e' for yes or the tab key for no, like most of the game?

Mouse smoothing and acceleration, as pointed above makes it just plain weird to move. I couldn't see an option for changing the mouse sensitivity in the game options as well, but my mouse has just a setting on it so it wasn't that much of a loss.

I think people have said it before but the UI wastes some amount of space, making you scroll quite a bit. It's also a bit harder to find items this way, for me that is, if you're looking for a certain item and it's located in letter Z and you start at A, it's going to be a pain to navigate down to it... Unless there's a scroll bar and I'm just so mad I can't see it. :p

With options I mean simple things like changing graphics options and changing other small options, such as mouse smoothing and various other graphic options you need to access an .ini file to get to.

The game, however, is great and so far I'm enjoying what it's giving me, which is hours of questing and hours of getting lost in this world... I just wish the issues I've got with it would be fixed. I'm hoping Bethesda will sort this out in a patch or, failing that, modders get to work with improving the game in these ways.

[SH0CKW4VE]

"Console port! Console port!"

Its like the catch phrase of the retard section in the PC gaming community.

I couldnt care if something is a "console port" What I and what you SHOULD care about is wether the game is good or not.

"WAHHH WAHHH awkward interface for KB + M", then for the meantime stop being such a baby and plug in a controller, IMO it feels so much better to play with a 360 controller anyway and as for the "higher precision" of KB + M its really not needed in a single player RPG.

[ssb3173]

This is a really good game, would advise people to buy it, both those who have a ps3/xbox/pc or are planning/thinking of getting one