Five Disappointing Things About The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

You've heard the buzz, read the reviews, and consulted the stars; all signs point to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim being the second coming of Oblivion, only bigger, better, and bolder than its beloved predecessor. And for the most part it is, but there are some definite flaws on this shiny dragon-clutched diamond.

[DonaldBeck]

this game is off the hook

[StraightPath]

The game is overwhelming with goodness, only thing bad is that it can take away your life lol

[MajorJackHoff]

I could do without the fps drops

[limewax]

How low have you seen them go on console? I noticed on PC I would have drops right down to 30 in certain towns on a pretty high end card. I always played all the others and was thinking of getting the console version for some night time gaming in bed. But if the drops are bad then I probably will just get SR3 instead

[MajorJackHoff]

I'm playing on pc, and I run around at a solid 45-60 fps, but when entering certain areas such as riverwood, they drop to 30 and below

[nveenio]

I'm running on PC with everything at max (including all draw distances and such), and when I get framerate drops, it's usually indoors. I figured it's probably just a bug, but I only really noticed it early on (Riverwood). I haven't noticed it anymore lately.

[guitarded77]

If on console, turn the autosave off during regular gameplay... I haven't had any issue since.

[execution17]

@MajorJackHoff
yeah that can be annoying, but a quick fix is just quitting the game and reloading your save. pretty annoying when a random dragon encounter but that worked for me... only happens during long hours of gameplay tho.

[nveenio]

I also agree about the dragons. I mean, they shouldn't be too hard, but I just defeated a dragon with a single burst of flame from my hands (by single, I mean that I held the triggers and killed the dragon before my magicka was gone). But when I walked up to fight a giant, he knocked me into the stratosphere with a single blow.

Seems strange is all.

[360 man]

come on you guys. you cant mention how your pc is performing without at least giving us some insight to how capable your pc is.

the name of the card your using would be nice :)

[Perjoss]

Worst thing about Skyrim: if you try to physically enter the game world you will simply bounce off your TV, causing damage to both your head and your TV.

[EVILDEAD360]

The most disappointing thing is that there isnt enough time in a day to play the freaking life sucking monstrosity.

Evil

[TheXgamerLive]

Actually this game is not off the hook.
It's good, very good "BUT" it's not great. 9/10 at best and probably more like 8.7, people giving it a 10 aren't being honest. The game is very good but many things weren't done right and they had PLENTY of time to get it all right.

It'll be a fun play though but should of been better.

I'm now more looking forward to Saint's Row the 3rd

[CrimsonFox13]

How the hell is a 8.7-9/10 not great?

[Perjoss]

GotY, deal with it.

[NeoTribe]

Well im sure u havnt scratched the surface of the game enough to be talkin wut ur talkin. How bout explainin wut u disaprove of.

[ha2e48]

saints row the 3rd! now theres a game that is off the hook... along with call of duty.

[bumnut]

If you are into games like Saints Row, maybe Skyrim is not for you.

[Terrified]

All you've said with all that talk is "It's so good but not that great, these people gave it this score, it's not as great as it could have been" so instead of talking out of your ass and just saying "It's not great" how about you elaborate on how there's "more than 5 bad things about Skyrim", I see nothing wrong with the game. Nothing.

[judoka2413]

Lol even the bes game ever has issues nothing is perfect!

[MysticStrummer]

Playing Dark Souls makes me think about the Best Game Ever question. Skyrim doesn't, though I do like it a lot. It just feels like another step in the evolution of the Elder Scrolls, which I've been playing since Arena. Dark Souls feels more fresh, even though it's an evolved version of Demon's Souls.

[Tr10wn]

There is nothing fresh in Dark Souls if you already played Demon Souls, which is better in my opinion.

[LastDance]

Dark souls combat & Animation in Skyrim would create a near perfect game.

Throw in Bioware's engaging story writing for good measure and I think its what I would consider a 10/10 game.....drool.

[Perkel]

What i dislike about Skyrim is Story, loot and maalee system.

Classical betsheda ;)

When i played dark souls i was amazed by how many type of armors and weapons were there.

Here in scyrim not so much.

Animations are probably the biggest gripe... Game sometimes looks good but when NPC gather it's festival of jankines...

Story and Quests.. Well they still didn't hire a writter.. And obvious lack of choice.

Oh and i HATE THOSE QUEST ACTIVATING every random npc will tell you something about some subject. I have like 20 minor quests which i won't do...

Broken dragons. Even wolfes are stronger...

So much for ranting Game is 8/10 in my opinion.

Writer Animator and some proper Quest creator director and that would be 10/10.

As for lack of writter here is my part.

Oh you foud dragom shard oh you did kill a dragon oh now you are Thyne !

The fuc# ? i didn't kill a dragon your people did, i found dragon shard doing some minor quest and this dungeon wasn't hard.

So for me it was like : " You have found bread ! Now you are Thyne !"

O.o Betsheda quit fucki&& around and hire a writer or hire Obsidian to do that for you.

[Tr10wn]

You are pointing out things that are even worst in Dark Souls.

The quests in Dark Souls are the most monotonous i ever seen in a video game, the story doesn't have a good context and is boring and it doesn't make sense.

"Story and Quests.. Well they still didn't hire a writter.. And obvious lack of choice."

Really? lol i wont even say nothing to you on this, you are more clueless than the IGN guy, Skyrim will have DLC's, Dark Souls Doesn't, Winner = Dark Souls, make perfect sense right?

I liked Dark Souls and a lot but everything you are writing there is nonsense, Dark Souls can be the easiest game with the right items, since the game is already hard from start you can't change the difficulty.... well you will eventually roll everything, 20 hours for me to do it, i'm getting 1 shot in Skyrim, on Expert and there is still Master, 14 hours in level 10.

The only part i could agree in some point with you is the animations "on 1st person" and the melee combat which is pretty much the same old Bethesda way, which i like anyways.

My advice to you, quit playing the game on the easiest difficulty, learn to write and finally get a new pair of eyes so you can enjoy a obviously superior game, oh and Obsidian is one of the worst developers out there, just check out their sequels and compare to the prequels.

[lionelglitchy]

the problem with the dragon he said sounds like a glitch too so it can probably be fixed

[TheOtherTheoG]

The only real issue I've had with the game so far is the UI on PC - it looks much nicer than Oblivions from a visual perspective, but, for fear of resorting to horrid elitist clichés, was clearly designed for a controller, and just doesn't translate well at all to M&K, it's really clunky.

[AhnnQuirajj]

It was a bit confusing to begin with but got used to it.

Still doesn't help us on the PC though.

[limewax]

I switched to controller. I just can't do M+K on this game because it just doesn't feel right. Oddly enough I had none of those troubles with Oblivion

[justaddh30]

@limewax
You liking it with the controller? Also, are you using the motion injoy driver method?

[chazjamie]

only issue i have are with those ugly female characters

[Bloodraid]

I completely agree. Having to use the WASD buttons to navigate through the first two levels of a menu only to be forced to click on the last option to select it makes no sense to me.

Also, another inconsistency I've noticed is that you use 'e' to confirm pretty much everything, then they throw in one or two things where 'enter' is confirm.

Other than that, the game is fantastic and easily my game of the year. Dark Souls was fantastic, but can't compare to Skyrim, and Uncharted 3 just completely blew it in my opinion.

[Graey]

I play on the PC as well. At first it was a bit getting used to but after an hour it was second nature.

I don't think many people know but you can use the number keys 1, 2, 3, etc. Say for instance you want to use fire as #1. First you favorite your spell then while your on the same menu where your looking at your magic or right after you favorite it then click the number button you want to use.

So if you have say a shield and sword and you want to use fire. instead of clicking the Q button just click on the number and bam the fire will appear in your hand. Not sure how many buttons you can map it too, but I assume all of them.

[TheOtherTheoG]

Graey - I did genuinely not know you could do that, actually, thanks!

[Bloodraid]

Why do I have four disagrees? You disagree with me not understanding the reasoning behind a certain control scheme?

You guys are either idiots or have never played the game (on PC).

[SP3333D-O]

I've been playing the PC version with a 360 controller (on both monitor and TV), and it is fantastic! The biggest disappointment is when I have to stop playing.

[Graey]

wait i can play this game using my 360 controller? Ha ha i didn't know this. I have it on steam can I still use my controller?

[SP3333D-O]

Yes, indeed. It's great for everything but targeting mobile enemies with yor bow. Most games for Windows support a 360 controller these days, which is why I've stopped buying inferior versions for the PS3.

[RegorL]

Wants EA to make a RPG using Frostbite 2...

Animation, check

Hair, ok

I don't think I have seen any load times (not even on console).
OK, high resolution textures might be a noticable bit late sometimes... (especially kill camera)

Combat, exchanging blows? Nah. Combat should be quicker - quicker combat would be easier to get right.

Dragons, already exists in the battlefield - flying around breathing deadly fire...

[PirosThe4th]

honestly... Skyrim needs better combat... if the game paly was like dark souls i would consider the game , game of teh year... but gameplay is lacking like in a oblivion not as bad though

[Pyscho_Mantis]

does anyone know if there are different types of horses like in oblivion

[iNFAMOUZ1]

Ok im saying it now, quote me all the heck you want "oblivion skyrim is the best game ever" nuff said/

[MajorJackHoff]

Nobody's going to quote something as stupid as that.

[Poopface the 2nd]

LOL, I honestly dont know what you are trying to say.

Do you mean The elder scrolls: Skyrim, or are you just saying that it is just like oblivion?

[persistentlobster]

Good Article. I especially agree with his point on melee combat. I know most "hardcore" gamers get off on hating motion controls but you can't deny that if there was a genre to benefit from their inclusion, it would be RPGs. I mean seriously. But as a whole this game is brilliant.

[frjoethesecond]

As far as combat goes the elder scrolls could borrow a few things from Demon's/Dark Souls. Otherwise it's near perfect IMO.

[MysticStrummer]

Yup. I'm loving Skyrim but the combat feels archaic in comparison to Demon's/Dark Souls. Overall I'd say Dark Souls is a better game, but it's very different from an Elder Scrolls game and Skyrim is definitely great in its own way.

[nick29203]

I'm getting annoyed with my compass being off-screen on my not so big TV. There is no option to make it fit either.

[Jio]

Yes, I'm having the game problem too, some text is blocked out and it's really annoying. Bethesda needs to fix this, I'm not buying an HD TV just for one game -_-

[Mottsy]

you shouldn't buy a HD TV for just one game you should buy it for All games! your only cheating yourself =/ HD tv's for the win!

[nick29203]

Disagree? I guess I must be hallucinating then, because I could have swore I had to keep checking my map due to not having a compass.

[JeepGamer]

As Dark Souls seems to be the game to compare Skyrim too.

Combat in Dark Souls is like watching an epic fight from the movie 300.

Combat in Skyrim is like watching a comedy where two characters slap each other.

[Poopface the 2nd]

to be honest I think they both have pretty basic RPG combat. In no way is the combat in dark souls like something from a movie even if it is slightly more action oriented then TES games(thats not saying much).

Neither one is like playing an action game like ninja gaiden or bayonetta. The combat in ninja gaiden 2 is kinda like something from a movie, but not these games.

and for reference I have Morrowind, Oblivion, Demons souls and dark souls. I really need to get this one soon too.

[Darkfocus]

witcher 2 combat is movie like but I much prefer dark souls combat...

[Perkel]

At least they could do something like Dead island got for melee combat. It had weight..

[MysticStrummer]

I wouldn't use 300 as an example but I agree with you otherwise. Combat in Demon's/Dark Souls is a lot more tense, with the characters circling each other, looking for an opening to strike or a chance to parry and riposte. The sense of weight is also there in DS. Quite a bit more realistic than combat in an Elder Scrolls game.

[bobrea]

This game is amazing, why would you waste your time with this article. Just enjoy it. Articles like this are so pathetic.

[kamakaz3md]

I read your whole post... my honest opinion, is that I wasted my time reading this. All the problems you mentioned made me laugh. The bad combat... thats just Elder Scrolls RPG for you. The game is a masterpiece and I dont really get bothered with all the little silly things. I deff. dont waste my time giving my opinion to people about how I feel what was wrong with the game. Skyrim is just a good old fashion RPG with Old School elements... you gotta keep great games like that with the goofy combat system. Everyone is a critic, and thinks what they could have done better.

[DOOMZ]

The game is freaking AMAZING! Nothing disapointing about it... GOTY!!!!

[iMpuTeD]

the drop in fps on pc might be a graphics card issue im using a gtx 260 from nvidia and i have everything maxed on 1920 x 1080 and never get fps drops.

[JAMurida]

Only thing I really agree with is the combat.

I was REALLY hoping that Bethseda would of looked at Demon/Dark Souls for a few tips on redoing the combat system. Don't get me wrong, the system isn't bad, just feels... outdated I guess?

Regardless of it all, the game's still one of the few games this year worth the $60 price tag.

[DeadManMcCarthy]

I agree with this article.

The things that are bad in this game are.

1. Lag, hopefully it's fixed with a patch.
2. Character creation isn't as detailed as Fallout 3 or Oblivion. Bad selection of hairstyles only one short hair variation to choose from.
3. The speech thing is kind of weird on PC you hover your mouse over something to say and instead it chooses something else, kinda annoying.
4. Combat isn't the best but it's not bad either.

That's all I can think of right now but i'm enjoying it it's an awesome game.

Can't really think of anything else yet.

[ngp0619]

Skyrim may be good but its far from perfect.

[TyrannoTaurus]

I would like to be able to assign verbal commands to do dragon shouts through my Kinect rather than have to go through the menus and change to the one I want first. That would be awesome. My neighbors would probably not like that as much as me though, lol.

[zen555]

I laughed at the load time part. On pc with my ssd i switch from any location to another in under 0.5 seconds. I was just complaining to a friend that I couldn't even read the hints. Load lag is hardly a complaint on a 200$ 6 year old console. My gf was playing on ps3 and I felt bad for her. It doesn't even look like the same game..

[chretienm]

Has anybody else encountered the glitch where chunks of water aren't present in a river? It happened to me a lot in Riverwood.

[digitalkid]

Playin' PC version and animation really has some things that can be done better.

I've got only one advice.
PLAY ON MAX DIFFICULTY! THAT'S THE GAME!

Combat is much improved with backward speed cut. Now it makes you really draw your sword many times. Use poisons, stealth attacks, scrolls and shouts.

New perks system is great. Like it.

[Bolts]

Max is just a little too hard for me. Even on expert I'm still getting steam rolled when facing multiple opponents sometimes.

[bumnut]

It seems someone thinks you are not! got to love this site!

[BraveToaster]

The graphics.
The AI.
The UI.
It runs like crap in cities, even on a top of the line PC.
It's not a brand new engine like Bethesda said.
No hand to hand.
No bartering.
I've heard sound effects from Oblivion, and music from both Oblivion and Morrowind.
That said, it's still a much better game than Oblivion. Feels like Oblivion 1.5.

[arnyftw]

Yeah lol, I heard Oblivion music once too

[bumnut]

Runs fine for me, even in 3D. What system do you have?

i7 950
gtx 570 x 2

[BraveToaster]

i5 760 @ 2.8GHz
GTX 580
4GB RAM
In the wilderness it runs fine for the most part, might go down to 40 fps in some areas. In cities I have seen it go down to 16.

[MegadethAndy]

Just like Oblivion, the rain comes through shelters. I wish they fixed that.

[BraveToaster]

That happened in Morrowind too.

[The_Kills]

Problem: Loading in buildings.

Solution: try the PS3 version.

This guy is a flat out moron, if he counts 2-3 seconds of a black screen, then he needs to be burned as he sarcastically hoped people wouldn't do. Enjoy the website hits.

[eak3]

The load times on PS3 are negligible and I love the figurines and statues they show on the load screens that you can flip around and look at.

[k4rma]

Gameplay feels a bit too streamlined and dumbed down. Its still good, but its not as fun as Oblivion and Fallout 3 was. I know FO:New Vegas was done by Obsidian, but the hardcore mode really lifted that game for me. The added complexity brought a very fulfilling game experience, and its why i'm still playing it a year later. Dont think i'll be playing skyrim much longer after the main quest.

[zero_cool]

Thank you finally somebody else notices the streamlined gameplay approach that bethesda has employed to skyrim just like bioware did to dragon 2!

P.S..im glade your an open minded person not afraid to give an honest observational analysis!

Cheers Gamers & Happy Gaming!

[1nsaint]

Does anyone know if skyrim is one more then 1 disc for 360?

[hoolesy]

I have just lost everything by deleting the game from my hard drive on 360 cos of the texture issue. I am SO F'ING ANGRY. Bethesda/MS you f'ing c***s

[TyrannoTaurus]

Are you retarded? All you have to do is delete the game's install file, NOT the save files. If it makes you feel any better, you just made me smile.

[ha2e48]

yeah yeah yall better know about the sixth reason that this game is not as off the hook as yall would be thinkin it may be, yall ready for this ...? its ... its not call of duty, thats right people, i said it, call of duty mw3 is off the hook, skyrim is, is definitely still on the hook, thats right folks it is on the hook, its hung up yall, just, just letting yall know.

[Chuk5]

The only disappointment I have is that I literally can't stop thinking about it.

[capcock]

Lol and people think this game deserves "GOTY"...

[PooEgg]

People think that because it does. Even with the flaws the game is amazing. Deep, gorgeous, and totally addicting.

No matter how perfect a game is people will always be able to find something to complain about. It is really sad when you think about it.

[eak3]

I think the combat mechanics are quite fun for an Elder Scrolls game. The death animations are top notch. My fav is the shield to the face followed up with a sword through the chest. I don't think they did any archery or spell death cams thats a let down. Would love a slow mo of a guy taking an arrow through the throat. I will agree though that after the 1st dragon fight, ive killed 3 now, I dont quite jump out of my pants like I do when a sabre cat mauls me in the middle of the night out of nowhere.

[BeardedPriest]

I am loving this game... There are fps drops? Either i've never had them or the game is too good for me to notice. Only annoying thing is how you can't cast a spell assigned to your left hand with drawing the weapon in your right... Has anyone else encountered Molag Bal? I feel like those giant spiders are rapists, they are so tough! I'm crying because I had to get rid of my full suit of dwarven Armor for the steel plate ... I've already put 20 hours into this game... My biggest piece of advice is don't ever buy armor from vendors...

[zero_cool]

Their pretty much pointing out some obvious technical flaws that i saw in the game as well!

P.S..it's sad some people can't handle the facts & would rather remain in denial & black list everybody that don't agree with them!

Cheers Gamers & Happy Gaming!

[Zephol]

excelent game!!

[TukkerIntensity]

some bad ai
bad animations / character models
bad combat (floaty)
no emotional attachment to anything (story / characters /towns etc.)
1 freeze up so far

other than it it is pretty awesome. all the dangling carrots (leveling up, crafting, loot etc.) are all very well done. I like the quests and story etc.

[SpinalRemains138]

Combat is killing me too. Im only like 4 hours in, but Im a Demons Dark Souls lover and this combat is akin to Atari Lynx games.

It's non existant. You just swing mindlessly nd hope to hit the enemy. It's incredibly weak and it's a big chunk out of the greatness that should be. It's 2011. Give us a dam combat system, not just a swing button.

[kesvalk]

well, i don't know why anyone expected anything different from oblivion.

really, all the elder scrolls games have the same problems, that are not really problems, it's just how the system work, it worked that way on morrowind, it worked that way on oblivion, why would it be different with skyrim?

it's your fault to think that skyrim would be the second coming, next time don't give in to the hype.

it's funny ppl say that "the dragons are not dinamic!" of they aren't they are made just like every other enemy in the game, i don't understand why ppl thought they would make a completely different AI for the dragons and such, of course they didn't...

this is just like the end game play on oblivion, where every bandit in goddamn world have a entire set of draedric armor...

and prolly, this guy it not high level enough for the dragons to get some good stats, most ppl that say they play any elder scroll game stop playing after 15 hours or so in the game, which is not even the beggining...

i still can't comprehend why ppl thought this game would so very different from the rest of the series...

[llMurcielagoll]

"The dragons" a disappointing fact? Skyrim is all about dragons!

Kotaku desperate for hits I suppose?