They're probably squirrels.

I mean, the only reason I can think of for that is their white coloration, everything else makes me think they are rats, including that rats are like, the #1 enemy in every TES game, ever, and "rats feasting on corpses" probably appears more often in literature than "foxes feasting on corpses." Also, artic foxes especially tend to be VERY bushy. If those are arctic foxes, the artist who drew them wasn't very good at his job.

They don't seem to be rats more like wild dogs or as someone posted above arctic foxes

i really would like to see more realism such as gore in the game... i mean, why not?

they're trying SO many new things that not one single person here would've ever expected... why not go for gore?

it doesnt need to be over-the-top [like fallout 3's bloody mess] but i would like to lop off someone's limbs when i bring down a FIFTY POUND PIECE OF RAZOR SHARP STEEL ON THEM!

they're going for realism everywhere else, even bringing children into the picture... i think we could afford some decapitation and dismemberment for battles.

i'd LOVE to decapitate a troll and be able to claim its head to hang on my wall at home.

Seeing how this time they are going for a more viking feel to the architecture and in interviews citing people like Frank Frazetta (RIP) and Rober E. Howard's Conan series as influences its safe to assume that their will be some gore but we won't know more until more is revealed.

Good catch. Thought those aren't small dogs. They are either an average size dogs or foxes.

Since we've heard that the game starts with the player's execution, I'm guessing the executioner will be the players'.

I didn't notice the detail in the image linked to in the opening post, though, an interesting find, but it waits to be seen how it will translate into the game. In any case, ambient gore in dungeons was already present in Oblivion, I mean, the game had quite a few severed heads, blood stains, and rotting corpses hanging around. But I found that it looked too fake and undetailed to invoke much of a response, but I'm sure Skyrim will improve on that, what I'm really concerned most about is more violent combat, as I found Oblivion's combat too clean, and of course, that's not shown in this image.

It looks awesome!

Yes, I agree. I want to see cuts, bruises, spraying blood, bleeding wounds, an occasional dismemberment and so forth.

Just as long as it's not DA:O's over-the-top splatter-paint effect - characters looking like they'd been attacked by a hyperactive kindergartener with a paintbrush was just plain stupid.

When someone says gore, I think of Kill Bill and other over the top action and horror movies. If it is realistic, then I welcome it. Just no over the top B-movie stuff please. Mice and such eating away at a dead body is completely realistic.

i like it.it fit skyrims rough feel

Of course I agree with you here. I've seen enough of this comical intestin fest in FO. The bodies simply exploded, even if you shot someone with only a 9mm or if you hit one with a bat or so.

I wouldn't get too excited too early, that is only concept art - until its in game there are no certainties. Look at the concept art for the Imperial City for Oblivion and how it ended up looking.

I really don't want excessive blood and gore. The last thing I want is for the damned Australian OFLC to ban the game because of gore - or worse, force a "cut down" version.

I won't be buying any game that is more than the existing "M 15+" australian rating (equal to a "T" or a weak "M" in the ESRB system") This rating is for "15 or younger". Australia only has one more bracket - "MA 15+, which is very bloody and violent as it is, even though heaps of overseas games get banned or cut down)

Anyway, the reason for this is - it's not fun. I'm a 17 year old, and I don't want all this "mature" game crap. I want a game that is realistic.By that, I want Bethesda to not focus on blood and guts but believable environments and AI. A rotting corpse being eaten is not "fun". Immersive...maybe. But there are other ways of doing this - spooky music, lore etc.

But, I guess I'm just going to get lost in the clamour of voices calling for more blood and guts... Oblivion did it fine, maybe just a tad more than that, but nothing more. No decapitations please, no "look at all that blood and gore splashed across the ground", no Splatterhouse level of gore and digusuting stuff like that. Keep it clean dudes. I don't want my parents or someone to come over and see all that kind of stuff...

Think about it. The level of gore, nudity, six, whatever in the game -- would you want your boss or grandma to see you playing that? If the answer is "no", then there is something wrong.



(And if the answer is yes, and the game is bloody and violent, then you have some serious problems. :/ )

Ps. Please don't bash me for this post. I just wanted to get a more peaceful approach across. That's what forums are for - discussions, each person has his own opinion.

Man, BAugustus, what is with Australia? For a country founded by a bunch of convicts they sure seem to be pretty prudish these days. The last thing I heard was that they don't allow certain poses in pormography and so forth. Seriously, it sounds like a theocratic dictatorship.

I happen to like australia, thank you.

And we happen to me a commenwealth country, currently run by a succession of women. Female PM, female governer general, female queen. That answers your comment, I think.

Oh no, I think Australia's great...well I did until the video game censorship and the porm rules...for a long time it seemed like a mix of crazy wilderness, big city parties, and non stop surfing. But now...

In necromancers caves there was only zombies hanging around but I think it would be more realistic if there was those kind of victims in their dungeons, that would be creepy!

I don't know, I found Oblivion to be plenty creepy and gory with the necromancers and their victims. Then again, I'm not a big fan of gore at all, so I hope Skyrim doesn't go the real gory route. You can create realism, suspense, and a visceral sense of horror without resorting to buckets of blood and guts.

(And I'm not even from Australia! :wink_smile: )

No worries, you won't get to see mature stuff... In fact, I have this feeling versions all over the world will be watered down because of Australia. FO3 anyone?
I say, dear Aussies, book your tickets for New Zealand now (that's to say if they're more like most of Europe: no censoring)! I hope everyone sees I don't wish to bash any country here.


I'm sorry, but seeing that full impacts of a warhammer on a Bosmer's puny head didn't make a bruise advocates improvement.


I don't think any sensible person plays any TES game while his/her boss or grandma is standing next to him/her. In the former case, this usually equals getting fired.

Australians cannot buy EU version from gamersgate ? just use a proxy or ask from a Euro friend to tunnel you .

I think turdlivion was very gory , i'd say as much as Bloodlines , what they did wrong was the palette and i can not say that it was entirely wrong .
For example landscapes had the right lighting and colours and definitely the tone was far better than cloudy Gothic 3 , wet / dirty Witcher , bad implemented Med island in Risen and i can only note that lighting was a bit inferior to Arcania a game made several years later. FO3 from the videos i have watch looks okayish too.
The palette can be improved in underground areas , specially in caves and less in tombs / ancient ruins , darkness didn't feel enough thick and caves was not enough "sticky".

Let's not forget that Oblivion had a lot of blood. Not so much gore, though.

The executioner... I think he will be yours in the beginning. I've heard rumors that you're nearly being executed in the beginning.

"Epic Realism"...can't wait.


Yes hopefully the days of blood spurting armor are behind us altogether.


Did you play FO3? Were you around for the run up to it? Get your facts straight and stop country bashing, I hate that sht. :stare: