There has been a lot of different opinions that have been thrown around, most are useless fodder but some have validation and are well constructed responses to the positives and negatives of this superb game. Now I know that it is only the extremes that tend to feel the need to post, either those who have an endless devotion and complete infatuation with the game that will not be deterred or those who feel that they have been deceived to the highest degree. Surely it is not the most rational of forum goers who choose to post about this or that in the General forum. Today I come to you as a fan and student of the art of video game design and development. Please put all presumptions aside and simply read and reflect on what I say, should you choose to respond I request you do so in a courteous and respectful manner.



Now those of you that are still with me I pose a few simple questions. For one, Which Elder Scrolls games have you played before? I do not care which you liked best or which you felt failed to meet your expectations. Now my next question, Did each previous experience influence your opinions on subsequent experiences? If you answer no, then that is a complete lie. But that is not a bad thing. Its human nature to have expectations and presumptions. Wherever you choose to interject yourself into the Elder Scrolls experience does not matter. For surely which ever game brought you to the series, and sequentially to this forum, made a lasting impact. An impact so strong that it is placed in the upper echelons of your media experiences. Whether it was the music, a scenic view, a dramatic quest or thrilling moment of that all important immersion, TES swept you off your feet and you were a fan for life. Now, I will make a presumption that for some of you, this experience did not start with Skyrim ( or Oblivion or MW, but we needn't start that conversation today). But for all those experiences were in what could be your 1st, 2nd or 3rd TES experience, they eventually grew stale. Some turned to user created content to satisfy, others had to find new ways of playing and even more simply choose to stop playing. However for most, that pure joy of exploring a fresh Elder Scrolls based world was the equivalent of the holy grail of gaming.

Now I use the TES series as a point of reference but this reigns true for any game that you have become completely enamored with whether it be CoD, Halo, Forza Racing, or Super Mario. Its that moment you fell in love with all this series and gaming as a whole had to offer. So, as millions of others did you went out and acquired Skyrim ( hopefully legally) hoping to attain that same experience, craving that same moment of exuberance as the previous experience has offered. Now for some it fell short and for others, it met or even surpassed that moment and this brings about your feelings for the game. These personal opinions matter to a degree, but what else matters? Was it really a good game? Was it a bad game? Do these generic labels really mean anything ; after all if something brings you a degree of joy does it really matter what critics or other users say? Did this game match up to your highest of gaming expectations? I feel for many of you downtrodden souls that it did not. This has caused an uproar and a backlash against what may actually be a very great game but it just missed the mark for you. This is when we begin to call into question design choices, game mechanics, bugs, glitches, graphics and all the other things that make up a game and begin to criticize. But what are we criticizing?

Now I am not saying that there aren't reasons to criticize, after all it is free will that allows us to pick and choose what we agree and disagree with. But is comparing something to your best and most revered gaming experiences truly a fair fight? What if Skyrim was just Skyrim? Were it not a part of this storied franchise of games would it be reprimanded for its lack of RPG graces, would the amount of little details be lauded, would its many bugs, sometimes poor graphics and questionable writing be a widely accepted? If Skyrim were its own self contained game, how would it be received? Not by critics, but on a scale of your own personal gaming experiences. This questions opens up your opinions on the TES series and on interactive media as a whole. When you look at a game or movie, what are you comparing it to? All I ask is that you take a step back from your keyboard for a moment, read and consider. This isn't a question with an answer and its not a question worthy of an argument but if you feel like discussing it please feel free to post.