Yeah, I am still on my first character. Played through the Imperial questline. I am no veteran of TES games. Skyrim is my first. But my character is a Warrior specced to one-handed, block, and heavy armor. Shield bashing and a critical strike is awesome to watch. I think it is a fun play style.
In almost every game I play, I go dual-wielding. I also like 2 Handed Weapons.
Skyrim has changed me. Shields actually feel aggressive, brutal, and exciting. They're aren't like the shields of other RPG's where they are static defense boosters. My Nordic barbarian feels like a barbarian even with a shield! Running, charging, bashing, and then slicing off heads with an axe feels... Amazing.
I love shields! (In Skyrim at least)