I was afraid that the magical experience I had when playing Morrowind was something that no game would ever capture again. I'm happy to say that isn't the case. Wandering around Skyrim at night and listening to the gentle whisper of the mystical music in the background really does create a state of wonder and mystique that Oblivion was missing. I'm really pleased by the way the game draws me in. And of course, igniting a tiny bit of nostalgia doesn't hurt either.

The cities are complex and interesting, the terrain is highly varied, detailed, and unusual. Everything around me is captivating and makes me want to move in every direction, to every city, every place, all at once. I'm not getting that feeling of "Meh, just looks like more grass and trees over that way" that was so common as I romped around Oblivion. Even better, I pause before entering buildings to take in their creative architecture. I get lost in cities here and there. Even looking at the map, I'm sometimes left wondering if I could ask for directions.

Plus there's cooking, crafting, and any number of cool things to do that have nothing to do with quests or story. I love that.

Do I think Skyrim is complete? No.

Do I think Skyrim is flawless? Certainly not. I think most of it's problems are technical though.

Do I think Bethesda has managed to spark that interest that made Morrowind feel so overwhelmingly epic? I think so. It's not Morrowind, nothing ever will be and there's nothing wrong with that. However, I think Skyrim is hitting a lot of the same notes that made me love TES: 3, beyond just having fun with it. I can tell you right now that as a platform to build upon, Skyrim is probably one of the greatest of all time.

I do look forward to the building to come. I know that there will be plenty of it. Mods, Patches, DLC - all of them will continue to make this game greater and greater. I'm just glad that the most basic component is there. That one thing that you can't patch in, or mod in, or download. Fascination. The world of Skyrim is genuinely fascinating.

Great post, this is exactly what I wanted to hear after all those complains, since I won't get to play it until christmas.
The atmosphere is what really counts in these kind of games.

I agree, however I have to say the major flaw of weapons just not "connecting" is still there, but other than that all the flaws are PC version flaws