» Wed May 09, 2012 6:54 pm 1. I love the "Shout" system. It's intuitive, the effects are visually pleasing... and it gives warrior/rogue characters an alternative to playing with magic to get things done. For the Mage characters, it gives us a little variety in our attacks.
2. I love the fact that Skyrim looks gorgeous even on medium settings. I like the blur effect that is used for distant areas, as it creates an amazing sense of depth. I love the "FXAA" option because it lets me have all those nice jagged edges smoothed over without taxing my PC too much. I love the shading and the character models. I love playing in the 3rd person because my character's animations and facial expressions are seamless now.
3. I love the fact that NPC's are less awkward. I love how having a conversation with an NPC doesn't zoom you all the way in and separate you from the world around you. You might be talking to someone and see someone cutting wood in the background, you never feel isolated from the game while in a conversation. I love that their heads follow you when they talk to you now. I like how their interactions are a little more scripted and a little less "HOWS THE WEATHER TODAY" random. I like walking into town, overhearing a conversation, and then injecting myself into the story and possibly finding a quest lead. It's engaging and entertains me at the same time. I like the fact that not every NPC acknowledges my presence like some sort of peppy salesperson in an electronics store. It feels more authentic than Oblivion ever was.
4. I love the environments. The snowstorms in Skyrim are amazing... the snow wisps and blows across the ground in front of you and your visibility is reduced (as it should be.) ... I love the sound of the wind howling against Skyrim's perfect Jeremy Soule composed soundtrack. I love the fact that some of my favorite Morrowind tracks are in this game.
5. I love the addictive combat in Skyrim. It's visceral and bloody... The "death moves" system is, in a word, perfect. There is nothing more satisfying than plunging your dagger into someone's throat or impaling them on your sword and then ripping it out. I love how there's blood on my sword and screen in the middle of a fight, and the clanging of steel against steel makes it seem like you're watching a scene out of Gladiator. Dual-wielding weapons is something that I've dreamed about since Daggerfall, and it's amazing in Skyrim.
6. I love the fact that hoods and cloaks are actually done well this time around. All the clothing and armor looks amazing. I like that clothing/armor has more meaningful attributes, such as "25% faster mana regeneration" etc. The game lets you play as you want to play. I never feel like I have to wear hulking armor or use weapons I don't want to just to stay alive in the later areas of the game. If I want to be a robe-wearing wizard with a dagger, I can. The game doesn't penalize me for playing the way I want to play.
7. I love riding my horse across Skyrim, taking in all the visual splendor. I like how running or riding places doesn't feel like a chore. I actually don't *want* to use fast travel for fear that I might miss some landmark or cave along the way. The environment is so prettyfull that I actually want to run around through it. I love how the weather changes, and how day turns into night. It's eerie listening to the sounds of while you're running around.
8. I love that crafting, cooking, forging, woodchopping, etc... is now a visual affair. You actually SEE yourself doing it. I have actually gotten into mixing potions now that it's a more intuitive act. I like that the game encourages you to pick/harvest ingredients to discover the effects that they create. It gives players like me the option to craft potions without spending all day hunting for recipes. I like that when I upgrade my armor/weapons at the forge... I actually see the process on-screen. It's not just a lifeless text box I'm dragging items into. It's more satisfying and engaging.
