Skyrim is empty and without character, it has been five years people

• Posted by James Graham March 25, 2012 - 807 views

            I have played the Elder Scrolls series since Morrowind, and Bethesda will always hold a special place in my heart due to there attention to detail, beautiful and original settings, and there standard of raising the bar for other rpg's to study and learn from.  From these first few sentences it may sound like I praise anything Bethesda puts out, and for the most part I do.  Fallout 3 continues to be a favorite of mine and I even fucked around with Brink and Rage due to the Bethesda name on it.  I may even be somewhat of a fanboy, but even a fanboy knows when enough is enough.  What I am talking about is Skyrim.

            I enjoy Skyrim, I do, but only when I am killing shit.  Right there is the problem for me.  I started a thief character earlier tonight due to finishing the main quest and the civil war story line with a shield and mace character.  When I left Riverwood and set my sights on Whiterun I was very excited as to what I could possibly thief and achieve.  When I got done looting Whiterun I disappointingly realized that this Elder Scrolls game was meant to be played as an action rpg.  Not an rpg with some action.  I felt kinda sad.  Maybe even kinda frustrated and somewhat angry at this disappointment.  Okay, yes, the Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood are still there and kickin, but even the Thieves Guild isn't about stealing.  It really isn't.  Stealing and forging finance books are secondary to the Thieves Guild.  The bartender doesn't even acknowledge you as the head of the guild in the end.  

            Honestly, we console only players need to demand more from our games.  No, I'm not trying to start a nerd revolution or some dumb shit.  I just want more after waiting five years for another Elder Scrolls.  I realize it's all about the cash flow but it has been five long fucking years.  In my opinion, there isn't any replay value in Skyrim because all that is changing is the combat.  Instead of smashing shit with my mace, while the killcam sounds like it's a sword, i'll be shooting flame magic or shooting a bow and arrow.  I realize Bethesda wants to make money but they stripped everything else out for combat. That is not an rpg, in my opinion.  Do you remember in Morrowind how you had to steal some diamonds as your first Thieves guild quest?  Or the epic last quest for the Thieves Guild from Oblivion? I know I'm talking about the Thieves Guild a lot, but this is what I consider replay value in an rpg.  A whole new game, characteristic, and side to an adventure that I agreeably follow.  

            I do not own a computer that can run the current overhaul 2.0 mod for Morrowind or else I would go back to playing it.  This is my fault and I understand that.  I play all Elder Scrolls on an xbox and feel console players are getting cheated while not standing up for ourselves.  Yes the computer version is exactly the same except for the creation kit.  Which is a big thing.  I don't know how to end this blog or rant.  I just feel that rpg's are on a down slope and it disgusts me.  It has been five years people.  Think about it,  five years,  how much have you grown up in five years?