The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim

Released: 2012
Rated: M for mature

I was really enjoying this game until the bugs just killed the fun for me.

In short, if you know what Fallout 3, or Fallout New Vegas was like, this is the same company doing the same set up but with swords and dragons...if you don't have Fallout as a reference here's a quick discussion.

Beautiful graphics and stunning dragons.

The game is a single player first person shooter.  You are the character (and you get to choose many things like gender, race, hair, make-up for girls, facial structure, all sorts of stuff down to eyebrow shapes, and jawlines) in an open world when you can go anywhere and do anything you like.  Kill everyone you meet, sure.  Kill only the bad guys, yes....whatever you want.  I chose to be a large race of cat people called Khajit.  I'm a beautiful female cat with distinct facial markings and a fur pattern unique to me.  Sorry I can't show you a picture of me but trust me, I'm a fine looking kitty.

This is a giant.  Do not mess with them unless you absolutely have to!  They are fearsome things!

When your character is introduced you are being held captive and about to be executed when a dragon, something that was mythological in this fantasy world too, attacks and causes havoc.  You escape and that's when your journey begins. 

You have tasks that you pick up along the way, major storyline plot points, and lesser, errands if you will, for common folk.  Stuff that is completely optional and has no effect on your main story line.  But, if you're like me, you like to explore as much as possible and be nice to people who have done you no harm.  Usually, doing something to help someone out makes them like you, if they like you they may offer up treasures, rewards, or offer themselves to help you on your quests and fight along side you.

Watch out a frost troll!  Kill them with fire!

I have picked up all sorts of awesome weapons, blades, swords, war hammers, magical, and enchanted weapons along the way.  I've learned magical spells, hired helpers to follow me, made friends that have followed me into battle, and last night, I just had a 15 minute long conversation with a dragon.

All in all, it was going really well and I was enjoying myself, despite the fact that the game is so large, as far as memory goes, that bugs kept making the game freeze or other problems would occur.

A few weeks ago a major bug popped up and I lost 5 days worth of work, a few missions, treasures, and lots of gold coin.  This angered me so bad that I stopped playing for a while.  I just recently returned to right before the problems happened and have started playing again.  I was trying to get to the end of the game and just ignore what stuff I lost, but the end is not in sight yet.  I'm eager to get back to Mass Effect 2 and finish my replaying of that so I can download my progress into Mass Effect 3 and begin my last journey to save the world there.

Gorgeous cities to look at complete with waterfalls.

Overall, it's a fun game, but a bit repetitive.  I don't mind so I enjoyed it.
It was a fantastic story and I loved all the freedom of choice I had.  I only wish I could've finished the game somehow, but bugs persisted to the point where missions could not be completed and information just didn't load properly.
Maybe on the greatest hits collection of this game will all the bugs be gone and I will have to start fresh, but at least, able to complete the full story.

4 our 5 joysticks for being entertaining and fun to play.

I've included a youtube video of some actual game play.
Take a look.
http://youtu.be/PjqsYzBrP-M