Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim for Xbox 360 Reviews by Gamers

I had my expectations pretty high for this installment. I even stood outside the local Gamestop at 2:00am on a work-night to pick it up (didn't get there until 1:30am but still impressive they were out there that late).

Usually when a game is this hyped I end up disappointed in the final product or maybe have my expectations met at best. This is the exception. To say that Skyrim is "epic" may seem cliched, but there is no other word better suited for this game. As soon as you are allowed to wander freely on your own, Skyrim becomes more than a game. It becomes an experience. Everything about Skyrim is designed to immerse you in this world, from picking flowers and catching butterflies, to crafting armor and upgrading weapons, to exploring caves, dungeons, castles, and endless open world environments.

The simple yet genius design of using the left and right triggers for each hand seems not only common sense but very natural. The first-person and third-person views both work very well. The visuals are astonishing to say the least - especially in interior environments. In no other game have I been compelled to stop what I'm doing and simply look at the beauty that surrounds me. While most of the environments are snow covered mountains, there are plenty of spring meadows, babbling brooks and elegant waterfalls, all surrounded by incredible wildlife such as elk, foxes, deer and the more hostile bears, wolves and mountain lions. Dragons make for great battles if not as amazing as initially anticipated. Fun to defeat and steal their souls to make your character more and more powerful. The quests seem endless.

I'm 80 hours into the game and I've barely touched the main quest. You can easily spend hundreds of hours playing this game - plan accordingly. No doubt you'll get your $60 dollars worth. Definitely a contender for game of the year.