The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim PC Games and Downloads

Released on 11-Nov-2011

• No multiple endings for Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

  The RPG maestro at Bethesda have explained that players expecting a branching storyline, as in this year Fallout: New Vegas, should prepare for less choice but more depth in the long awaited follow-up to Oblivion.

  In a posting on the game official forum, lead designer Bruce Nesmith responded to fan questioning, revealing that Skyrim will feature many more side quests than the Fallout series, but that they won lead to different endings or multiple plot paths for the main story.

  quot;We've focused on telling one story well," he said.here are decision points in all the quest lines that can change things, but overall it's a single story. Because the side quests are smaller stories, they are more likely to have major branches. For example, you can decide to save or betray someone, which changes the whole end of the quest.
  
  "Overall the quest structure in Skyrim is closer to Oblivion than Fallout 3, in that there are many more quests, but they have fewer branches."

  Skyrim also brings a much anticipated graphical overhaul to the openworld role-player, which entranced millions back in 2006. The game arrives on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 on November 11th.

• Half Life 2 and Deus Ex devs team up for Dishonored

  Designers behind two of the most critically acclaimed first-person action games are working on a new project for Bethesda, the publisher behind the Fallout and Elder Scrolls RPG series.

  Dishonored is a first-person stealth game which will apparently offer unrivalled player choice as you plot your way through gloomy scenarios. Revealed in the latest issue of US magazine Game Informer, wee promised game about morality and player choice where the world you create is based on your actions, not navigating conversation trees

  t a game about assassination where you don't have to kill anyone teases the mag. t's a game about infiltration where you can set up traps and slaughter the entire garrison of an aristocrat's mansion rather than sneak in. It's a game about brutal violence where you can slip in and out of a fortified barracks with nobody ever knowing you were there./p>

  The game co-creative director, Harvey Smith, is a veteran of the similarly flexible Deus Ex series, while Viktor Antonov, designer of Half Life 2 memorable City 17 sequence, also contributes.

  Dishonored will be released for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC in 2012.

• Skyrim Collector's Edition details unveiled

  Fans of Bethesda's Elder Scrolls series are already sweating with anticipation for the November release of Skyrim, the fifth game in the RPG franchise and the first to boast a new graphics engine which promises lush visuals worthy of the epic openworld adventures within.

  The UK will also be treated to the Collector's Edition of this monster release, courtesy of Gamestation. Looks like you came to the right place.

  What treasure awaits the player who invests in this robust package? A twelve inch PVC statue of Alduin the World Eater, the Nordic god of destruction who takes the form of a giant dragon. He is, needless to say, the game's fearsome villain. There's also a super posh art book, with over 200 pages of stunning pics and commentary from the development team. And if that wasn't enough there's a "Making Of" documentary on DVD, tracking the journey from 2006's Oblivion to the wonders of Skyrim.

  It's a beast of a boxset, and it'll cost £129.99 for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 when Skyrim hacks onto the shelves on November 11th. It's strictly limited, so you should really pre-order it right now. No, really. Hurry.

• All-star voice cast announced for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

  Bethesda Softworks has revealed that a host of critically acclaimed acting legends will be lending their vocal talents to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

  Oscar-nominated luminaries such as Christopher Plummer, Max Von Sydow and Joan Allen will all make appearances in the eagerly awaited fantasy role-playing epic, which hits Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC later this year.

  Plummer will feature in the role of the powerful Greybeard elder Arngeir and Von Sydow will portray the player's mentor Esbern, while Allen will make her videogame acting debut as Delphine, a member of an ancient warrior sect.

  Other members of the all-star cast include the likes of Michael Hogan of Battlestar Galactica fame, Claudia Christian from Babylon 5 and Lynda Carter, best known as TV's Wonder Woman.

  Todd Howard, Skyrim's director, said: 'When you start a project, you always make your wish-list of actors, and to actually hear them in the game, it's amazing.'

  The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim will be launched in November and will receive a special Collector's Edition release that includes an artbook, a making-of DVD and a statue of the mighty dragon Alduin.

  Published: 28/09/2011

• The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim - Preview

  Dragon age

  The follow-up to the brilliant Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Skyrim is the latest role playing game from the team also responsible for the much-loved Fallout series. Set 200 years after its predecessor, the events of Skyrim take place in the northernmost province of Tamriel, a massive open world with a chilly Nordic flavour to it.

  You play as Dovakin (literal meaning - Dragon Born), a hero destined to rid the world of an ancient, evil Dragon God and bring peace to a land suffering at the hands of civil war. According to the game makers, you can expect to spend about 30 hours completing the main quest, but for explorers keen to see all the fantasy world has to offer there's roughly 300 hours of content to experience.

  World of beauty

  Skyrim world is as beautiful and varied as it is vast. From cities to hamlets, marshland to open plains, secret forests to snow-capped mountains and over 150 dungeons, most players are unlikely to see it in its entirety given its epic scale.

  Subjected to every weather system conceivable, the environments are stunning, from the rocky landscapes to the swaying grass and leaves on trees, all of which capture the light perfectly and create a deep sense of immersion, while fast-flowing rivers and tumbling waterfalls display some of the best water effects wee ever seen.

  Just as impressive are the overbearing mountains that make up the background to Skyrim, each of which is completely scalable. You can travel anywhere the eye can see and the biggest mountain has 7,000 steps carved into it on the way to its peak.

  Day-to-day life

  Skyrim world is populated by hundreds of characters living their own lives, with their own motivations and loyalties. Wee introduced to day-to-day happenings in a small town called Riverwood, where one worker goes about his work in a lumberard. It suggested to us that, unlike in most games, character actions won follow a simple loop. Instead, theyl carry out natural, realistic daily routines.

  Everything you see Skyrim characters do, you can do too, if it takes your fancy. You can befriend others by offering your services to the community, or opt to be a destructive force by sabotaging their work for your own ends, negatively impacting the economy. As in previous games, townsfolk are also a source of mission starters, offering up quests for you to pursue.

  Getting physical

  From sword-wielding, armour-clad hulks to werewolves, vampires, giant spiders and mystical beasts, Skyrim serves up many hostile foes. Not everyone out to get you, but some characters you encounter on your journey will take exception to you just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, meaning youl need to master a combination of weapons and magic to survive.

  Traditional combat feels meaty as you trade blows with your sword, batter opponents with your shield and pepper them with arrows from your bow. Thankfully you can now dual wield weapons and spells, with an impressive range of approaches on offer to suit your chosen play style. You can summon a circle of protection, turn invisible, send enemies flying with lightning strikes, torch them with charged-up fireballs or freeze them with ice bolts.

  Promising to take players on a journey from lowly beginnings to powerful dragon tamer, wee seen only a mere fraction of what Skyrim has to offer, but even from guarded showings it clear this is a world many will be willing to invest months of play time in. It may be releasing at the busiest time of the year, placing it in direct competition with the likes of Battlefield 3, Modern Warfare 3 and Uncharted 3, but it will be tough to prise this jaw dropping game from your disc tray once youe booted it up for the first time.

  Preview by: Tom 'Dragon Slayer' Ivan
  Platform: Xbox 360
  Release date: 11/11/2011
  Preview Published: 13.10.10
  

  Published: 13/10/2011

• Gaming Past to Present - The Elder Scrolls

  One of the biggest games of 2011 is almost upon us and we can't wait to get our hands on it. So, what better time to take a look back at one of gaming's favourite series, The Elder Scrolls? Morrowind is remembered for its extraordinary size and depth, Oblivion for it's ground-breaking visuals and music, and Skyrim is shaping up to be every bit the classic that we've all been hoping for.

  Here, there be dragons.

  Morrowind's cliff-racers brought a tear to the eye of many a gamer, but those worrying about the same thing happening with Skyrim's dragons can rest assured. Todd Howard, executive producer, has explained that those random city attacks will be very welcome indeed. Taking down these fearsome creatures will allow you to absorb their souls, powering the dragon-shouts that players will harness on their journey throughout the game.

  Level UP!

  Oblivion's levelling system left a lot to be desired for many. Dressing up in the finest armour, only to stumble across bandits equipped with equally powerful armour, it left progress feeling a little unsatisfying. The good news is that Bethesda has promised a levelling system for Skyrim that's much more like the one in Fallout 3. You'll still meet powerful enemies as you level up but they'll be within a similar level range to you, giving you the chance to have the upper hand.

  Rather than being forced down one route of play as a warrior, mage or hunter for example, Skyrim will also feature a perk system that allows you to augment your play style with bonus effects. If you get tired off throwing out fireballs and fancy some time with a blade and shield, you can level up those combat tools just fine as well.

  Music to my ears

  Legendary composer Jeremy Soule is back for soundtrack duties and we couldn't be more excited. Oblivion's regal epic score added so much depth to the atmosphere of the games. What can we expect from Skyrim's soundtrack? A few re-workings of favourites no doubt, along with a striking mood to suit the Nordic setting.

  The sky's the limit

  One of the things we loved best about previous Elder Scrolls game was the ability to travel to anywhere you could see in the world. Oblivion's mountains and forests were the perfect place to wander through and explore in, even if they a lacked a little of the variety we'd got used to in Morrowind. The province of Skyrim on the other hand is an enormous playground to lose yourself in: tundra, misty mountains, and over 160 uniquely designed dungeons lurking just below the surface.

  Careful how you tread

  One thing that definitely won't be coming back from the previous games is the rather wonky animations. Bethesda has made great improvements to make sure that players and characters in the world not only move and fight better than ever before, they'll also act more realistically. With their own motivations and daily schedules, you'll believe you're in another world.

  There's something in the shadows...

  Remember the Dark Brotherhood quests from Oblivion? After killing an innocent citizen of the world, a mysterious stranger appeared while you slept, offering you an opportunity to join their ranks. These assassins of the night are back in Skyrim, and we can't wait to get stuck into whatever devilish antics Bethesda has cooked up for us this time around.

  There's only just over a week to go until the game releases on Friday 11th November, so clear out your calendar, take the telephone off the hook, and get ready for one of the most ambitious open-world adventures that gaming has ever seen, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

• GAME to host midnight launches for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

  Gamers in London and Birmingham have been invited down to their local GAME and gamestation stores to take part in special midnight launch events for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

  GAME's London Oxford Street store and Birmingham New Street's gamestation outlet are throwing open their doors at a minute past midnight on the morning of November 11th 2011, allowing eager players to get their hands on the new RPG.

  Bethesda's new title for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC is the sequel to the multi-award-winning The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and is one of the most anticipated launches of the year.

  The first 250 in line will receive a free Skyrim goody bag, while the first 100 will also be able to claim a strategy guide and soundtrack CD.

  Meanwhile, cosplay competitions will also be held at both venues, with the five best entries snagging all of the above items, plus a T-shirt and a free upgrade to the Collector's Edition version of the game.

  The overall winner will also be presented with an Xbox 360 console.

  Published: 08/11/2011

• Kiss your life goodbye Skyrim has infinite quests

  It's not unusual for RPGs to require dozens, even hundreds, of hours to fully complete but those preparing to take the plunge into Skyrim, the fifth game in the Elder Scrolls series, might want to cancel any pressing engagements for the next few years.

  In an interview with tech bible Wired, game director Todd Howard confirmed that the new Radiant Quest system will keep generating new things to do, even after you've exhausted all the scripted storylines buried in the game. Factions such as the Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood will offer fresh tasks every day, while the game will pick up on areas of the map you've yet to visit and come up with excuses to send you there.

  he vibe of the game is that it's something that you can play forever,he said. he world is probably the one thing that sets [Skyrim] apart from other games," he added. "It feels really real for what it isIt's just fun to explore."

  So much for Christmas with the family...

  The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim comes out in the UK tomorrow for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.
  

• Modern Warfare 3 and Skyrim lead blockbuster week in UK charts

  Modern Warfare 3 and Skyrim lead blockbuster week in UK charts

  Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim have led the UK all-formats chart in a blockbuster week for gaming.

  Topping the rankings was Modern Warfare 3, which achieved the highest-grossing videogame launch in UK history, beating the record set last year by its predecessor Call of Duty: Black Ops.

  More impressively still, it was the biggest launch of any entertainment title ever, outselling the opening weekends of the four most recent Harry Potter movies combined.

  In second place, Skyrim was no slouch either, notching up the fifth best launch numbers of the year and becoming Bethesda Softworks' biggest ever release in the process.

  Rounding out a blockbuster top five this week were Battlefield 3, FIFA 12 and Just Dance 3.

  Next week will see another avalanche of triple-A titles hitting stores, including The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Assassin's Creed Revelations, Need for Speed: The Run, Saints Row: The Third and Super Mario 3D Land.
  

  Published: 14/11/2011

• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Review

  Decisions, decisions

  The Elder Scrolls role playing series is known for the liberating amount of options it offers players, giving them the freedom to chart the course of their own unique adventures. In the opening section of Skyrim, having just escaped the dangers of a monster-infested dungeon, you're confronted with dozens of choices.

  Most pressingly, do you go follow the man who says he can guide you to the local town or ignore him and make your own way through the northernmost province of Tamriel, a massive open world with a chilly Nordic flavour to it? These decisions have always been what define the Elder Scrolls series and the excellent Skyrim doesn't buck the trend.

  Who are ya?

  The first batch of decisions you'll encounter centre around what type of character you want to be. Whatever you pick, Skyrim has a wealth of gameplay opportunities for you. You can choose between a number of different character races, each of which has his or her own unique abilities. Nords have a 50 percent resistance to frost and an ability that makes enemies flee in fear for a time, while Argonians are able to quickly regenerate health and breathe underwater.

  Experience points earned by completing quests and defeating enemies can be spent on further developing characters. Different ability trees allow for the creation of characters specifically tailored to the way you want to play the game. If you favour large swords you can sink points into two-handed weapons, while those who'd rather keep their distance can develop archery and ranged magic skills instead. Alternatively, you can combine a close range weapon with a distance one.

  It takes all sorts

  This enables you to dictate the overall type of gameplay experience you have. Players looking for an action oriented one can develop warrior builds and get up close and personal with melee weapons, learn a few magical spells and generally deal with most situations with an attack first and talk later attitude.

  Adventurous players can spend hours of their time boosting their lock picking skills so that they can get around unhindered and work on bolstering their persuasive speech abilities to get them out of trouble with the law.

  If you would rather your character has a quiet life and spends his days earning an honest buck then you can opt to get a job, earn some money, meet a nice lady (or lad), get married and live out your life helping others without ever seeing a single demon (although we think that would gets a bit boring).

  On a mission

  Skyrim's main quest line sees you taking on the role of a hero destined to rid the world of an ancient, evil Dragon God and bring peace to a land suffering at the hands of civil war. As already mentioned, whether or not you follow it is totally up to you. Either way, you'll encounter 100s of varied quests to complete.

  Each provides something a little different, whether its joining the Thieves Guild and setting out to rise through the ranks, serving the Dark Brotherhood and becoming an assassin, or pledging your allegiance to either the Imperials or the Rebels and taking part in Skyrim's civil war.

  World Affairs

  Inspired by Norse mythology, Skyrim's stunningly beautiful world offers detailed environments that feel like real places with history, and if you're not careful you'll spend as many hours simply wandering around as you will trying to complete quests. The massive world consists of a variety of terrains, from snow-covered lands to icy peaks, marshes, forests and even a tundra. With so much of the game spent exploring, the constantly changing surroundings go a long way to keeping things from becoming stale.

  Although Skyrim might not be a radical step-up from the last Elder Scrolls game, 2006's Oblivion, it significantly refines everything that made its predecessor one of the finest role playing games to date. With better visuals, a stronger story, a cleaner interface and a world in which you can lose yourself for 100s of hours, Skyrim definitely isn't a game to be missed.

  GAME's verdict

  Good:
  + Vast customisation options.
  + A beautiful world to explore.
  + Absolutely tonnes to do.

  Bad:
  - A couple of odd low resolution textures.
  - Options can initially be a little overwhelming.
  - Punishing boss fights.

   

  Review by: Tamoor 'Dragon Master' Hussain
  Version Tested: X360
  Review Published: 16.11.11

  Published: 16/11/2011

• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Review

  Respect your elders...

  There aren't many games we've been this excited about over the last year, but the promise of a new Elder Scrolls game - complete with over 150 unique dungeons and a sprawling, epic storyline - has had us salivating over every screenshot and video trailer that's been released.

  Radiant beauty

  So, has Bethesda delivered on their huge promises? Most definitely. The first thing that strikes you about Skyrim is just how enormous the world is. The map almost looks too big until you start exploring it and undertaking side-quests. Before you know it, the world has become dotted with deadly dungeons to work through and bandit camps to be cleared. The world is stunningly beautiful and towns range from small rural settlements, to majestic cities built into the mountainside.

  It's not just the world that will amaze you either. Skyrim's brand new Radiant Quest system makes sure that you'll never run out of things to do in the game - even after you've exhausted the main story quest and the dungeons of the world. The Thieves Guild will send you on errands to steal valuable objects from houses, or ask you to compromise a trader's integrity. The College of Winterhold will task you with tracking down enchanted items and powerful arcane tools.

  Shout outs

  All of the characters in the game have their own daily schedules too, whether it's Alvor the blacksmith moving from forge to tanning rack to complete a new piece of armour, or the town bard who heads to the tavern for an evening's work. The inhabitants of Skyrim bring the game to life as their problems become quests and challenges for you to resolve.

  Along the way, you'll stumble across dragon walls which provide you with powerful spells called 'shouts' which can be further enhanced by defeating the dragons that roam the land. These are challenging but fun fights that see you switching between bow and blade as each dragon sweeps across the sky breathing fire and ice upon its attackers. Once you've absorbed their souls, your dragon shouts can be used to set fire to the land, push foes away from you, or leave you invulnerable for a few valuable moments.

  If you enjoy hoarding all of that delicious loot you've gathered on your adventures - but still fancy making your own weapons and armour - Skyrim's crafting system will leave you dizzy. Rather than selling all of the ingredients you've discovered, you can combine them into powerful potions, vicious poisons, or even a brand new blade which can then be made even more powerful by using the blacksmith's tools.

  Skills that pay the bills

  It's not just the mind-boggling number of items and enhancements that add power to your character. You can level all of Skyrim's skills - from Blacksmithing to Archery - to their maximum level, but its the Perks system that adds real depth to your character. If you're a stealthy rogue, you can invest in Perks that multiply the damage of your sneaky attacks. If you're more of a wizard than a warrior, you can invest in making your spells even more powerful.

  Magical combat is better than in any previous Elder Scrolls game. With lightning flowing from your finger-tips and flames engulfing your enemies, there's a real sense of power from your character. You'll juggle your spells to suit the enemy you're fighting, and the new Favourites system lets you switch between spell types with a quick press of the d-pad.

  Might and Magic

  Melee combat still isn't quite as satisfying as magic, but Bethesda has made some huge improvements here nevertheless. You'll need to be much more aware of your positioning as enemies poke and prod at your weaker sides. Blocking and disarming adds greater depth to the combat too. If you combine magic with melee, you're in for a real treat.

  There's never been a game quite like Skyrim. It's huge, absorbing and has an endless story to tell as you explore the towns, people and dungeons of the land. Close the curtains, turn off your phone, and get ready to lose yourself in one of the grandest adventures that gaming has ever seen.

   

  

  Sky High:
  + One of the greatest RPG worlds ever created.
  + An epic storyline with near-endless side quests to enjoy.
  + A very addictive crafting system.

  Six Feet Under:
  - A few bugs to be ironed out but a patch is coming.
  - Animations are better but could still use a little extra work.
  - You'll need a second life to see it all.
  

• Parents earn free games for life by naming their child after Skyrim character

  Megan and Eric Kellermeyer will never buy another Bethesda video game, as the publisher has made good on a promise made back in February, offering games for life to any parents giving birth to a baby on Skyrim's release date of 11 November, and naming the baby Dovahkiin.

  Megan gave birth to a boy at 6.08pm PST, and decided to give him the name, which means Dragonborn in the dragon language of the Elder Scrolls series.

  'It been a tough year and I wanted to do something special for my son,' she posted on her blog, where she also publishes the web comic, Shards. 'My daughter has a unique name. I wanted him to have a unique name as well. I am so picky about boy names that I was having a lot of trouble finding just the right one. Wee toyed with Dovahkiin and the ramifications of naming a child that name, and that name being based on a video game character (however awesome), and what impact that would have on him.'

  The boy has also been given a normal middle name just in case he gets tired of explaining all of this when he grows up.

  'Be it the real world or the game worlds we create, we wish young Dovahkiin the best in all his adventures,' said a posting on Bethesda's site, 'And if Alduin ever reaches this realm, wel be in touch.'

  The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is out now on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.

• Skyrim and Portal 2 lead GDC Award nominations

  Skyrim and Portal 2 lead GDC Award nominations

  The nominees for this year's prestigious Game Developers Choice (GDC) Awards have been announced, with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Portal 2 leading the pack.

  Voted annually by industry professionals, the ceremony will take place on March 7th 2012 during the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, representing some of gaming's most prized accolades.

  Bethesda's smash hit role-playing title and Valve's comedic puzzle action game both received five nods each, in categories such as best game design, best audio, best technology and best narrative.

  Both titles were also named in the game of the year category, alongside superhero sequel Batman: Arkham City, hardcore role-playing action title Dark Souls and sci-fi shooter epic Deus Ex: Human Revolution.

  Other titles to receive multiple nominations included acclaimed games like Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, LA Noire and Battlefield 3.

  Last year, Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption dominated the awards, claiming the game of the year prize as well as three other gongs.

  Published: 09/01/2012

• FIFA 12 breaks records with fifth straight chart-topping week

  EA Sports' FIFA 12 has claimed a fifth successive week atop the UK all-formats chart, breaking a number of industry records in the process.

  Official GfK-ChartTrack figures show that the football sim is now the highest-grossing sports game in UK history, outselling all previous FIFA titles and spending a total of seven weeks on top of the charts.

  The game's current five-week winning streak is also the second-best of any FIFA entry, behind only FIFA: Road to World Cup 98, which spent 11 straight weeks as the UK's top-selling title.

  Second place this week went to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, the UK's Christmas number one, while a trio of threequels - Just Dance 3, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield 3 - rounded out the top five.

  Also riding high were Zumba Fitness and Zumba Fitness 2, Saints Row: The Third and the acclaimed Rayman Origins, marking its first appearance in the top ten with a ninth-place finish.

  This week will see the return of the Resident Evil series with Resident Evil Revelations, an all-new adventure for Nintendo 3DS.
  

  Published: 23/01/2012

• Skyrim scoops top award at Interactive Achievement Awards

  Bethesda's sprawling and brilliant role-playing monster, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, fus-roh-dahhed it's way to an impressive five wins last night at the Interactive Achievement Awards.

  Skyrim took home the top honours as Game of the Year, as well as awards for best RPG, gameplay engineering, game direction and story.

  Other winners included Modern Warfare 3, which was voted best action game, FIFA 12, named best sports game, and Star Wars: The Old Republic, honoured for its multiplayer achievements. Uncharted 3 took home gongs for its animation and art direction, while the toys-come-to-life family hit Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure was singled out for its contribution to outstanding innovation. Britain's own Stephen Merchant took home the award for outstanding character performance thanks to his superb turn as Wheatley in Portal 2.

  The ceremony was held during the DICE Summit in Las Vegas. Not to be confused with the Swedish Battlefield developer, DICE (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) is an annual gathering for the great and good of the games industry, and the Interactive Achievement Awards handed out at the event are the gaming equivalent of the Oscars. Only without the long emotional speeches, dance routines and dewy-eyed montages of dead celebrities, obviously.

• Sales figures show success of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

  ZeniMax Media has published new sales and usage figures that demonstrate the amazing success enjoyed by its acclaimed role-playing title The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

  Within a month of launching in November 2011, the open-world fantasy epic shipped more than ten million units and became the second highest-grossing title of the year behind Activision's juggernaut Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

  In the UK, it upset the odds and beat Modern Warfare 3 to the position of Christmas number one, while the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 editions were able to outsell all exclusive titles on their respective platforms.

  This commercial success has been matched by its rapturous critical reception, recently winning game of the year at the 2012 Interactive Achievement Awards, adding to the dozens it has received from various gaming publications.

  Meanwhile, usage data shows that gamers are playing Skyrim for an average of 75 hours each, while millions of custom mods for the game have been developed by the thriving community.

  Published: 15/02/2012

• Batman and LA Noire lead 2012 Video Game BAFTA nominations

  The finalists for the 2012 British Academy Video Game Awards have been announced, and this year everyone will be watching the detectives, as Batman: Arkham City and LA Noire top the lists with eight nominations apiece.

  Sony will be happy that Uncharted 3 and LittleBigPlanet 2 both get six nominations, while Skyrim and Portal 2 each have five.

  Categories include Action, Artistic Achievement, Design, Story, Innovation and, of course, Best Game. Batman and LA Noire rub shoulders with FIFA 12, Portal 2, Skyrim and Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword in that category. The omission of best-seller Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 may raise eyebrows, but that gets a nod in both the Action and Multiplayer categories.

  Promising indie projects get a look in thanks to the Dare to be Digital One's To Watch award, and there's also a public vote, with ten blockbuster games to choose between. You can head to http://www.baftagameaward.com to pick your favourite.

  The winners will be announced at a sure-to-be-lavish ceremony on March 16th.

• Batman: Arkham City and LA Noire lead GAME Bafta nominations

  The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) has named the nominees for this year's GAME British Academy Video Games Award, with Batman: Arkham City and LA Noire leading the pack.

  Rocksteady Studios' superhero sequel and Rockstar's hard-boiled detective drama both scooped eight nominations each, including best game, music, design, artistic achievement and story.

  Following hot on their heels were Naughty Dog's globetrotting adventure Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception and Media Molecule's sandbox platform game LittleBigPlanet 2 with six nominations, while Portal 2 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim scored five each.

  Meanwhile, a shortlist of ten titles was also revealed for the publicly-voted GAME Award of 2011, the winner of which can be chosen by visitors to the GAME Award website.

  Arkham City, Battlefield 3, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, FIFA 2012, LA Noire, Minecraft, Portal 2, Skyrim, Uncharted 3 and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword are all in contention to claim the prize.

  Those who take part in the vote will also be in with a chance of winning a limited edition Star Wars Xbox 360 console, complete with a Kinect sensor and copy of Kinect Star Wars.

  Published: 20/02/2012

• Skyrim takes top honours at Game Developers Choice Awards

  The people who actually make the games we play got to have their say last night in San Francisco, as the Game Developers Conference celebrated with its annual awards show.

  Bethesda's Skyrim, the fifth entry in the popular Elder Scrolls series, took home the top prize for Best Game, adding yet another trophy the Bethesda's groaning awards shelf. "We never imagined the reception the game would get or the success that it has had," game director Todd Howard said,
  "Thank you to everyone who supported us. Thank you to everyone who's making games that inspire us."

  Elsewhere, Portal 2 warped its way to three wins, the biggest haul of the night, as developers from around the world picked it for Best Narrative, Best Design and Best Audio. Naughty Dog won Best Visual Arts for the thrilling cinematic sweep of Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, while Battlefield 3 was rewarded for Best Technology.

  Legendary designer Warren Spector, creator of the original Deus Ex and, more recently, Epic Mickey, was given a lifetime achievement award. "Changing players' lives is - I promise you - much more satisfying than generating massive revenue," he told his industry peers.
  

• Rule of the Dice: The Games That Made Role-playing Cool Again

  
  

  

  If you wanted to paint a portrait of the stereotypical geek, you'd have to include a nod to role-playing games in there somewhere. Along with Star Trek, the stat-based fantasies of the RPG form the basis of society's clichéd view of 'sad geek stuff'. And yet to look at the games charts today, you'd swear that role-playing was the hottest ticket in town.

  

  The Skyrim's The Limit

  The massive success of Skyrim last year was perhaps the most obvious indicator that RPGs were cool again. Bethesda's vast time-sucking epic is about as nerdy as role-playing gets, filled with magical weapons, skill tree management and all the trolls and dragons you could shake an enchanted mace at, yet it still thundered to the top of the charts and stayed there. Millions bought it, and the acclaim was unanimous from the critical community as well. As 2011 came to a close, Skyrim was over-encumbered and could not run, so full was its backpack with Game of the Year trophies.

  

  But Skyrim wasn't alone. Vying for hardcore affection at the same time was Dark Souls, the punishingly brilliant third-person RPG by Japanese developer From Software. As foreboding and claustrophobic as Skyrim was empowering and liberating, Dark Souls showed that the genre could take console players to terrifying new places, simply by slowing down the pace, ratcheting up the difficulty and making every swing of your sword count. Few will manage to excavate all of Dark Souls' depths, but for those who make it out the other side alive, the experience will be transforming.

  

  Royal Flush

  Had the RPG bandwagon ground to a halt there, it could be written off as a freak occurrence, brought about by anticipation stoked by the five-year wait between Elder Scrolls sequels. But then along came Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, another massive open world fantasy game, stocked with elves and magic and dwarves, and that too raced up the charts.

  With a story by acclaimed fantasy author R.A. Salvatore, and design work from legendary comic artist Todd McFarlane, Kingdoms of Amalur wore its geek credentials on its extravagantly embroidered wizard's sleeve. It may not have achieved the same ubiquity as Skyrim, but the fact it was so successful, so soon after Bethesda's monster smash should have exhausted the available pool of role-playing enthusiasts suggested that the genre could be on the upswing.

  So where will this renaissance take us next? Onwards and upwards seems to be the answer.

  

  Dungeons and Dragons and Monsters and Pirates and Demons and...

  April sees the Xbox 360 release of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, a console remake of the critically acclaimed PC adult role player. Cast as a monster hunter in a complex world governed by prejudice and fear, it's a far cry from the whimsical fare people commonly associate with fantasy gaming.

  Had Polish developer CD Projekt simply shunted the Witcher 2 code into an Xbox shape and hurried it to shelves, it wouldn't be a surprise. That it's instead opted to completely rebuild the game for console players, with additional content and a lavish collector's edition, proves that there's a mature market beyond the usual dice-rolling hobbyists for this kind of long-term in-depth gaming experience.

  

  Then in May we'll get Risen 2: Dark Waters, another sequel but one that trades the generic swords and sorcery realms of its predecessor for a saltier tale of pirate folk. Developed by Piranha Bytes, the studio behind hit RPG series Gothic, it promises to be more than a cult hit.

  

  We've just learned that May will also be the month that we'll finally get our hands on Diablo 3 from World of Warcraft developer Blizzard. A mere twelve years in the making, this top-down loot-dropping hack and slash RPG dungeon crawl is arguably the most eagerly anticipated PC game of the year.

  So what has caused this surge in role-playing fever? Are gamers simply burned out on militaristic first-person shooters and hungry for change? Or is it just that with their lengthy playing times and flexible character progression, RPGs offer more value for money and greater opportunities to define your own gaming experience?

  Whatever the reason, role-playing is firmly entrenched as the games industry's next big thing. These may be the games that have made it cool to roll the dice, but they certainly won't be the last.

  
• Bank Holiday Games!

  
  

  It's the May Day Bank Holiday weekend, which means we all get an extra day off. So with the weather being predictably unpredictable, why not spend it in the company of some great games?

  Here's our handy guide for some of the best games to enjoy this bank holiday weekend, with ideas for children, for friends and family, or for getting some serious single-player gaming done!

  Games for the kids:

  

  If you have a kids and a Kinect, there's really only one choice - Kinect Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure, giving the chance for the little ones to play along with all their favourite Pixar characters, like Woody and Buzz, Remy the Rat, Lightning McQueen and the Incredibles. Kids will love using the Kinect to interact with their Pixar friends, lifting, steering, flying, swimming and smashing their way through a variety of fun games that will keep them occupied for hours, and feeling like they're part of the story.

  
  

  

  For more quirky fun with their favourite characters, it's hard to go wrong with our wide choice of LEGO games. Kids can take a trip to Hogwarts and help Harry Potter and chums defeat Voldemort, set sail with the Pirates of the Caribbean, use the Force in Star Wars, or hero-up alongside Batman or Indiana Jones. With classic adventures recreated in LEGO's trademark building blocks, and delivered with LEGO's trademark sense of humour, there's plenty for kids of all ages to enjoy - and for parents to enjoy once the children have gone to bed!

  

  Skylanders continue to be a big hit with the kids, and you'll be a big hit with your kids if you bring Skylanders home! The age-old battle of good versus evil is brought to life not only through the video game itself, but enhanced by the collection of character toys that interact with the game. There's a whole host of cool characters to collect and who join are brought to life in the game via the Portal of Power, so the opportunities for new games and new challenges are endless!

  Games for friends and family:

  

  When's the plenty of people round, a little friendly competition always goes a long way. Where better to find out who's best than at the Olympic games? And who better to play with than Mario and Sonic? Well, as luck would have it, Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games is chock full of fun contests that test a wide variety of skills, with unique ways of interacting with the action. There's everything from sprinting to table tennis, canoeing to show-jumping, as well as some imaginative twists in the 'Dream' events, like a long-jump that takes you flying from cloud to cloud. And all for a lot less than a ticket to the real Olympics!

  

  If you - or your party - starts to get a bit more active, then there's always Just Dance 3. The latest chapter in the hugely successful dancing game series continues to challenge all to bust their best moves. This time there's an even wider variety of dancefloor-classic songs from almost every era and a range of different game modes to keep the party fresh and four-player action for the ultimate dance-off! It's compatible with Wii, PlayStation Move and Kinect, and pushes motion controls to their funky limits!

  Games on your own:

  

  Looking for a game to put some serious single-player hours into? Well, you can always journey into space with Mass Effect 3, one of the biggest and most talked-about games of the year. This sci-fi adventure is as much an in-depth role-playing experience as it is a third-person shooter, promising a journey where you choices really define the way the game is played. Thousands of people all over the world have committed almost as many hours following Commander Shepard across the Trilogy, so why not spend this weekend finding out just why?

  

  If you prefer your role-playing a little more traditional, then the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Pandora's Tower are two fantastic offerings. Questing in fantasy worlds, battling mythical beasts, swords, sorcery and an ending based on how you play - the whole RPG experienced wrapped up in a complete package! Skyrim offers a first-person adventure and dragons, while Pandora's Tower gives you classical music and a very personal quest. Either game will take up your entire weekend!

  

  For time consumption of a different kind, Minecraft has finally made its way to Xbox 360 thanks to Xbox LIVE. This 8-bit phenomenon has become a global cult classic, with it's simple sandbox gameplay: mine things and then build things. What sounds so simple becomes perilously addictive as your skills and ambitions become greater and greater still, and the long weekend is ideal to get settled into a time-sucking game like this!

  Published: 30/04/2012

• Zenimax Online discusses changes from Skyrim to The Elder Scrolls Online

  In an interview with GameInformer, the art director for The Elder Scrolls Online Jared Carr explains why gamers who have grown used used to the gritty visuals of Skyrim shouldn't expect the same from next year's MMO instalment of the classic fantasy franchise.

  "Our target is 200 characters on screen for our massive battles," he explained.

  "That puts us at technical limitations, as far as polygons and textures and things like that, so there's no way we're going to get photo realism. So in order to make the game look good and interesting, we make it stylised"

  When early screenshots of the game were leaked last month, there was some consternation from long-term fans of the series who felt the colourful look was a poor fit for the new title. Carr sought to reassure players that it wouldn't all be rainbows and sunshine in the new game.

  "We're putting that gritty feel in the textures," he explained.

  "Every building has a weathered kind of grime look. The armour is not all shiny and pristine - it's gritty and weathered as well. We certainly have to reuse some houses and reuse some structures, but when we build out an architecture set, for example, we won't use every building in that set in every place."

• Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami loves Skyrim

  He may have created one of the creepiest games ever by confining players in a gloomy mansion with flesh-eating zombies, but Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami has fallen in love with the open world game design of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

  "It's a fantastic game. Just amazing," the legendary Japanese designer told PSM3 magazine. "To have such a huge open world and so much freedom is wonderful, and the gameplay too is so varied; all those parameters and details that you can tweak and that affect the game. The characters are great too."

  Mikami last worked on the franchise he created with Resident Evil 5, before moving on to develop cult favourites such as the 2010 shooter Vanquish. He's now heading up Tango Gameworks and working on Project Zwei, a mysterious new game for Skyrim publisher, Bethesda.

  Described as a return to survival horror, it's doubtful that Zwei will be anything like Skyrim, but Mikami is keen to incorporate the same level of freedom into future projects. "We don't have hundreds of staff, so I'd keep it simple", he explained. "I'd introduce one major rule, but within that you'd be free to play it however you like. It would be a game that mixes the best of the old kind of games with this relatively new open-world concept."

  The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is out now for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.
  

• Rule of the Dice - The Games That Made Role-Playing Cool

  
  

  If you wanted to paint a portrait of the stereotypical geek, you'd have to include a nod to role-playing games in there somewhere. Along with Star Trek, the stat-based fantasies of the RPG form the basis of society's clichéd view of 'sad geek stuff'. And yet to look at the games charts today, you'd swear that role-playing was the hottest ticket in town.

  

  The Skyrim's The Limit

  The massive success of Skyrim last year was perhaps the most obvious indicator that RPGs were cool again. Bethesda's vast time-sucking epic is about as nerdy as role-playing gets, filled with magical weapons, skill tree management and all the trolls and dragons you could shake an enchanted mace at, yet it still thundered to the top of the charts and stayed there. Millions bought it, and the acclaim was unanimous from the critical community as well. As 2011 came to a close, Skyrim was over-encumbered and could not run, so full was its backpack with Game of the Year trophies.

  

  But Skyrim wasn't alone. Vying for hardcore affection at the same time was Dark Souls, the punishingly brilliant third-person RPG by Japanese developer From Software. As foreboding and claustrophobic as Skyrim was empowering and liberating, Dark Souls showed that the genre could take console players to terrifying new places, simply by slowing down the pace, ratcheting up the difficulty and making every swing of your sword count. Few will manage to excavate all of Dark Souls' depths, but for those who make it out the other side alive, the experience will be transforming.

  

  Royal Flush

  Had the RPG bandwagon ground to a halt there, it could be written off as a freak occurrence, brought about by anticipation stoked by the five-year wait between Elder Scrolls sequels. But then along came Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, another massive open world fantasy game, stocked with elves and magic and dwarves, and that too raced up the charts.

  With a story by acclaimed fantasy author R.A. Salvatore, and design work from legendary comic artist Todd McFarlane, Kingdoms of Amalur wore its geek credentials on its extravagantly embroidered wizard's sleeve. It may not have achieved the same ubiquity as Skyrim, but the fact it was so successful, so soon after Bethesda's monster smash should have exhausted the available pool of role-playing enthusiasts suggested that the genre could be on the upswing.

  So where will this renaissance take us next? Onwards and upwards seems to be the answer.

  

  Dungeons and Dragons and Monsters and Pirates and Demons and...

  April sees the Xbox 360 release of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, a console remake of the critically acclaimed PC adult role player. Cast as a monster hunter in a complex world governed by prejudice and fear, it's a far cry from the whimsical fare people commonly associate with fantasy gaming.

  Had Polish developer CD Projekt simply shunted the Witcher 2 code into an Xbox shape and hurried it to shelves, it wouldn't be a surprise. That it's instead opted to completely rebuild the game for console players, with additional content and a lavish collector's edition, proves that there's a mature market beyond the usual dice-rolling hobbyists for this kind of long-term in-depth gaming experience.

  

  Then in May we'll get Risen 2: Dark Waters, another sequel but one that trades the generic swords and sorcery realms of its predecessor for a saltier tale of pirate folk. Developed by Piranha Bytes, the studio behind hit RPG series Gothic, it promises to be more than a cult hit.

  

  We've just learned that May will also be the month that we'll finally get our hands on Diablo 3 from World of Warcraft developer Blizzard. A mere twelve years in the making, this top-down loot-dropping hack and slash RPG dungeon crawl is arguably the most eagerly anticipated PC game of the year.

  So what has caused this surge in role-playing fever? Are gamers simply burned out on militaristic first-person shooters and hungry for change? Or is it just that with their lengthy playing times and flexible character progression, RPGs offer more value for money and greater opportunities to define your own gaming experience?

  Whatever the reason, role-playing is firmly entrenched as the games industry's next big thing. These may be the games that have made it cool to roll the dice, but they certainly won't be the last.

  Published: 15/03/2012

• Games you can't afford to miss from 2011

  
  

  There's no denying it, we've been spoiled rotten by the flood of quality games this year. There isn't enough time in the day to get through them all! Fortunately, the Christmas holidays are here to give us a little more time to catch up on the best of 2011.

  We've hand-picked a selection of games from this year's release schedule that are all worthy of your Christmas Gaming time...

  Batman Arkham City

  

  A comic hero game that turned out to be very good? We were left speechless when Arkham Asylum was released in 2009. Even more incredibly, Rocksteady Studios' sequel managed to be even better than the first!

  Batman Arkham City sets you in a massive open world, players assume the role of a Batman imprisoned in the sprawling super-prison of Arkham City. Every nemesis you could hope for makes an appearance in the game - as well as an epic storyline offering dozens of hours of gameplay, there's a huge quantity of sidequests and missions to explore once you've put the baddies to bed.

  Uncharted 3

  

  This third outing for Nathan Drake is his grandest adventure yet. Set amongst deserts, lost cities and ruins, Uncharted 3 is a technically astonishing PlayStation 3 game that features all of the exploration, fighting and explosive set-pieces we've come to expect from the series.

  Better multiplayer, more customisation options and some of the most impressive motion-capture animations to hit gaming make Uncharted 3 an unmissable, cinematic rollercoaster. Don't miss out on one of gaming's finest adventures.

  The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim

  

  If you can't get your money's worth out of a game like The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, you're very hard to please indeed! Bethesda's follow-up to the best-selling game Oblivion left players and critics alike reeling. A gorgeously rendered, enormous world stuffed with terrifying dungeons, endless quest-lines and open-world dragon fights, Skyrim packs more content into a side-quest than most games manage full stop.

  Are you an archer, berserker, magician or rogue? Whatever your play-style, there's a highly customisable role for you in this most epic of RPGs. Hundreds of hours of gameplay are here for players to gorge themselves on, all spread across a game that is likely to become one of the most fondly remembered of this generation. The greatest RPG of all time? It might just be.

  Gears of War 3

  

  Tying up all the loose ends of the previous games, this climax to the best-selling Gears of Wars franchise sees Marcus Fenix and co set out to finish the Locust Horde once and for all in Gears of War 3. Some of the most awesome baddies the series has ever seen make their appearance in this conclusion, and there'll be no shortage of sweaty palms once the fighting's over.

  Multiplayer provides endless re-playability for the game, as you team up with friends to take on wave after wave of Locust forces. If you'd rather rip your friend's face off than lend a helping hand, you can now fight as the enemy, raining horrible destruction on your whole family once the Christmas pudding's gone down.

  FIFA 12

  

  Once mocked by gamers for churning out what often amounted to little more than annual updates, EA has been on a charm-offensive these last five years or so, bringing significant innovation and improvements to their flagship footie title every single time.

  FIFA 12 sees the introduction of a far more dynamic system for defending where you can link up with an AI defender to put pressure on attackers. Head to Head seasons allow you to take part in a highly competitive ladder tournament, while simply playing the game also adds points to your chosen club. It's as addictive as ever, and about as fully-featured a sports game as we could hope for.

  The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword

  

  The perfect game to settle into while the family are having a good old row downstairs,The Ledgend of Zelda Skyward Sword will charm the pants off you with it's perfect telling of the classic Zelda tale, mixed with the best combat and world design the series has ever seen.

  Set prior to the events of the N64 (and now 3DS) classic Ocarina of Time, Skyward Sword starts off in a beautiful cloud city by the name of Skyloft. Of course, it's not long until Link's childhood friend Zelda is whisked off into the lands below, beginning a fantastic journey of world exploration, soaring flight, and devilishly tricky dungeons. Skyward Sword is a must-play for any Zelda fans, past or present.

  Published: 14/12/2011

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