When Skyrim emerged five years ago it was groundbreaking nobody else had produced an RPG with a world that felt so open, so expansive or so real. That said, it’s more of its time than you might expect. As far as I’m concerned, it’s right up there with GTA 5 and Dark Souls in the pantheon of games that can totally take over your life. Start playing it now and you may not need another game until springtime. In terms of its world-building, systems, art and design, it’s arguably the best RPG of the last console generation, and while it has lost some of its capacity to astound, it’s lost none of its power to immerse. Remastered and enhanced for Xbox One and PS4, The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim is one of the best, most satisfying RPGs ever made. I don’t want to be accused of damning with faint praise, so let’s make one thing clear from the off. Read on for our review of Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Special Edition. While not the definitive way to play Skyrim in 2017, it is certainly far from the worst. Combine that with some nifty new additions, every expansion and you’ve got one hell of a ride to look forward to. Skyrim has journeyed onto Nintendo Switch with great success, making only a few minor changes to original experience to make it playable on the move. Seeing them in Skyrim is weird at first, but undeniably charming. You can get your hands on Link’s Tunic, Hyrule Shield and even The Master Sword. These come in the form of exclusive items that can be gained by either scanning select amiibo or finding them on your travels. Luckily, Skyrim Switch has a few special features to help alleviate some of its monotony.
It’s a satisfying progression system, but one that proves ultimately shallow after several hours of play. Individual attributes are upgraded through continuous use, allowing you to expand what can be used in your arsenal with each subsequent step forward. Sadly, much of the moment-to-moment gameplay has begun to show its age, failing to impress with mundane combat and static characters populating its world. And if you never picked up the expansion packs before, there’s plenty of new things to see. You can lose hours simply wandering around in search of whatever tickles your fancy. After not touching Bethesda’s RPG for several years, it was almost nostalgic to return. These problems proved persistent as I played in docked mode but never ruined the experience as I was drawn to new locations like a fascinated child.
It also performs best in portable mode, hiding visual blemishes that occasionally surface such as NPCs and environmental textures popping in without warning. It’s almost unbelievable at first, slaying dragons and raiding dungeons on my morning commute. The greatest appeal of Skyrim Switch is having the option to play something so vast wherever you are, jumping into the huge world of Tamriel on the bus, train or toilet. Playing in either docked or handheld mode, it feels akin to the PS3/Xbox 360 versions released in 2011, albeit with a few extra bells and whistles. Few compromises have been made to fit the epic RPG onto the console, which is something I genuinely didn’t expect. The Switch iteration includes the base game and all of its expansions, meaning every single quest, location, and piece of equipment is ripe for discovery. If you’ve never picked up Skyrim before, this isn’t the worst place to start. Order Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim from Amazon UK Now that it’s finally here, how does the gargantuan RPG hold up on the Switch? Well, we’re happy to report that it’s an exceptional port with a few unique tricks of its own to boot. Bethesda was a stranger to Nintendo platforms and seeing what is arguably its biggest title grace the hybrid console was a sight to behold. When Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was first unveiled on Nintendo Switch it was nothing short of a shock. Skyrim Nintendo Switch Review by Jordan King