The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Preview

I came to in a dimly lit cave, which I was told, wasn't exactly the start of the game, but about 45 minutes after the title screen. We know a bit about what happened in that time, but you'll need to learn about it yourself when you play the game. We'd been gifted this head start on the game's story and were told to get right into the action.

I was weaponless (or so I thought, I hadn't checked my stocked inventory at this point) and quickly ventured into the light and into Skyrim's great forests, plains and hills. Skyrim, without a weapon, is a scary place (forget for a moment that I was stupid and didn't realize I had a veritable armory in my backpack). I took one look at the world map and thought my only chance at survival was to head for the nearest town, Riverwood.

Over the bubbling of a nearby stream I heard the sound of wolves. They came over the hill, hungry for my flesh. I punched one in the head a few times until it fell, dead, but its companion, equally as hungry, was too much for me to handle. Skyrim's punching controls have a serious amount of impact and while you can go mano y mano with any number of fiends in Skyrim, it's best not to pursue this course of action unless you're fully armored.

I wasn't armored at the time, so I turned and fled over the hill towards Riverwood. I almost died by the wolf's claws, but was saved when it turned away from the village.

Riverwood is a place players have seen in plenty of preview images and videos. It's a small burg that consists of several wooden homes, businesses and salt-of-the-earth folk tending to their trade. Here is where I found my first taste as an adventurer. Even though I fled from a couple of wolves, I was somehow man enough to be given the task of going north to a mountain tomb called Bleak Falls Barrow on the hunt for a golden claw. A local businessman told me the claw had been stolen and I was directed to return it at any cost. How does a simple business owner come into possession of a golden claw? Hell if I know.

The trip up the mountain was perilous and I was accosted several times by rogue animals and at one point by two terrifying teleporting adept mages. They were desperate to kill a buck that was running down the mountain and, when I intervened on the buck's behalf, I became the mages' target. I murdered them and quickly made my way up the mountain to a keep that stood on a cliff's edge. There was nothing in the stronghold, save for a few items and books; the view from the top was staggering and let me take in the complete sights of the valley below, including Riverwood.

I entered the deep, winding stone hallways of the barrow. I fought my way past mummy-type creatures called Draugr that had made the barrow their home. As I traversed through the cobweb infested tombs, Draugr would emerge from the sides of the walls. I eventually found the golden claw as I was directed, but I was more concerned with the Draugr after Draugr that would challenge me along the path. 

Skyrim's combat is visceral. Everything feels like it has weight and every blow you rain down on your enemies causes your control to shake, conveying the strength of the hit. Often, the camera will pull back and allow a full view of your character giving enemies a killing blow and it's incredibly satisfying to watch your character give a cinematic-styled beat down.

The Draugr along my path fell quickly and I soon found my way to the Draugr Lord. He, too, fell to my blade and I discovered the first of many words of an ancient dragon language that would gift me with superhuman power.  

After returning the golden claw to its rightful owner I left Riverwood for the second time and made my way northeast, along the banks of a river. The environmental effects in Skyrim are truly impressive. The sun cast a glare on the water as I walked along the banks and the river churned, bubbled and held a constant flow.

On my way to the city (or at least the very large town) of Whiterun, I purchased a horse from a stable owner and his son and rode my new friend up to Whiterun's gates. The city sat impressively on a hill, with a small village sitting on the lower part; above it all stood a walled-off upper part of the city, which held its castle. It was like something out of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

Inside the walls of Whiterun I found a bustling world of soldiers, children and merchants. Security in Whiterun seemed of the utmost importance because there were guards posted at nearly every corner muttering something about reports of dragons.

It was unfortunate, then, that I alerted them all by accidentally slicing a child in the head. He shouldn't have scared me by running into my view from the side, but I shouldn't have dropped a blade on the little bugger's head. This law bending made it difficult for me to live a life in Whiterun, so I reloaded a previous save and freed myself of the criminal's label.

I met the Jarl of Whiterun and his commander Irileth. She informed me of the reports of a nearby dragon and enlisted my help to see to its death. We rode out from Whiterun, seven in all, in search of the deadly dragon.