"The time has come for Nintendo to stop playing it safe."

Super Mario 3D Land was supposed to be the one “killer app” that the Nintendo 3DS needed to help spur sales. With many already questioning the systems longevity and use in the homes of gamers (with their short term memory spans neglecting the fact that the Nintendo DS suffered from a paltry line up for its first year), it seemed like the first exclusive title that would usher in a longer line of not only new purchases, but new titles to go alongside it within the coming months and years. I mean, what’s not to love about a new Mario game? Not much really, though somehow that “not much” seems like a bit “too much” this time around.

Now let me say this straight out of the gate: by no means is Super Mario 3D Land a despicable or even a poor release. What Nintendo managed to do well, was done to the typical standards that we’ve all come to love. This new 3D world that Mario inhabits works on a number of levels, most notably the 3D effect. Not once does anything feel obnoxiously overdone. Actually, it seems somewhat downplayed on most occasions. There are instances in which there’s a depth perception utilized in terms of floating down slowly to platforms that are moving below Mario, or even some pipe sequences in which he can duck around and behind some blocks that pop out in 3D. It’s not a grand spectacle, but they are little bits added into the gameplay that feel not only natural, but almost as if it’s supposed to have been this way since the beginning of time. The music is serviceable, though the homages to older tunes, and the newer ones featured are nothing groundbreaking, nor memorable in the least.

It’s everything else that manages to feel either too familiar, too safe, to clumsy or too easy. The one longstanding issue that has plagued all Mario games in general is its ease in difficulty and ease in acquiring extra lives. Not even past the first world, I had nearly thirty lives and only lost one of those lives. On World 7 and died maybe eight times and have over eighty lives and counting. The challenges thrown out by 3D Land are laughable, even with the overly abused gimmicks, such as small platforms above instant death pits. The bosses make the sub castle mini-bosses in Super Mario Bros. 3 seem unstoppable. There’s really nothing holding even the most novice players back from running through 3D Land virtually unscathed….

….and running through players will. This might be the shortest traditional Mario title I have played since Super Mario Land. Each world almost ends as soon as it begins, and with just eight worlds in total, there’s little content provided. Defeating the game opens up a sorta remixed batch of “Special” stages, which add next to nothing in terms of legitimate content. Many of the stages available are near blatant retreads of what has been conquered already. Even the advent of Luigi doesn’t help refresh the notion that there’s a lack of fully fleshed content.

There are eight slots in each world, which one would think would mean that there are eight stages per world. Not the case here, as most of these worlds only have five playable stages, including the castle at the very end. Sometimes players will come across a Toad house that will provide them a meager power up, which usually isn’t the most viable choice for the stage coming up. Then there are a few question mark box stages that are opened up via star coins collected. Some worlds will open a new stage up, while others will provide some flimsy minigame like stage that ends almost as soon as it begins.

To be honest, these stages are not as creative as one would expect from such an illustrious franchise. Even the power ups are nothing special. The Tanooki Mario powerup lacks a statue transformation until the game is completed once and the special stage opens up. There’s still a lack of flight ability granted, but then again, with how embarrassingly easy the game turned out to be, the point seems moot. Star Mario seems like it’s designated mostly for the bonus areas found in certain stages, where hopping onto a rainbow musical note block sends Mario into the clouds. The Fire Mario poweup remains the unchanged, immaculate ability that it always has been. Then there’s Boomerang Mario, which is a take on my all-time favorite powerup, Hammer Bros. Mario from the third installment. The boomerangs move quite slow, and they seem to be as rare as the Hammer Bros. suit.

I wouldn’t mind so much if the stages were a bit longer, but they are mostly brief, with zero incentive to return, unless a star coin was not obtained previously. If these were all bit sized levels, but doubled in  terms of the number available to the game, then that oversight could be forgiven, however these are all miniscule, not entirely creative stages that don’t really challenge anyone that comes through them.

Then there’s that one aspect to a Mario game that never seems to falter – the controls. I really can’t chalk this up as a discomfort of using the circle pad to manipulate Mario as opposed to a traditional analog stick, but the controls do not feel as tight as they should feel. There are more awkward acceleration and deceleration moments, and just an overall feeling of disconnection between my commands and Mario’s actions. They still work, but they are not as refined as any other 2D or 3D Mario release.

By no means is Super Mario 3D Land a flop – the Mario charm is still there, as well as the colorful world that he inhabits. It’s just that the rest seems phoned in. Nintendo did manage to have the 3D effects as an augmentation to the visual design and gameplay as a whole, however the controls are not as refined as they should have been, the content is way too paltry, the difficulty is non existent and there’s little reason to replay any stage. While Super Mario 3D Land did provide an experience that does show off what 3D can add to a game, it seems like that took away from further fleshing out all of the aspects to the game. If you’re really jonesing for some Mario gameplay on the 3DS, I say stick to New Super Mario Bros. for the time being, and once 3D Land drops in price, then take that leap into the third dimension.

Rating: 7.0

Brink (not reviewed)

Brink came at a somewhat surprise to me. I had a gut feeling that this Bethesda release was going to disappoint on some level, though I never expected it to disappoint me on every level. Poor textures, meager animations and a queasy art style overall did not help the first impressions out, but the further I delved into Brink, the closer I can to the brink of raging out. Not only was the online broken at the time (I hear it’s been long stabilized, only no one ever plays it online now) but the mechanics as a whole were completely broken. Enemies took too many shots to fell, yet too few would do the player in. Weapon selections that underwhelmed. Just an overall sense of uselessness from the AI. Not one thing worked out for Brink, and it was a crying shame, since it had such an immense potential that it ultimately failed to ever realize.

Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale (Rating: 3.5)

The action-RPG genre is a particular weakness for me. I can easily find myself engrossed in even the most mundane of experiences for quite a bit of time (Sacred 2) or fascinated for months on end with what I feel are the most pinnacle of console action-RPG’s (Champions of Norrath.) But Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale? There’s almost no helping this one out. Stale and dated visuals, lack of enemy variety and crippling bugs all but put an arrow into the knee (first and last time I’ll ever use that stupid joke) of what could have possibly been the action-RPG to play in this generation of gaming. This was a planned trilogy of releases as well, in which the level cap raises ten per release, but with how abysmal this initial release was, I’m hoping a cut and paste approach isn’t used to release each new installment from here on out.

Mindjack (Rating: 3.0)

What depressed me the most about Mindjack was the legitimate fact that there was a wealth of untapped potential deeply rooted into the poorly structured game. The intriguing aspect of jumping from mind to mind seemed like a strong gimmick to launch a new IP off of. Sadly though, my whole time playing Mindjack made me wish I could jump into another characters mind, just to spare myself from anymore torture. A PlayStation 2 game on an Xbox 360 disc, Mindjack was a step backwards with every facet. How ironic that the single worst game I’ve played all year was one of the first new releases of 2011. I’m just happy that the whole year had stellar releases after Mindjack, to help wear away the pain that it gave me.

As with last year, I’m going to take this time to reveal what my personal favorites were for 2011. It was a rather challenging ordeal though, as there were quite a few that I absolutely adored yet didn’t feel like they should make my list, and there were a good number I have yet to get my hands on (most notably Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception.) I won’t categorize anything either, so iOS titles, XBLA titles and console retail builds will all be considered equally. Again, this is a personal reflection and not a collaborative effort with the rest of the Chocolate Lemon staff.

Honorable Mentions:

Homefront (not reviewed) – While it had its share of flaws, I still feel that the story was legitimately worth being invested in, outside of the ending. The multiplayer portion was shockingly addictive as well, and gave a more gratifying sense of accomplishment with each kill. I wholeheartedly recommend this to FPS enthusiasts more than Modern Warfare 3 or even Battlefield 3 (seriously.)

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (Rating: 9.5) – What I still feel as the first true reason to purchase a Nintendo 3DS, Ocarina of Time 3D didn’t try to cram in anything unnecessary gameplay wise (the gyroscope archery aiming was actually a brilliant addition), but simply put a fresh coat of paint on the visuals to help give the 3D effect a more glorious and appealing sheen. It was the highest rating I gave a game this year, though I feel it just barely misses my top five. Plus, I’d rather keep the list to new releases and not so much a re-release, regardless of how fantastic it was. An honorary mention would suffice.

#5

Orcs Must Die (Rating: 8.5)

The only reason I ever knew about Orcs Must Die was based off of the PAX East preview that ForteWally provided us. My fascination for the tower defense genre had started to pick up quite a bit of steam, and the notion of third person gameplay thrown into the mix had me anticipating this one for quite a while.When I finally did get my hands on it, was I ever enthralled by the trap setting mayhem that I had unleashed on the legion of orcs. Orcs Must Die excelled at creativity, where setting up combos with your traps produced not only a better reward on a currency manner, but in a satisfaction sense as well. With each level conquered, a new skill or trap is revealed, and with each level completed gives a rating, which is another form of currency that can be used to purchase a one time upgrade for each skill or trap. With a modest number of levels to complete, a difficulty that steadily grows with each passing level, and the myriad of methods to dispatch the incoming horde of enemies, Orcs Must Die is not only my fifth favorite game this year, but just passes Bastion as my favorite downloadable game of the year.

#4

Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Rating: 9.0)

For a series that last saw a sequel back in 2003, Deus Ex: Human Revolution made quite an impact on its return to the scene. Definitely for the more patient of players, anyone going into this one with a “run and gun” kind of mentality will be quickly taken down, as the stealth approach will almost always net the best results. The amount of customization allowed through leveling up helps players stave off the strictly stealth approaches as the game goes on, though sticking to the shadows and picking off a guard always feels like the more exhilarating choice of action. Though it had a number of annoying blemishes (excessive load times, emotionless protagonist voice acting, overbearing difficulty early on, the laughably easy last boss) the experience, stealth and story overall were more than worth the price of admission. Even if you turn your nose at any game that contains a predominant amount of stealth to its gameplay, I still recommend Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Have a bit of patience with its blemishes, level Adam Jensen accordingly, and the game becomes quite exciting.

 #3

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Rating: 9.0)

Skyward Sword didn’t reach every plateau that I was hoping the next big Zelda release would, but it nailed an aspect that helps immerse player into the franchise like never before – just about full control over Link’s sword. A radical departure from the industry standards of “press the attack button to hack and slash away”, motion controls gave a more profound sense of life to Link, enabling players to slash where they wanted, with little restrictions. on top of that, the narrative manages to suck you in from the very beginning, giving the story, while still as cliche as possible, more heart and presence. If Nintendo’s stubbornness ceases on the fully vocalized portion of the audio, removing the inane grunts, moans and “duh!” sounds, Skyward Sword could have made an even more significant impact in a year of solid gaming. It may not have been my favorite game this year (even after anticipating it for years before its release) but it’s still constructed in a way that has it superseding most every other release in general.

#2

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Rating: 9.0)

Truth be told, this was an easy selection for number one. A gigantic game world filled with life (eventually you’ll see more of it a few dozen hours into your adventures), numerous quests, sights, sounds and everything in-between. It’s just a shame that my actual number one selection was released just over a month later, or else The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim would have ran away with it all. That doesn’t diminish the fact that its addictive nature and much more refined gameplay, inventory system, skills and so on, are just a small fraction of why it’s nearly impossible to put the game down. In terms of console releases, Bethesda probably released the single best title in this young decade, with more incentives to march forward than any other game released since January 1st of 2010. If you haven’t got your hands on this hot seller yet, check out my review and then go out and get lost in the world of Skyrim for the foreseeable future.

Star Wars: The Old Republic (not reviewed)

I’ll be the first to say that this is the latest release I’ve played into a year, and the first that ever impressed me so profoundly. While the review is still some weeks away (I’m not going to throw out a review two days after launch like some people), I have spotted some flaws with The Old Republic, but they are not enough for me to bump it behind The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Bioware managed to do something that no other MMORPG has ever done in such a successful manner – provide a storyline that will grip players in and make them remember their adventures as much as they remembered their trek through the first two Knights of the Old Republic titles. Many of the MMO nuances have been simplified or streamlined some, though never feel excessively dumb down and borderline skewed to preteen casuals. As of this writing, it remains to be seen what kind of end game material will be available (I’m a level 46 Sith Juggernaut) but the journey thus far has kept me hooked harder than any other MMORPG that I’ve played since the one of the grandfathers of the genre, Everquest. While Imperial classes will intertwine in terms of content and side missions, as the Republic side does the same, just following the main storyline and finding out what happens next is gripping enough. The Sith Warrior > Juggernaut plot takes predictable turns here and there, yet they come about at unexpected times. From engaging combat to an engaging soundtrack, the complete package thus far of Star Wars: The Old Republic manages to peep its head above a plethora of high caliber releases that gamers have seen this year. For a game released midway through the final month of a year, that’s quite a spectacular feat.

Day 001

If you missed out on any previous installments, links to each will be provided at the end of each piece. It’s recommended that you start off with the first entry and continue forth, as each installment may have some gameplay or audio/visual details that you might have missed before.

I think with this whole set up, I’ll aim to talk about what I did the previous day only (sans Monday’s that will go over more than one day.) For day 2 I will continue from where I left off on the day 1 piece and wrap up my experiences for Thursday as well, and the weekend wrap up on Monday will go into Friday through Sunday, with more brevity than anything, especially since I may not have as much play time on the weekend.

Quite a few things have happened since we last parted. Galarian has started to receive orders directly from Darth Barus now, who holds a wealth of influence throughout the the academy. Furthermore I am being groomed for something substantial. I was sent to locate and obtain an ancient lightsaber for my own personal use, which would help in sending me forward with the plans Darth Barus has set up.

It wasn’t very easy to get this fabled weapon however. Two things seemed to have slowed my progression more than I had anticipated. First, it seems as if the difficulty was raised just enough to make each battle and quest seem more like a challenge, rather than the walk through the park that beta seemed to be. For solo content, I am more than satisfied with having a bit more of a challenge thrown at me, so long as it’s fair, and it has been more than fair. Downtime is kept to a minimum, as each class is given some kind of health regeneration stance that can be used out of combat. In a way, this can dumb down soloing and make the experience easier than it should, though with the somewhat higher difficulty I am experiencing atm, the stance is nothing that will completely send solo gameplay off balance.

The second and unfortunate issue has to do with way-point discrepancies. During beta, there would be a number of instances in which your mini-map, which is located on the bottom right of the screen, would not highlight an objective or where about a quest trigger is. Only by pressing M twice (M opens the larger map of the area you’re currently residing in) would reset this folly. Then sometimes a way-point would indicate that you’re supposed to go upstairs to find the source, when in reality it’s really the bottom floor that must be covered. The frequency of this nuisance isn’t significant, though noticeable, and quite aggravating when it happens.

I did reach the point where I gain a companion throughout my journey. A Twi’lek named Vette was introduced officially, and she became a non playable assistant of sorts. Think of a mercenary from Everquest, or if you want to go a bit further, one of your companions from Gods & Heroes – while you cannot directly control these individuals like you could in say Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, you can set them to be aggressive, passive and so on. They act as a duo partner, only with less bathroom runs. They can be equipped with their own weaponry and armor, and have roles with some of the storyline arcs that come up, both directly and indirectly. Influence can be gained or lost from these companions, though in the grand scheme of things, I’m not totally sure what a positive or negative influence will gain you.

During my lightsaber retrieval, I encountered another solo instance to progress my storyline along. Instances in an MMO is nothing new and has been a key to alleviating downtime and congestion as a whole when it comes to certain things. With solo story instances I can take my time getting through the dangers that lay ahead of me, all the while not looking over my shoulder for someone trying to snipe in and take what I’ve been clearing towards. Granted this still can happen if you run solo and are attempting to complete tasks, but it’s nice to know that each player has their own place to advance their story arc, without any kind of grievance and such. It’s a shame that there’s no real immediate need or urge to group up with other players right now. There are a handful of Heroic quests, which recommends two more more participants to complete, but I have not heard any rewards yielded that would further entice me to seek out a PUG (pick up group) and take a gander at what there is to offer.

I’ve finally made it out of Korriban, the starting planet for Galarian. I had already grown tiresome of the rocky terrain, brownish tinted colors and lack of energy and life. But then again, this is a Sith starting planet, so it’s not like I would have been expecting to see two suns, clear ocean water and Jawas merrily dancing about. Once each class hits level 10, they are able to leave their starter planet and officially choose their Advance class. A majority of each class available, if not all of them, have a DPS (damage per second, those that focus on dealing as much damage as possible) section or two dedicated to that within each class selections skill tree.

I chose the Juggernaut path, as my usual MMO callings are the tanking classes.

My orders took me from a spaceport in which I acquired my advance class, to a planet called Dromund Kaas. The brown, depressing colors of Korriban has not turned into an overcast night sky filled with a abundance of foliage and vicious four legged beasts. The Galactic vibe is thick here, from the outpost I first appeared in, to checkpoints and settlements sprinkled throughout the area. The change in scenery was more than welcome, though this one seems to be wearing out its welcome just a hair faster than Korriban.

Throughout my continued exploits, new skills have been acquired. Now with my status as a Juggernaut official, I am gaining those specific skills to use at my disposal. Not only that, but current skills are gaining ranks whenever I visit my trainer and train those skills up. It’s nothing foreign to those who have played Everquest II or World of Warcraft, so the wheel wasn’t reinvented in that sense. Same goes for the skill tree, which enables me to learn new attacks, gain passive attributes and so on. So far, it really does feel like a blend of MMORPG staples into the Knights of the Old Republic ideology.

While running about, I recalled companion skills that Veete had learned. These are basically tradeskills and sources of gathering that can be accomplished by your companion. There are definitely perks to this aspect of The Old Republic, but there are some disadvantages that will be noticed. I’ve noticed that with this new planet I have entered, the enemies around me are vastly superior in terms of damage output and hit points overall. Missing Veete during some of these battles could end up being fatal. as her DPS greatly helps in dispatching the enemies that I encounter. Taking on a solo adversary will be a winnable challenge, though not as easy as it could have been with the assistance, but fighting two or more enemies at once can prove to be problematic.

But the benefits of sending Veete out to random Treasure Hunts? During the 3-6 minutes expeditions that she partakes in, there’s a chance that something worthwhile can be obtained. From green gear that can equal a slight upgrade, to even the more uncommon blue ranked gear that can be significantly stronger than what’s currently equipped in that area. Did Veete manage to come back to you with an unlocked treasure that you cannot use? Why not just vendor it, or even try and sell it to someone within the community? It’s a quick way to earn a few bucks, all while gaining experience, and maybe even some much needed random upgrades.

My time is almost up for this week. As I leave you, I am currently in the middle of a quest that involves a prominent figure in the Knights of the Old Republic history, though mostly in both name and equipment. It is not a part of the official story arc for the Sith Warrior > Juggernaut line, so I may delve into the details come Monday morning. Another quest I have embarked on is storyline related, and has to do with an assassination. Definitely some fascinating turns with the story so far. So after two days and a mostly back and forth experience between my desktop for gameplay and my laptop for jotting down my experiences, I have to say that I am enjoying myself, both in game and in sharing this with everyone. I hope that with each installment, you all are getting a sense of my experiences within The Old Republic, as well as slowly learning about the myriad of sights, wonders, controls, sounds and so on that’s being provided. Check back here Monday morning for the third installment of this ongoing series, which will ultimately lead to my review of Star Wars: The Old Republic in 2012! Once again, here are some more screenshots that chart my adventures thus far (as always, click each image to enlarge them):

I chose to start with, and most likely main, a Sith Warrior > Juggernaut for the simple fact that throughout my MMO life, I have always veered towards a tanking class (for those unfamiliar, a tank is basically the wall to your group or raid, keeping every enemy on them and absorbing the damage as the rest of your party delivers damage to them, as well as keep you alive with heals.) I tried out several classes in beta, and quite frankly, I wanted to play them all equally, but knew I wouldn’t be able to focus on all of them enough to be satisfied. While I will delve into the Bounty Hunter and Jedi Consular arcs in due time (probably while doing this Sith Warrior dissection) I think that most of the attention in gameplay and written pieces will be on my main focus.

I had a Cyborg make during beta, but decided to switch it up to a generic Human Male. From an aesthetics standpoint, there isn’t a great deal separating either one of them. That and I had a little boys haircut during beta that looked ridiculous with my head equipment I received towards the closing stages. So I just decided to go to the ordinary man route. In terms of customization, there’s enough meat to the bones in which it’s entirely possible to create a character that looks just different enough from you, from the myriad of facial selections, to the skin tone and complexion combinations. I’m sure I’ll have a few people ripping off my style since, admittedly, it’s pretty plain Jane. But at least there won’t be exact duplicates of me roaming around, like a bearded man with an eye-patch from Everquest. (click each picture to enlarge)

Star Wars theme away!

While discussing my journey, I’ll try and keep anything that can be a mid range or major spoiler, unspoiled. I definitely will mention some gameplay aspects, as well as certain events that take place, but in no way will I ruin any part of any storyline that will leave an impact. Meddling through side quests without much bearing to the grand scheme of things will be discussed, as well as some early tidbits. Screenshots will be taken and shared, some of pivotal moments as well, though I won’t make mention of those moments, nor will I let them lead to any kind of spoiler laced comments. The reason being? The Old Republic is story heavy, something that no MMO has ever focused so much upon. There are a good number of classes, each with their own storyline, which judging from even the first twelve levels of the several classes I already tried out last month, will not disappoint.

Galarian (my Sith Warrior’s name) is a new recruit who has some untapped potential. He must face certain trials in which his worthiness to be a Sith will ultimately be tested. If he survives, he has the potential, if he dies well….he wasn’t going to make it that far anyway.

Every bit of information is voice to me, something unprecedented within the MMORPG genre. Anytime dialog is initiated, either by an NPC (Non Player Character) or your character as well, a vocal delivery is given. You can always see what is being said through subtitles and such, which is greatly beneficial to those with hearing loss and such, so a vocalized performance does not hinder the enjoyment of those who rely on reading captions.

The dialog wheel return in The Old Republic. For those unfamiliar, as with other Bioware RPG hits such as the Mass Effect series, the dialog wheel lets players select the kind of response they want relayed to the NPC. There’s an added fold to those who cling to the light side in terms of their responses, or hold the dark side close to their hearts. There will be a point later on in the game where certain items can only be used by those with an affinity to the light or dark sides, in regards to the decisions they make within the dialog wheels. You can be a Bounty Hunter, a staple in the Sith line up, yet have compassion with how situations are dealt with, leading to light side points being awarded. So even if one picks a Sith or Rebel character, they can act upon certain things to their liking, changing perspectives along the way

So right away, I was informed that someone wants me dead already. Such in the life of a Sith combatant. I am told the practice sword I have arrived with is insufficient for someone such as myself, and that I am to go into a temple and retrieve a more powerful relic to use at my disposal.

Once I officially take control of Galarian, I am reminded of the rich, orchestral compositions that the Star Wars franchise has been known for. After setting my graphics to maximum on all settings (how I can run The Old Republic and Final Fantasy XIV on max settings on this relatively strong year old rig yet Everquest II chugs along, I couldn’t tell you) I begin to venture forward, just in time as well, as it seems like you get auto logged out for inactivity, as an onscreen prompt showed me. Guess I should spend more time gaming and less time discussing?

Respawn points are dependent upon whether or not players identify Offworld Orientation computers that are spread around certain sectors. Activating these computers act as a beacon to which you will respawn to upon a death that isn’t revived. Players can revive themselves to either move away from where they had just perished, or re-engage in battle once they pop back in, although there is a bit of fatigue thrown in. Death never really feels like a deterrence though, it just feels like a rewind key in some cases. At least early on in The Old Republic, death seems like a joke, as the penalty for dying is negligible, due mostly to the fact that one can recover where they died almost every single time, as they come in invisible for about eight seconds. Even though movement is snared somewhat, it’s relatively effortless to escape imminent death once more. Furthermore, no experience point penalty is given towards a death. It might be a breath of fresh air to some, but there’s a distinct lack of risk versus reward when you’re playing in your teens. Again, we’ll cross this bridge again much later on in our journey and see if anything changes.

Already near or at 1200 words for this initial entry. Didn’t think I’d give so much to read on this first day! I’ll wrap a few things up for now and if there’s anything significant I’d like to share then I’ll do so before posting this officially. If people want this much to read each day, let me know in the comments here, on my Twitter or my Star Wars: The Old Republic Blog on Tumblr. Lets keep going for a little longer though, shall we?

With my experience in this story arc still fresh in my head, I was quickly able to gain a few levels, locate the weapon I was told to retrieve and advanced the story somewhat. Throughout all that, I just noticed that the final build finally unlocked anti aliasing, which really does improve the rough around the edges presentation that The Old Republic beta had. It’s not a visual marvel like Final Fantasy XIV was at times, but it’s not an aged, second grader with broken crayons look that World of Warcraft possesses.

I exit the crypt like area and emerge towards a much larger Sith settlement, to which I meet up with my superior once again, and am introduced to the person who so desperately wishes me dead. The exposition banter during this portion, as well as the following portion, help infuse more intrigue to the story. Mention is made of a higher ranking official named Darth Barus, who sees potential in this Sith that has threatened my life, so he has been deemed untouchable for the time being. I am being sent to the Tomb of Marka Ragnos in which I await a beast to arrive and slay it by my own hands.

That is where the coverage for today will end. I’ll give a brief recap of things tomorrow on the things of note that I experience overnight. For now, here are a few screenshots taking place between just before where we left off, and a little taste of things to come. Again, if you have any comments, suggestions or anything about this that you would like to say, leave a comment below, follow me on Twitter and ask me there, or drop a line in my Star Wars: The Old Republic Blog at Tumblr. For now, here are some screenshots I’ve taken throughout the early portion, as well as a little past where we left off. Any questions or suggestions for this once each weekday piece, please leave a comment below. Remember to click each picture to enlarge:

In any case, I will be doing the best I possibly can to get a piece out each weekday in some kind of format. I may keep the coverage going well past the day(s) that my review is released, or I may shorten the frequency of reports. No matter what the final decisions will be, tune in to Chocolate Lemon from early access launch and right on through to the new year and find out whether Star Wars: The Old Republic will be the new watermark for the MMORPG genre, or possibly another botched effort, like Final Fantasy XIV. You can also follow me on Twitter where I’ll be sure to leave a few thoughts (as well as some inane wrestling banter.)

An eMotion-al triumph.

2011 will likely go down as one of, if not the most quality laced years in gaming, especially the second half of the year. When you have Batman Arkham City, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, Super Mario 3D Land and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim all released within weeks of each other, there’s no denying that being a gamer has never felt so fulfilling and rewarding. After nearly a half decade, Nintendo ushered in its return to the Zelda universe during the same period as these other juggernauts, with The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, and ends up superseding nearly every release before it this year.

Two of the predominant areas in which Skyward Sword enjoys an immense success is in narration and environment. For the latter, the art direction is yet another deviance in the console Zelda franchise. Where Wind Waker took a more cartoon-like route and Twilight Princess was more gritty, Skyward Sword sort of brings together elements of those two previous titles, with much brighter and colorful details abound. A lot of the exposition utilizes dramatic camera angles, and combined with the art style, character models and environments, the quality of the experience ranks as one of the best the Nintendo Wii has seen to date.

The first hour will be heavily emphasized on exposition and character development. Link literally lives in a city in the clouds, which is more or less a peaceful land, rich with its own traditions and hidden secrets. There have been stories of a land below the clouds, but no one has ever been able to penetrate the cloud cover and witness it for themselves….of course until our two main focuses for Skyward Sword, Link and Zelda, are thrusted into a situation that allows them to. Throughout the first hours, Nintendo manages to infuse a rather fascinating story that develops at a steady pace that’s a more story heavy approach than the series has seen as a whole. Throughout the adventures, story bits will develop and pause the gameplay, though at no point does it feel like it unnecessarily breaks up any immersion gained.

Better have that Iron Shield for your fire area battles. If it's wooden, it can and will burn up into ashes.

Coincidentally, narration also suffers from one of the only flaws that blatantly stands out to me: Charlie Brown Syndrome. I understand that, especially after Metroid: Other M, giving a voice narrative can be a risky venture, but Nintendo needs to come out of its old school mentality some. While some strides have been made with the development of Skyward Sword, one of the major pieces that could have infused an even heavier dose of validity to the opening hours (voice acting), was sadly omitted once again. Even though the development of the storyline throughout is gripping and will keep players invested throughout, I can’t help but to feel that Skyward Sword could have reached that level of greatness that few games ever achieve, if Zelda had an angelic voice to fit the look of her character, and not random mumbles and grunts like the adults blurt out during a Peanuts cartoon. As with the lack of voice acting throughout the Nintendo developed series, the franchise has never been treated to an in game orchestrated musical score. At least until now. While there’s nothing that will stand out as the singular piece that envelops the experience as a whole, it’s more than appreciated to listen to beautifully composed music that isn’t all developed through MIDI.

Everything else about Skyward Sword shines brightly and will leave a positive and lasting impression for some time to come. Unlike Twilight Princess, where the motion controls were tacked onto the end to compensate for the fact that it was a Gamecube title put onto the Nintendo Wii, Skyward Sword features a comprehensive motion control scheme. Though I had a limited amount of time with Skyward Sword at E3 in 2010, I was already accustomed to the precision and fluidity of the motion controls. Fast forward a year and a half later and that same grace and presence that my first sample had fed me.

When it comes the the miscellaneous portions of the controls, such as navigating Link’s flying mount, nothing feels too foreign. Unlike the somewhat finicky controls when flying with that bird in Super Mario Galaxy 2, Riding Link’s mount is much more precise without as much effort. Handling one of the many items that requires aiming has its own refinements as well. Probably the one thing that aids in its success is the ability to recenter Link’s aim by pressing down on the d-pad Wiimote. The enables players to always have the ability to center their aim at ant time, without having to cancel out, recenter manually and then activate the item again.

Actually manipulating Link’s swordplay was done in such a way that even a five year old couldn’t stumble with them, so long as you know what not to do. The players Wiimote is basically an extension of Link’s right arm — whichever position the players arm is moving towards, Link will closely reciprocate. This isn’t just in response to positioning, but with delivery in regards to attacks. Downward, diagonal, thrusts and other sword slashes that seem feasible and plausible, are such. The thing is, if players are vicious, unrelenting and inept with how they deliver these motions, the game will not properly recognize things. Super slow motion is not required nor asked of anyone, but common sense more so. With the way the controls act, combating adversaries has a bit of a novel tinge to it as well. Taking out some of the early goblin enemies isn’t just about swiping at them and moving on (unless you sneak up behind them) but recognizing not only their patterns, but their mannerisms. The same goblins mentioned will hold their swords in a certain position that will deflect oncoming attacks in the direction that Link’s arm currently holds his sword. Take them out with a swipe that will go through their defense, add in another two swipes, and that goblin has been defeated. With the depth of the sword controls, Nintendo parlayed a bit more depth to its rogue gallery, thus making combat feel that much more gratifying as a whole.

Attack its weak point for maximum damage!

A lot has been said about the “lack of evolution” to the Zelda formula over the years, and how every 3D console title follows a similar formula throughout. In a way, Skyward Sword is guilty here, however there are enough deviations to the norm that can more than justify the formula still retaining a semblance of similarity. With the intricate workings of the motion controls, this is the first Zelda title in which the sword Link carries, is actually being used to its fullest. None of this preformatted swing nonsense anymore. There are ways to upgrade existing items as well which, for all practical terms, isn’t an innovation to either gaming its self or the franchise at hand, but the way it’s handled is an innovation to the franchise. Instead of throwing your sword at a fairy in a hidden cave to get an updated main hand weapon, certain items found throughout Link’s travels can be used to fortify currently equipped items and weapons. On top of that, the game is more story driven than previous entries, giving a sense of care for what happens next..

As for the formula its self, yeah, after 25 years, maybe there should be a bit of a change up from the often used and mostly abused “princess is kidnapped/lost/ran away and needs to be rescued/found/located” plot devices, but the same can be said about the Super Mario Bros. franchise in the same respects, the Madden NFL franchise with the little innovations and changes brought with each release, or especially the Call of Duty series of games. The latter has had a half dozen games released in the last half dozen years, with barely any kind of deviance from the same tired and true formula. The Call of Duty franchise refuses to go out of its comfort zone enough to add any kind of practical innovative twists to its formula, whereas at least the Zelda franchise takes several years per installment, doesn’t use the same engine, tries to add elements of change and distributes a notion of fulfillment when playing each release. They are completely different genres, with Madden being a sports title, Call of Duty residing in first person shooter land, and Skyward Sword blending together action, adventure and even role-playing elements. The thing is, the number of changes and innovations within the umbrella of the same formula that the Zelda franchise resides under, especially with Skyward Sword, completely blows away the combined efforts of the two previously mentioned franchises. It’s the same plot device, but a new engine. The same plot device, yet an expansion on how the game is played, something the aforementioned franchises refuse to do.

You are one with your sword. Handle it with care and sipe as you would an actual bladed weapon. Waggle and shake hour Wiimote around and the controls will deteriorate.

That’s what makes The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword that much more fascinating — the fact that the familiar plot devices that have been utilized for a quarter of a century, can still be made into an experience that captures the minds and hearts of gamers that place the game into their consoles. Link is out to search for Zelda once again, but instead of just running around a beautifully crafted world and waggling around Link’s sword with a button press or a tacked on motion gesture, players can now take command of his sword, and take out a world of creatures that have adapted to the fully realized mechanics. The shell casing of a story that most of the older Zelda titles have had, has now been broken open and put a heavier focus upon, giving even further reasoning to become invested in your journey. The sub weapons and their controls all fit in with the motion control conventions instilled into Skyward Sword, aiding in the fact that players should now feel like they are more in control of Link than they ever have been before. It may not reinvent the franchise certain ways, but it gives players an unprecedented way of taking control of the action, with a more fleshed out storyline that begs for your attention. With an absolutely loaded line up of holiday releases this year, it would be a massive disservice if you were to pass up The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. A premiere release in a year of dominant releases.

Rating: 9.0

The Yukes developed product just got hit with a Rock Bottom.

After WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011, I knew that in order for this wrestling franchise to take any steps forward in the gaming realm, a complete reboot would have been needed. Yukes went to the well once too many times in recent years, and it began to show, with recycled commentary from years ago, reused animations from the 2008 installment, and so on. While it wasn’t a skull crushing finale, WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011 was a last ride that was worth taking nonetheless. Yukes laid to rest the pedigree of the Smackdown vs Raw name and rebranded its wrestling video game franchise as WWE ’12. What I’d like to know however, is “what changed?”

Many of the lazily approached aspects from the last half decade, have returned with flying colors. The shortcuts in utilizing animations from several years ago, especially when they are not very faithful to the real life counterparts? They’re back with a vengeance. CM Punk taking baby steps up the turnbuckles, same exact animations from the previous years with no real refinement or adjustments to make them seem either brand new or authentic to the source material. A few animations have changed sure, but for the worse. Win a match with the Undertaker for instance. Last year was a well represented replication of his mannerisms after a victory, with the pose and tongue sticking out. In WWE ’12 though, not only was it completely changed, but made into a pose that makes me wonder whether the motion capture person was having some kind of fit, and the artists just ran with it out of lazy convenience. I’m not looking for a perfect 1:1 on every minute detail, costume, entrance and freckle on each superstar, but when you’re constantly dipping back to the same flawed animations and adding in some unintentionally hilarious one when they were already more than functional, it says something about how yearly installments should start becoming bi-yearly.

WWE ’12 seems to have a but of a simplification to character models as well. There are a few wrestlers who look dead on accurate, such as The Undertaker, Kane and this years cover athlete Randy Orton. Every single aspect to their models look fantastic, from the morbid sleeves on Randy Orton’s arms, to Kane’s oddly shaved head. But with the few notable character models excelling across the board, most other model fails to achieve such authenticity. CM Punk’s tattoos are all represented (the ones that have no copyright infringements at least) and are detailed to the nth degree, yet his head lacks that careful attention. Oftentimes he looks like a cartoon character when making facial gestures, where as Randy Orton looks as realistic as possible, The mid card talent suffer as well, with Husky Harris, Mason Ryan and Evan Bourne all lacking in facial detail. Some of the Legends added into this years releases, especially Brock Lesnar and Arn Anderson, were replicated with a commendable success, while DLC grapplers like Shawn Michaels, who was in last years release, look like a poorly constructed Create a Wrestler.

The previous two years have introduced players to a quasi-training room right off the bat, enabling new players and veterans alike to practice a few moves and situate themselves with the games mechanics before jumping into the ring  against an opponent that will fight back. WWE ’12 removed this feature and, while it might not seem like a significant loss, it does coincide with the frustrations of yet another change up with the control scheme. Analog grappling has been moved back over to face button gameplay, and it seems like there’s even less variety per superstar, even though there’s about the same when compared to last years. Reversals have become a literal roll of the dice. Press RT too early and nothing happens. Press RT when it’s the right time and nothing happens. Press RT when it’s too late and nothing happens. Occasionally pressing it too early or on time will grant a reversal, but sometimes a reversal can be completed when there is no notification about one. It’s the absolute most asinine counter system I have seen in years, and leads to some of the most infuriating moments, even at the default difficulty settings.

Reversal woes are only a minute problem with WWE ’12 when one heads over to the Road to Wrestlemania mode. Yukes went all out this year in their attempts to replicate the atmosphere and reality of a typical WWE show, which compared to how the product has been holding up the last year, is not a compliment whatsoever. There’s a distinct lack of wrestling throughout each of the three storylines that players can participate in. Instead, a lot of poorly acted dialog, scripted segments and illogical finishes infest about every second of this mode. For example — the players goal might be to defeat a certain superstar in a one on one match inside the ring. Signature and finishing moves can be done, but a pinfall cannot be be initiated. Instead, the opponent has to be weakened enough to have the Y button glow above their head, which initiates a cutscene that goes on for too long, displaying the finish and advancement of the story. It becomes even more obnoxious when a fight takes place backstage, and the CPU opponent counters every move thrown at them, and players cannot time a counter properly to halt their momentum. Even when the upper hand is gained over the CPU, the Y button notification is the only way to complete the segment, yet if the positioning is wrong, hitting the button will heave the opponent towards the wrong direction multiple times, forcing a repositioning, opening the players to a counterattack that ends up costing them the fight. Between the reversal failures and the fact that many of the matches have to end with a cutscene initiated button press, this Road to Wrestlemania is one that should have been closed off completely.

Once again the audio completely fails to capture the proper atmosphere of a WWE product. Commentary, like a large number of animations, has been recycled from years past, with a few new lines thrown in here and there. While Yukes does an admirable job in portraying Michael Cole as an annoying heel commentator, Yukes did an admirable job portraying Michael Cole as a heel commentator. Thankfully it’s only during the opening segments where this annoyance is prevalent, but along with the repetition and inability to keep pace with the action in the ring, it actually makes me long for the days of generic rock music and absent commentary from older wrestling titles, such as WWF Smackdown! and WWF Wrestlemania 2000. Oddly enough, during the Road to Wrestlemania, the scripted commentary to go with the pre-programed portions sound lively, and almost natural. A shame the actual in match commentary is as bad as it gets.

A neat little return that managed to make its way into WWE ’12 is a Create an Area feature. Players can design their own custom logos as well, and utilize them through their own arena, from the centerpiece of the mat, to atop of the announcers table. Ring ropes, aprons, even the protective padding around the ring can be changed to a myriad of different colors. Along with the classic arenas already built in, such as the WCW Nitro set, Clash of the Champions and Starcade arenas, a crafty player can replicate the feeling of a number of classic arenas from wrestling past, or at least a re-imagining. Every other creation feature that has been returning year after year remains as familiar as possible, though Create a Title is still sorely missed. At least Yukes did go out of their way and include a plethora of WWF, WCW, ECW and WWE titles from throughout history. The number of titles that can be set or disabled feels almost as plentiful as a late 80′s/early 90′s NWA card, which I swear featured titles like the “Mid South Six Man Tag on Tuesday’s After 4PM” straps.

The lingering issue of consistency in following a wrestlers gimmick and entrance theme has escaped Yukes’ grasps once again. How Yukes managed to get Cult of Personality the green light (which debuted during the summer) yet Husky Harris has Mason Ryan’s theme is an unknown phenomenon. A couple of themes are missing, but that’s more likely due to copyright issues (such as Johnny Cash’s Ain’t No Grave piece that The Undertaker had come out to for a couple of months.) Custom soundtracks are back again, and it helps immensely with creating the proper atmosphere for certain wrestlers. Removing Flight of the Valkyrie as Daniel Bryan’s entrance theme and replacing it with his Ring of Honor entrance theme of The Final Countdown by Europe, along with adjusting his entrance to coincide with his new theme, can still produce quite a bit of satisfaction. But there’s a rather head scratching flaw — using a superstar with a custom entrance theme will prompt the theme to play through the instant replay, but then it shuts off completely when the action comes back to the ring and shows the wrestlers victory poses and such. Disabling post match highlights will fix this, but that shouldn’t even be needed.

So many small blemishes throughout WWE ’12 begin to add up, and the end result turns into a Sin Cara-like botched effort. WWE ’12 isn’t a rebranding or a reboot by any stretch of the imagination — it’s a mix of half decade old ideas, several year old animations, a few year old commentary and fresh concepts that end up turning into backwards thinking concepts. I was hoping that WWE ’12 would be the launchpad to a fresh concept and way of playing wrestling video games, but instead, it’s making me wish the yearly franchise can take a vicious GTS for a couple of years and return with a proper rebranding and reboot. Not a bad rental, but you might be better off if you veer off this road to Wrestlemania and detour back to WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011 for a little longer.

Rating: 5.5

*NOTE: Online has not worked for me whatsoever outside CAW Community Downloads (which has experienced disconnections 85% of the time), so this review is based strictly upon offline gameplay. If anything substantial is gained through the online portion, this review will be updated accordingly.

Enjoy the screenshots and stay tuned to Chocolate Lemon from the middle of December and onward for some more in-depth coverage of what may turn out to be the next big thing in the MMORPG genre, Star Wars: The Old Republic. (click to enlarge)

The true Neverending Story.

While I’ve had dozens upon dozens of hours on both The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, never once did I settle down long enough to reach the conclusion of either game, or its expansion packs. Truth be told, those worlds were so engrossing, and inviting so much exploration and sidetracking, that I never even minded that there was a core portion in which I was neglecting. Why would I feel bad anyway….I was looking for Thieves Guilds, or trying to level my spell casting abilities for the fun of it. Even with some bugs here and there, both titles and their associated expansions provided a quality and open world that too few titles even came close to. With The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, everything admirable and addicting from the previous titles have been incorporated, tweaked to an nth degree, while some of the more notorious blemishes still have their presence in about the same frequency.

The last couple of Elder Scrolls titles have offered a game world filled to the brim with interactivity, changes in scenery and a sense of “anything is possible” when tackling issues. Don’t like the way that guy looked at you earlier? Find him at home and silence him in his sleep. Down on gold and need to remedy the situation? Why not steal some items behind a clerks back and resell them elsewhere? From gathering alchemy ingredients to training your archery skills, there was never a moment where players couldn’t find something to do. Skyrim has this feeling once again, with many of its facets more finely tuned than before.

A significant reason that previous aspects feel as finely tuned as they are comes from the menu systems. Whether its the players inventory or working on tanning or alchemy, menu navigation throughout is a bit more streamlined, with less clutter, and a more distinct direction in which the player can work with. It definitely makes equipping items, setting other items as “favorites” and even leveling a breeze. It may not seem like a change that one should be clamoring over, but it quickens the pace of things, not to mention it does have a sleek look to it.

In fact, Skyrim as a whole has a sleek look to it. From the snow-capped mountain areas to the dingy underground caverns, Skyrim could definitely be considered one of the more visually stunning titles in this current generation. Humanoid models, while still a bit iffy here and there, do look more impressive and believable than those found within Oblivion. Animations, from other living creatures to even the surrounding foliage, are impressive, and meshes commendably well with the rest of the package. Entering a mist filled cave is a thrill like no other, as it’s not only hard to make out what’s in the distance, but at times it feels like that mist is encompassing the player sitting in front of their television, blurring the lines between fantasy and reality. One of the more appreciated changes found in Skyrim is the fact that initiating a conversation with any major NPC doesn’t trigger an obnoxious close up with them. Having to deal with these mostly unnecessary close ups between Oblivion, Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, it’s a refreshing change of pace, as minor as it may sound. On top of all that, playing in a third person view doesn’t introduce an avatar with a robotic animation, but a more “realistic” portrayal of a running, walking or sneaking character. Not flawless by any stretch of the imagination, but more plausible than before.

It's a picturesque view, only slightly thrown off by minor draw distance issues in relation to foliage.

Actually controlling that avatar feels about the same as it did in Bethesda’s previous titles. The more weighted down the character is, the more impeded his or her speed will be. Jumping still seems a little floaty, though it’s not a major issue at all. The ability to dual wield adds a dimension to the gameplay that more than encourages experimentation. Have a bow sneak attack to start things off, then switch to a one hander/fire spell combo to finish the opponent off. Or hell, you can even have two spells at once; have a healing spell readied in the offhand while freezing a bandit with your main hand. With somewhat smarter enemy AI thrown in, combat throughout Skyrim comes one of the more fascinating aspects, more so than ever before. It’s a good way to work melee and spell casting at the same time, and see which one is the preferred method of dispatching those that stand in your way.

While many of the audio cues have carried over from Oblivion, they are still fitting to the actions that they accompany. That’s about the middle ground to the audio presentation, however. On the more positive side, the musical composition is not only a hand in hand fit between mood, atmosphere and piece, but could very well be one of the very best in this generation. Whether it signifies an imminent battle or leisurely exploration of the main world, Skyrim manages to have a near perfect fit for each situation, and just begs for players to crank up their volume and embrace every second of it. On the other hand, the voice acting, while more than passable, has its share of disappointments. In a general sense, the performances do seem stronger than any Elder Scrolls of Fallout title over the last five years, but I couldn’t help but feel that a bit more emphasis could have been put into it. On top of that, NPC’s have this irritating habit of trying to talk simultaneously, making a few key moments nearly hard to discern without putting subtitles on. It’s not an issue secluded to towns either, as  any conversations ending or segwaying nearby another friendly NPC will prompt this annoying audio anomaly.

Skyrim its self is a massive world, with what seems like a never-ending supply of deviance from the main plot. I went into a bar once and someone challenged me to a drinking contest for a staff. After three drinks, I was blacked out and woke up in some unknown temple, where the story arc takes some odd, yet hilarious twists and turns. Even getting to some of the random points on the map prove to be a challenge, with several bandits coming down the steps to a tower, attempting to prevent you from getting to the top. One time I was literally minding my own business as I ran through the plains, when some guy came running up to me, telling me to hold onto something and that he’ll be coming back for it. He ran off, only to have some ranger chasing him down, asking if I had seen a thief that stole something from him. I lied and said I did not see this fiend, and walked away, keeping the item I was given to hold onto.  Then there are the dragons….oh the dragons. The randomness and variety offered throughout my journey through Skyrim are easily more than even several open world titles combined.

Leveling skills in Skyrim is reliant upon how much that skill is utilized throughout each use. Landing melee attacks on an enemy with a one handed weapon will help work the appropriate One Handed skills, while a reliance on replenishing health when needed, will raise Restoration skills. Through these skill gains as well, overall experience will be added, helping your character level. With each level gain, an option to raise Magicka, Health and Stamina is prompted, with ten points going into said stat when selected (one time per level.) A skill point will be rewarded as well, which can be used in the rather slick constellation-like ability trees that Skyrim presents. Within these constellation skill trees are further advancements to each skill, such as Lockpicking, Destruction, Pickpocketing and so on. The potency of certain attributes to these skills can be raised with these skill points, so long as that skill is at the appropriate level. Fancy yourself with Archery? With these skill points and the higher your Archery skills are at that current time, you can raise the strength of your sneak attacks to three times higher than normal, as well as having a chance to completely paralyze your prey for several seconds. Each skill trees has their own set of abilities to help mature the potency of said skills significantly. There’s a myriad of ways to create your own character to your own suiting, and Skyrim even gives a feeling of creating multiple characters, just to see how certain combinations would work out.

The possibilities to create a character perfectly suited to your mannerisms are plentiful.

Though the overall journey and experience through Skyrim ranks as one of the most engrossing and fulfilling that I’ve seen in years, there are still a number of stumbling points. Often enough, while trekking through the massive world early on, wildlife and random bandits are sparse at best. After a minute or two of walking, I’ll come across a few wolves that I can train my stealth and archery skills on, but then it’s another wait of the same length after that. Even inside various caves and hideouts, the enemy population is rather meager. In that same early span of time, I could count the number of times I’ve been attacked by three or more adversaries on one hand, which is a bit baffling. There’s also a lack of variety with regards to enemies for the first couple dozen hours. After that, things start to pick up considerably, mostly due to exploration and such. Same goes for encountering creatures and other adversaries throughout your journeys.

As with most ambitious titles such as Skyrim, there are its shares of bugs or programming brain farts. I’ve had two instances in which no buttons would register their actions outside my camera, forcing me to boot my system off and start it back up, which thankfully were isolated to the first ten hours. Then there are  the vibrating bulls in town, who get stuck in a haystack and begin to violently bounce around. Stealth killing an enemy while they have others around them prompts a curious search by the ones still alive. After a brief moment in time, they literally say things like “I guess it was the wind” and walk right over their deceased comrade. There are plenty of stealth based titles that have such logic impaired programming to it (Metal Gear Solid especially) but for such a vast, expansive game world to dip back into the mindless lapses such as this, it a bit unforgivable.

Mercenaries for hire have been added to the experience, and while they prove their uses in more than one way (a commendable method of hauling extra loot around when the main character is at their weight limit), there’s one major fault to them. While traversing through tight corridors, they act as roadblocks, impeding any progression past them. I have to commend Bethesda for giving NPC’s a sense of life and realism in terms of the inability to walk through  people, but it backfires hard when trying to navigate through the narrow halls of a cave or even a small room. While the situation could be rectified beforehand by commanding your merc to wait in one spot, it’s unnecessary downtime dedicated to what sums up to telling your pet down to “sit” and “stay.” Also, are these things supposed to be descendants of Kal El? Kind of like how trying to kill certain key NPC’s reduces them to an “unconscious” state, a mercenary on their last legs will kneel down and be incapacitated briefly, and then pop back up as if nothing happened. During one of my random dragon encounters, my dark elf female mercenary was brutally mowed down by the dragon’s frozen breath repeatedly, even as she was on her knees and incapacitated. Once I fell the mammoth beast, she pops right back up, as if nothing happened. Oddly enough, and errant  arrow from my bow hit my mercenary in the calf and killed her.

You won't be seeing too many creatures or humanoids on a constant basis early on, so leveling up skills such as Alchemy is the best way to get a higher level much faster.

Out of every problem that Skyrim has, the most aggravating and more consistent are the hidden load times here and there. There are times when I would want to access my items and drop a few things. On occasions, it takes from 2-8 seconds to load up the ability to move the cursor and select what I desire. This happens especially when trying to access your mercenary and see what they are carrying. If it’s a massive haul, there is a noticeable freeze, which nothing can be done outside waiting for everything to situate its self. The general access times are tolerable, especially for a title of this magnitude, with the longest loads occurring on the initial load from the title screen. The  pauses and delays that come up every so often when attempting to deal with anything involving both of the pause menus can nearly break the experience at times, especially if this problem comes up during a particularly hairy battle.

Issues notwithstanding, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a new achievement in immersion in gameplay. More than any title under this umbrella has it become apparent that the world around the player is rich and full of new places to discover. It has a running start right out of the gates, but it gets its feet firmly planted onto the ground the longer you adventures take. No matter how you want to approach  your character, you’ll appreciate the amount of customization and care that was put into character development. 75 hours in and I’m constantly finding new quests, story arcs and so on. Some of these story arcs have more meat to them than a few retail games have ad in the last few years. With the mind boggling number of killer titles released not only in the month of November but in the year 2011, Skyrim manages to reach for the stars and and shine brighter than any game has this year. If you want to engross yourself into a massive world of possibilities and space to explore, Skyrim is a must buy. If you value the time spent with loved ones, you may not see them for a very long time if you pick this one up.

Rating: 9.0