Review for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Game for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, the video game was released on 11/11/2011 The version for PC came out on 08/12/2011
Nintendo's with third parties has never been the best, so much so that during the Wii U era it seemed to have completely cracked. Already from the world reveal of Switch, however, things seemed to have taken a different turn, so much so that on that occasion the first multi-platform titles were shown that would have gone to thicken the classic line up first party that accompanies every console of the great N. Tra these certainly stood out a title that everyone recognized at a glance and that among hardcore gamers enjoys a really great fame: we are talking about Skyrim. Bethesda supporting a Nintendo console was already strange in itself, that it would have done so with even a title as popular as Skyrim, moreover on the laptop, it seemed a time pure fantasy. A year has now passed and we are finally here to test the fruit of the development team's efforts: Will the Switch version of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim live up to its name?
Skyrim is certainly not a new face in gaming, on the contrary: its debut dates back to 2011 but over the years Bethesda has been able to play its cards cunningly, so much so as to be able to keep the interest of users high with expansions and a remaster version published just a year ago also on Playstation 4 and Xbox One. The Switch version is placed alongside the latter: the contents are in fact about the same (mod apart) and also on the technical side the visual improvements are those already observed on the two consoles of the competition. That's why we won't waste time describing the plot or growth system: the game in question is The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, with all the strengths and weaknesses we've known for years (you can read our review here).
What is the purpose of this article, then? First, evaluate the conversion from a technical point of view. Despite being a title that has a less powerful visual impact than others, it is in the vastness of the game world and the quantity of elements that populate it that the real strength of Skyrim lies.. Convertible tablets or micro laptops such as GPD Win struggle to manage the colossal world of Tamriel in a constant and fluid way; Switch, on the other hand, holds up well and no particular cuts to interactivity or the level of detail of the locations were necessary. Although the frames per second are "only" 30, these are kept constant in almost every situation regardless of whether you are using the console in portable or home mode. The computing power of the machine then gave way to use good quality textures, spectacular visual effects and filters able to give a good visual cleanliness. The rendering of distant objects is also remarkable and the only real drawback concerns the polygonal models of the protagonist and the NPCs, often poor in detail and animated in a somewhat clumsy way. On the other hand we are talking about a remaster, certainly not a remake.
Among the criticisms leveled at the Switch version of Doom, another Bethesda title recently published on the Nintendo hybrid, there is the difficulty of adequately aiming at enemies through the standard Joycons. Here, with Skyrim this does not happen and indeed, thanks to the analogue-gyroscope combination, it is possible to aim with extreme precision even when you are using the third-person view. A choice that proved successful at launch with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and which also in this case shows all its practicality and immediacy. Then there would be motion controls to be used with sword and shield, however, these are simple movements performed through the Joycons, and represent an option that you will actually use very few times. In terms of controls, there are no other surprises: no touch screens or forced gymmics, while the user interface is also the same we have been used to for years. Too much the same, in fact: in some menus and screens the text is too small to be read easily in portable mode.
All good, all cool, however we didn't ask ourselves the most important question: Does it really make sense to play Skyrim on a portable console? The answer is yes. According to who is writing to you, RPGs are one of the genres that are best suited to console consoles as they are incredibly suitable even for short gaming sessions. A bit of grinding on the bus, some healthy post office crafting, a bit of exploration at the doctor… So yeah, it makes sense to play Skyrim on Switch especially since the loading times have been optimized so that they don't last long and therefore ensure little downtime. The amiibo support is worthy of mention, which in a similar way to what is seen in The Legend of Zelda: Breat of the Wild will bring up chests containing useful items and special equipment (ed: Link's costume in the trailers is one of them). The audio is also excellent, which does not seem to have undergone particular compressions during the conversion phase and which resonates powerful even when the Switch is in its portable configuration.
A The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has been played by many, this is true, but never before has such a vast and rich role-playing game been seen on a portable console. A thousand things could go wrong, from performance to cutting content and functionality, but Bethesda did not want to compromise and managed to squeeze its massive title into the cramped Switch cartridges. First Doom, now Skyrim: the American company is not mistaking a blow on the hybrid of Nintendo, we hope that this will lead to a profitable and lasting collaboration between the two gaming giants.
► The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is an RPG type game developed and published by Bethesda for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, the video game was released on 11/11/2011 The version for PC came out on 08/12/2011
