New Details Emerge for Elder Scrolls 4 Skyrim

Elder Scrolls is a big deal to a lot of people and with the announcement of Skyrim the collective fanbase has been cheering with excitement!

Now it's time to talk about new details that were laid out from the newest Game Informer magazine. First off lets start with the story. Set 200 years after Oblivion, Tamriel is decaying. The empire has fallen to the elves, The Nords are no longer big fans of one another, a civil war is on the verge of beginning and the end of the world dragon prophesied by the elder scrolls has arrived. You will play as the last of the Dragonborn, a dragon hunter chosen by the gods to take on the dragon.

Bethesda is overhauling the graphics engine of the game adding details to shadowing as well as draw distance. So don't expect the Oblivion or Fallout engine with a fresh coat of paint, this bad boy is from the ground up. They also provide the player with a HUD-less 1st person view as well as improved camera controls for 3rd person play. Combat is also being reworked, allowing each hand to be equipped with a variety of magic and/or weapons. You wanna wield an axe while also being able to conjure fire? Go for it! Every thing from dual magic to dualing the same weapon it's not possible. There will also be a customizable menu for the combat to setup and switch load-outs easily depending on the combat situation.

Next on the agenda is leveling. The level system in the game is no longer just about filling an experience bar, you now have skills that level themselves via usage that will then contribute to gaining overall levels for your character. So if you want to be proficient in something you are going to have to keep on doing it to gain skill levels. Each level you do gain now rewards you with a perk similar to Fallout 3. You will get a point in which you can use to give your character an added skill or improve an existing perk. Level cap as well will be above 50 though once you hit 50 expect the level gaining to slow down significantly.

NPCs should also show a bit more intelligence and provide a better conversational experience then the robotic exchanges from the previous entries in the series. The menu system is also seeing a big change. Apparently Bethesda has gotten a load of inspiration from iTunes and has a compass style menu centering around skill, inventory, map, and magic. You will even be able to set certain spells as favorites for easier use and accessibility. It's good to see Bethesda isn't going with the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" routine and putting good effort into Skyrim. It should show off as a title worth the wait between entries as it will give new and old fans alike something refreshing to the title.

Elder Scrolls 4 Skyrim hits on 11/11/11