Elder Scrolls V Skyrim Update Vol. 2: Official Trailer
Just when I thought there was a slow-down in hype regarding Bethesda Softworks upcoming Skyrim, the official trailer had to be released.
For The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on the PlayStation 3, a GameFAQs message board topic titled 'Trailer said the games an 18?' The Xbox Series X is the ultimate Xbox, but that might not be enough right now The AV Club via Yahoo News 2 months ago. Video game console generations used to represent massive leaps forward in technology. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Trailer 17 February 2018 22 February 2018 Shadakk 0 Comments After conquering the PC, Xbox and PS4 world, Skyrim is now officially on the Nintendo Switch.
There is just so much going on in the above video that it’s hard to express my feelings about it adequately. Some adjectives might include: Ecstatic, Curious, intrigued, and maybe even a little speechless.
Skyrim Trailer
While the video can easily speak for itself, since this is a blog I feel I should say something about it. So what better way to evaluate such a video than to give a blow-by-blow analysis, highlighting things I’m excited about as well as some things that are bothering me.
Shall we begin?
0:05 – Okay….I’ve already seen this before. It’s the same image of a carving on a wall from the teaser trailer…even the same voice over. Where is this going?
0:11-0:18 – Now we’re flying! Photoshop download creative cloud. This must be the perspective of one of the game’s fabled dragons. The trees and terrain look expertly rendered too, causing me to wonder how much is actually game-play footage and how much is just cgi.
Alright, now we’re on the ground running in what I can only hope is 100% real game-play footage. The bob of the camera and rushing by of the forest is a nice touch. I’m still a little unsure what to think of the new “sprint” feature though. While it has its uses in some titles (take Call of Duty for example) it seems to be a video game fad right now. I’ll let that slide though.
0:23- 0:35 – Yep, definitely a dragon. More running on the ground. Another thing to notice is the satisfying clinking and jingling of the character’s armor and weaponry as he rushes through the forest. This is a great touch that I hope will be intact for the finished game.
0:36-0:40 – Finally a third person view of the hero! The graphics once again look very good. It looks like he’s reached a cliff though… the view looking down over the gorge is extremely cool. At this point I’m wondering when we’re going to get to see the dragon itself.
0:42 – 0:56 – After seeing the lizard’s shadow a couple times we finally see the monster fighting the hero. Here I’m wondering (well actually drooling…but wondering at the same time) whether or not this action will be representative of the combat within the game itself.
0:57 – 1:06 – They apparently are fire-breathing dragons. At first it appears that our hero is, quite literally, toast. But then in the next instant we see him stand up defiantly wreathed in the flames that should have pan-seared him! If I had to guess I’d say this is just one of the many abilities that the “Dragonborn” (the character you play as in the game) will have. The ability to not get roasted alive. Pretty handy when fighting old Trogdor there. Speaking of which….
1:08 – 1:10 – The music swells to a crescendo and we see another device that I mentioned during my first volume of Skyrim updates, the Dragonborn’s secret weapon against his scaly foes: the “Dragon Shout”. It’s interesting to see how it will be worked into these epic fights of man vs. beast though. The video doesn’t show the effect it has on the dragon at all. Perhaps it will weaken them, or allow you to harm them with weapons….I guess we’ll find out.
1:11 – 1:13 – Now the trailer takes us on a whirl-wind tour of Skyrim, and what a tour it is. The first city we see seems to be built right up to the side of some kind of cliff, complete with waterfalls. Such diversity and originality is just what the Elder Scrolls needed. Oblivion (Bethesda’s last Elder Scrolls title) provided very generic medieval cities whose only variations were perhaps “has a lake”, or “is a port”. “City on jutting cliff with Waterfalls” is a vast improvement.
1:14 – 1:16 – Ah, the lush forests. One of my favorite parts of Oblivion was the painstakingly created environments that made you feel like you were in a living and breathing primeval wilderness. This looks even better believe it or not.
1:16 – 1:20 – In the short span of only 4 seconds we see several more amazing locales including a viking style mead hall, an expansive city rising off into the distance, and a coastal hamlet complete with a windmill. It would seem that Bethesda has taken their new engine and created some truly varied and beautiful settings within which to set their story. The level of detail is staggering.
1:23 – 1:25 – Here we’re treated to some in game inclement weather in the form of snow. While I’m pretty tired of snow by this point, Skyrim snow looks absolutely amazing. The water in the next shot, while not horrible looking, doesn’t quite look as sharp as the rest of the footage. At this point though nothing could cause me to not look forward to this game.
1:25 – 1:30 – Finally we see some definitive in-game footage and unbelievably it looks just as good as the rest of the trailer. The NPC’s (Non-player characters) look more dynamic than they used to and get a look at that Giant! It will be interesting to see how fighting such large enemies feels. It could either be expertly done, or it could turn into wacking away at the thing’s knees.
1:30 – 1:45 – There’s almost too much included in these 15 seconds to talk about them all, but I’ll give it a try. Interspersed with footage from the dragon fight we get our first glimpses at a troll (or something similar), the new ability to use “finishing moves” on your enemies, as well as the new reworking of the magic system. Ultima version de unix.
First, the troll looks great. The creature models and movements look infinitely more realistic and gritty than they ever did in Oblivion. For comparison:
Best video editing apps for desktop. yeah, enough said.
Second, the finishing moves also look interesting if unnecessary. Perhaps they’ll provide some much needed variety to what was basically just “hack and slash” in Oblivion.
Finally, we get to see how Bethesda has reworked magic within Skyrim. In Oblivion magic was just shot out of your hand whether you were wielding a sword and shield in both fists. Now, mages will have to make a commitment to sling sorceries because magic will now take up a “hand”. This of course also opens up the possibility of slinging duel spells from either hand and maybe even combining powers.
1:45-1:55 – Here we finally see the conclusion to the epic fight that started way back at the beginning of the trailer. I’m almost certain that most of what’s shown here is strictly for the video. Bethesda prove me wrong!
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1:57-2:11 – The hero stands triumphant atop the slain beast and….well I’m not quite sure what he’s doing but it’s awesome. It seems that he’s absorbing the power of the dragon (perhaps gaining a Dragon-Shout).
2:12 – End – As the title of the game fades onto the screen it takes a while for what you’ve just seen to sink in. This is especially true if you’re as big a fan of the Elder Scrolls as I am. While no definitive statements about the end product can be made until the game is released, it is sure looking like a true Game of the Year contender.
Color me hopefully optimistic….aw who am I kidding, I cannot wait!
- Wow! Very in-depth! You are obviously passionate about this stuff.March 21, 2011 at 11:51 pm