14 DAY TRIAL // Bethesda surprised almost no one with their VGA announcement of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim but it then proceeded to surprise a lot of people with how far along in the development process the game is and how much information the company is ready to offer on it.
The major changes to the combat system include more room for stealthy approaches and for those characters that are interested in using bows and changes to the underlying structure of combat, making it feel significant for all characters, regardless of their power.
Players will find it harder to execute quick hit and run routines and all weapon strikes can now affect the balance of a character and the chance he has of striking back, meaning that weapon damage figures are not the only thing one has to worry about.
Each weapon class can be mastered and will unlock access to perks, making the character more capable of getting the most out of wielding them.
All combat tools, from axes, swords and shields to magic abilities, need to be linked to one of the hands of the character, meaning that those who like magic and steel combos will need to sacrifice some protection.
The same feature means that dual wielding is also a possibility for characters that focus on damage dealing.
Arrows will be rarer in the world but, to compensate, shots from bows, especially when skilled characters are using them, will be more deadly.
The stealth system is also reworked, with more states between hidden and detected and a bigger bonus for those who manage to strike at their target from the shadows.
Speaking to Game Informer Todd Howard, who is the game director on Skyrim, said, “I think if you look at our previous stuff I sometimes equate it to fighting with chopsticks – you sit there and swing them in front of yourself.”
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is scheduled to launch on the PC, the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 on November 11.