You're roaming about the center of Riften minding your own dirty business, trying to pickpocket a diamond from an innocent law abiding citizen, you hear a roar from the heavens, a blast of [...]

Games like The Elder Scrolls series appeal to me on a level deep in my brain – a place that compels me to take anything that isn't bolted down and stuff it in my pockets.  When The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim hit my doorstep, I knew that I was about to embark on another 100 hours of stealing everything...

Bethesda hasn't shown the opening scene of Skyrim's anonymous prisoner at preview events and - if you've been sensible enough to stay away from YouTube in recent weeks - it's one you'll be glad you waited for.

Skyrim is completely and utterly addictive in every aspect and quite possibly, I'll say it, the greatest RPG of all time. It affords you the luxury of playing it your way and doesn't try to constrain you. It wants you to get lost in a winter wonderland and believe me, you will.

Listen to fans of Bethesda's fantasy RPG series wax rhapsodic about past deeds in Tamriel, and you might expect celestial horns to accompany the latest Elder Scrolls game. Perhaps the heavens should celebrate: Skyrim deserves every last note of jubilant fanfare.

+ Huge and beautiful world of rich culture, rewarding quests, and unpredictable encounters, + Eminently versatile and entertaining combination of melee, magic, stealth, and ranged combat, + Epic battles against fearsome dragons; flexible skill progression; deep crafting systems

? Why can't you jump while sprinting

The defining element of Skyrim is the choices that are given to players in every conceivable way. Weapon upgrades, character development, storyline progress, solving quests, exploration, NPC interaction, are all impressively crafted elements that almost feel like separate games molded into one...

A detailed and beautiful-looking world with so many secrets you are left to discover when and how you wish; great story and characters keep you interested in the game; a brilliant soundtrack and good voiceovers; solid side-quests; commendable variety in gameplay mechanics that leads to virtually...

Encountering dragons randomly in the world gets a bit dull sometimes; friendly AI behaves awkwardly; other minor technical issues

A monumental achievement from top to bottom , The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim stands as one of the greatest interactive experiences ever created.

Incomparable detail in world; Quests are plentiful and meaningful; Combat is visceral

Difficulty can spike dramatically; Loads can become obtrusive

As Christopher Ecclestone once said to Billie Piper, lots of planets have a North. North means tough, straight-talking men and inhospitable terrain. North means tradition, old gods, and a dislike of fancy speaking. North means conflict with the South.

Fantastic skill and perk levelling system; No more random conversations; Impossible amounts to do; Atmospheric; beautiful world; Improved combat

A fiddly UI and shortcut system

As for standard spells, they come in the usual schools of magicka: destruction (zap skeletons with sparks!), conjuration (summon a giant frost atronach!), alteration (light the way ahead!), and so on.

Immense world stuffed with varied tasks to perform; Dragon battles are a blast; Lovely art design capped by some beautiful; atmospheric touches; Enjoyable battles that you can approach in a variety of ways; Lots of compelling; self-contained stories to experience in addition to the main one

Glitches and bugs frequently disrupt the immersion; Friendly AI is often more of a hindrance than a help

Stop Right There Criminal Scum! High fantasy is one of the most popular genres across every medium. For each type of entertainment there are household names which have stood the test of time and continue to dominate long after they first arrived on the scene.

Massive; immersive world

Autosave system only applies to leaving/entering an area