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[RoadHazard]

What if people don't usually have the time or don't have a preference for that type of setting/gameplay? Oh, wait I shouldn't be trying to reason with ridiculous hyperbole. Seriously these kind of comments often have the opposite effect of making someone want to play a game, actually the type of language can put people off anything.

Like I wrote, Skyrim was a huge positive surprise for me, since I didn't really find Oblivion all that great. That's not "ridiculous hyperbole", it's how I feel about the game. So yeah, if you ask me I do think everyone should at least give it a try before writing it off. I'm very glad I did. Sorry that's so very offputting for you.

Also, I'd like to think that if the OP didn't have the time to experience a game like Skyrim, he wouldn't have made this thread. Surely he has some idea what the game is? Also, you don't have to make Skyrim a 100 hour game. You can "finish" the game (by which I mean finish the main quest lines) much, much faster than that. Sure, you won't get to experience everything the game has to offer that way, but you can play it in a more linear fashion if you want to. And that, the option to play the game any way you want, is one of its strenghts.

 

[Ryu Hayabusa]

 

[Derrick01]

The art might not appeal to you, but it is the best realization we've seen of a Conan-esque dark fantasy world, which is what Todd Howard wanted in this game.

I mean, what more can you ask from in game art assets when the creative force says "I want an interactive world that looks like it came out of Conan The Barbarian" and the art staff outright give you exactly that?

It might not appeal to you but it has a lot of fans, first and foremost the lead designer. This was an artistic home run on par with their efforts on Morrowind (another exceptionally well realized setting).

The art really is great. Despite the low quality textures the outdoor areas with the weather changes look great, some of the best graphics around because of the art.

 

[ivysaur12]

Xenoblade. I usually hate longer RPGs, but it's one of the most engaging RPGs I've ever played. A massive world, great gameplay systems, loads of content, well developed world, and some very lush set pieces.

I'm currently in the throngs of Skyrim right now. I really like it, but I tend to gravitate towards games like Xenoblade anyways.

 

[-tetsuo-]

2. Combat. Bethesda basically lifted large chunks of Demon's Souls gameplay set up and meshed it with their own. Is it as intricate and precise as what From turns out? No. But it is far more user friendly and allows for similar strategic gameplay. Massive step forward for the series.

Please. Combat is just as silly as ever.

Although I do like the game a bit more now, I still don't understand the complete gushing over Skyrim. I've played like 35~ hours now, and finding new places to delve is cool. Finding that yet another cave/dungeon is full of draugers is not. Final room? Draguers busting out of coffins. Every time.

 

[Drek]

Pffftthahahahaha good one.
No seriously, what? it doesn't even come close. It sure is better than Oblivion, but it has nothing to do with DS. You can play combat with a small degree of strategy, but it's nothing compared to the strategic planning and execution DS requires.

Which is my point.

You can use the same elements of strategy, positioning, blocks, strong v. weak attacks, etc. in Skyrim to deal with enemies as you can in either Souls game, with effectively the same thought processes behind them.

But while you can go into a fight in Skyrim thinking "I'll block the first attack with my shield, stagger the enemy, then finish with a power attack before using a chain of normals on the second enemy before he can land his power attack" to do better in combat with Skyrim that is the very bottom entry to even win a single fight in either Souls game. From there you need to add ripostes, dodges, pattern memorization for every enemy big or small, etc.. But the core of melee combat as a real visceral, interactive experience with risk/reward options has definitely been borrowed.

How about this as another way to phrase it. If Bethesda claimed that absolutely ZERO of the combat changes made in Skyrim were in any way inspired by Demon's Souls would you buy it? I sure wouldn't.

 

[Dresden]

Which is my point.

You can use the same elements of strategy, positioning, blocks, strong v. weak attacks, etc. in Skyrim to deal with enemies as you can in either Souls game, with effectively the same thought processes behind them.

But while you can go into a fight in Skyrim thinking "I'll block the first attack with my shield, stagger the enemy, then finish with a power attack before using a chain of normals on the second enemy before he can land his power attack" to do better in combat with Skyrim that is the very bottom entry to even win a single fight in either Souls game. From there you need to add ripostes, dodges, pattern memorization for every enemy big or small, etc.. But the core of melee combat as a real visceral, interactive experience with risk/reward options has definitely been borrowed.

How about this as another way to phrase it. If Bethesda claimed that absolutely ZERO of the combat changes made in Skyrim were in any way inspired by Demon's Souls would you buy it? I sure wouldn't.

It's Oblivion combat.

 

[Drek]

It's Oblivion combat.

If you really think that then you've got to be playing it wrong.

Archery is a million times more effective. Staggering enemies and using different kinds of power attacks is much more effective. Dual wielding is a legitimate option but balanced well with two-handed and sword/board set ups. That is all just the physical combat and doesn't even go into the combinations you can now make up with two different spells equipped, being able to pair a staff with a sword or spell, etc..

In Oblivion you might think up a cool strategy for a certain group of enemies and 90% of the time it winds up as worthless and you just mash away at them all healing until you're the last man standing. In Skyrim those strategies actually work more often than not and make a battle play better/cleaner/with less healing needed.

Does it have the intricacy of the Souls games were those strategies need to be thought up, tested, honed, and perfected over time and balanced out according to your gear? Not at all. But a big part of Demon's Souls innovation was finding a way for real time RPGs to offer worthwhile strategy options without turning themselves into button mashing hack n' slashers. Skyrim is a solid step towards the much more "user friendly" less hardcore side of that progression.

 

[gillty]

Xenoblade, no contest. At all. I don't get people sometimes!

Much, much better music, artwork, much more creative. Nice story, fantastic gameplay.

Skyrim is standard hollywood/american-style bland design wrapped in a great gameplay system but terrible battles. It could've been awesome, but ultimately fell short as nothing in the game feels special or fresh.

Maps are pretty much as big in both games, BUT Xenoblade's areas are much more beautiful, filled with secret areas, monsters, etc. whereas Skyrim's exploration is more and more of the same...

Totally agree, at the end of the day Skyrim just ain't that special. Just like Oblivion, its a middling game receiving unwarranted amounts of praise.

 

[Xilium]

Skyrim. I'm generally a bigger fan of JRPGs over WRPGs but to me, Xenoblade is a JRPG trying to be a WRPG and I frankly just think the genuine thing is better in nearly every respect.

Combat: I don't understand the gushing over the combat systems of either game. Skyrim's combat, though improved over Oblivion's, still largely just consist of kiting the enemies and Xenoblade's combat isn't much better as it too revolves around a singular strategy; Break > Topple > Daze (And for both games, once you inevitably get to the point in which you're over-leveled, you can trow all strategy out the door and proceed to curb stomp everything with little effort). Can you do things besides the aforementioned? Yes. Is there any beneficial gameplay reason to do so besides roleplaying? No. With games like Dark Souls and Witcher 2 having also come out this year, it's almost insulting hearing about how "great" Skyrim's and Xenoblade's combat systems are.

Art Design/Direction: Xenoblade is more fantastical and Skyrim is more realistic. Both are done very well and it's a complete matter of personal preference as to which is better in this category (I like both).

Exploration: It's this category specifically that I think Bethesda's years of experience making open world games puts Skyrim leaps and bounds over Xenoblade. One of the biggest complaints against Oblivion was that, even though the world was large, it was mostly filled with empty space and repetitive dungeons. Skyrim hasn't completely rectified this problem but has done a significantly better job than Oblivion in providing a wider array of landmarks (by this, I'm referring to Forsworn/Bandit/Giant camps, towers/forts, ruins, small towns, shipwrecks, ect.) and dungeon types to discover and explore. Xenoblade has significantly fewer dungeons so there is no fear of repetition there but it's overworld maps on the other hand, are largely just wide open spaces. Landmarks are generally just some form of geography (lakes, waterfalls, mountain/hill) and the secret locations were mostly unimpressive (they were mostly just geographical landmarks {usually a small alcove} where you would find sidequest items or unique mobs). Xenoblade's greatest crime in this category though is very, very few treasures/loot to find. Maybe this is just a product of being a long-time gamer but if I'm taking the time to go off the beaten path, I expect to find a treasure chest filled with phat loot.

World Building: Really don't think there is much of an argument here. Whether you like the world of the Elder Scrolls games or not, I don't think it can be argued that the world's lore is very extensive and detailed. Between all the books, NPC journals/diaries, and set pieces, I think this category also handily goes to Skyrim. That said, Xenoblade does do a good job giving their cities some life by having NPCs on schedules and having different groups of NPCs on the day and night cycles.

Story: Both are pretty par for the course. Skyrim's main story is probably the least interesting story told in the game (compared to sidequest and creating your own stories) and Xenoblade is typical JRPG fare in that the story starts out relatively normal and interesting but gets progressively convoluted and up it's own ass as you near the end of the game (It's not as bad as Xenosaga though). I'll just say that I think the main story in Xenoblade is more interesting than Skyrim's but the number of interesting stories in Skyrim outnumbers Xenoblade's (like 95% of the sidequest dialog in Xenoblade is completely forgettable/irrelevant).

Also, I don't think either game is particularly unique, or rather, they are only unique within a certain context. Bethesda games as a whole are relatively unique as there are very few developers even attempting to make an RPG with similar design and scope. That said, Skyrim is just another Bethesda game and beyond benefiting from the natural progression of Betheda getting better at making that style of game, isn't doing too many new things. Same goes for Xenoblade. When compared to other JRPGs, Xenoblade and FFXII exist in their own little privet bubble which spawn all the comments about Xenoblade being a unique game but everything in the game has been done elsewhere, mostly borrowed from what's generally associated as WRPG or MMO game design. If you play a variety of RPGs, it's highly unlikely you'll run across anything in Xenoblade you haven't already seen before.

That all said, you shouldn't ignore Witcher 2 or Dark Souls either. W2 for a good story-driven experience and Dark Souls for a combat/skill-driven experience.

 

[Piercedveil]

Skyrim.

 

[Kyoufu]

It's Oblivion combat.

If it was Oblivion combat I wouldn't be enjoying this so much.

Guess you're wrong (again).

 

[trw]

Agreed, it bears mentioning again. If you're interested in choices that affect the world and has consequences and great story and dialog Witcher 2 is the clear recommendation. It's not as good as Xenoblade and Skyrim in exploration but in story/dialog/choices/combat it outshines both quite handidly.

 

[Eusis]

In a hypothetical situation where I can only have one of the two ever, then I'd go with Skyrim if PC's an option, otherwise I'd go with Xenoblade. Well, I can only really answer that properly when Xenoblade comes out, but Skyrim has the advantage of mods so whenever I get tired of the game and pick it back up months later, I can mod it, and repeat the process a few times. Xenoblade's not going to be getting that kind of revitalization, even if I imagine it's got more unique content.

 

[mavs]

And then they pick it as the GOTY, these don't sound deep or compelling reasons for all the acclaim. it tends to be "i like it because its awesome" and that's it. Other games don't get away with such explanations

Uncharted 2, Mass effect 2. I don't know what GAF's 2008 GOTY was but I bet that one was the same.

Though TBH, I'm not hearing a lot of deep or compelling reasons to play Xenoblade, other than "It's a JRPG that doesn't have the flaws of other recent JRPGS!"

 

[ZZMitch]

Xenoblade is more compelling, in my opinion.

But that is only because the fantasy/Lord of the Rings setting of games like Skyrim bore me so I can never get into them.

I also can never play more than 10 hours of Bethesda games because they are buggy messes. So that also factors into my decision.

 

[NEOPARADIGM]

At this point I'm beginning to find Skyrim the most overrated game in the history of the world.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

I think I'm going to go back on my word as some pretty thoughtful posts have clarified my stance. Skyrim, with the bugs and issues even on PC, is far ahead a better game and will occupy your life and maybe start paying your bills if you want it to.

I got into Xenoblade for a while (I'm thinking 24 hours) and LOVED it but Skyrim already felt more memorable and engaging only 7-8 hours in. It's not the whole "It's a Bethesda game, AUTO GOTY" thing to me. It's that they've kept the general foundation while making the world so enjoyable to explore and teeming with life and little things to do in the most unexpected locations.

For example, sometimes you could be walking and NPC's stop you or you get those random letters after acquiring certain items and you get pulled away from the 3 side quests you're on. Or just see a prisoner being escorted or group wandering the world and one of them either gives you a task or heals you.

Then the dungeons that you can stop and go back or explore that location that looks like it leads to more. Little incremental things that can still continue to wow you even 50-100 hours in.

These are a few examples that don't even touch on the amazing art and world this time around. Everyone will argue in favor of another game in a long running series but to me, this is the true refinement of an ES game. There are things that Beth changed that do puzzle me. For all the changes, there has been too many great things and fun unique quests that you don't expect to endeavor on. And some just start of as a little MISC quest but turn into a multi-part expedition of several areas.

The game keeps giving and giving. That being said, Xenoblade is a good swing for a JRPG and breaks lots of the typical conventions. That's why it's my favorite JRPG in a long time but still falls short of Skyrim by a mile.

At this point I'm beginning to find Skyrim the most overrated game in the history of the world.

Like any other game that either gets put up with a game you like or you just haven't put the time into it, your statement falls flat only because of what I've experienced first hand.

Some have mentioned certain things patch 1.2.12 broke but are fixable on the PC side with a light amount of work but that's about all I can think of.

And the quest breaks, backwards dragons, non optimized engine, and the lack of game making breakfast ><

 

[Thoraxes]

If you have a gaming PC Skyrim.
If you do not have a gaming PC Xenoblade.

 

[Rahxephon91]

I don't know. Xenoblade is a fantastic game with a great story and far more interesting world then Skyrim and because of that the exploration feels a lot more exciting. Skyrim's world is huge and because of how open it is you can just go and do whatever you want. Plus the side content is very compelling. The same can not be said about Xenoblade when outside of a few side quests, the content is very boring. So in that regard the exploration in Skyrim can seem a bit more rewarding as it feels like you are getting into something you yourself bumped into. And honestly the world of Skyrim just feels more alive and is incredibly detailed. So they are both big worlds, but Xenoblade is perhaps the more interesting and Skyrim the more atmospheric.

As far as combat goes, I find the combat in Skyrim to be pretty terrible, but whatever. The battle system in Xenoblade is far better as jrpgs normally are. It's somewhat MMOish, but feels very involved and exciting because of that. One problem for me that really ounce I found my party, pretty much every battle played out the same, with really no variation.

When it comes to rpg mechanics, Skyrim has depth, but also is so accessible. You can mold your character anyway you want and it seems so simple, not overwhelming at all. Certain elements of Xenoblade can be overwhelming and the mechanics can seem a bit more complex then they really are, but once you get past them they are pretty fun and offer a lot of stat customization. It honestly streamlines a lot of things.

So I really don't know. I'd chose Xenoblade as it's probably my GOTY, but Skyrim is also a good game.

Just hold out for FF XIII-2. Its it definitely out class both of those.

I sure hope so. Everything about it sounds pretty great.

 

[Hulud]

I'd take Morrowind over either of those choices. It's still the best ES game. Never played Xenoblade (would like to but I don't have a Wii) but Skyrim is pretty fucking good.

 

[heringer]

I guess it's worth mentioning that I would be playing Skyrin on a PS3, not PC.

Also, I don't have a preference for one type of RPG over the other. If it has RPG in the name, I'm in.

 

[jim-jam bongs]

I guess it's worth mentioning that I would be playing Skyrin on a PS3, not PC.

Get Xenoblade, then sort out a PC to play Skyrim on in a year when all the most awesome mods are available. We can play it for the first time together!

 

[DangerStepp]

Skyrim 100 times over and never look back.

 

[Fjordson]

Skyrim most def.

 

[imotep]

Skyrim with a slight foray into the fabulous witcher 2.

 

[The Hermit]

The correct answer is to play each of Xenoblade, Skyrim, and Dark Souls.

this, fuck versus thread. They are different enough already...

Next thread: if you can choose one thing forever ,sex or games?

 

[MechaX]

I don't know. Xenoblade is a fantastic game with a great story and far more interesting world then Skyrim and because of that the exploration feels a lot more exciting. Skyrim's world is huge and because of how open it is you can just go and do whatever you want. Plus the side content is very compelling. The same can not be said about Xenoblade when outside of a few side quests, the content is very boring. So in that regard the exploration in Skyrim can seem a bit more rewarding as it feels like you are getting into something you yourself bumped into. And honestly the world of Skyrim just feels more alive and is incredibly detailed. So they are both big worlds, but Xenoblade is perhaps the more interesting and Skyrim the more atmospheric.

As far as combat goes, I find the combat in Skyrim to be pretty terrible, but whatever. The battle system in Xenoblade is far better as jrpgs normally are. It's somewhat MMOish, but feels very involved and exciting because of that. One problem for me that really ounce I found my party, pretty much every battle played out the same, with really no variation.

When it comes to rpg mechanics, Skyrim has depth, but also is so accessible. You can mold your character anyway you want and it seems so simple, not overwhelming at all. Certain elements of Xenoblade can be overwhelming and the mechanics can seem a bit more complex then they really are, but once you get past them they are pretty fun and offer a lot of stat customization. It honestly streamlines a lot of things.

This. But moreover, I think there are additional, other factors to be considered when getting Skyrim (Is the PC version an option? Do you prefer mods which will most likely come out at a later date? Do you already like Bethesda games because liking Bethesda games already will most likely deepen your likening for Skyrim, etc). And this is coming from some one who will probably end up having Xenoblade as his GOTY overall.

With that said, you definitely owe it to yourself to at least play the other at a later date.

Edit: PS3 Version? Eh... I would start reading up on some listed impressions/issues with the PS3 version to better gauge if you personally can tolerate some of the issues.

 

[thetrin]

Oh god, that's a tough choice. I put 100 hours into both games, and they're both brilliant. I would actually say Xenoblade first, and then Skyrim later.

 

[mavs]

I guess it's worth mentioning that I would be playing Skyrin on a PS3, not PC.

Also, I don't have a preference for one type of RPG over the other. If it has RPG in the name, I'm in.

Skyrim GOTY edition then, fall 2012.

 

[jim-jam bongs]

this, fuck versus thread. They are different enough already...

Next thread: if you can choose one thing forever ,sex or games?

Sex, how is this even a question?!

 

[Htown]

Xenoblade now, Skyrim later.

Why?

Because Skyrim is going to be a better game a year from now than it is currently. Xenoblade is what it is. Might as well wait until the mod community gets its hands on Skyrim.

 

[Jinko]

Get Xenoblade now, wait a few years for all of Skyrim's bugs to be fixed.

This !

 

[oktarb]

Skyrim hands down but don't overlook Witcher 2.

 

[Sarcasm]

How is Dark souls when its story is...not really existent.


Don't take it wrong I like it...even if the difficulty is over exaggerated.

I can only say Skyrim since the two you mentioned I only played one.

 

[Soma]

How is Dark souls when its story is...not really existent

There is definitely a story in Dark Souls, it's just not spoon-fed to people. You have to piece it together yourself and read up on all the item descriptions. You'll discover some really interesting things about the back story of many of the characters. It leaves itself fairly open-ended but I guess some people might not like it.


That said, the ending is still a bit disappointing.

 

[Fantastical]

Skyrim, although I'm sure a lot of people in here haven't played Xenoblade. It's a fantastic game (I'm still making my way through it), but I would have to recommend Skyrim despite my love for Xenoblade.

 

[IoCaster]

It's Oblivion combat.

Bull fucking shit! A pure mage is infinitely better realized in Skyrim by any metric. The stealth gameplay is stellar and 1000x better than Splinter Cell Conviction. Even the melee sword and board combat is more engaging if you actually perk up on some shield bashing. On any objective scale, you're full of it.

 

[Apdiddy]

I'm playing Skyrim but part of me is wishing I waited until the GOTY edition or the bugs to be ironed out. I love every moment of it even though it is a bit samey and the music gets a tad repetitive if you play it too long.

So by default, I would tell you Xenoblade even though I don't have a copy of it yet.

 

[TheFLYINGManga_Ka]

I'd say Xenoblade only because the open vast world of Skyrim scares me.

Never played Xenoblade (looking forward to it, finally), but is it open world or more linear?

Skyrim is amazing and probably the best WRPG ever made, but open world games are tough. I prefer some hand-holding.

But if I had all the time in the world than Skyrim for sure.

 

[thetrin]

I'd say Xenoblade only because the open vast world of Skyrim scares me.

Never played Xenoblade (looking forward to it, finally), but is it open world or more linear?

Skyrim is amazing and probably the best WRPG ever made, but open world games are tough. I prefer some hand-holding.

But if I had all the time in the world than Skyrim for sure.

Xenoblade has a story that takes you through every zone, but each zone has a ton of side quests to do.

I'm not really sure how Skyrim could be more hand-holdy. The game literally puts an arrow on the map, telling you where to go next.

 

[Derrick01]

I'd say Xenoblade only because the open vast world of Skyrim scares me.

Never played Xenoblade (looking forward to it, finally), but is it open world or more linear?

Skyrim is amazing and probably the best WRPG ever made, but open world games are tough. I prefer some hand-holding.

But if I had all the time in the world than Skyrim for sure.

Not even top 10 and the game holds your hand enough. We're trying to convince Bethesda to not keep dumbing it down for each iteration, not make it even worse!

 

[watershed]

Xenoblade, for some reason Skyrim just wasn't my cup of tea.

 

[lastendconductor]

How is Dark souls when its story is...not really existent

*spoilers and possible missconceptions*
What? I got an awesome story about the old king who linked the fire and her horrendously desfigurated daughter who made up an illusion of her sister and hided guarding the tomb of her father; a burg made only for the undead but where everything went horribly wrong, the story of how the most powerful pyromancer played with forces she couldn't control and turned her own daughters into demons, except two of them, who conserved their upper torsos; one of them infected herself with the poisonous pus of blighttown to free their fleeing inhabitants from that curse. Seath the scaless is a dragon obsessed with the immortality the scales of their brethen provide, and went mad in his research of these, also giving birth to a crossbreed giant who lives in the world inside a painting, which is guarded by a lineage of ninjas who forgot the purpose of it. You have the tomb of Artorias, the one who traversed the abyss and defeated the four kings, who were sealed by the... what the fuck dude, do you really need me to point all of this for you? the game is oozes "story" everywhere. Just because you couldn't find it, it doesn't mean it's not there. In fact it's way more original and interesting than all the usual generic dumbed down d&d shit with thousands of dialogue options and talking heads you find in this kind of rpg. This story requires you to think, which admittedly it's too much to expect of the average gamer. The narrative is not linear and doesn't fall to conventions and cliches (bbg and shit like that) for the most part.

 

[Alexios]

Skyrim impressed me a ton at first but the more I play the more the issues start to become apparent and it's like Oblivion all over again. The landscape in Skyrim feels very samey after a while with any unique areas being tiny patches outside some of the main large and nice cities. The combat still isn't very fun. The enemy variety isn't great and you mostly fight any type similarly, just differentiating your tactics for crowd control or melee vs ranged etc. The dragons are laughable (why the fuck aren't they using different shout powers each, to differentiate tactics, it's supposed to be their own damn language). Random wandering is hit or miss, and mostly the latter, so even though the world is huge the areas of real interest are few. And even the supposedly interesting quests (like a sort of equivalent to the famous Oblivion painting quest I just finished that I'm sure people will cite as another highlight I disagree with) are done in boring ways. That said I've only scratched the surface, maybe I'll be surprised overall. But for now I'd say Xenoblade all the way, it's got some of the same flaws if you think about it (ie a lot of filler quests), but they're so unintrusive and with how fast and accessible the whole thing is and an actually decent main story and the variety in landscapes, enemies, and the different characters' skills and stories, the strengths prevail.

 

[Jinko]

Same as the post above, skyrim is like that game you couldn't wait to play only to find out it doesn't live up to expectation, kind of like FF13 ..

 

[Red Blaster]

Fallout New Vegas

 

[Yasae]

Sky Fucking Rim

Feels oh so good.

 

[Loxley]

I find it amusing that its gotten to the point now where nearly every goddamn thread where Skyrim is so much as mentioned in the same sentence as any other RPG, people feel the over-whelming urge to sweep in, derail the thread, and remind all of us how buggy, unfinished and "hand-holdy" it is.

It's reaching such comical levels that we may as well have a thread dedicated to shitting on Skyrim going forward.

 

[Nemo]

Xeno was an amazing experience. I've played little of Skyrim but what Xenoblade does, it does best for sure