Game reception and rating: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim received universal acclaim from critics. Aggregating review websites GameRankings and Metacritic gave the Xbox 360 version 95.09% and 96/100,[64][67] the PC version 94.89% and 94/100,[65][68] and the PlayStation 3 version 87.60% and 92/100.[66][69]

IGN gave the game a rating of 9.5 out of 10, stating "It's a mesmerizing game that draws you into a finely crafted fictional space packed with content that consistently surprises... playing Skyrim is a rare kind of intensely personal, deeply rewarding experience, and one of the best role-playing games yet produced."[80] The Guardian gave the game 5 stars (out of 5), stating "The reason for this is that Skyrim is one of the most gargantuan undertakings gamers will experience all year. The sheer size of the adventure, both in terms of its environment and in the amount of activities available to the player, is mind-blowing."[87]

Destructoid gave the game a 10/10 citing that "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is every single reason to love a Western role-playing game, condensed into a single comprehensive experience with nothing lost in the conversion process."[83] Wired.com also gave a perfect score of 10 out of 10, writing "The game's greatest accomplishment is that it is a paradise of escapism, a lavish love letter to immersion. Diving into Skyrim's world feels both thrilling and comforting, like riding a rollercoaster or swimming in the ocean. There is very little padding. There are very few scripted quests that aren’t worth experiencing."[82] Edge gave Skyrim a rating of 9 out of 10, saying that "in the instance of breathless excitement, triumph or discovery, you invest completely in its world." GameSpot also rated it 9 out of 10, adding that "Skyrim performs the most spectacular of enchantments: the one that causes huge chunks of time to vanish before you know it."[72] Joystiq gave a perfect score of 5 out of 5 citing, "This is the deepest, loveliest world ever created for a single player to explore."[84] AtomicGamer gave a review score of 10/10 saying "While other games this year have delivered tighter storylines and intense multiplayer action, nothing satisfies my gaming needs quite like Bethesda's core studio of developers can."[96] A review score of 5 out of 5 was given by GiantBomb.[85] Skyrim was named the best game of 2011 by several publications.[97][98]

The PC version received similar praise, but the user interface was heavily criticized as being designed for console controllers as opposed to the traditional keyboard and mouse setup.[99][100] Official PlayStation Magazine (UK) gave the PlayStation 3 version a 7/10, praising the game but criticizing the technical issues and feeling that the game was in an unfinished state.[101]Gamepro also gave the game a perfect score of 10 out of 10 citing that "Like every other game in the series, Skyrim is going to eat hundreds of hours of my gaming time over the next few years. It has that sense of wonder that makes he Elder Scrolls games so great, and with the changes to skills, the Shouts, and dual-wielding, I think any gamer is going to have a lot of fun with Skyrim (and its eventual expansions) as well.Japanese magazine Famitsu gave Skyrim a score of 40/40, making it the first western video game to receive a perfect rating from them.[75] More “Skyrim” praises include being crowned “game of the year” by an array of outlets including the Spike TV 2011 Video Game Awards.“We are gratified that Skyrim continues to garner high review scores and accolades around the world,” Zenimax chief executive Robert Altman said in a release.“We are most grateful to our fans for their support and enthusiasm for the game, and their love of the hundreds of hours of game play it offers.”“The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” puts players in a boundless world complete with death-dealing dragons, Nordic gods, and foreboding prophecy.The latest installment in the popular Elder Scrolls series is being hailed by critics as a standout game amid an army of must-play titles launching for the year-end holiday season.Skyrim was crafted by game designers who produced open-world post-apocalyptic shooter “Fallout 3,” so players are welcomed into an expansive mountainous kingdom that they are free to explore at their peril.Innovative software perpetually generates missions such as saving villagers and righting wrongs, meaning that the game is technically endless even if players complete the main story campaign.“Skyrim is the fastest selling title in Steam’s history” said Jason Holtman, director of business development at Valve Corporation, which operates the popular Steam digital media distribution platform launched in 2003. “Bethesda’s commitment to and understanding of the PC as a gaming platform shows in the great review scores, spectacular launch, and continued high player numbers that Skyrim has received.”
[edit] Sales

Within the first two days of its release, Skyrim had sold over 3.4 million copies. Bethesda Softworks, which is owned by US-based Zenimax Media Inc., has anounced that it has shipped 10 million copies of “Skyrim” since its launch on November 11. Skyrim is now the fastest-selling game of all time on streaming website Steam. Bethesda's fantasy epic outsold its rivals by three to one in the US, according to Valve for steam sales.This is said to equate to retail sales of roughly $650 million (£418 million), with "large" re-stock orders coming from many leading retailers across the globe.