Finally! Been waiting for some new info on this for ages... well, ever since the last nuggets of info. :P

I'd like to see raw gameplay to be honest; in other words, I wanna see it with the HUD etc.

Ditto that. Honestly though, despite the MANY flaws of Oblivion, I still absolutely loved that game, so it's not like I need to see gameplay footage of Skyrim to be sold on it.

I'd like to see raw gameplay to be honest; in other words, I wanna see it with the HUD etc.

We should do, as it usually happens to be the case with GT episodes.

Much of the leveling system you might be used to has been reworked. In Skyrim, all skill increases fill an overall leveling gauge, just as experience points tend to do in most role-playing games. So if you use one-handed swords all the time, your one-handed swords skill will continue to increase and gradually fill the level gauge. When the gauge is full, you level up, which nets you a point to unlock additional abilities -- Fallout-like perks -- within each skill tree.

If you read that and immediately started daydreaming about taking advantage of the leveling system by bunny-hopping all over Skyrim to boost Acrobatics, then you're going to be disappointed. Athletics and Acrobatics have been removed from the game, along with a few other skills. Instead, there's a button to sprint, and the perks you unlock serve to alter the functionality of existing skills. For example, perks can add a slow-motion effect and a zoom ability when lining up a bow shot at an unsuspecting bandit's head.

Play as one of 10 races.

Much of the interface has been redesigned for Skyrim to feel more interactive. All items, including weapons, shields, plot items, and plants can be zoomed in on and inspected within the inventory screen. This can be taken advantage of for superficial reasons to marvel at the level of detail on each piece of armor, but also for practical reasons like opening and reading the various books you'll find in Skyrim or inspecting plot items adventure game-style to reveal information useful in solving dungeon puzzles. Meanwhile, the skill readout isn't a list but a bright, polychromatic display of star constellations, where each star serves as an unlock node for perks. The overwold map has been given an upgrade too, as it's a three-dimensional representation of Skyrim presented in a way that's similar to strategy games like Civilization V and Total War: Shogun 2.

Amidst dragon fights it seems like it won't be too difficult to get lost in the world and simply enjoy the sights. Compared to Oblivion, Skyrim is a vast improvement on Xbox 360, which is the only version that's been shown off so far by Bethesda. You can see the detail of the snowpack on mountain ranges far off in the distance as you run along dirt paths flanked by craggy outcroppings of rock and flowing rivers. In a way this is how Skyrim encourages exploration, by presenting these sweeping vistas you know have to be honeycombed with dungeons and treasure chests.

A big graphical bump up over Oblivion.

Dragons roam these hills as well, sometimes perched alone atop stone peaks amidst a snowstorm. Sometimes they float over villages like Riverwood, a quiet, hillside town filled with people going about their daytime routines nestled between misty mountain ranges. Some villagers chop wood in grassy clearings, some work in blacksmith shops and saw logs in half, some tend dusty item shops lit by flickering candles set in hollowed horns, while others wander the streets and talk. When you engage in conversation the game no longer pauses – time continues normally, there's no more persuasion mini-game to worry about, and the overlay of conversation options takes up only minimal space onscreen. By hovering around NPCs while they're engaged in chatter you'll pick up bits of information that can lead to new quests that may differ depending on which NPCs are still alive as well as a host of other variables tracked by the game, including whether or not it's been a while since you've fought a dragon.

All Skyrim fans must read this 4 page Eurogamer hands-on write up, just brilliant stuff!!.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-04-18-the-e...

WOW it's all sounding so good!, the only thing i'm still unsure of is how this Fallout'esq scaling system will work in this game, as i'm the type of player that after 30hrs of playing/leveling up, likes to go places and feel like a powerful badass and not get owned by a bunch of lowly grunts.

part 3.

http://www.g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/64714/the-elder...