The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

In the end, Skyrim will be hailed as both the best and worst title of the year depending on whom you ask. RPG gamers who look for subtle storytelling and endless replay value are going to love every minute. But gamers that have even a slight problem with impatience will quickly become frustrated. However, even the most devoted naysayer has to admit that Skyrim is at the top of its genre, and that's no small feat.

Regardless, these are the kinds of issues that only professional critics will point out. The gamer in everyone will launch Skyrim in their PS3 and sit in awe at the masterpiece Bethesda Game Studios has created. In terms of raw value, $60 seems like a paltry sum for the massive amounts of content and gameplay within Skyrim‘s heights. It will certainly prove to be the Game of the Year contender everyone can agree upon and continue that sentiment through 2012.

With Skyrim Bethesda have truly succeeded in crafting not a sandbox, but a world. It's a world that's more exciting to live and play in than any other they've created. It's a game where the world is the greatest character of all, reigning supreme over all others. Skyrim's world is beautiful. That, combined with exciting gameplay, open-ended character development and engaging story threads is all it takes to be truly great - but it all starts with the world. From that, through that, the game itself is beautiful too.