Product Description:
The next chapter in the highly anticipated Elder Scrolls saga arrives from the makers of the 2006 and 2008 Games of the Year, Bethesda Game Studios. Skyrim reimagines and revolutionizes the open-world fantasy epic, bringing to life a complete virtual world open for you to explore any way you choose.
Product Details:
- Alduin Statue. Created in conjunction with the IP Factory, this collector's only statue stands 12" tall and is made of high quality PVC. Modeled from actual in-game 3D digital files, it showcases Alduin, the World Eater.
- The Art of Skyrim' Official Art Book. Featuring over 200 pages of striking, full-color illustrations, sketches and models, this stunning 9 3/8" x 12 1/8" coffee table book showcases the characters, creatures, environments, and weaponry of Skyrim.
- The Making of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim' DVD. This documentary DVD contains exclusive, behind-the-scenes footage, including interviews with the Bethesda Game Studios team.
Customer Reviews:
In-Depth Packaging Review By Nokomis Ravenwood
Since everyone knows that the Elder Scrolls, along with Bethesda games in general, are the pinnacle of RPG goodness, this is not a game review. The one thing that I will say is that it so far appears to be a blend of the best elements of Fallout 3 gaming with the standard Elder Scrolls formula. I have by no means given it enough play to accurately review the quality of the gameplay itself. It'll take ages to get that far, but it's already the best game of this nature that I have ever played (25 years gaming). In this spirit, I will instead write a review of the marketing assembled for the Collector's edition.
Being a quality skeptic and an avid collector of various memorabilia, I was a little concerned at the high price tag on this set. I worked at GameStop when collector packaging first became status quo, and I've seen many collector's edition games that included packaging and materials that were not worth the excess price. I was unconvinced until closer to the launch date when I saw the actual size of the set. Wow.
The box itself is enormous and matte black with a handle on top. The matte black cardboard will absorb whatever oil is on your fingers and print up, I have noticed. Not awesome if you're into keeping your collection pristine. This is wrapped in a cardboard sleeve (a la Halo 3: Legendary) that has what appears to be a high definition screen conjured from the game models. It's pretty d@mn cool. Once you get the bad boy open, it contains a boxing setup I refer to as "cardboard padding." The game itself, as you can see from user-submitted pictures, comes in a jewel case that is NOT plastic. The presentation is excellent and has a high aesthetic appeal, but it not very practical. By nature, the cardboard this case is made out of will deteriorate with time. Another drawback is that once the internal box is out of the outer sleeve, the documentation slips out quite easily. As a serious collector, I am considering having it shrink wrapped again to maintain its condition. If you have children, fuhgeddaboudit (unless you have a place to keep it where it can't be destroyed by little hands). The papers included are, of course, the standard game manual, an advertisement for Dishonored, and the map.
The map is questionable for me. I'm not sure what type of paper it's printed on, but it's definitely heavier than the maps that come with previous entries in this series. It feels nice to the touch, but I am disinclined to use it because there's a certain brittle type of feel to it when you unfold it. It feels like the folds will eventually disintegrate with too much use, so I'm going to frame mine. It's very nice, but it's definitely for someone that either doesn't care about condition, or is willing to go the extra step to maintain it (or just don't use it, but they're really quite handy with games of this scope). With a $150 price tag, that's something to consider.
I have not watched the making of DVD as yet to assess its content, but it's there for those that are into it.
Also contained in the cardboard padding is a high quality art book that I haven't spent too much time looking through because I'm too busy playing the game. The art book is actually probably the single heaviest component of the entire package. It's made of a material that I assume to be plastic, but has the feel and look of leather. It's embossed with the Skyrim dragon symbol, and is the most nicely assembled art book that I've ever seen released with a game. If you like to draw and are interested in design as I am, this is a definite plus that you will likely use as a reference in a multitude of ways. And even if you're not, it's just fascinating to look at. There's not too much in the way of description, it's mostly pictures printed on thick, glossy paper. I can't say much to how well it will hold up to heavy use.
Once the cardboard padding and its contents are removed, you are left with another box inside the box. This one is pure gloss black, except for the Skyrim dragon emblem printed on the top. When opened, you're greeted with a greyscale print of the statue pointing to the assemblage. The styrofoam inside is actually molded with Elder Scrolls V SKYRIM on it. I personally thought that was a stylish little touch on the designer's part.
The Alduin statue is spectacular. It comes in two parts: a stand, and the dragon itself. You just put the stand down, perch him on it, and there you go! The detail is so fine that it appears hand painted. It's made out of a heavy material that does have a bit of a smell to it, but the smell is pretty much that of an action figure. It looks and feels high quality, and makes a wonderful decoration to the gaming room (or anywhere, for that matter!).
Overall, I would say that for a serious collector and/or hardcore fan of the series, this collector's edition is not only worth the money, but a must-have. There are some small gripes and issues, but the pros and cons are really quite balanced, overall. I wouldn't recommend it if you have issues with little ones that like to tear things up, but if you just have to have the game and want it for the dragon, I would say it's worth it.
For me, personally, it was worth every cent, because I know I'm going to spend far too much of my life on the game itself. The collector's stuff is just a bonus as epic as the game. ;)Dragonborn! By Dale P. Daywalt Jr.
For those who haven't played elder scrolls games, or fallout 3, games made by bethesda are the best western rpg games out there, and the worlds are hand crafted, beautiful, and HUGE. Skyrim is the next in the series after Oblivion, and after all of the hype, it delivered. This game refined oblivion's combat, whether using destruction spells, or duel weilding swords, or archery... everything is more realistic, easier to use, and so much more fun. The game is the same exact formula, but upgraded and refined in every way. They somehow managed to make the world even more beautiful and real looking. The voice acting and sounds in the game are WAY better than oblivion, and you truly feel like you're immersed in another world. To keep it simple, Skyrim is, in my opinion, the best rpg game out there, and it has so much gameplay put into it you can't even put a manageable number on how long you'll be playing, but it's a long time lol. Years. And apparently with bethesda's new engine, quest system, and depending on your actions and choices, your game will never be the same as another person, or a replay through. It'l always be at least somewhat of a new experience. This is truly the ultimate fantasy epic! It deserves a 10/10... 5 stars, hands down.
As for the Dragon and Art book, they're amazing for fans of the series. Is the bundle worth 150$? Well, I can completely understand anyone thinking that's too steep for any game package, but I personally had no problem paying that much for this game. I don't buy collectors editions anymore because, yeah, I don't think they're worth it honestly. This was one of the only games I was willing to, considering how much work Bethesda puts into their games, and how much I love the series. The Dragon has a good level of detail, but the wall it can be perched on is fairly cheap. It doesn't easily fit onto it either. The dragon language is on the stone wall beneath the dragon, thought that was cool. Now the art book, what impressed me the most is simply the cover and binding. It's leather and it looks exactly like the book of Dragonborn, which is in the game, and the cover of the game of course, and has some slight (intentional) scuffed up art on it. It looks and feels like a real ancient book. Alright I won't exaggerate on that, but it's really cool. The art is a lot of the concept art on environments, and enemies, and weapons, and armor. Very cool.
With that being said, I will admit some slight flaws, or at least what I kind of didn't like, but nothing serious at all. First is that, for how much the game focuses on the new addition of dragons, being the pinnacle of fun combat, they don't feel that challenging, or at least, you can work around their strengths. They also become a bit repetative in the way they fight. I mean, it's epic, but one dragon fight will be extremely similar to the next or last. Don't get me wrong though, they're awesome.
I guess the only other flaw worth mentioning that I can think of, is the map. The map looks incredible, it really does! You're basically looking at an overview of the world in real time. You see the moutains and clouds and rivers from above as they would look from a hot air balloone. Very cool. The problem is, the map doesn't do a good job at showing you the road you're on or routes through the towns and mountains. It's only good use for me is fast travelling. Being a map, I figured it should help you find your way somewhere with the quickest or easiest possible route. After all, that's what a map is for isn't it?
Other than that, Skyrim is one incredible game and I haven't even done the game justice on what I've said that's great about it. If you love rpgs, there's no debating it, just buy it. It's worth every penny and you'll be living in skyrim for years! Literally lol. And as for this collector's edition, I love it of course and I don't regret buying it one bit. If you're a fan of the series, well you shouldn't even be reading this, go buy the collectors edition now! If you're a casual gamer that likes rpgs, then the price is probably too steep and the 'goodies' are not as important to you. Either way, play Skyrim!3 of 3 Great Game. Good, Not Great, Collector's Edition By J. Figueroa
First, the game.
Skyrim is probably the best Elder Scrolls game so far. With vast areas to explore and random encounters with criminals, fauna and other myth creatures, this game will keep you busy for a very long time. As with other Elder Scrolls, there are countless side missions and factions that serve as an alternative to the main story. You begin the game in the back of a horse carriage, a prisoner about to be executed, you lay your head down on the chopping block, the story takes a turn when a dragon is spotted and you begin one of the longest journeys that a game can possibly have...the rest...you'll have to see for yourself.
Graphics are beautiful. The flora, sky, seasons and passing hours are visible with extreme detail. Buildings and locations are just as breath taking. I often found myself, just standing there, taking it all in. It is obvious the game artists put a lot of time into this project.
Creatures are just as nice. You will see and encounter a variety. Humans on the other hand, as in previous titles of the series, are recycled; you will often see the exact same face in different locations and sometimes at the same location. This always bugged me, but was understandable, with a game this big, I can't imagine having to draw a different face for every single character in the game. The main and side mission characters however, are mostly different; the ones recycled are mostly citizens walking around.
Spells and shouts are part of your arsenal. Shouts can scare off enemies or give you the ability to move at ultra speeds for a short period of time. Spells range from healing to fire to ice damage. You can also mix potions, again for healing and for spiking your weapons to induce more damage.
Weapons look and sound beautiful. The metallic clink of swords clashing gives this game a degree of realism that many other games lack. Shields are useful during combat, but will take damage over time, so you must learn to fix your weapons and forge new ones. Skills that you will learn as you advance in the game.
The voice work, as always, is nothing but perfection. Each character has his/her own unique tone, which makes this game that much more dramatic and real. A great voice work for a great story. A script well executed.
At first, the game had numerous bugs and glitches, but patches have been released to address these issues. For Kinect owners, a new patch just added the peripheral's functionality. I usually play the game late at night, so I'm in no liberty to be shouting, without a shoe being thrown at me, but others will take advantage of this feature and enjoy it.
In conclusion, if you are a fan of the series, this game will not let you down. It has the good old formula we all know, but has been polished and a ton of new features added. Plus, fighting dragons is something every gamer should do. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a must for new and old comers. A game, that like its predecessor, sets the standard for role playing games. A great game consisting of beautiful art, outstanding voice work, dramatic FX sounds and a musical masterpiece.
Now, the Collectors Edition Goodies..
The dragon...this thing is huge and detailed. From his red eyes to every single spike on his body, this dragon is one mean, good looking beast. It sits atop a wall with some stone written script. The entire set-up looks pretty amazing. However, looks do not necessarily mean quality; the dragon is detailed and well made, but the pedestal or wall it stands on, is made of hollow plastic that feels cheap, it still holds the dragon without tipping over, so I don't really mind the material, but it is something you should know before you buy this version of the game. As others have metioned, the dragon does not stand on the wall as shown on the picture, it is a bit off and one of his feet/claws does not really grab onto the wall.
The map is made out of thick paper. It's not lythograph thick, it's basic, thicker paper. The ink has a 3D sort of feel to it, not a smooth surface as found in game instruction booklets, etc. I was dissapointed that the "cloth" map they promised never became a reality and quite honestly, at $150 (initial retail price), it should've been a reality.
The game case was also dissapointing, a common, simple paper/cartboard case that feels more like a sleeve than a collectors edition case. A tin case would've been nice and should've been included.
The Art book on the other hand, is one of the nicest I've seen. Thick fake leather hard cover with the enblem dead center. It also has some details that make it look "old" "ancient". Full size, colour art pictures and sketches, a very nice book.
The DVD, your standard behind the scenes and making-of type of material. If you've seen others, this won't be any different. But it is nice to have to better understand how a game like this is created.
That's it. At its current $98 price, this is defenitely worth the extra dough. The Dragon (not the stand) and the art book alone, make this a collectors must have. Hope this helps.
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