On the massive eShop sale that coincided with E3, I picked up a few games. One of which was Skyrim, the living meme of what was once an incredibly impressive Xbox 360/PS3 era title. It’s been ported so many times now, that people joke often about how it may never die. In the Switch port, however, we see why Skyrim has stayed with us since 2011, and why a portable version is so darn satisfying.

Back in the day, and by the day I mean 2007, a PSP port for Elder Scrolls Oblivion was announced, and I placed it at the top of my Christmas list. As months went on, I saw that no word of the game was being spoken. The title was canceled, blaming the capabilities of the PSP for its lack of playability. You can see in this demo footage, however, that the game’s shading and textures were failing, not the PSP. From this time on, I dreamed of an Elder Scrolls experience I could take wherever I went, and that’s what you get in the Skyrim Switch port.

Don’t get me wrong, the game doesn’t look terrible in docked mode. On my 4K capable TV, the game looks improved over the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions. This is mostly because the Switch port gets the Remastered treatment, with increased visuals and textures.

The game also comes with all DLC included, just like the GOTY edition did. The whole package is here for you to play, but in handheld, you see why docked mode is far inferior. Also, the Switch gets some really great Zelda content, including Breath of the Wild costumes, the Master Sword, and a Hylan Shield. Plus, you can play with motion controls thanks to the Joy-Cons, but it doesn’t feel much more fun, and in many ways a bit tiresome.

The game on the Switch’s handheld screen looks fantastic. Like most Switch games from third-party publishers, the handheld mode experience is a ton of fun because it is a full-fledged, modern day game on a portable screen. It’s great, and it’s the same reason why I go with a lot of third-party titles on the Switch. Having the game in docked mode is fine, but in handheld, I can play on the couch while watching a movie, or on the go. It is a perk I don’t plan on giving up anytime soon.

I’m not going to rehash the gameplay or story, because at this point we all know Skyrim well. What I will address is the gameplay from a modern perspective. Yes, the combat feels slow and a bit too easy. Maybe we’ve been spoiled by Dark Souls and other less forgiving titles that have emerged since 2011.

I find myself breezing through the game, but that just means I can enjoy the experience again without the stress or anxiety of tough battles or unavoidable deaths. The combat is slow by today’s standards, but in a weird way, it still feels true to the medieval setting of the Elder Scrolls series. Who would want a sword and shield fighter that runs at Doom level speeds?

As someone who beat the game way back when, I was worried that revisiting Skyrim might either ruin my memories or fail to live up to the experience I had some 8 years ago. I’m happy to say the game feels so great to revisit, and a portable version is highly desirable. I picked up the game for $30 during the E3 sale, and feel it was well worth it. The normal $60 price tag? Maybe not. Yet for a discount, it’s a steal. If you’ve never played Skyrim, pay full price and get your hands on a game that will go down in history as a great peak for action RPGs in the 2010s.

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Skyrim

$59.99

9

Score

9.0/10

Pros

• Portable Skyrim, Need I say More?
• Remastered Experience is Great for Revisiting the Game
• Zelda Content is Fun to Incorporate

Cons

• Motion Controls are More Gimmick than Glamor

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