While the lack of mod support for this version is disappointing (its PS4/Xbox One siblings have barebones mod support), the amount of worthwhile content in the core Skyrim experience more than makes up for it.
It might not look quite as pretty as the PC version running at ultra-high settings, but it doesn’t settle for adequacy either, resulting in a world that’s constantly nice to look at as long as you don’t examine textures too closely. A slight motion blur occurs when you’re turning, but I hardly noticed it all except in dark spaces like caverns. The draw distance is equally impressive I could make out distant mountains, cities, and landmasses without any fog enshrouding them.
I noticed no fuzziness in either portable mode or on three different HD televisions of various sizes during my playtime. Outside of textures and rough character models (we’re talking about a game from 2011), the world of Skyrim looks as stunning as ever. Control functionality is also satisfying, with a pleasant rumble in the Joy-Cons helping capture the pleasurable thunk of combat when you drive an axe into a foe’s head or whip them off a mountainside with a brush of your sword.īethesda didn’t have to make any huge sacrifices to achieve this performance, either. Everything ran smoothly no matter what area I was in, how populated it is, or what activity I was doing. Load times were also surprisingly brief in comparison to the original PS3/360 versions, with a one-minute initial load time from main menu to game world, and then brief transitions taking from 4 to 10 seconds. During my 35-plus hours with the game, my framerate was constantly above 30 FPS and I never encountered a single dip or stutter. The biggest question on many fans’ minds is whether or not the Switch can handle Skyrim’s massive size and propensity for loading those spaces with numerous foes. Bethesda has done a stellar job packing the lion’s share of the experience onto Switch. This flexibility results in a world that you can actively inhabit, not just wait to be shuttled to the next big story beat. If you’d rather focus on guild quests instead of the main storyline, that’s a valid choice. You’re given the freedom to do what you want and develop a play style that interests you. Even a walk through a forest might suddenly be interrupted by a giant spider fighting a dragon. Players explore the world at their own pace, uncovering secret treasures in tombs hidden in mountains or plotting with children to kill an evil orphanage owner. On paper, that sounds generic, but Skyrim’s open-ended design is anything but commonplace. The world is filled with various factions, guilds, and kingdoms vying for control. I was impressed with how the Switch handles this massive (and infamously glitchy) RPG, resulting in a competent port that transitions wonderfully to portable play.įor those who haven’t played Skyrim yet, the game takes place on the fantastical continent of Tamriel, where humans walk alongside talking lizards and feline merchants.
The Switch port of Skyrim is an exciting prospect because it makes an enticing promise that the other console versions don’t: being able to play on the go. For more than six years, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has captured the imaginations of countless gamers, with its beautiful and snowy fantastical trappings, seemingly endless side quests, and massive modding community.