Skyrim Review (Switch version) - Fighting handheld dragons!

Although the adventures of you as Dragonborn in Skyrim have been blown out a while ago, In this Skyrim Review for the Switch i tell you why!

In the time of the Gameboy Advance you could not believe that games like Need for Speed ​​looked pretty good on a small screen. With the Switch traps open almost every month when a nice game for the handheld console comes out. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is no exception.

Enjoy graphically
Just like in the console and PC versions, you start the game on the back of a car that brings you and three others to your last stop. Where you can not yet walk around in Skyrim, the first thing you do is of course look around you, something that the Switch already looks awful. That may also be a game that uses a large part of the Switch storage (15 gigabytes), but compared to DOOM (22 gigabytes) that is not too bad!

The vegetation is not of the level that you can expect on the PC, but it is also not that you can count the pixels on the leaves. In fact, whoever finally starts research after the prologue will be surprised at seeing every environment.

Skyrim is obviously an RPG in which you can walk from one side of the folder to the other without any loading screens. That also means that if you stand on the highest point on the map, you have a perfect picture of all corners, even in handheld mode! And where in the preview we could place a point of criticism at the loading times after dying or loading houses; that have been taken away. Charges take a fraction of the time you had to wait first!

Added value

Fine graphics and short loading times are certainly an advantage, but there is more to do in the world. Because in the Switch version of Skyrim you can also go on an adventure as a Link. Not literally (for that you have to be with the PC version with numerous modifications) of course, but figuratively.

It is possible to find the clothes, the shield and the sword of this famous character in Skyrim and use them to defeat monsters. And it looks very nice too! You can get the objects by traveling to the highest point in Skyrim (Throat of the World) or scanning a Link amiibo. The latter is therefore not a requirement!

Small is beautiful?

All mountains, forests, cities and statues are visible from afar and do not seem to pose any problems for the Switch. Curiously, handheld mode seems to deal with it a lot better than the docked version on a TV.

Of course the screen is a lot smaller as a handheld, but what is striking is that it just seems to run a lot smoother. It must be said that there is also a considerable disadvantage to a smaller screen. Because distinguishing enemies in wild environments can be quite a challenge on the screen.

Swishing and swabbing

The game does play a lot smoother in handheld mode compared to the 'docked' version. Even if there are fire- breathing dragons and hordes of draugr on your screen, the Switch manages to keep a decent frame rate. And that's pretty good for a slightly downgraded Special Edition!

What is less clever is the way the Joy-Cons works, or actually does not work. Even if you slide them into a controller, playing feels too cramped. In handheld mode, this problem has been solved by having a screen between the controllers, but for the fixed version it is a drawback that the use of the Joy-Cons does not go smoothly. The Pro Controller is therefore a must.

Can the light on?

Not only are characters difficult to distinguish in wild environments, there is also a considerable problem with the lighting. Where previous Skyrim versions had an option to increase the brightness, it is not present on the Switch. And increasing the brightness of the Switch itself also does not have enough effect.

Whoever is familiar with Skyrim knows that you spend a lot of time walking through (dark) dungeons and caves. Not exactly something that lacks a bit more light. Of course you can use a drink, spell or torch to create more light, but for the Switch a brightness slider would not be a luxury.

Looking over the shoulders

Apart from the dark (and small) screen, Skyrim is indeed a bizarre game for the Switch. Not only graphically, but also in the area of quests , stories and objects. It is just Skyrim, but then to take along in the train, bus or plane. As a result, you will undoubtedly experience that people will look over your shoulder at how you defeat dragons.

That, of course, is all about the Switch. Not watching over the shoulder, but the mobile aspect. Delay by train or intercontinental flight? No problem, just take the Switch. And with Skyrim you also have a beautiful and long game to entertain you!

Conclusion

With releases on old consoles, PC and later as Special Edition, Skyrim has already been released quite a few times. By offering that extra bit every time in the form of graphics or improved mod-support, the title withstood the time. Also on the Nintendo Switch, because Skyrim play on a portable, who does not want that?

➕ Dragons beat on the way
➕ Still graphically beautiful
➕ Short loading times
➕ Hours for the Switch

➖ No brightness option in-game
➖ Plays a little less smoothly in dock mode
➖ Joy-Cons feels cramped in controller or loose

Thanks for reading.

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