The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Kukhishwe ngomhla ka-11 kuNovemba, 2011, iThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim ngumdlalo wesenzo nezindima owasakhiwa yi-Bethesda Game Studios futhi wanyatheliswa yi-Bethesda Softworks. Njengengxenye yesihlanu enkulu kulolu hlu lwe-The Elder Scrolls, walandela i-Oblivion (2006) eyaduma kakhulu kodwa waphumelela ukugcwalisa indawo kumphakathi nasempumelelweni yezohwelelo. Isetshenziselwa esifundeni esibandayo esisenyakatho yeTamriel, lo mdlalo waba yisihloko esibalulekile esizukulwaneni salo, wabonakala ngezwe elikhulu elivulekile, inkululeko yokukhetha, nomphakathi wabakaki izinguquko (modding) owagcina umdlalo uhambisana nezidingo zabadlali isikhathi eside ngaphezu kweminyaka eyishumi. Indaba yenzeka eminyakeni engaba ngamakhulu amabili ngemva kweziganeko ze-Oblivion, emhlabeni ohlukaniswe ukungqubuzana kwezepolitiki kanye nesibikezelo esidala. Inkosi Ephezulu yase-Skyrim ibulawa, okubeka ingxabano yezimpi phakathi kwaStormcloaks, ukuzimela okuholwa yi-Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak, kanye neImperial Legion, ephethwe nguGeneral Tullius, ofuna ukugcina ukulawula kweMbuso. Phakathi kwalolu mhubhukela wokulwa kwabantu, kuvela ingozi enkulu kakhulu: Alduin, i“World-Eater,” indlovu endala encasulayo ukuchitha umhlaba. Umdlali uthatha indawo ye-“Last Dragonborn” (noma i-Dovahkiin), umuntu onomoya wenyoka yendlovu, onamandla okuvame ukumunca imiphefumulo yezindlovu nokuwasebenzisa ngamandla ayo ngendlela yeVoice. Umdlalo ku-Skyrim uhlotshaniswa ngokuvuleka kwezindlela zokudlala. Ngokungafani ne-RPG eziningi ezivimbela abadlali kumakilasi athile, i-Skyrim isebenzisa uhlelo lokukhula lokuthi “learn by doing.” Ukusebenzisa inkemba eyodwa kuthuthukisa amakhono e-One-Handed, kuyilapho ukungaqondisisi kuthuthukisa ikhono le-Sneak. Le nhlelo yokukhula engenamkhawulo ivumela izitayela ezixubile zokudlala, njenge-“spellsword” noma umgadli ogqashisayo. Isici esiyinhloko yi-Thu’um noma i-Dragon Shouts—amazwi amandla avela ezilimini zeqhawe ezenza imiphumela ehlukene, kusuka ekuphumuziseni umlilo ukuya ekunciphiseni isikhathi noma ukulima izimvula. Umhlaba womdlalo ugcwele imisebenzi eyi-“Radiant Quests” ezenzakalelayo, ezenziwa ngokusekelwe endaweni yomdlali kanye nenkqubekela yakhe, kuqinisekisa ukuthi uhlu lwezinto okufanele zenziwe luphela kungakabi khona. Ngekhono nobuciko, i-Skyrim bekungumgomo omkhulu phambili kwa-Bethesda. Kwaba yilowo msebenzi wokuqala wokwakha usebenzisa i-Creation Engine, inguqulo entsha yezobuchwepheshe equkemelele ukulawula izinga elikhulu kanye nezindlela zokudweba zendawo emhlabeni wezinhlanga ezihambisanayo. Umklamo wezithombe waphuma ngohlelo oluhlukile kunalokho kwe-Oblivion, wabheka isitayela se-“ancient nord” esaphethe izingxenye zasenkantolo yamaScandinavia namasiko ama-Viking. Umoya wokudlala wawuzoqhwa kakhulu ngomhluzi womholi odalwe uJeremy Soule. Ingoma enkulu, “Dragonborn,” yavame ukuba nomculo oqoshwe iqembu labaculi abayishumi nezinsukwana abakhuluma ngolimi lwendlovu olubhalwe ngaphakathi ngaphakathi, lulandelwa yizigaba ezintathu ukuze kuzwakale njengokuhlanganiswa kwamaqhawe ayikhulu. UBethesda wakhuthaza lo mdlalo ngemva kokukhishwa nge-DLC ezintathu ezinkulu. *Dawnguard* igxile ekuphikisaneni phakathi kombutho we- vampire hunters odlulile nezidumbu ze-Volkihar vampire clan, yethula ukuguquka kwe-Vampire Lord. *Hearthfire* yathatha indlela ehlukile, ivumela abadlali ukuthi bathenge umhlaba bakhe amakhaya, bakhe izindlu zabo eziqinile, futhi bakhulise izingane. Ukungezelela kokugcina, *Dragonborn*, bekungukuthi okukhulu ngokwedlulele, kwazisa abadlali esiqhingini i-Solstheim (oncwaya kuya ku-The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind) bese babhekene no-Miraak wokuqala, i-Dragonborn. Ifa le-Skyrim alikwazi ukuchazwa ngamaklwu; ngokwezezimali, bekungukuzijabulisa okukhulu; ekuqaleni bekunamakhophi ayizigidi eziyisikhombisa esontweni wokuqala, futhi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi sekudayiswe izigidi ezingama-60 emhlabeni jikelele, okubeka phambili njengomunye wemidlalo ethengisa kakhulu emlandweni. Ngokugunyazwa, iwine izindondo ezingaphezu kwama-200 “Game of the Year” kusuka eziteshini ezinkulu njengeSpike Video Game Awards, D.I.C.E. Awards, kanye neGame Developers Choice Awards. Ngaphandle kokuthi isiko, yakhonkotha ku-inthanethi, ikakhulukazi ngomqondo we-meme ethi “arrow in the knee”—umugqa wengxoxo oqhubekayo wezinsizwa zasedolobha owaba nomthelela omhlaba wonke. Mkhulukazi, into egcina ucingo lwe-Skyrim ukungapheli isikhathi sayo iyindlela yayo yokuthi ihlale itholakala, ngenxa yokuhlanganiswa kwezinguqulo eziningi ezivelayo nomphakathi okholelwayo wokuhlela. UBethesda usishiyile umdlalo kuze kube manje kumapulatifomu asezikhathini zanamuhla, kuhlanganisa i-Special Edition enobuchwepheshe obuthuthukisiwe, inguqulo ye-VR, kanye ne-Anniversary Edition yokugubha iminyaka eyishumi yalesi sihloko. Ngasikhathi sinye, abalungisi bemodi bakulungisa amaphutha, benze izithombe ezingcono, futhi bengeza izindawo ezintsha kanye nezindaba, bekhipha i-Skyrim njengendawo yokudala okungenamkhawulo. Ngisho nangeminyaka emide ngemva kokukhishwa, i-The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim isabhala umhlaba omkhulu womklamo we-open-world, inikeza ukungena okujulile kanye nenkululeko okufinyelela phambili kwabanye abadlali ukufinyelela kukho.