Skyrim
Individual Game Mechanics
- Looking
- Walking (All directions)
- Sprinting (Direction you’re facing)
- Attacks (Melee weapons)
- Power Attacks (Melee weapons)
- Attacks (Bow and arrow)
- Blocking
- Casting Spells (Instantaneous)
- Casting Spells (Require a “charging” period)
- Jumping (Any direction)
- Crouching
- Interacting with Containers (Looting)
Real Time Control
The response time for all of these mechanics feels instantaneous and is definitely below 100ms. There is real time control during the majority of these actions. The exceptions being when executing a power attack, the player is locked in for either the duration of the attack or until they are hit by an opponent, and when charging certain spells the player loses the ability to move. This effect can be cancelled by the player at anytime by releasing the spell before it is cast. Using many of these ability stop the player from being able to sprint, but real time movement is still allowed. Skyrim is a great example of real time control.
Spatial Simulation
The majority of the player’s time in Skyrim is spent exploring the environment. As such, there is simulated space as the player moves throughout the world and interacts with the people and landscape they encounter. The world has invisible walls as boundaries at its edges. The player definitely gets the feeling of realistic movement in Skyrim. Being attacked by a powerful foe such as a giant can send the player flying backwards, while being attacked by a simple rat will only make the player flinch. Seamless interaction between the player and the virtual world give Skyrim excellent marks in Spatial Simulation.
Polish
The Polish aspect of Skyrim makes it one of the best games of all time. After climbing up a mountain the player is rewarded with majestic views of the surrounding terrain. Traveling to the different holds of Skyrim expose the player to diverse biomes ranging from swamps to arctic tundra to vast plains. The buildings in each hold even have their own drastically different architectural styles. Much of the clothing and armor in Skyrim have unique designs, making them easily distinguishable from each other. Furthermore, When a player uses an elemental attack such as fire, the aftereffects of the attack can be seen lingering wherever they struck the environment; flames burn on the surface for a few seconds and icicles stick to the environment before fading away. Skyrim ranks among the best games of all time as far as polish is concerned.
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