2011 was an embarrassment of riches in terms of the breadth of high calibre games released. Did you have the time and money to get through them all? Probably not, and you didn't need to, either. Why waste your energy on multiple games when you only need one: Skyrim?

What am I talking about? Think about it. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a massive, open-ended role-playing game. With 16 diverse skill trees to invest in – and a tonne of spells and weapons to master – character customisation options are near-endless. In light of this, I thought it would be fun to put Skyrim's role-playing possibilities to the test. Here's a guide to surviving Skyrim as some of 2011's biggest stars.

With Batman: Arkham City, developer Rocksteady Studios once again showed us how awesome playing as the Dark Knight can be. When in his element, Batman has a lot going for him: mastery of multiple fighting styles, access to high-tech equipment and the ability to pull off the whole cape-and-cowl ensemble without people laughing at him. I wasn't sure how Batman would cope with being stripped of all bat-related gadgetry and dropped into the ruthless world of Skyrim but I was eager to find out.

For the full Batman experience you will want to adhere to three simple rules: adventure by night whenever possible, never kill a human, and speak all dialogue out loud in your most gruff voice. The first rule is easily remedied by use of the wait feature; simply while away the daylight hours hanging out with a swarm of bats (I've never been good at collective nouns) in one of Skyrim's cosy caves. The second rule is more problematic and you will long for early-comics-Batman who would gun goons down with reckless abandon.


To overcome the no killing rule you will want to focus on stealth and intimidating your opponents. I recommend concentrating on the Sneak skill and levelling up Illusion magic until you gain the higher-level Fear and Invisibility spells. Sure, Batman is a man of science, but what is magic but science viewed by a simple mind?

To unlock these spells you will need some hard-core restraint, discipline and a big can of spam. For all of the complexity in Skyrim's levelling up systems, they sure are prone to exploitation. The Illusion spell Clairvoyance (a medieval version of Arkkam City's detective mode) and especially Muffle (great for prowling) are primed for spamming.

Playing as Batman will be tough, and a number of missions will not be playable as you need to kill humans to progress, but no one said being Batman was meant to be easy. Also, to my knowledge you cannot recruit a boy as a travelling companion. To flesh out a dynamic duo you might want to consider your gay marriage options. I suggest Marcurio in Riften.


The Assassin's Creed games are no strangers to mixing genres. The series is part sci-fi, part historical epic, with the present-day protagonist Desmond plugged into a machine allowing him to relive portions of his assassin ancestors' lives. Desmond is able to learn the tricks of the trade from Crusade-era Altair and Renaissance man Ezio. Crazy parkour and stab-happy hijinks ensue. (...Also, something about aliens).

So what happens when you swap out the historical epic trappings of Assassin's Creed and replace them with fantasy? More or less Assassin's Creed: Now With Dragons. The trade-off is losing the ability to scale buildings but I chalk that up as a win for Skyrim. Your opinion may vary.

Playing Skyrim by way of Assassin's Creed is probably the most pure 'Elder Scrolls' experience. The sneaky assassin archetype has always been well represented in the series. One downside is the inability to disguise yourself in a posse of whores – Bethesda, please rectify this omission in Elder Scrolls VI.


No playthrough is complete without climbing to the peak of a nearby mountain, entering third-person mode and doing a full panoramic spin of the camera. Just don't expect a conveniently placed hay bale at the bottom of the mountain to jump into.


Infamous and its sequel put players in control of Cole, an every-man who (through increasingly convoluted plot points) came to possess superhero-like electricity-based powers. A core element of Infamous is its morality system. By choosing the path of Good Cole or Evil Cole the player shapes the story and the world to their liking. In Infamous 2 morality decisions manifest in the development of ice-based (Good Cole) and fire-based (Evil Cole) powers.


The World of Skyrim doesn't have the rigid morality system of Infamous, but don't let that get in the way of you creating a good or evil version of Cole. Near the start of the game you gain access to three types of Destruction magic: electric, fire and ice. A freaky coincidence or a tired gaming trope? You decide.

By utilising electric-based Destruction magic as well as one of ice or fire you can easily craft a nifty approximation of Good or Evil Cole respectively. By aligning yourself with particular guilds/factions and completing certain side quests you can further immerse yourself into your chosen Cole alternative.

Much like Infamous, I find Skyrim infinitely more fun when playing as Evil Cole. Without the restraints of behaving like a civilised man, you are free to torch as many NPCs as you want and any authorities who get in your way. Good times.

Infamous-aping wouldn't be complete without an annoying sidekick. Unfortunately I am yet to find a Zeke look-alike but Skyrim is rife with companions who don't know when to keep their mouths shut.


Link is no stranger to epic quests in magical lands. For 25 years our pointy-eared friend has used his trusty sword and shield to save different iterations of Hyrule and its surrounding areas. As such he seems the best suited to step into the role of Skyrim's hero: the Dragonborn.

The Legend of Zelda is a series built on tradition. For the full Zelda experience you will want to go into the games setting and turn off voices and turn on subtitles. You are then free to imagine any whimsical voice you would like, just as Miyamoto intended. If you are running Skyrim on the PC you can also implement some visual tweaks. The results mimic the cell-shaded look of Wind Waker and to a lesser extent Skyward Sword and are impressive in their own low-tech way. Or, for a creepier feel, swap out an existing moon with the moon from Majora's Mask.


In your role as Link you will want to concentrate on the ways of wielding a sword and shield. A bow and arrow are also suitable. Zelda games usually consist of 'MacGuffin' fetch questing in dangerous dungeons protected by powerful bosses. To this end I recommend searching out the Dragon Priest masks. These masks aren't flagged by a traditional quest log in your journal but will definitely keep you busy and short on health potions.

Like overbearing parents, the fates who propel Link on his journey usually force him to learn a musical instrument. Nothing cool like the drums, guitar or triangle mind you. While you cannot learn an instrument in Skyrim, if you want to continue this proud tradition your closest option is to join the Bards College in Solitude.


The Saints Row games started out as okay Grand Theft Auto clones, but the release of Saints Row: The Third cements the series as Grand Theft Auto's ridiculously over-the-top, absurdist cousin.

Implementing a Saints Row style playthrough in Skyrim is less about refining particular skills or sticking to a script and more about going nuts and having immature (but very adult) fun. Kill things. Burn things. Resurrect things. Steal horses. Place buckets on heads. Line up crazy shots on your bow. Get launched by a Giant. Do anything except play the missions.


Intentional or not, sometimes Skyrim will even lend a hand in bringing random mayhem into the mix. As with all Bethesda games, Skyrim is littered with bugs. Some bugs are more damaging to the experience than others, but some are just outright fun.

On the PC side of things, the mod scene can also help your playthrough feel more Saints Row-esque. To up the adult content of the game, why not try the mod for nude female NPCs? If Nord wang is more your style you are out of luck, but you can add more chest hair. Feeling a little more innocent? Try the My Little Pony horse skins, or change the moon into a Death Star.


Mario, Super Mario 3D Land: The firebolt and ice spike spells might be a worthy substitute for Mario's fire and ice flower power-ups, but I doubt jumping on a dragon will do much damage.

Nathan Drake, Uncharted 3: Without guns and ammunition, Drake is left to fend for himself with just his fists, dry wit and clumsy takedown manoeuvres.

Chell, Portal 2: Unless Chell can bring her own portal gun, I don't think she will survive for long.

What approach are you taking with Skyrim? Have you styled your Dragonborn after an existing character (gaming or otherwise)? Let us know in the comments section below.

Scott Clarke is a freelancer based in Australia. He's written a number of pieces for IGN, including an examination of whether boss fights are a relic of a bygone era.

Windpipe Waker

GT5 Vs Forza 4

Best Commercials

• More Xbox 360 Features
• Latest Xbox 360 News, Reviews, and Videos