Sunday 13 November 2011

Skyrim's 360 HDD Install Texture Problem

I have been looking forward to this game for a good chunk of the last 3-4 years and now that it's here, I am blown away by the advances Bethesda have made from Oblivion (and Fallout). The interface, the design and even the storytelling is already going from strength to strength.

But what really left a sour taste in my mouth from the start were the graphics.

Like the majority of smart Xbox 360 gamers, not installing a game to your HDD is pretty much a big no-no. I know better than to let the game run off the disc for quite a few reasons.

I've already lost one DVD drive before. The sound of the drive spinning is unbearable, particularly for those who game close to their consoles on PC monitors. The possibility of the 360 scratching up the disc if it were to be nudged is too expensive to risk.

So as I load up Skyrim, I was immediately shocked by just how lacking the graphics were. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but it was there. The poor quality textures; on your hands, sword, shield and pretty much an rocky surface.

Was I in denial at first? Of course I was. I would be proud to be labelled an Elder Scrolls fanboy. But it just could not be ignored, especially given that my console of choice was meant to be the 'lead platform' the game was developed on.

Lo' and behold, Bethesda finally confirm the issue and we are left dangling with one of the most anticipated games of this generation sitting on our shelves in an unplayable state (for me).

When they will fix this, I have no clue. But it better be soon. It pains to me know that Skyrim is just sitting there, not being played, even more so after having played the first significant mission in the game knowing just how nicely it plays.

I've read some comments by people saying that it doesn't matter, the gameplay is the essence etc.

I wholeheartedly disagree.

The novelty of these games for me is the immersion. To say that this texture problem barely affects the immersion is an understatement.

As it stands now, it looks worse than Oblivion in quite a few places. I can't play this game knowing I am experiencing a heavily handicapped environment. I want to play the game to it's fullest, where it is looking as good as it was advertised to me. Otherwise, what is the point of forking out RRP at release day?

Of all the bugs that Bethesda games were expected to have, if you told me a month ago that Skyrim would be sitting unplayed on its first weekend I would have laughed in your face.

I leave you with pictures of the texture difference, courtesy of an article at Eurogamer.

1 comment:

  1. It's a really big difference quality wise. Fortunately, I have a nice Xbox360 S, so it's not an issue to keep it uninstalled until they patch. Fantastic game....!!

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