Doväkiin Scores: Skyrim hits worldwide, scores 96 on Meta

After nearly a year of hype, Bethesda finally unleashes its next big RPG to the world today, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Quite simply, why you wouldn't want to buy this is beyond even baffling.

Some pre-orders from GAME - myself included - got hold of their copies early, but the retailer held midnight launches in some points of the UK, with the main flashpoints being Oxford Street in London and at a GameStation in Birmingham New Street.

GAME is also the only retailer currently providing a trade-in deal for the game, where you can pick it up for £4.99 if copies of either Batman: Arkham City, Battlefield 3, Uncharted 3 or Modern Warfare 3 are swapped (thanks, MCV).

Following the lifting of the reviews embargo yesterday afternoon, which seen a flood of nines and tens, Skyrim's now hit as high as 96 on MetaCritic for the Xbox 360 version. PS3 is on 94, while PC has a 95 currently.

The game is massive in depth, having gone through eight hours of the game so far, but I don't feel entirely comfortable giving a small launch impressions piece due to its sheer scale within that timescale.

But know this: just based on those eight hours, if you don't pick up this game today, there is something very wrong with you.

With the main game out of the way now, and DLC on the way - the first two expansions of which are exclusive to Xbox 360 - the only question is what's next for Todd Howard's team at Bethesda Game Studios? Bethesda PR VP Pete Hines told VG247 in January that it would be using Skyrim's engine for what it's working on next, but besides that, no hints have been given on what's coming after today.

Anyone up for Fallout 4?