Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim details revealed

When it was launched in 2006, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion was the most one of the prettiest games you could wish to bless your eyes with. Five years on, the Gambryo engine isn't going to cut it for the winter realm of Skyrim. Enter the Creation Engine. Follow us through for the latest info.

The guys at GameInformer have been having a chat with Bethesda Studios' creative director Todd Howard who's explained some of the impressive developments in the game's development.

• The new Creation Engine provides more impressive draw distances and a significantly improved dynamic lighting system.
• Snowfall will land on objects and accumulate over time.
• The Radiant AI system has been heavily improved, with NPCs reacting to characters behaviour realistically. Turning up uninvited to a friendly NPC's house will prompt them to offer you lodgings.
• Havok's new Behavior system will be used to generate exceptionally fluid animations.
• The less-than-well-received third person view from Oblivion is gone, replaced with a greatly improved one.
• An organic side-quest management system – known as Radiant Story – will direct you to areas you've yet to explore by placing quest objectives in undiscovered dungeons.
• Side quests will be "conditionalized", meaning they will adapt to what you're character has done in their past and create objectives based on who you've become.
• Random encounters will feature, one of which has been confirmed to be a pack of wolves attacking a mammoth.

Despite being a long, long eleven months away, Skyrim is already shaping up to be one of the most exciting titles of the year. If you're as excited as we are by the prospect of an expedition to Tamriel's snowy north, you'll agree that November 11 can't come quick enough.