Pitchforks at dawn! Skyrim promises the end of consequence-free killing

You can kill anyone... but don't expect their family to let it go lightly

Words: Justin Towell on August 24, 2011

We're used to Oblivion's 'Radiant AI' *cough* but Skyrim is reportedly going to go one better. Killing NPCs will be just as possible as it was last time around, but it isn't them you'll have to worry about. No, not their ghost coming back to haunt you (although now we think about it, that would be equally immense). Turns out their family might not be so pleased about your wrongdoing...

According to EB Games Australia, family members of NPCs you accidentally (right?) kill on your travels will try to exact bloody revenge on you the next time they see you. Characters in Oblivion had aggression behaviours that could be manipulated to your advantage using spells and the like, but this is the first time the system has been used in this way.

It sounds amazing, but we can't help but remember this video:

It's the 'uncanny valley' of the Artificial Intelligence world. The closer things get to reality without being reality, the more any abnormalities stand out. Still, Skyrim's a chance to get it all absolutely spot on. Fingers very tightly crossed.

24 Aug, 2011

Platforms:

Xbox 360, PC, PS3

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matt92 - September 1, 2011 3:37 a.m.

oncei had a level 27 or somethig battlemage and i wore deadric armor and enchanted it all with protect spell i went on rampages with my battle axe in towns :D
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Sleuth - August 29, 2011 3:12 p.m.

I intend to make a ton of enemies!
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IceBlueKirby - August 25, 2011 8:37 p.m.

That video had me laughing my ass off. So I'm gonna say that the moral of the story here is...leave no survivors? 'Cause I'm cool with that. Kill one bloke, kill 'em all, what difference does it make? Turn off autosave and go on a rampage, you say? Don't mind if I do! ...I got off point there, but, like everyone else, I hope this works out to where if they don't actually see you do it, they won't know.
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psycho ninja 4 - August 25, 2011 1:42 a.m.

Something tells me I'll have a lot of people trying to kill me by the end of the game... oh, and the video: LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
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ObliqueZombie - August 24, 2011 8:55 p.m.

Woo! Now a Guard won't know I killed a hobo three towns away. Gotta love that sh*t.
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Stiltzkin - August 24, 2011 6:29 p.m.

So does that basically mean "Stop, you violated the law" becomes "Stop, you violated my sister". I hope not. As long as you don't constantly have a stream of different families hunting you down all the time, this will be good.
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fkafl - August 24, 2011 5:38 p.m.

That video was freaking awesome. Reminds me of the time I watched the entire city of Leyawiin destroy itself. Two people starting fighting for no reason and somehow that fight started a riot. Then the guards came and started in on the action. After a few minutes there were only about a half dozen residents still alive.
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HowlingSnail - August 24, 2011 2:46 p.m.

Fortunately, Sithis demands the blood of their entire family, so it won't be a problem.
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aberkromby - August 24, 2011 2:30 p.m.

Sounds eerily similar to the borderline game-breaking legionary assassins in Fallout New Vegas.
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jamer199 - August 24, 2011 1:54 p.m.

I am afraid of ghosts.
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jackthemenace - August 24, 2011 11:48 a.m.

Pretty much with everyone else. It sounds awesome, as long as it's done right, but if it detracts from the immersion by having every character look the same and the NPCs knowing anything and everything you ever do, wrong or no, I'll be bloody annoyed.
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hppop1 - August 24, 2011 10:33 a.m.

I don't really care anymore, As long they change the level up system where your enemies level up with us as well that's stupid remove that bethesda.
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MyCoolWhiteLies - August 24, 2011 8:40 a.m.

This sounds really cool, I just hope it's implemented well. I don't want to kill someone completely anonymously in the woods, then have their family attack me even though no one should no about what I did. If I killed someone in front of a bunch of others, then yeah, perfect.
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tacehtselrahc - August 24, 2011 8:27 a.m.

This sounds very like the broken factions system from Fallout: New Vegas, where if you killed a member of a faction then that whole faction became your enemies.
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Evanesco - August 24, 2011 7:40 a.m.

It sounds about as realistic as sneaking up on a group of people and shooting one, and having all of the survivors immedately know where you are. If you kill a dude 20 miles from the rest of his family, they automatically know it was you?
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FlamingChaos35 - August 24, 2011 7:16 a.m.

So, what you're saying is kill entire families. Got it.
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fadedlinevigil - August 24, 2011 6:08 a.m.

Wow, this was news 6 months ago when I read it IGN.
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db1331 - August 24, 2011 7:32 a.m.

LOL, you read IGN? I bet you are amped for Gears 3, amirite?
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