I’ve logged the time for posterity. Let it be known that Friday 1st June 2012 was the day I finally gave in to Skyrim. With trepidation I now stand at the doorway, wondering how much of my life I’m about to lose, how much of my soul will be sold? unfortunately the game will give me the answer to that question in every gory hour, minute and yes, second. Seasoned gamers proudly wear this statistic as a badge of honour and here I am at 00:00:00!

I sat for several minutes, only the logo on screen, my hand hovering over the “A” button of my Xbox console; that would forever answer the question “Play Skyrim?”. Does anyone simply play Skyrim? Loitered again on the New/Continue game screen soaking up the soundtrack. Bam!

Fade in. Sat on the back of a cart heading god knows where with heaven knows who? Arrival at Helgen. A roll call for execution. An execution! Charming! A quick time-out to come up with Derekk the Dark Elf (what?) and realise I had just 2MB left for saved games – quickly sacrificing Red Dead Redemption and Avatar(no contest there!) before …. A dragon; never thought I’d be glad to see a dragon but that axe looked mighty sharp. We’re off running, diving, where the hell am I going, oh yes follow the white arrow (shouldn’t that be rabbit?), inside. Dodge fireballs. Follow that Imperial guy (later discovered was Hadvar) rather than a Stormcloak and then blackness.

Ooh lock-picking, yay. Beat up on Stormcloaks, some Frost Spiders too and then out into … Skyrim proper and with the words “Talk to Alvor in Riverwood” I’m off through the woods like a mad thing. A chat to Alvor, 3 hours sleep followed by Blacksmithing 101 – ok Felicia I get it now – and with mission dux “Go visiting with Jarl in Whiterun” firmly under my Imperial Armour we are ready.

Life sapped so far 1:57:39 … Verdict: Dangerously immersive