 Skyrim received critical acclaim upon release. The removal of the character class system from previous The Elder Scrolls entries was well received. Billy Shibley of Machinima's Inside Gaming and Charles Onyett of IGN praised its removal because it allowed players to experiment with different skills without having to make decisions about a class early in the game. John Bedford of Eurogamer opined that by removing the character class system, the game tailored to players wanting to build an all-around character, while still letting other players specialize in a preferred play-style. Steve Butts of The Escapist considered the addition of perks to the character development system "a great method to make your character feel even more unique and personal". Kevin VanOrd of GameSpot praised the way perks allowed for the player's preferred skills to become more powerful over time, stating that the perk system "forms around the way you play, but allows for tweaking so that you retain a sense of control". The user interface (UI) that navigates the player's items and spells was also praised by reviewers for its accessibility; Bedford complimented its "elegant design" which succeeded Oblivion's cumbersome UI.
