Three hours was barely enough to even scrape the vast world of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

I recently had the chance to sit down with Skyrim for a hands-on demo, and from what I have seen, this is the game that Elder Scrolls fans have been waiting for.

Starting out, you will select a character from one of ten different races, each with their own specialties and unique traits. In addition to those options, you can customize your character’s physical appearance by adjusting nearly every possible facial trait.

It becomes immediately evident that you are playing an Elder Scrolls game from the moment you step foot in Skyrim. The look and feel of the game just screams Elder Scrolls and if you have played previous installments in the hit series, you will feel right at home here.

Graphically, Skyrim is one of the best-looking titles I have seen this year. The world is absolutely gigantic, and the level of detail is unmatched. What is wonderful about Skyrim’s world is that every single place you see on the map is accessible. If you want to climb to the top of that mountain way off in the distance, you can, and there are no additional loading times or lag.

From the vibrant flowers and rivers just outside of Whiterun (one of the game’s first cities), to the deserted corridors of the game’s many dungeons, there is never a moment where you do not feel fully immersed in Skyrim.

Combat in Skyrim is relatively similar to that of Oblivion, although the character moves much more fluidly and less awkward in third-person view than in previous titles, although first-person is still where I felt the most comfortable. The new dual-wielding system works very well, and you have the freedom to come up with deadly combinations of weapons, shields and spells.

During my three-hour playthrough, I was able to join a warrior guild called the Companions, recruit an elvish archer to come on my various quests and take on trolls (which I was unsuccessful with many, many times). Even then, I still left feeling I had not captured even one percent of what Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim will bring to the table come November.

Throughout the game, you will encounter different stone pillars that will allow you to select a “sign” to carry, and each of the three signs provides you with statistic boosts related to either magical, combat or stealth abilities. In addition to those, when leveling up your character will be able to look to the sky and select a particular attribute to enhance and select from a grid system a new ability. This allows for a great deal of choice and customization when leveling up your character.

From the limited time I had with Skyrim, I can say with confidence that this will be one of the biggest and most engrossing titles ever. The massive world, numerous side quests and the seemingly endless paths will certainly make Skyrim a game worthy of the Elder Scrolls name.

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim hits stores Nov. 11.