By Harry Mayes, Research Technician, Neuroscience
Only a select few titles have been able to maintain their long-standing player count and cultural relevance for as long as Skyrim has. Even against games with the backing of huge franchise names, such as Hogwarts Legacy and the numerous releases under the Batman brand, Skyrim’s 13 years of relevance has rarely been matched. What is it about this single-player fantasy world that has kept players coming back for more?
For those who have not yet had the fortune of entering this world, prepare yourself for a 100 percent free-roam RPG (role-playing game).
Skyrim takes you on a daring adventure of dragons, magic and werewolves. You play as the long-prophesised ‘Dragonborn’ (or ‘Dovahkiin’ in dragon tongue), on a tumultuous journey to end a mortal threat to the world; a resurrected dragon of the old times, known in the tales as ‘World-Eater’. If that wasn’t enough, you’ll have to navigate the complexities of a civil war and the numerous shady organisations with skin in the game.
Whether you choose to join a group of assassins known as the Dark Brotherhood or take out their leader, become one of the vampire lords or destroy them, you are constantly presented with moral conundrums. These plotlines are all the more effective and emotionally compelling as their resolutions have long lasting impacts on the state of the in-game world.
If you are familiar with the brutality, political complexity, and sheer grandeur of a world like the Westeros of Game of Thrones, you may already have a good idea of the unpredictability and outlandishness of the narratives that play out in Skyrim. In fact, Bethesda Game Studios, the company behind Skyrim, declined an opportunity to develop a game set in the Game of Thrones universe, instead wanting to create their own world.
Full of stunning wildlife, changing seasons, rivers, waterfalls and ice-capped mountains, Skyrim is a truly beautiful place to explore. It is also accompanied by what I would name the best soundtrack in any video game. Composed by Jeremy Soule, the award-winning, orchestral anthems never fail to capture and elevate the essence of the moment, whether I’m fishing in the lake by my manor, or murdering my foes in their sleep and stealing their sweetrolls.
Bethesda also fills their world with all manner of creatures and characters, some friendly, most less so.
Travelling companions, whether intentionally or not, bring humour to otherwise serious scenarios and a sense of friendship in what can sometimes be a solitary world. One quirky, blood-lusting jester named Cicero may join you, bringing with him all manner of comedic and provoking lines to accompany you on your travels. ‘Let’s kill someone!’ inevitably blurted out in a very serious moment, as is Cicero’s way.
Despite being a big part of any playthrough, your companions are unusual in their harmlessness in the world of Skyrim. Tree creatures called Spriggans pester you, the Ebony Warrior humbles you the moment you feel invincible. Skyrim is populated by a panoply of foes, some so stubborn that many a broken controller may be accredited to them.
Along with the decisions you make about your path through the world, players must also choose what skills, areas of combat and magic they advance meaning your character has their own unique developmental journey.
Personally, the hilarious results of spells like telekinesis and paralysis, along with my childish fantasies of being a great-wizard like Gandalf, have made it hard for me to opt for becoming anything but a mage. While I’ve always found controlling the elements to be an effective way of extinguishing my foes, other players might develop into a sneaky pickpocket, able to remove a character’s attire leaving them to walk the streets in naked ridicule. Or perhaps you have a manic obsession with cheese wheels and choose to steal them at every opportunity, filling your home with every single one in Skyrim. Whichever path you take, Skyrim never fails to facilitate and captivate.
While Bethesda did an excellent job, the modding community is without a doubt the fundamental reason Skyrim still draws hundreds of thousands of players today. Modders have, without any financial reward, increased the amount of content in this game by at least tenfold over the years. From new spells, to improved combat and, thank the gods, the ability to marry who you want; mods have kept players coming back for more. In a way, it was an early rendition of the popular format we see today in games like Fortnite and Minecraft, which constantly add new content to retain their player counts.
Realising this, in 2016, Bethesda released Skyrim: Special Edition, that gave fans direct access to mods on the game itself, allowing players across all platforms (not just PC) to customise their game to their liking. In turn, this has led to Skyrim remaining one of the most popular games of this century, despite all advances in technology since its release nearly thirteen years ago. Such is the cultural reach of Skyrim that there now walks a child, who will be nearing his teens, named ‘Dovahkiin’, whose moniker has unlocked a life-time supply of Bethesda games and merchandise.
A particular idiosyncrasy of Skyrim are its long-standing bugs. Unlike other completely broken triple-A titles, the faults in Skyrim somehow do not limit any facet of the immersion or gameplay. No, in fact these bugs add to the game’s charm and ensure your adventure will be entirely unique. Whether it’s an NPC walking off a cliff mid-dialogue, or the classic ‘It must have been the wind’ line from an enemy staring directly at you, these undeniably add to the unique charm of the Elder Scrolls universe.
Skyrim offers players an epic, unique and captivating adventure across one of the most beautiful landscapes ever seen in a video game. Infinite choices about the path you take, the foes you kill, the friends you make; whether you have played the game 100 times or never before, with mods or without, I can guarantee your path in Skyrim will never have been trodden before.
Featured image: Bethesda/ Harry Mayes
