The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim placed the player in a northern province full of icy mountains, Viking-styled settlements, and dragon mythology, where the main character turns out to be the Dovahkiin, the Dragonborn capable of wielding the ancient magic of the Thu'um, the Shout. The conflict between the Imperial army and the rebel Stormcloaks forms the political backdrop, while the return of dragons to the world gives the main storyline an epic sweep, even though the vast majority of the content lies in side quests, factions such as the Companions, the Thieves Guild, or the Dark Brotherhood, and simple wandering through the landscape. The Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn expansions later added further quest lines, the ability to build and furnish your own house, and a trip to the island of Solstheim, known from previous entries in the series.

Bethesda simplified the character system compared to Oblivion, replacing classes with free combination of skills and introducing perk trees, which opened the game to a wider audience. Skyrim's world, from snow-covered peaks to dragon temples, is accompanied by music from Jeremy Soule, whose main theme became one of the most recognizable in game music altogether. On PC, the game was further popularized by an enormous modding scene that continues to expand its graphics, content, and mechanics far beyond the original scope, with Steam Workshop integration making mod installation easier even for less technically savvy players.

Skyrim became a phenomenon after release that transcended genre and platform, was repeatedly re-released in expanded and remastered versions, and ranks among the best-selling RPGs in history. Even with the years of hindsight, it remains for many players synonymous with the open-world fantasy RPG genre and an example of how strongly a modding community can extend the life of a single game. The game was gradually released in a remastered Special Edition and other updates that improved the graphics and brought mod support to consoles as well, keeping Skyrim in active player attention for more than a decade since its original release.

Why play it: For anyone looking for the definition of the open-world fantasy RPG, Skyrim, thanks to its remastered versions and endless modding support, remains a relevant choice even more than a decade after release.