Players fell in love with the vast landscapes of Skyrim almost a decade ago and many have never left – there is just so much to do and see. It’s also a great introduction to the series and open-world RPGs in general.
While the main objective of the game is good – you kill dragons, travel to the lands of the dead, and get into a brutal civil war – you can play as you like. There’s just so much to do in this huge open-world role-playing game: discover unique sights, take on countless side quests and acquire ancient artifacts.
Players create their own unique characters and then slowly specialize their skills as they progress. You can be a lithe wood elf assassin, a magical humanoid cat, or even a Nordic cheese collector. You can venture into the cold mountains in search of vampires, build your own home and virtual family, join the ranks of renowned guilds, and much more. This may sound like too much freedom to inexperienced gamers, but don’t let Skyrim’s openness put you off; it’s actually quite forgiving.
While some old-school RPG fans are skeptical of Skyrim’s streamlined gameplay systems, they’re perfect for new players: skills, gear, and other menus are snappy and easy to use; a quest log tracks your progress; and a compass on the screen marks destinations and points of interest. There’s also a Combat Difficulty slider that allows you to refine the level of challenge and options for playing in the first person or third person perspective.
Available on: Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam, Microsoft Store), PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X / S. (Original version also available on Xbox 360 and PS3)
