Sometimes it’s hard to believe that Skyrim came out in 2011. I still play it today and have done since its launch (nowadays, I play it on Nintendo Switch, but I’ve also played it on PS3 / PS4 / PS5 and PC) and I know that a gazillion others do to. If they didn’t, I’m pretty sure Bethesda wouldn’t keep re-releasing it.

But why does Skyrim capture our hearts so much after so many years? And why is it that whenever I begin a new playthrough it still feels exciting?

A Vast and Immersive World

I was still discovering things in Skyrim I’d never seen before many years after my first playthrough. There’s this woman called Angi who lives in the butt-end of nowhere halfway up a mountain near Falkreath, and she’ll teach you some sweet high-level archery upgrades for free if you find her. Yeah, well I didn’t find her for at least three years. It blew my mind.

But it’s not just the random encounters that are thrilling, especially on early playthroughs. Anyone else remember reaching level 80 and running into The Ebony Warrior? Anyone else remember how unexpectedly hardcore that guy is? I do. I do.

This attention to detail and the immersive atmosphere is what clutches us tight and won’t let us go. This is why Skyrim takes up a little slice of my soul.

By today’s standards, Skyrim map isn’t anything to write home about. But its craggy terrains, sprawling vistas and atmospheric sound design make it feel like it’s the biggest map in the world. I never got into riding horses (even in the Anniversary Edition) because I prefer the long journeys on foot, where quests actually take time to complete and you feel like you’ve accomplished something. Not to mention stumbling across random bandit camps, caves, draugr-filled ruins and recently-resurrected dragons to fight and loot on the way. I get it, fast travel is useful a lot of the time, but that’s also how you miss so many wonderful details. While I’ll happily fast travel for trivial tasks, questing is always done on foot.

Freedom and Non-Linear Gameplay

Skyrim’s open-world design allows for non-linear gameplay, and if you’re going in blind it’s all too easy to get distracted from main quests. But that’s part of the charm of Skyrim: there’s so much to do that you don’t even have to play the main quest to have a fulfilling experience.

I would often get to the part where you slay your first dragon near the Western Watchtower and then go off-road for a bit, seeking out dungeons and hidden areas before even venturing to The Throat of the World. In this way Skyrim is very much the game you create for yourself and that’s incredibly freeing.

On the other hand, that lack of direction can be troublesome for those players who are easily distracted like me. It becomes overwhelming when you open your quest log and realise you’ve picked up 20,000 quests and side-quests along the way. Oops. But hey, Skyrim (clearly) isn’t going anywhere and those side-quests can be done whenever.

All The Lore and Deep Storytelling

Skyrim’s lore is vast and intricately woven, drawing from a rich history and mythology that spans all of The Elder Scrolls games, stories and other media. When you start to dig into the deeper lore, you realise that this beast is far bigger than you expected, but if you want to get lost for a few hours you can always go lore-hunting on The Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages (UESP).

There’s also The Elder Scrolls Lorecast and Written in Uncertainty if you prefer to listen to your lore.

From the dragons and their lore to the political conflicts of the region, Skyrim offers a deeply engaging narrative experience that keeps us invested in its storylines.

Customization and Character Progression

OK, I know the character creator looks a little dated now, but remember back then it was pretty damn sweet spending half an hour designing your very own Dragonborn.

Also bear in mind, nothing you make in Skyrim could ever look weirder and creepier than any character from Oblivion:

Nightmare fuel!

Nowadays when I make a new character, I get frustrated at how… odd their faces look no matter what I do. But hey-ho, I play Skyrim in first-person as intended, so it’s not like I have to look at them that often.

Back in the early days, you could reach a level-cap of 81, but patch 1.9 in 2013 effectively removed the cap, enabling players to level indefinitely. There isn’t much point levelling further than 232, at which point you’ll have unlocked all of the available perk points, but of course there were players who went higher just because they could. Because they’re gamerz.

Modding Community and Longevity

Oh man, the Skyrim modding community is incredibly vibrant and passionate. The game’s modding tools and extensive mod support have enabled players to create and share an endless array of fan-generated content. Mods range from graphics enhancements and new quests to complete overhauls of gameplay mechanics.

Back in the day I obsessively watched GameSpot’s Top 5 Skyrim Mods of the Week with Cam and Seb. The videos are still up on YouTube and I’d highly recommend them, even now. Still so sad that series ended!

Right now I’m keeping a close eye on Skyblivion, rumoured to be ready for launch around 2024 (honestly it’s like waiting for TESVI).

Fan Content

Over the years there has been a lot of Skyrim fan created content, from music videos and parodies, to fully animated series. Here are some of my old favourites:

Dan Bull – Epic Skyrim Rap (Is it sad that I know all the words by heart?)

The Senile Scribbles | Skyrim Parody (The Collection) (Animated series)

Malukah | Age of Aggression (Music cover)

Johnny Medlar | Arrow in the Knee (Parody song)

Mr Kevab | Greybeards vs. Dragon Priests and Ancient Dragon

Memorable Characters and Memorable Moments

I’ll never forget the first time I woke up in that cart on my way to Helgen (there were a few tears in my eyes back in 2011, I admit.). It’s just such a beautiful world – truly breathtaking, in places, especially back in the day.

I’ll also never forget the first time I stepped into the Halls of the Dead in Markarth and heard Eola babbling about eating flesh or some shit. And to think I hated that Namira quest line the first time around and slaughtered all of the cannibals. Eola ended up becoming one of my all-time favourite followers and to this day I still go to Markarth as soon as possible to get her.

I think these things are related to Skyrim’s enduring power: we all remember the first time we did X, or the first time we saw Y.

Like the first time we heard the booming Greybeards shout “Dovah-kiin!” after we defeated our first dragon.

Or our first Dragon Priest (I’m looking at you, Krosis, you asshole).

Excellent DLC

We were so lucky with the three DLC we got for Skyrim.

Dragonborn: Who doesn’t love an Origin Story? This is my favourite of the three DLC because it focuses on some of my favourite things in TES – the Dunmer race and lore, ancient, eldritch evils, Apocrypha and Hermaeus Mora and black books and seekers and lurchers and – and – and! All the things.

If you read my recent post about The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom (warning: spoilers) you’ll understand why I loved it so much, particularly the new zones. At times it was a major nostalgia trip .

I also loved the introduction of new dragon shouts and new dragons, new armour styles (IDK chitin armour just looks good on me), new creatures, Miraak as the first Dragonborn, and a whole new zone.

Dawnguard: Ugh, how many times have you travelled into a walled city only to be sprung upon by three vampires, and some poor hapless NPC has got involved and died during the fight? So, so many. Thankfully there are mods for that.

My absolute favourite part of Dawnguard was easily Forgotten Vale and the vast sprawling Falmer-infested caves you have to navigate to get there. Towards the end of the questline, during the Forgotten Vale part of the story, you also get some juicy Snow Elves revelations which was the best thing ever for my nerdy little brain. I also loved the Soul Cairn with its strange purple aesthetic and cool spectral horse you can acquire.

Serana became a beloved follower, too, although I noticed that I’d frequently contract Sanguinare Vampiris when fighting alongside her. Girl is a little too free and easy with her vamp magicks.

Hearthfire: This is so different from the other two and not what you’d normally expect from a DLC, but it catered to the crafters and those who enjoy roleplaying. I absolutely loved building those houses (Heljarchen Hall FTW), deciding which rooms would go where, whether or not I’d adopt children and need a kid’s room, hiring bards, stewards, and having a little pen outside for my cow and chickens (that would often die in the crossfire during bandit attacks). Ahh, good times!

Brynjolf

*cough splutter cough*

Do you have any particularly fond memories of Skyrim? Drop me a comment below. I’d love to hear from you!

Skyrim Live Action Trailer | Made by Bethesda