Bethesda Game Studios - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011), 8/10

The Elder Scrolls is an odd series, encompassing a massive span of time and an impressive amount of technological, game design, and gameplay innovation. Its fifth installment, Skyrim, is a particularly odd entry in the series, representing a further shift in focus, rather than emphasizing role-playing, shifting to the action in ARPG. Its predecessor, Oblivion, made a substantial leap in this direction already, but Skyrim fully commits to this fundamental change, even bringing in heavy contemporary influence from the film adaptations of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings from the early 2000s. It is hardly the only franchise to embrace this aesthetic shift, but its popularity makes the change impossible to ignore and perhaps, theoretically, culturally terminal within video games. The influence of the series shifts from the films to Skyrim itself, creating a new focal point for comparison within the gaming industry. Skyrim also created and improved on several landmarks for ARPG roleplaying elements, such as the use-based skill system, massively increased map size (without sacrificing interaction), and, perhaps most importantly, ideal modding infrastructure which substantially lengthened the game's lifespan and relevance. While it was plagued with bugs and instability on release, the state of the game has changed drastically over time, particularly with Skyrim Special Edition and Skyrim Anniversary Edition. While the sale of Special Edition was perhaps necessary to make the game more accessible and stable, the Anniversary Edition is largely unnecessary and exists as a cash-grab more than a value-add release. Bethesda now fully realizes and recognizes the success of the installment, resting on its laurels for decades past its release, particularly with additional releases, but additionally with the lack of urgency in sequel production.

The base game offers more than enough content to enjoy - for hundreds (or even thousands) of hours - but the addition of DLC (Hearthfire, Dawnguard, and Dragonborn) add many more opportunities for additional story and immersion. Hearthfire particularly capitalizes on many players' immersive interest in homesteading gameplay, paralleling the then re-emerging simulation genre. The Dawnguard and Dragonborn DLCs offer better stories than Skyrim's main quest line, but perhaps not equal to the more interesting side quests from the main game. This is where Skyrim, and every Elder Scrolls installment since Daggerfall (Elder Scrolls II), stands out: in the unscheduled, unprompted, happenstance side quests. In the “living world” format of the series, random encounters, NPCS, and landscapes can be just as - or likely more - exciting than scripted scenes or quests. This is just as true for the role-playing systems that support the gameplay, like smithing, alchemy, or the schools of magic, where the interplay of skill-based leveling brings meaning to all tasks and encounters, not just those driven by story progression (true of any worthwhile role-playing experience). The role-playing action is where Skyrim separates itself from its contemporaries, and predecessors, however. The convergence of these systems with fluid combat, designed to intentionally guide players through well-paced dungeons or well-crafted environments (small worlds), creates the satisfying tension/payoff that the game is famous for. This is exemplified by one of the game’s high points in “Blackreach”, a sprawling underworld that bridges many of the game’s ongoing stories and quests in a satisfyingly unique ecosystem. While the gameplay does not have the depth of RPGs from other subgenres or older iterations, it has impressive breadth, and its innovation in the action genre is unmistakable, marking a turning point for ARPGS that would be felt for many years. All of these strengths are only amplified by the modding community. Players have morphed Skyrim into an altogether new product, offering a fully customizable experience that can vary wildly from player to player, and now with the implementation of tools like Wabbajack, a program that allows players to install preformed mod packs, the ease of modding makes these incredible experiences more realistic and practical than ever. Still, the “out of the box” iteration of Skyrim (including the many subsequent re-releases) is very different than the mod-heavy reality that players now experience, and while it is more than worthy of exploring, it has evolved to become an entirely new game many years later.