Why I Still Play Skyrim Six Years Later

For those who are unaware of the video game world, one particular title called “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” came out on November 11, 2011. Like the other games in the Elder Scrolls series, Skyrim is an open-world RPG, or role playing game, where you can build a character and play the game the way you find most enjoyable.  

I unexpectedly got Skyrim for Christmas in 2011 for my Xbox 360. Without any knowledge of the RPG genre, I began my journey in Skyrim incredibly clueless.

For the past year since the release of Skyrim’s 2016 remaster, which is far more stable and better looking than the original game, I have been playing off and on. Mods are free add-ons or quality of life improvements made by people not associated with the original developers of the game. Most mods improve the quality of the game immensely: some change the mechanics of the game and others add new content. One particular mod, called Beyond Skyrim, is a large project with the goal of expanding Skyrim’s world beyond its borders, bringing lands that were featured in other Elder Scrolls games.With how large the community is and with how many mods are available, mods are some of the few reasons why I still play Skyrim six years later.

Another reason is the backstory or the lore of the Elder Scrolls series. I have found new ways on how to play the game based on the Elder Scrolls universe and lore, which I have found to be more fun and immersive. Even more, I managed to find a YouTube channel that releases Skyrim builds and play styles every week. This has helped me explore possible playstyles that I might want to try out in the future.

These two things were not available or known to me at the time that Skyrim first released, so this has made playing the game today new, refreshing, and more enjoyable. For those who play video games and have not played Skyrim at all in the past six years, I highly suggest you do. If you do/do not use mods or follow Elder Scrolls Lore, I guarantee that you’ll probably have a lot of fun no matter how you play.