Why is There no Other Game Like Skyrim?

[@chromerot]

feel like tossing a few coins my way? www.patreon.com/chromerot wow youtube compression really didn't do this one any favors first upload in about 3 years, hi wanted to make this video because I miss being able to get lost in a game, looking up youtube videos about it and discovering tons of hidden secrets. been a while since a game felt so vast and full of content.

[@Y0PPS]

You're my favorite video ese

[@chromerot]

@@Y0PPS yes im video ese

[@SubconsciousLight]

oooh sht u have no idea how much i enjoyed video, thank you!

[@jacobpinson2834]

The witness does that for people who like puzzle games, but doesn't have the thing you mention skyrim having where if you aren't a nerd for the genre you can still enjoy it (which I think you can do with the witness but people who aren't into puzzle games often don't know how to manage when and what to look up with the witness)

[@Y0PPS]

@@jacobpinson2834 I really enjoyed my time with the witness. Totally understand your point though!

[@chandyboi2976]

The best thing about skyrim is the music! Just walking around at night in a forest to the ambience is an experience by itself.

[@andrelopes4988]

Then the "Secunda" song hits...

[@moonknight1331]

True! My favourite one is "Far Horizons"

[@lolitaras22]

One of the game music ever made

[@luischufox4650]

@@lolitaras22 fr

[@Pumkin932]

I cannot say how many times I have listened to some of the Skyrim Music and Ambience on here before bed or throughout the day. Check out the rainy tavern or rainy night ones. So good.

[@TheSleepiestPlurals]

a big reason why Skyrim works is its consistency in tone. I heard an interview where Todd Howard explained that his entire job during skyrim was going to different departments and writers and making sure the tone stays consistent throughout. The result is everything in Skyrim feels like it belongs in Skyrim, from the voice acting to the side quests to the visual design of every single object, it all just feels cohesive and consistent

[@hazardeur]

and i love the guy for making sure it got done like that. i understand why many people dislike him and/or bethesdays tactics but it doesn't matter to me. He was a part of skyrim development and that means he's a legend in my book.

[@TheSleepiestPlurals]

@Dagoth Ur I do like the Skyrim aesthetic a lot. I also feel like vanilla skyrim, before special edition, really achieved this sort of "cold" feeling visually, with crisp yet washed out colors. It really made you feel like you were hiking in the alps or something. I would often put warmer clothes on my character just cause the visuals almost made me shiver XD

[@jacquelinehutchinson-farre8275]

This is a big thing for me. One of my favorite RPGs is Kingdom Come: Deliverance. Most of the voice acting is phenomenal, but there’s just too many characters who lack consistent pronunciation of other characters names. For instance, I had to spend an entire questline listening to some guy pronounce “Pope Pius” as “Pope Pee-us.” Hilarious, but immersion-destroying

[@antipianist8652]

Bravo! Consistency in tone!

[@derek3708]

@@jacquelinehutchinson-farre8275 was it meant to be that way? Even in the rw, tons of people mispronounce names

[@pratikn60]

To put it simply, the game feels like it has a soul. It's janky, it has a ton of issues but all of that feels insignificant when you're actually playing it.

[@graalcloud]

I don't really think it feels like that though. Maybe it's just me, but the game was boring and uninspired, and I couldn't suspend my disbelief of the fantasy world because the art design was on the poor side--for instance I thought the dragons looked kind of stupid.

[@bennyweimer2345]

@@graalcloud mods ma dude (assuming you have a decent pc)

[@youtubesbichasspolicys5888]

Everyone shits on wow as well for stupid reasons but for what it is and how much content and Easter eggs are in it is never ending. Did you notice the prisoner running away at the start of Skyrim always gets hit in the knee by the arrow?

[@Lightmakerslife]

Need this on stadia like frfr

[@copyninja8756]

@@youtubesbichasspolicys5888 no

[@trevormason3825]

I am 31, I had Morrowind, I had Oblivion and fell in love with it, but when Skyrim came out, I played it so so so so so much. Now, 11 years later, I still play it, on every system I have. It is still the greatest game ever made, here in April 2023

[@musestarlight1]

Agreed brother 💯 the perfect game to get lost in

[@sashank224]

Man transdented higher than love. Nostalgia now. Magical then. Skyrim touches soul.

[@LueBeckham]

I was in 8th grade when it came out. I remember how fascinated I was watching my older brother play and inevitably starting a file myself. Now at 25 I started a new file a couple of weeks ago, and can attest the magic never leaves. Playing a two handed file for the first time and loving it lol

[@Dutchy4564]

​@@musestarlight1it's hit or miss. For me it hit like a truck

[@frederiklarsen1494]

Yes, but the only issue I can complain about, is the bug that causes you to always end up as a sneak character (in the long run)

[@shapescolours8105]

Skyrim has always made me feel nostalgic for a life I never had.

[@lucapasini3392]

Thanks for putting into words what the game means to me.

[@totallyfackedmate]

fr

[@b1bbscraz3y]

Elden Ring better

[@thomasnicholson2580]

Everytime I play❤

[@totallyfackedmate]

@@b1bbscraz3y considering skyrim was released 2011.. uh?

[@melma2753]

That magical moment, when you escape Alduin and make it out of Helgen, and look up at the open world of Skyrim for the very first time.... Man, it still gives me goosebumps to think about. Over 10 years later and i have 4000+ hours played. What i wouldnt give to experience it all over again, for the first time.

[@hazardeur]

simply magical. have played since it came out and never can stray too long from it. When I do, it always feels like i'm visiting my distant relatives when i come back lol

[@DrRodox.]

I never played it. The question that keeps coming to my head is: Maybe playing now a game that is that old will not give me the same experience that it would have if i've played it when it appears, you know? Its like Uncharted, i played all 4 in a roll last year. It was undeniable that the newer realeased i played, the better it got. With the uncharted 4 being one of the best games i've ever played in my life.

[@mixofgamez1724]

@@DrRodox. only one way to find out give it a try especially with the new dlc that they added to it over the years. The game is has it glitches but for the time and consoles that it was made for the game is a master piece.

[@kingshawukee]

@@DrRodox. I recommend playing it 👍

[@meowcat5596]

It's not that good

[@vmedei]

"There is something missing when a RPG dosent allow me to be a thief". That is absolutely true

[@bushmanphotos]

it is the one aspect I hate the most and I never do it but that's just me

[@kemp3746]

@@bushmanphotoshow can u hate thieves guild and being able to steal everything?

[@Seydrey]

That's true, that's what I don't like about ghost of tsushima, because it's 'not supposed to be playes like that'

[@raghudurina2354]

Thats why I love kingdom come

[@Cangaca777]

The only bad thing about Skyrim is Bethesda... they kinda killed their own products..

[@cassynedelisky796]

Skyrim was the first video game that I played as an adult. It was magical to me. I’ve never gotten so lost in a world before.

[@mralias225]

this. exactly because the game doesnt tell you to do this or do that, it just says play it

[@ThePreciousSalad]

I envy you and feel bad for you at the same time. Having Skyrim be your first game played has gotta be such an unbeatable experience, yet also must ruin every other video game for you now 😅

[@dandewizzle2479]

I think Jeremy Soule's music is a huge part of why this game is so unique...the soundtrack in this game melds so perfectly with the tone, atmosphere, and setting of Skyrim that it would not be the same game without it. I love this soundtrack, one of my all time favorites, and one of my favorite memories of playing this game was exploring the tundra on the way to find Red Eagle's sword, and the music had this forlorn, sad choir playing in the background, and for some reason it just stuck with me

[@AA-sw5pb]

I mean you bassically same that same thing about oblivion and morrowind

[@iOmgTom]

Jeremy Soule is the goat. Was first introduced to his music through the original guild wars.

[@toddfrombethesda6963]

@@iOmgTom to bad he’s a fuckwit scammer. Honestly the guy who’s doing the ESO I believe will do a sufficient job living up to Jeremy’s standards.

[@ianvance1647]

tbh, as someone who got into gaming in 1987 but didn't play from 2006-2018, Skyrim feels really dated and not very fun... but the music is incredible. I play the game just so I can listen to the soundtrack in the background while doing checklist stuff and engaging in super awkward combat.

[@dt5690]

Jeremy's music woked wonders in Guild Wars as well. Such an amazing composer.

[@caterinapas3386]

describing combat in skyrim as fighting in a dream is literally perfect, it's what i've always felt like but couldn't put into words

[@Krondon-SSR]

It was also cool to learn that Bethesda makes the soundtrack first so the artist get the feeling of the game while creating

[@cjgreen4331]

that's extremely interesting, that just makes me like the game more

[@djoeneh]

Isn’t he in jail for unwanted snoo snoo?

[@Krondon-SSR]

@@djoeneh every artist and dev at Bethesda?

[@GoinAllOut]

Incredible

[@jasonfurumetarualkemisto5917]

@@djoeneh He just got accused and nothing came of it. I'm pretty sure it was just a fake me-too moment. Especially since the lady who accused him stated in said accusation that she asked him how he gets inspired to make his music (it's weird and sexual but it's not exactly sexual assault)

[@techniek3422]

Yes man the ambience in this game is next level. Jeremy Soule's soundtrack was so otherworldly influential for me, that it's the reason I started learning an instrument (piano) almost solely because of it.

[@georgie9303]

Too bad he was a sexual harasser

[@DM-nw5lu]

@georgie9303 Yeah.. I sometimes forget about it while playing and just get lost in the atmosphere.. then I remember and lose some of my faith in humanity. How can someone who creates such beauty be such a piece of absolute garbage? I even taught myself some of the Oblivion (first TES I played) soundtrack on piano.. haven't played them in years. Just feels off.

[@S0L12D3]

@@DM-nw5luget over it. Or you won’t enjoy anything in life. It’s all lies

[@DM-nw5lu]

@@S0L12D3 I have certain moral principles I like adhering to. So no, thank you. I won't "get over it". Sexual assault and abuse of authority are things I do not tolerate. The women that came forwards against this POS had literally nothing to gain from it. They did not ask for money. They just wanted the truth to be out there. So there's not a single reason for me to assume they were lying.

[@S0L12D3]

@@DM-nw5lu you might as well get used to it. Literally every single majorly production (film, game, etc..) they were all made at least partly by creeps. Name and of your favorite shows or movies and I can easily point out a sex offender or someone who did something illegal

[@xerosereify]

One little magical thing I love about skyrim is that you can just feel the little parts of it where an individual developers has had fun. Like you climb a mountain and find a generic skeleton with a love letter, a carrot, and an iron axe that has been renamed Bobs Axe in its inventory, with the whole scene having zero connections whatsoever to any actual quest. You can just tell someone who had the job of set dressing has been having fun spinning their own private story and it just feels very magical.

[@caspra]

Something I came across the other day was a dead guy who was clearly crushed to death by a fallen tree… they named him Lucky Lorenz

[@xR3trospec]

@@caspra yes near the abandoned prison and it’s very ironic they named him “lucky”

[@byronwolf8692]

I also love how they add clever jokes here and there, predicting what the player was gonna do or what they have done already. Or when you do something that's common in a game but would be questioned in real life. Like running towards a guard with swords out, normal games probably wouldn't care, but in skyrim the guard would say, "running at a guard with swords out, may make me a little jumpy" or quirky things like that.

[@Dabombster342]

@@caspra wow, I was gonna say that exact moment

[@Dabombster342]

@@byronwolf8692 I REALLY loved the little things that guards would say, it really brought them to life where as in other game the guards are just there to do a job and nothing else. such as when you're good at certain kinds of magic, they might say "maybe you could conjured me up a warm bed and some mead" or just "careful with those flames" such a small and simple thing really adds so much.

[@jasongreen6826]

I’ve replayed Skyrim like 10 times and every time I think I won’t be able to get back into it and I always end up clearing every quest line, it’s truly something else

[@sgt.lincolnosiris4111]

I'm on my 6th play thru and FINALLY got the windhelm house 😎

[@msihcs8171]

@@sgt.lincolnosiris4111 I played the game at launch and quite a few times since, on my last playthrough I felt like a God even after cranking the difficulty up, I took it slow and did the quests right rather than my usual power level and quick travel everywhere so my character could one shot everything except a dragon (and a giant sometimes took 2 arrows)

[@yngsl5498]

@@sgt.lincolnosiris4111 there’s a house in Windhelm!?

[@geehammer1511]

@@yngsl5498 yeah almost every "city" in the game has a house we can get, not sure how you get the Windhelm house. Winterhold might be the only one where we don't get a house.

[@Wft-bu5zc]

With most other games I have to take years long breaks before I'm able to get back into them again. With Skyrim it's only a few months. I'm able to get addicted again just a few months after my last playthrough. I can't figure out quite why, but I think it's the immersion and freedom that the game offers to do whatever you want. Also mods expand that even more.

[@rmortimer81]

The fact that I played this game for hundreds of hours and now both of my kids who are now late teens, have played many times over shows how enduring and relevant this game is

[@call_me_mado5987]

Damn man, nice, you have cultured kids xd

[@j.vincent3801]

Wholesome

[@ejokurirulezz]

not really, people play games for thousands of hours, doesn't mean they're good games. it's called lack of experience. not experience of something good.

[@Matty002]

​@@ejokurirulezz your first statement is true but your second is illogical. if it was true logically nobody would know if something was good or not because we arent born experienced. youre basically saying i cant know i think chocolate is amazing because i didnt know what it tastes like before i ever had it

[@SpaceHCowboy]

​@@ejokurirulezzand people also have opinions.

[@HenrikoMagnifico]

It's the ambience that really sells it for me. The music, the art direction, the lighting. It's all amazing

[@claycollins9852]

I was born in 78. I played all the elder scrolls games. I wore out Morrowind. I played the hell out of Oblivion. But Skyrim, whole another level. Skyrim is my favorite game ever.

[@makaiokalahama]

I was born in 88, but Morrowind is still my favourite of the series.

[@Tia-Louisa]

I'm 78 too. Remember 007 and Diablo back in the day lol. Graphics have come a long way.

[@chaselane8034]

I dare say Morrowind was the best in many ways. Im only 23

[@bounty_hunter19]

BEST COMMENT EVER

[@StukkoChonies]

I was born on 93, Morrowind was on original Xbox when I was a kid and blew my mind away. It was different than all those original Xbox games. Bethesda really has a formula and they have for a long time.

[@cottoncandyaddict]

I started playing when my oldest son was a toddler. Do you know how cool it is all these years later to watch all my sons play Skyrim and do their own things their own way? We each have our own Skyrim, mine is on the Switch for Mom-convenience, my middle kid uses a PS4 and my oldest has a PC. It was cute the first time I heard “I’m going to be a stealth archer!” and “Should I join the Companions?” And of course my oldest got into all the mods and overhauled the game just to see, whereas I like to play as vanilla and basic as possible lol. It’s just such a playable and immersive game, even my youngest will sit next to me for an hour straight just watching me run around trying to find all the locations I can to fill out the map. It’s truly my favorite game of all time just because of the years of memories it gave me and my kids

[@DrBell-gi7bf]

I literally just left a comment about how this game is trans-generational. Long live Skyrim

[@quothh3631]

adorable

[@delyseonduty]

This is so wholesome

[@thalmoragent9344]

This definitely sounds like a great time, amazing experience for you guys 👍🏾

[@Coronaboii88]

That’s dope! Life goals for sure 💪🏽💯

[@SoloReacTalk]

In the era of modern gaming in full effect, I find myself lost unfulfilled and sad. I cry running back into the warm embrace of my family games Mass Effect Dragon Age and Skyrim. Money destroys passion money destroys risk money destroys dreams and yet we need money to make games.

[@karanicole2999]

the holy trinity of RPGs

[@paigeguitarplayer]

Truth im glad i can keep skyrim on my ps5 and ps4 forever this is the best game ever made in my opinion. This game influenced alot of games this game came out my senior year in high school i played it on ps3 and it lagged so badly haha but put 150 hours into it and loved it

[@Newname6789]

fallout 4

[@deity6569]

sad reality of gaming 😭

[@Orteguh]

We need to support the low budget games that have heart instead of buying Ubisofts and EAs games every year they don’t care about gamers experience they care about how much money they make and sadly most gamers can’t see that and buy an unfinished madden and cod every year.

[@imp8453]

to this day, there are areas that i haven't gone to in Skyrim since 2011-2014 and i still actively play Skyrim at least once a month. its the weirdest feeling to have moved out, grown into an adult and to go into a place i haven't been in over a decade. it always makes me feel like I walked into my childhood home.

[@GlennDierick]

So many open world games have no exploration music nowadays. Music is one of the most crucial aspects in creating a feeling. That’s why Assassin’s Creed 2 is still considered the best in the series. Music gives meaning to what you are doing in an open world. If there’s no music, it feels like work, scratching off bullet points. Skyrim doesn’t feel like work. Skyrim feels like an interactive epic thanks to Jeremy Soule. Great video, by the way!

[@Nietsewitch]

the mans contribution to this world with his music is although recognized still not appreciated as it should be

[@SmartestRick13]

Dark souls pulled off the no music thing. Only a couple of boss fights have music and firelink shrine has music too. Works well for that game though due to the main focus being to make the player feel lonely and hopeless

[@m0zzar353]

@@SmartestRick13 i was about to mention dark souls too

[@kmgenius]

Personally I thought assassin's creed odyssey had the best soundtrack of those games, plus the visuals are stunning

[@downtownboyvt]

@@kmgenius I thought all AC games are like that. I loved the historic locations and legends they have in those games, too. Well except for AC 3 because...ya know

[@Gravy_moat]

They took everything someone could possibly want in a medieval fantasy game and gave it to us. Every time I thought I was bored I stumbled upon something else crazy to do or a new place.

[@VidanoMano]

The game just feels truly free. You can do basically whatever you want, and with an exception of the 'main' questline, you are not forced to do ANYTHING. You can get lost for hours doing the nost basic shit, because the atmosphere is fantastic.

[@KeepCalmCapybara]

Yes! That's why every time I start a new play, I usually go to lv 40 easily without even going to see the Greybeards, and the fun thing about it is that you do not feel obligated to go to see them. I just go exploring and leveling up, and that's pretty fun. You don't feel the necessity to advance the quests.

[@guruthosamarthruin4459]

True. I've actually done a playthrough as a hunter/gatherer, who simply wandered around killing animals and harvesting plants, then selling it all to earn enough money to buy a house. That was my WHOLE playthrough.

[@MyFavoriteSportsballTeam]

Not to mention the depth of playstyles with their leveling system. Back in 2011, it was a big deal that simply doing things would increase your skills. It really gives the character progression a personal feel, and just adds even more to the freedom that skyrim is known for.

[@johnny_roots]

Exactly! One of my coolests playthroughs was when I role-played a lumberjack living in halfmoon mill. It's such a pretty location to live, between a forest and a lake. I would chop wood, swim, hunt and gather, then sell stuff either in Falkreath or Riverwood. The house is not tiny but small enough to feel cozy. It was just perfect 😍 (If you kill the vampires and wait for la certain amount of days, the house ownership changes so you can sleep on the bed)

[@cosmicpanda7043]

@@MyFavoriteSportsballTeam None of that is true. The bareness of it's progression is only outdone by Ubisoft games. No aspect of character building really changes how you play the game; its the same interaction with a different coat of paint. Nor are you ever forced to actually roleplay, as you can pretty much do everything in one playthrough. The progression amounts to just ticking off check boxes as you walk through the same game experience every one else has. I do love Skyrim, but it was not revolutionary and is not a very good RPG

[@charlessandgren8646]

One of the reason that the feeling of playing Skyrim stands out from any other game I’ve played, is the fact that I literally feel like I’m IN the world walking around and experiencing everything as me. The dynamic landscape, the camera and the ambience makes me feel like I’m ACTUALLY inside the tv lol, and every adventure I actually experienced for real. The freedom of the world keeps me surprised and laugh and get scared like it was almost real life moments. When I played games like DA afterwards (which I also love btw) I don’t get that in the same way, I always remember I’m more so still just playing a game thats pre-planned and limited to some degree.

[@tacoblude8208]

It feels like a distant memory. Like you are having visions of a past life, not just playing a game.

[@AeonsAlex.]

I have a lot of criticisms about Skyrim, but it's one of the few games that I will consistently come back to over and over, and definitely in my top 5 games of all time. I think mods do a lot for giving the game it's longevity but yeah, I can't deny that my first 500 hours were base game and I loved every minute. Great vid as always my man, I can tell you've worked hard on this and it really paid off. I hope you blow up, you deserve it, you have a great sense of humour. Guess I'm gonna go reinstall Skyrim.

[@chromerot]

yeah it's definitely far from a perfect game but it nails some things that very few other games do. thanks for still being around and watching my man! enjoy your next playthrough ;)

[@AeonsAlex.]

@@chromerot I shared your video on Twitter but considering I have 10 followers, one of which is you, I might as well have shouted out my window

[@chromerot]

@@AeonsAlex. lmfao it's cool dude appreciate the effort 🤣

[@zaidlacksalastname4905]

Nice pfp

[@roswellxo9214]

Get this, ive only ever played base Skyrim.

[@M4gicMark]

I remember when in my first playthrough of Skyrim back in 2012, I thought the wait feature was how you saved the game so the first time I did it, I had to calculate with my 11 year old brain how many hours I’d sleep and then wake up so the game wouldn’t start without me.

[@chromerot]

this is the silliest and most wholesome thing i've ever read

[@uncrnsprklfrts5720]

Ok... That is ridiculously adorable and sweet!!! Bless your 11 year old self, he was trying!

[@flamestriderb3123]

That's one innocent and adorable story I heard in a long time .

[@ViktoriousDead]

What?

[@cmainenike8128]

I like turtles

[@ijwd424]

Skyrim helped me through a whole lot of childhood trauma, narcissistic family members, undiagnosed childhood depression and intense loneliness. I don't game as much anymore as my mental health is much better and I have a lot more hobbies and work nowadays (same as you, I dreamed of having my own computer for so long and when I finally got it I stopped caring much for games). However, I still struggle with periods of depression, especially during the winter, and one of the things that help me feel a lot better? Playing Skyrim. I've played this game since 2012 and I'm still in love with it. Sometimes during winter when I'm struggling with my mental health really bad and the world around me is cold and dark, I jump into the game and wander around Whiterun and Falkreath for a bit. Hell, listening to the soundtrack can even make me homesick. Yes, it is a bit boring at times but there are still a few quests I haven't done yet, easter eggs I've never found and I've just started adding a few mods (mostly for weather and texture but a few with extra quests) which definitely helps replaying the game again. I'm scared I've put too high expectations in the coming Elder Scrolls game but the news about it has helped rekindle the gamer in me lol

[@williamgregg6339]

I hope your doing good. I've heard lots of people say what you said about Skyrim.

[@brandonh.6956]

I totally get your pain when it comes to Narcissistic family member as my parents are and really mad my life a living hell back then but when Skyrim came out I got completely lost in it for months on end so much so that it was the only thing I thought about it all day everyday. Now I'm saying it was healthy but it sure helped me theough some really bad times good to know that someone else feels the same :)

[@ijwd424]

@@williamgregg6339 thank you!! I'm doing much better now :)

[@ijwd424]

@@brandonh.6956 You'll get through this!!

[@doubleyouwes]

I have a stronger connection with places and people in Skyrim than I do with most places and people in real life

[@HeadPwnerful]

11.11.2011, just got home from school and my bro just bought skyrim. Just watching him play the game hypnotized me. Then I snuck at night to play it and I swear to god that moment truly change my life. 14 years later and I have 3 tattos relate to elder scrolls lore 😆

[@anormalguy8407]

I think people just love going on an adventure, exploring, fighting, experience things. Skyrim also gives you choice, allot of choice. Games like Terraria do the same thing

[@andermolk2428]

Minecraft too

[@StNashable]

Agree. I like the no class system.

[@benoliver5593]

funny how those choices (to me) in skyrim usually depend if i use magic or a blade to end your life

[@silverscalederg8632]

What choices do they give you that's actually meaningful? i'd love if they gave a choice to side with dragons...considering you're playing as "dragonBORN"

[@MrAustyn88]

@@silverscalederg8632 The dragons want to destroy the world. Siding with them would have massive implications on the lore of the franchise for games to come.

[@jostiontr4630]

14th of november, 2011, I was waiting in line to buy the new Elder Scrolls game. The excitement was just rushing through me and as soon as I bought it, I ran home to play it. As a massive Lord of the Rings fan I was amazed by this game. The music, the secrets, the random encounters with every kind of creature you could ever imagine. Today I was cleaning my room, and found my old PlayStation 3. I connected it on my TV and it still works. I started Skyrim and found my old account. An Orc, level 61 with full daedric armor and an enchanted daedric war axe. I just took a walk down Riverwood, Whiterun, visiting the college of WInterhold. And just enjoying walking in a world of fantasy. After playing i just started watching some Skyrim video's and i stumbled upon this one. I just had to leave this comment. Thank you for making this awesome, funny, relatable video.

[@chromerot]

i feel this comment, this is a game that left a permanent mark on a lot of people's lives and it will always remind us of those good times. glad you enjoyed!

[@josecarioca8785]

This game feels like home to me. It was one of the very first game I played, back when I didn't even understand english yet. I learned most of it in Tamriel, and explored so much of it's corners that the whole world now feels familiar and strangely cozy. It's been a while since I played it for the last time, about 2 years I think, but I'll definetly pick it up again one day.

[@RiGrêmioNetoo]

Sopa de macaco uma delícia

[@sirprawiebezgowynic5545]

Too Relatable friend :) Psst I know who you are! Hail Sithis!

[@BananaNutCream]

I still go back to it

[@colemacgrath2005]

@@RiGrêmioNetoo mama aqui

[@ConnorTCmT]

Okay now that is cool! Good on you bro

[@MrYorchns]

This game changed my life. I don’t recall getting so invested in a fantasy world like Skyrim.

[@lukefender94]

I am so happy that Elden Ring was such a massive success, because it can show to a lot of gaming company executives, that creating a large scale single player RPG can be very profitable

[@joshuawaugh300]

Indeed

[@burgermind802]

Not as profitable as games with season passes and micro transactions

[@piss57]

as long as those companies release a FINISHED game, not having cut content that is later on released as a dlc for the extra $, sure it could be successful. These days, however, it's a rarity for a company to not release a game that has some sort of a season pass or micro transaction

[@Metaphix]

@@burgermind802 Unless the game is shit and no one wants to buy your microtransactions like the issues Ubisoft is running into with shit games like Ghost Recon Breakpoint

[@kapilr.4768]

It was success because all other games were shit 🤣, more like a pile a shit.

[@Sickliff]

Came in expecting to feel good about Skyrim, came out feeling depressed about the state of the industry. For real though, you make some good points. The game is simply a wonderful foundation to build on. Whether that be with stories, mods, challenges, the player creates their journey on the backbone of a lively world.

[@SuperBallani]

This video is so refreshing, i was wondering why every essay about Skyrim that i see is either negative or really nitpicky when it's very clearly one of the most beloved game ever. I'm glad to see that there is Skyrim lover ready to talk as much as the other.

[@chromerot]

you know i had to do it to em 😎😎😎

[@Incurafy]

Something being popular doesn't make it good.

[@TheoneGabsta]

Its weird. Is Skyrim my favorite game? No, it's not even my favorite Elder Scrolls game. Is it the game I've sunk the most time into? By a long shot.

[@lordthruxawe504]

@@Incurafy that's true. I think Skyrim is a good game (made amazing with mods) but I actually preferred oblivion over Skyrim. I have no idea whether this is true, but I think for a lot of people their first expansive open world RPG was Skyrim, so for them it was a really impressive game. For me, oblivion had more character and I found the world more compelling, and I don't think Skyrim improved enough mechanically/gameplay wise. It still had pretty much the same clunky combat as oblivion but with dual wielding and shouts. Imo when they make the next elder scrolls game I hope they add more elements to the gameplay to make combat more fun. That's the main thing I think TES needs.

[@slinkyslink5161]

@@lordthruxawe504 "I think for a lot of people their first expansive open world RPG was Skyrim, so for them it was a really impressive game." This is exactly the reason. I remember in middle school, hearing kids say "when is Skyrim 2?" and "have you played Elder Scroll?" They didnt even know Elder Scrolls is a series that has been around for a while. The fact is that open world rpgs weren't exposed to mainstream audiences very much until Skyrim, so it was groundbreaking for all these people who had only played games like COD, Madden, GTA, or FIFA up until this point. Yet to people who were already familiar with the series, skyrim was a marginal improvement at best.

[@googly311]

Not to mention, this game got me through the past decade. I get transported to another world when I play this game

[@googly311]

@@UlfhednarAxe not quite like Skyrim did, cool guy.

[@Ayawokayy]

Crazy how you didn’t mention the random encounters which makes every new character you start unique, they keep you interested in the world and make it feel truly alive, I have seen a dragon fighting a giant with 3 Sabre cats and a group of bandits.

[@AntonioGonzalez-ht5ck]

Amazing and ground breaking, a rpg with random encounters? Fucking mind blown

[@respectableindividual4593]

​@@AntonioGonzalez-ht5ckme when im annoying:

[@nawyuhuurd8519]

​@@AntonioGonzalez-ht5ckme when im absolutely fucking miserable

[@coleG112]

The only other game I was able to have a similar set of “wildlife encounters” like Skyrim was Horizon Zero Dawn. I don’t mean that as “no one else does it” but only because I will never forget with I had two Thunderjaws fighting each other because I possessed one of them.

[@Lofirainbows]

It ruins the immersion, taking me out of it, not inhabiting it they're very played out; sane outcome everytime

[@poptartgalaxy2064]

Finally, a Skyrim video that doesn't sht on Skyrim

[@chromerot]

lmao right?

[@elanlynn5973]

Srsly just don’t watch those zoomer youtubers plz, for I know, all the normal brain size content creators all appreciate Skyrim.

[@chromerot]

bro zoomers love everything it's the fkn milennials trying to sound smart

[@Armoredcody]

@@chromerot fr

[@kimhyunwoo8983]

To me Skyrim will always be a great game base but when you start to look beneath the surface is when it becomes bad, but IMO with how prevalent mods are in Skyrim I consider them to be base game content at this point, so to me Skyrim is a great game with the only caveat being mods become a must for myself and most players. I know there are other games with mods but I don’t think there is a single other game with as many mods or as much mod capability.

[@thedarkdojo5115]

It's the game that refuses to die... A truly timeless game, that I've spent thousands of hours playing, even before mods...

[@williamgregg6339]

The game never gets old.

[@blitzball4lyfe823]

@@williamgregg6339 for real! I don’t have a home console anymore but have a Switch and Skyrim was first on my list and started another playthrough! Cannot get enough!

[@williamgregg6339]

@@blitzball4lyfe823 - ​ @Kenneth Browning - I have a pc and a bunch of older consoles. I bought it for PS3 because it was a couple dollars. I put the disc in to see if it worked. I ended up playing it for hours. It didn't matter that I have it on pc and PS4 which are better versions than the original PS3. I just kept playing the PS3 copy. Lol. It must be perfect for the switch since you can bring it with you and play it anywhere. I wanted to get a switch when they started getting older games for it.

[@DrBell-gi7bf]

10+ years of relevancy puts it into the trans-generational category. It's basically the Ocarina of Time of our era. This is a game that will be played until humans are no longer on the face of the earth.

[@wisewizard9552]

My very memorable moment of Skyrim was seeing the inside of Tower of Mzark. With all the spining mechanisms and the control pannel. I was so mesmerized by that!

[@KaioKenneth4]

One of my favorite things about Skyrim is that everybody experiences it differently. While many use Whiterun for shopping due to nostalgia and convenience, I’ve always preferred Riften. Just from this video it seems that your favorite is Markarth.

[@chromerot]

for sure, I didn't even want to record in whiterun cause it's so familiar to everyone. you're right markarth is my fav ;)

[@Nicolo-ue9xu]

Yeah, riften is best. A shady town where you escape from your family house in whiterun... Oh wait that is just me

[@ItsAMalkavianThing]

I didn't mind Riften on pc but on console I avoid it like the plague !

[@wadesworld6250]

10 years and I still can't find my way around Markarth.

[@hhaaddiizzffaarr]

now that you put it that way damn, my favorite is solitude, I remember saving up all my gold just to buy a house there. I would roam around just trying to complete all the quests I can in that city. Something about the song and the atmosphere there made me feel special.

[@B-A-L]

One thing I love about Skyrim is that it's a game that I can play for hours on end but then put it down and not play it for weeks because of other games getting in the way and then pick it up again and just continue where I left off without having to remember what I was doing last time!

[@touf48]

"shit literally feels like when you're trying to fight in a dream" that fkn killed me man, really glad i discovered your channel, you're funny af

[@chromerot]

[@ruolbu]

@@chromerot It's also a very apt comparison that intuitively makes sense imho.

[@touf48]

@@chromerot also, this is kinda random, but i've discovered channels in the past at like 15k subs, felt like they were gonna be huge, then like a year later they had millions of subs. and i'm getting that same feeling with your channel, my sense might be wrong but i feel like it's been mostly right, so plz keep making content and in like a year i wouldn't be surprised if u get to half a million subs or even more

[@chromerot]

don't want to set unrealistic expectations for myself, all I know is I'll be making videos as long as there's people willing to watch them :) but thanks for that man, comments like this do more than you know to motivate me

[@touf48]

@@chromerot yeah, that sounds like a healthy mentality to have. i'm glad you'll keep making content

[@BT-oj1bn]

Their early work was a little too new wave for my taste. But when Skyrim came out in '11, I think they really came into their own, commercially and artistically. The whole game has a clear, crisp sound, and a new sheen of consummate professionalism that really gives the gameplay a big boost. Its been compared to Final Famtasy, but I think Skyrim has a far more bitter, cynical sense of humor.

[@figcookies1389]

HEY PAUL!

[@Warpded]

It's Hip to Play Skyrim

[@ados1280]

When you talked about the "timing" of when Skyrim came out, part of its success was that back in 2011, that was within the era where massive online multiplayer FPS games were at their peak, like Call of Duty for example. And then came Skyrim, a huge solo player RPG adventure that was easy to get into and very fun, it was REALLY refreshing at the time. Edit: Okay yes there were other RPGs at the time. Just not in the mainstream. RPGs have a bit of a niche audience and Skyrim appealed to as wide an audience as possible, so yes, for many people, it was refreshing.

[@breadformyfamily4175]

Exactly. We’d binge CoD hard and then need a day or two on Skyrim to go back and kick ass with guns. My gaming group was so confused when they logged on and half of us were starting Skyrim instead of working our way through the 10th Prestige

[@S0L12D3]

Not only was it refreshing, but at that time, we had never seen a world as immersive as Skyrim….

[@springbok8876]

​@@S0L12D3 There was Oblivion but somehow that did not reach the same popularity levels as Skyrim did. Oblivion was fantastic for its time. I played that as much as I played Skyrim. Still have both installed, never got to play Morrowind but just bought it the other day though so going to start my first playthrough of that soon.

[@S0L12D3]

@@springbok8876 I completely agree, but Skyrim took everything to the next level. Thats it’s all I meant! To this day we have not seen such an immersive world as Skyrim. And mods have only made it even more welcoming to new players!

[@Lofirainbows]

Uh, no only in the mainstream, There were other Role-playing videogames; Dark Souls/Dragons Dogma/Mass Effect/Multiple New Vegas Dlc/Red Dead Redemption/Tales of Xillia/White Knight Chronicles/Witcher 2 Assassin of Kings, literally released that same year (What a year, holy hell). Skyrim isn't just timing I think it's placement

[@SemberAlistair]

One of the most memorable moments for me, playing Skyrim for the first time, was when I was exploring catacombs in one of the dungeons, felt really alone in that place and it was way too quiet until I heard a draugr grunt around the corner, scared the shit outta me lmaoo

[@yasminey6011]

Oh my goodness when I realized not all the skeletons in the burial crypts were actually dead 😭😭😭

[@aymanaamam2382]

try hugging the dead body of the high mother in dark brotherhood sanctuary

[@MKW-oc8fj]

Honestly i felt relieved when draugr came. Being lonely is just worse.

[@OneMeanArtist]

As an artist one of the first things that struck me was how much attention to detail was given to every visual and auditory aspect of Skyrim. That is something that only comes from a place of sincere love and dedication to what you're creating. There is nothing cookie-cutter about it. I think that, whether consciously or subconsciously, we all feel the love and countless hours that were invested for our enjoyment as we journey throughout this world they've made for us. True art strums that part of your soul like no other. Sure it has its quirky moments, but even those are endearing in their own weird way.

[@oscaroscar7904]

Yeah no one ever mentions the details in this game like going under a tree seeing every detail of a leaf, or every root and detail and that it was first person made it better, it had alot of issues but people forget about your point ( and most ignore one of the most importent aspects of art which is god is in the detail) it has nothing to do about god but all great art has that extra dimension of a detail that is there even when your not looking, thats what made the tv series sopranos so great, the actors understood that it was not only about saying your line or understanding the character but adding that extra 3d dimension of thinking " where did i park the car" while saying something about the weather while feeling sad about aging, and skyrims nature and world has that essential extra step that people might not notice but that people notice for the beliveble world, funny enough, even if the wicher 3 a much newer game was really good with quests and game it lacked that extreme " love for detail" in every corner of its world and felt a bit cut and paste and all the npcs looked alike and said the same "huh" "hah" but most people dont notice these things but its impressive that you picked up on these things beacuse i noticed this as well and its something that has died out in video games as art, i mean skyrim has a very chill, zen feel where you can just walk around and look under a tree with alot of detail, you dont have to of course but it makes the art and world feel more real, most people dont notice these things in art and thats why it has been dumbed down in games, music but its still in tv shows ( sry for bad english.)

[@sean6380]

This game has always brought me back over the years because of the vastness of gameplay elements. You can be a wizard, a warrior, an assassin, worship different gods by completing their missions, and so on. Skyrim captures my imagination and has an environment and fluid quest system that allows me to go off on another adventure before my mind reminds me that I’m just in a game. Skyrim is a world inside a tv screen and no other game to me has captured that.

[@rafliavriza3651]

For me Skyrim was always interesting because it's predictable enough to feel familiar playing it, but unpredictable enough to introduce you into something that you might've never come across before. I remember in my first playthrough when I was going to an inn and there was this new interaction I've never had before with this guy called Sam Guavenne (whatever Sanguine's alias were in that game), and he asked for a drinking contest, I was like "Okay this is new, that's cool" and literally after that I passed out and woke up in the Temple of Dibella and was like "THE GAME CAN DO THIS?", and mind you I'd never been to Markarth up until that point so it was also really surprising when I got out of the temple and looked around to see a city built on a mountain and waterfall, especially since I checked on the map and I realized I was in the far west of the map. Not to mention how that Sanguine quest ended up going.

[@tennysontableau]

Yeah, that must have been a shocker. Markarth is a pretty cool place too.

[@stevenwebb3475]

Before I knew you could use carts I used that quest as my way to discover markarth.

[@skilz8098]

@@stevenwebb3475 I just ran there! I ran everywhere and climbed nearly every mountain and went into every cave, mine, and dungeon... and I'd do it all again! I sometimes take the roads, but mostly I'll make my own path, even swim down the rivers and fall off of waterfalls hoping to land in water and not die from the fall. It's quite a journey and it never gets old! Oh and I did I mention the music? Now that's a masterpiece!

[@blackharmonics4518]

@@skilz8098 Feel it. I also always made up my own ways to discover all of Skyrim. Well, "all of it" is quite a phrase... I believe, even after 1500+ hours, I still haven't seen all of the little gimmicks, Skyrim has to offer. May it be a random skelleton with a letter on top of a mountain, a headless ghost on a horse randomly travelling at night, a corpse in the ocean with a chest or a grave with "a travellers skull" in a passageway and stuff like that. It still feels magical to explore stuff like that. Edit: Not to mention all the unmarked spots on the map which don't follow any remarkable quest and don't do anything but giving atmosphere and lore to the world.

[@bachiak1]

Yes I went thru this in my first playtrough too. That’s when I realized this game was different from others

[@user-rt9zf6sk2p]

It's funny because I love more complex games like Divinity as well as Skyrim. I never at all felt like Skyrim was an inferior game even if it didn't have complex mechanics or an intricate story. You're so right about the whole depth vs width thing too. Great video my guy keep em coming.

[@chromerot]

thanks my dude, glad you enjoyed

[@Nicolo-ue9xu]

Divinity Skyrim and fallout are the best rpg

[@Mark-zk3gu]

Skyrim is one of the most creatively executed open world games I've ever played. It's incredible how alive the world feels.

[@deadshot4245]

Try out stalker series and the anomaly mod too great stuff there too if you enjoy shooters

[@SnailHatan]

Creatively?

[@Mark-zk3gu]

@@SnailHatan yes

[@okamiseele8614]

I love Skyrim because of it's replay-ability. there is just so much to do, in an infinite new order, with new priorities and character builds.

[@dragonrykr]

People saying Skyrim is as deep as a pond probably haven't even grasped the fact that there are almost 300 books in the game, which introduce the player to the TES lore which is one of the most expansive ones I've ever seen in a fantasy world. That alone is what makes me interested in this universe, if not anything else.

[@GikamesShadow]

People who play games dont go into games wanting to read books for 7+ hours They wanna go dungeoneer and kill stuff Its great that its there as optional content, but any world can be deep by adding lore. Thats nothing new. The story of skyrim is interesting, no one is denying that. But when Alduin turns from "Destroyer of worlds" into a wet tissue in the game, THAT is where the problem starts and ends. My favorite story is that of Pelinal, something I would have LOVED to somehow find in Skyrim. Thats some epic and interesting stuff that they could have made as a quest in the story. Follow the steps of Pelinal, find his pieces that somehow made it to Skyrim. Get faced with what your final decision means for any Mer around the world. You could easily put him back together but what does that mean for the future? Or do you go against this decision and instead take one of his most powerful weapons? Maybe even the bull as a companion as you usurped Pelinal or took on his legacy. And in turn, spotting the Bull could set any Mer into fear or they try to attack you instantly. Hircine is another example. Lord of the Hunt. We have but one quest that really involves him and nothing comes of it apart from a bloody ring. This stuff should have been expanded on but it hasnt. As a werewolf through the companions you could have been under direct protection even, or heck even better follow a questline given by Hircine to find some artifacts that would aid you as a werewolf instead of just straight up leveling your character again. People who play games shouldnt need to read the books in order to understand and love the world Same as people who watch movies shouldnt need to read books in order to enjoy the movie.

[@dragonrykr]

@@GikamesShadow That is perfectly plausible and nowhere did I question the fact that a game can be enjoyable without delving into the lore. However, that is my personal favorite bit of the game, that it allows you to do so, if you want.

[@-neuro]

I don't think anyone said skyrim is as deep as a pond... If so then they haven't played it.

[@GeorgeandMooch]

well it’s because the game seems shallow compared to the previous entires in the series.

[@Pragabond]

They have grasped it you just haven't grasped the fact they're not talking about the lore (that Skyrim added only a small fraction to compared to the already established lore) they're talking about mechanics and gameplay and how the game IS significantly simpler compared to previous games. No idea why you think anyone has criticized the lore of the games dude. Despite being a really fun game to get lost in because its just fun is less deep than previous games mechanically. Its more action than RPG compared to previous games. And most of those books were in PREVIOUS games and got brought over to Skyrim with, of course, a nice chunk of new additions specifically for the territory and especially with Alduin. Skyrim is still shallow compared to what it COULD be and what previous games have been. Its still loved but that doesn't mean people don't have that valid criticism of it being dumbed down and made more casual friendly and shallow to get that mass appeal but when TES6 is likely more streamlined and dumbed down you're going to understand long time players grievances after they somehow get one-handed and two-handed to fit into just ONE skill tree and one skill. Although hopefully with tabletop games having become way more popular in the mainstream it will embrace that trend and give us all the action of Skyrim with more depth in the skills and abilities side. I'm definitely hopeful like I was with Skyrim to see more of a return to that and see MORE skills and MORE customization so you can make a character that is completely uniquely yours with an endless variety of other stuff you can make. Oblivion had lots of problems and is actually my least favorite but it did have a nice blend of the RPG elements and action elements. Either way it seems like you've watched none of the video essays critiquing Skyrim or even listened to random people critiquing Skyrim if you somehow think "but the books and lore" addresses literally ANYTHING anyone is saying about it. This is about the game not the lore

[@monthc]

Skyrim is a toy set. You play as your action figure, the other action figures act autonomously, and it's amazing. It is the most incredible toy set ever made, because it's almost a blank slate ("almost" because it's set in a preexisting IP built on certain lore and cosmology) for you to play with as you see fit. And toys are awesome. Skyrim is all the things you imagined in your head as a kid playing with action figures, but actually built and presented to you. It's immersive and epic.

[@sarahjessicaparkersnose3774]

Thanks for putting how I feel about this game into words. The amount of adventures I had in skyrim with the use of imagination feels endless. I remember as a kid playing this game through day and night and it would feel like I went through the whole lotr trilogy from start to finish. Just by wandering aimlessly with no fast travel, letting my mind immerse into the world.

[@fatkiefbowls]

@@sarahjessicaparkersnose3774 yes sir

[@jonrmahnke]

It is a toy set if you like broken toys that don't work right. The fact that 10 years later this game is still a buggy glitchy fucked mess shows the absolute inability of Bethesda to make a game that works. To see gamers turn a blind eye to that shows that gamers are complete morons. You can shit in a bowl and call it skyrim extended edition and gamers would buy it

[@sarahjessicaparkersnose3774]

jonrmahnke thats where imagination comes in handy

[@lena-trajkovic17]

I know this is an old video, but i also want to add that the elder scrolls universe having so much extensive and complicated lore adds to the feeling, similar to lord of the rings. You know that there is a reason things are the way they are. Physics, magic, creatures, they all have their whys and hows; you can read the history of the entire universe and feel as though its a real universe with real events. It’s what makes it so fun for me. You can never finish learning about the lore

[@Jamer6765]

Exactly I think the lore is what gives it such a soul things don’t exist because they exist there’s a reason behind everything like the relationship between the Dwemer and falmer

[@joevenables3393]

It’s almost spoiled me in a way, other rpgs feel soulless to me a lot of the time because they don’t have TES’s level of lore behind them, and I find it hard to be immersed or even just care

[@joeyleonard5644]

I remember when Skyrim came out in November around my birthday I hadda be turning 12 or sum and we were dirt poor but my friend got it when it came out and I watched him turn into a werewolf wreckin havic on riverwood. Anyways on my birthday my stepdad took me to get the game and he was the only one who got me a present. When we got there we was short like 20$ on Skyrim but the guy at the store convinced us to try out Oblivion instead and even tho I was a little hurt that I didn’t get what I wanted I remember acting as happy as I could till I got home to play and that acting quickly turned to reality. Im so glad I got to experience playing Oblivion back then and got into the elder scrolls through that game. Eventually when my dad(stepdad) got me Skyrim a year or so later it made it that much more meaningful. Skyrim will forever be my favorite game

[@SussedRage]

I'd honestly say Skyrim saved my life. I remember for about the first month of playing I didn't really do anything quest wise apart from the first couple of missions. I roamed the entire map discovering every single location. I hadn't played any RPGs, I was pretty into D&D and Warhammer as a teen but computer games pretty much passed me by. I do recall seeing a game called Ultima in a magazine...(a MAGAZINE lol remember them) but like you I never had a pc. Just a 360 I played occasionally. There was something about the initial previews and coverage of Skyrim that just clicked, blew me away. Here was a game you could do anything, _actually anything_ you wanted - things most other games just randomly decided to NOT let you do. It made every other game obsolete IMHO back then. You want to dual wield? Ok yes go on.. You want to own a house and arrange all your stuff in it? You want to be a bard, an assassin', a thief? Be all of them. Be a vampire AT THE SAME TIME or even a Werewolf. Want to change your shoes?! Yep. It's like all these options I'd never seen before. Own a pet dog, have a follower,..the list is endless. The rain, the completely perfect music, the ambient noise of the wildlife, the wind and waterfalls. I completely lost myself in the game at a time in my life when I felt completely lost (I won't bore you with the details but it was all too much) I couldn't control anything that was happening in my life. Some things that happen you just can't. But Skyrim...I could control Skyrim, and it kept me going. It got me through and out the other side. Could have (and I nearly did) turn to drink, drugs, found a quick way out..but I didn't because I was playing Skyrim. If Todd or anyone at Bethesda happens to see this lol.. Thank you.

[@chromerot]

pretty much the essence of what i was trying to say in the video :) glad you're here with us rn

[@kalinora3901]

I think Todd would love this compliment. He gets way to much hate. I think people forget that he's only one of the many people making decisions for the game. He doesn't have a say on everything like people thinks he does. It's also because they use him as the primary spokesperson too much. He's usually up front, so when people get disappointed, they point at him and not other factors.

[@JaceDeanLove]

Not gonna lie, this comment made me tear up. I'm glad you got through tough times, and glad Skyrim was so integral to getting you through those times. Beautiful comment 🥲

[@WatersAbove77]

@@kalinora3901 nah dude he still takes responsibility even if it isn’t completely his fault.

[@kalinora3901]

@@WatersAbove77 I'm just saying that not everything is his doing or his fault. You do realize he's had attempts on his life and death threats due to idiots, right? I'm surprised he's still put up front and still working on games. He's just one person out of a lot of staff that work on the games and make decisions. In the end, he still has to do what his bosses want, which means he may not always get what he wants into the games he works on. I'm hoping that the merging with Microsoft will help smooth some things over.

[@StockportJambo]

The thing that got me about Skyrim when I first played it 10 years ago is this. I look into the distance, and I see a mountain. I can climb that mountain. Just because it's there. And the game will just let me. It was the sense of total freedom - of either following the plot & story in a linear fashion, or just randomly saying "Fuck this, I'm going" and sod off somewhere else. There's also the variety, and believability of the world itself... small things like the further north you go, the more wintry & harsh it becomes, and going south brings you to lush meadows and trees. It feels real, which is achieved by the game having astonishingly good internal consistency. This is key, and also why the bugs and jankiness don't really matter too much. A lot of that is down to the late Adam Adamowicz, the lead concept artist for Skyrim. He's the one who got the whole company 'on the same page' with the *feel* of Skyrim. He passed away (aged 43) a few months after Skyrim's release, and the game industry has frankly never been the same since. Certainly Bethesda haven't released a good game without his input IMO.

[@StockportJambo]

@Crow He drew everything by hand I believe, which was quite unusual even back then... and just didn't stop. I imagine there wasn't a wall in the Bethesda offices that wasn't filled with his artwork. As the video says, the 'feel' of Skyrim is its enduring quality, and even though I never met the guy, I think of Adam every time I play the game. I've seen one-off geniuses like him before, and what they bring, and I know they can't be replaced. Why is there no other game like Skyrim? I mean, yes, money - as in the video - but also Adam Adamovicz. (and yes, as a Scot, I had to Google his surname spelling!)

[@B-A-L]

I had the same experience playing Need For Speed Underground 2 when I drove up into the hills for the first time and looked down on the city in the distance knowing it wasn't just a backdrop!

[@ChessArmyCommander]

That doesn't bode well for The Elder Scrolls 6.

[@ada0015]

thank you for this info. I didn't know about him at all even though I think I'm a massive skyrim nerd. all I know is todd howard

[@OrlandoShroom]

I could be wrong, but it would've be nice to see a tribute to Adam from Bethesda in the re-released Skyrim versions since he was a HUGE part of the game. There is no telling what we would have had otherwise.

[@Jjohnny642]

One of my best video game experiences was an 8 hour journey from whiterun to riften. I got so distracted by the world

[@bigtone7824]

I feel that

[@SnackPack913]

My favorite moment in Skyrim was finally giving alchemy a hard go and finding out that you can stack forging potion effects… thus leading to a sword with +100000% dmg that can one hit a dragon. 10/10 bugs and all

[@thomasjones3828]

The bugs make the game have comical moments, idk how but the bugs in Skyrim compared to other games are just comical and not as annoying.

[@nealderiggi3945]

Having played Skyrim for more than 3000 hours I would like to add one thing. What makes it infinitely playable is the fact that you can live out so many different lives through different characters. Now mods do definitely help make this possible. I finished my new load order on it's 10th anniversary, so I am set for a few more years with ideas for 4 to 6 new characters. I spent 60 hours just researching new mods and playtesting as I installed them, that's already more time than most games take to complete.

[@AndrewHahaLee]

To put it simply: Cash grab, micro-transactions, mandatory internet connections, complacency, release frequency over game quality, user-content over plot and character development. Closed source modding instead of open source. Ego instead of heart.

[@TheDrewbe3]

This. I've honestly lost so much interest in gaming lately due to so many big games just being cash grabs and filled to the brim with outrageous monetization. That, and the fact that so many AAA games release completely unfinished and missing so much content. I find myself just playing older games (like Skyrim) or just not gaming at all. I think the golden age of gaming is over.

[@Hydra-dr8hd]

@@TheDrewbe3 The golden age of gaming, movies and music is over since 2014

[@Speed001]

Subscriptions so you never really own anything.

[@allanomaly3488]

creation club 🤪

[@Blackadder75]

@@Hydra-dr8hd luckily (for me at least) I can spend the next 30 years with games from the year 2000-2015 without getting bored, combine that with the occasional future releases that will be original and fun and I am content.

[@sleepymonsteraddict]

Nothing like having an awful day, starting up your pc and playing skyrim. After some time you end up walking somewhere in the tundra of whiterun and it's night and THE SONG hits, removes all sorrows in an instant. And I've tried other rpgs like assasins creed, but no game ever manages to pull me away from reality and that's why skyrim is a masterpiece.

[@TaylorPlays_]

THE SONG = Secunda :')

[@wul3391]

Assassins creed to Skyrim is like comparing chewing gum to a big steak, it has no substance

[@WillRock07]

The full realisation for why I get addicted to skyrim happened when I played Survival Mode recently. In Survival Mode, fast travel is switched off. I'd been in Whiterun for a while, doing various things, and because of Survival Modes mechanics I was forced to sleep and eat every day and I was treating it like my character was a real person in the world that had to go through a 24hour routine. Eventually, I reached a point where in order to progress, I needed to leave whiterun and go to another city and... I did NOT want to leave. Yet I knew that if I didn't, I couldn't really get much more out of the game from a narrative standpoint, but the idea of leaving Whiterun to go elsewhere for so long after i'd been "living there" in game for the few weeks i'd been playing really bothered me. The fact a video game made me feel that way about a fictional location is amazing to me. In short, the immersion is beyond any video game i've ever played.

[@PatrickWDunne]

One of the only games I bought a second time. It's probably my favorite game. No other open world game has felt this immersive.

[@Golemoid]

Only twice? I think the average is 3 or 4 times given all the ports and re-releases 😂

[@thewewguy8t88]

well for me there was fallout 4 and even to a degree red dead 2( but that game is missing a few things skyrim and fallout have made work)

[@Leptirus]

I bought skyrim like 6 times by now. Cos i bought the normal edition for pc, then legendary, then special edition and now anniversary. Then i also bought skyrim vr and skyrim for my ps4. I just love the game too much ;-;

[@isaiahgarcia163]

I got the 360 version, ps4, switch, and I play it on game pass lmfaooooo

[@michaelgreenwell9809]

i have bought skate 3 five times

[@husseinmujtaba6457]

I swearrr u spoke my heart out when u said that skyrims the perfect balance between depth and width, the scale is insane and every bit of the game has depth, every city has a history and differemt stories and rumours going around and unique factions, and the whole world was sooo big but connected.

[@SnailHatan]

Lore that you can only find in the form of books that have zero effect on the world is not depth.

[@husseinmujtaba6457]

@@SnailHatan My brother its no use explaining to you what depth means in creativity, cant argue with guys lacking basic common sense.

[@BabzaiWWP]

skyrim really does feel like when you walk down a random place in the forest and theres a big rock by the river and you sit there and its nice

[@nowaz]

Another game series that is the perfect example of depth and not width is the Yakuza series. Kamurocho (from Yakuza) feels like home to me even though the size of the city is relatively small compared to other open world games.

[@DOPEdwarf]

Skyrim is a good example of how powerful music is

[@BababooeyGooey]

Skyrim was the first game that ever made my jaw drop. I remember it like it was yesterday; I was exploring the mountains looming over the Sea of Ghosts, and I crested a peak and was met with a stunning vista of the sea on a clear, sunny blue-skyed day. And down below, right off the coast was an island with those towering Nordic archways, and I just sat there, stunned and awestruck; completely agape. Even though I had seen my share of pretty vistas making my way to that location, this one still hit different for some reason, and I don't think I'll ever be able to explain why. That was the moment where I realized I wasn't just playing a video game, I was having an experience. Hell, describing it just now almost made me misty eyed. Skyrim is a work of art, period.

[@bradleyhiggs3824]

i think this is what best defines the hybrid procedural/static design model Beth employs, culminations of systems that rise and fall with the game state and are gently caressed to trigger multiple chords in unison to build an experience crescendo for the player. Most games just don't have affordability for that sort of depth of introspection, event graph or invest in complexity of systems to allow that sort of positive chaos to occur, they tend to more exacting measures, accepting a 5/10 consistently rather than a 11/10 every 12 hours, some games don't even acknowledge such a thing is possible. And the cool thing with beth games is if the sheen wears off, install 500 mods that turn yr face into guns and yr legs into wheels, ever done a Dawnstar trench run in an Xwing?

[@brothermatatoe]

@stevieray9006 beautifully said my friend.

[@ejokurirulezz]

as an oblivion player, when i played skyrim the first time all i got was disappointment. now i get disgust.

[@BababooeyGooey]

@@ejokurirulezz No one asked.

[@BababooeyGooey]

@@bradleyhiggs3824 You've really got the scientific method down haha

[@mattc16]

You seriously have done the best job explaining how amazing this game is. Please god let ES6 live up to ES5. Please god let some other company finally create a game that even gets even 50% of the feeling I have with playing Skyrim.

[@hazardeur]

wouldn't hold my breath there buddy

[@lukeyznaga7627]

Yeah, I am with you, Matt Cushging. But....knowing the kind of current culture we have and the kind of programmers out there and the investors and sponsors and political correctness....I feel that Hazardeur is correct. Why? we have seen some flops by the NEW management at Bethesda. Now, I hear that there space game might be good. And Fallout 4 was great, but not as good as the previous ones. ES 6 can be great, BUT MAN, THEY Have TO GET OFF that kick that more deluxe graphics is everything and better than sex and makes a game successful. IT DOES NOT. You could make a new game, EVEN USING THE OLD SKYRIM GRAPHICs and interface by JUST CREATING A GREAT STORY with DLCs and people would love it. Create a great world that is part of the landscape of Elder Scrolls. Create a game that involves the Saurians and their water/swamp world. ARGONIANS has not yet been done.

[@MDonuT-of7px]

It's not even political correctness or whatever. Tod is just going to "streamline" (read: dumb down to the nth degree) it to a point where it has the complexity of a mobile game. Mark my words.

[@lubelle9447]

I love how you refer Todd Howard with the word god.

[@dinoblacklane1640]

@@MDonuT-of7px I mean thats what skyrim is, a dumbed down version of oblivion and oblivion is just a dumbed down version of morrowind

[@limited8793]

The one thing I love about Skyrim, even 10 years later I always come across something new to do. Like some side quest I never seen before. Always something new.

[@DimaRakesah]

One of the things I love about the Elder Scrolls games is just the ambiance. It feels real and organic and just epic. I can spend hours just designing my house and sitting by the fireplace, listening to the crackle of burning wood while I read The Lusty Argonian Maid. Again.

[@ProPrince]

I like how skyrims world feels like it has always existed. Some games feel like the world was made just yesterday for your character to explore but it feels like skyrims world would continue going on even without you there to play the game Also I think that Skyrim just does the perfect mix of having an active world that doesn’t always need player interaction for something to happen while it also does a good job of making ur interactions in the world matter

[@dumplingshakes22]

I can remember the first time i killed a dragon in the game when it launched and he crashed to the ground and made the ground break…. It stayed that way even later on when I visited the area. I’ve played this game thousands of hours now and I’ll always remember this.

[@Alfredof2342]

Me too man. Whenever i go in whiterun the corpse is there

[@KoeSeer]

13 years later, I still back to Skyrim time to time. There are games like Cyberpunk or Elden Ring, but Skyrim offers freedom like non other. By freedom, i don't mean the character progression. I mean, the freedom to do whatever the heck you want with items. You can stack them, throw them away, line them up, etc etc. I actually spend 3 hours in real time just to put everything I want in my Solitude house.

[@itsnevertoolatetodotherigh3271]

My kind of guy😂 ...but am more of a snow person so u can guess where my house at

[@xavierhobbs4401]

As a veteran Skyrim player with over 2000 hours in game, I 100% agree with everything you said, it gives it almost like a real life feel making you want to explore everything it has to offer, I keep coming back to this game for the first memories I remember having in this world. It gave me an excuse of spending way to much time on it and becoming exactly who I wanted to be without restrictions and other annoying aspects that other RPG games have. They also have been adding updates to the game even for being 10 years out of making.

[@mammaandpapparides9306]

Turned 50 this year and except for the origional Diablo and Diablo2 there has not been any game that i have sunk as many hours into as Skyrim. Multiple characters with 100's of hrs each and yet every time i start a new character it still feels fresh and enjoyable. I think you nailed the magic of Skyrim in this video. Especially as not one of my playthroughs was the same because of all the choice you have and i never felt i made a bad choice in any of them.

[@mairirose5843]

I’m a “ late to the party” gamer, started with AC and fell in love. I only started Skyrim for the first time about summer of 2022. I’m obsessed. I play it on hand held and console….yes I love other games but Skyrim is comfortable. The music the setting the innumerable ways to play and build different characters, ect. I am having more fun. I just love the world of Skyrim. Thank you for a great video.😊

[@tomgodsall1317]

There is only really one way to build a character because the levelling system leaves every option open, you can't get it wrong. Oblivion (and it's predecessors) had more complex systems which forced you to specialise more and allowed you to get it wrong and hamstring your levelling potential. In my opinion this adds an added dimension. As much as I love Skyrim, I didn't feel like my choices meant much as I could take the character down any route if I didn't like the way it was developing.

[@CHRB-nn6qp]

Exactly. Skyrim is timeless. I first started playing the game years ago, and i still find myself coming back to it every now and then, just for the comforting experience of the world it created.

[@Xnvasxve]

You mean stealth archer right?

[@Smorgasvord]

I'd recommend playing Red Dead Redemption 2 in first person mode. The setting is very different than Skyrim, but the soul and the unexplainable "it" factor is just the same.

[@MrBevoRules]

"Comfortable" is a very good word for it. Sometimes I want tactical planning or challenging boss fights, but sometimes, after a long day at work, I just want to run around and explore an epic world.

[@PlaceholderName-b4d]

Skyrim has a soul, a heart, two things most other modern rpgs are missing. The last time I played a game with this much soul it was Chrono Trigger.

[@CompleteProducer84]

I'm so glad you mentioned the music. To me, amazing music is what can take a game to that special tier. Symphony of the Night and Super Metroid are incredible games. But I think the fact that they have 2 of the best soundtracks ever help to bump them up to that tier among the best games of all time. Same goes with Skyrim - the music is a BIG reason that I am always drawn back into the world

[@shnordo]

My first time finding Blackreach will remain with me for the rest of my life. As a lore nerd, I spent entirely way too long trying to find answers to the Dwemer disappearance... then I found their pet Dragon. I love this game.

[@letswaveabook3183]

I also memorizing entering Blackreach as one of the most impressive things in the game.

[@MYuee]

I love your point about the silent protagonist. Having a protagonist who is silent feels so much more "open", in an rpg sense. I always love to create a small backstory for my Skyrim characters and what kind of personality she or he might have. A voiced protag would kind of destroy that. I also do think that rpgs are not just about numbers and deep systems like divnity, for a lot of people it's about getting immersed in a world and "playing" a character you created with enough room to make it feel unique and fun and make every playthrough feel like it's own thing. That is one thing Skyrim nails like no other game. The atmosphere and the music makes it all the more enjoyable. Skyrim's art direction is superb and I don't think it get's enough credit for that. I come back to that game consistently once every year and it never stops being enjoyable.

[@geoDaddy.]

Skyrim is like a swimming pool. You can have fun in the shallow part or the deep part, you can swim between the shallow part and the deep part. The more you swim in it the more comfy it gets, doesnt matter what side of the pool youre swimming in its still the same water and same pool. And the best part is everyone can get in the water and experience it for themself.

[@robbagel54]

I still remember that first carriage ride, it was my 12th birthday, my best friend Caden got me the game and after waiting 4 hours for it to download I finally started playing at 3:00am. It was a magical experience that I’ll never forget. And I played the shit out of that game

[@thearchy8680]

Yesterday I played skyrim for the first time ever I wanted to give it a shot. Somehow it got me. I've been playing AC odyssey and games like that but skyrim hits different. Even if skyrim would come out in 2025 with little better graphics it would still be a killer.

[@kalinora3901]

They're making an Elder Scrolls 6 game. However, I don't see it being released for a while. They just released Skyrim Anniversary. I lost my hard copy of the game so, I bought a digital copy so I could play again.

[@sandman4663]

I remember the first time I loaded up skyrim, played through Helgen and the view from the standing stones on the way to Riverwood absolutely stunned me. I couldn't believe that this breathtaking landscape was not just a prop. It was an entire fleshed out world that I was able to interact with. Stunning.

[@Z1ng1s]

Gotta give thumb up for that overwhelmed surprising honesty relvealing about your must have Steam anime ecchi game you purchased! Cultured man. Gotta try that game. 😂😎👏💯

[@stoned_kitty]

I've been playing Skyrim for 7 years now, and honestly, i've never installed even a mod. I thought i need to complete all the quests vanilla way first. Also, Skyrim doesn't have a shopping cart icon in it, which is why i love it.

[@ct2530]

bruh

[@ct2530]

I feel sorry for you man, 7 years on the same old game is kinda sad. Pinnochio syndrome or smth. Grow up, try some mods, live a little

[@ct2530]

or you'r lying and you'r deep into loverlab

[@ct2530]

you'rs*

[@ct2530]

yo're*

[@killedr6621]

In response to the magic, as weak as it seems in the early game, when you take the time to make the pre-requisite gear and learn the skills to make them more manageable, it feels SO FUCKING GOOD knowing that YOU were able to get over the hurdles and make things work. Thats a part of Skyrim (and albeit, elder scrolls games in general) that I've always loved.

[@raypalmer5125]

Anything that is popular will face a lot of criticism, but despite all that, every time I dive back in this game, it feels like a warm hug. It's not about the bullet points, the checklist of dialogue choices etc, the design of the this game that can't be objectively be measured is what makes this game so special to me.

[@Ryan1993uk]

Skyrim is home for me

[@hoangkienvu7572]

One thing Bethesda will always have over other developers is the option to switch between first-person and third-person view. I don't know how other triple A games haven't been able to implement this system yet, it's so good.

[@roax206]

They have literally been using the same core proprietary game engine since at least Morrowind. They mostly just add things on as they need them. I would guess they just decided to change the main view point at one stage and have just had both options in the engine since.

[@Ghorda9]

first person melee combat is very janky which is why people default to third person.

[@randomthings1293]

Though it seems like Bethesda games are mainly meant to be played in 1st person IMHO. The player doesn't have nearly any third person interaction animations for example. I personally consider the mod "immersive Interactions" to be one of the greatest achievement in modding.

[@hoangkienvu7572]

@@randomthings1293 animation is cool, but to me it's not necessary. I mainly love the ability to actually look at your characters and the gears you put on them. It's one of the best features most MMO games have, and you still have the option to switch to first person if you want a better view of the landscape. It's great, but yeah I get why seeing your character stand dead still while objects around them move can be unnerving.

[@joelANJ]

From 8pm to 4am during winter, my windows slightly open…just letting the atmosphere of this beauty of a game immerse me. I will probably never live something like this ever. The music omg..the music

[@wul3391]

Jeremy Soule made the best soundtrack ever made IMO

[@Sofiasisko]

So i wasn't the ONLY ONE who opened windows to feel the atmospheres "chill"...

[@tylerjohnston4389]

I really hope ES6 has as least some hint of the atmosphere

[@davidsquire1278]

Y'all are so fuckin cringe 😂 coming from a HUGE Skyrim nerd

[@JFN2760]

I remember playing Skyrim from the first time when I was 12 years old. I saw my uncle playing a few months earlier and remembering how awesome it looked. I got it shortly after and played it relentlessly. It was the best game I'd ever played, honestly it still is. Once I had done everything I thought I could do I tried to move on to other games, I tried to find "the next Skyrim". I've played several other games since then, I enjoyed some, hated other's, and some I thought were masterpieces. But none of them are close to what I feel playing Skyrim. There is no next Skyrim, I don't think there ever will be.

[@wadesworld6250]

Witcher 3 is the only thing that could conceivably be considered better, but it's only better in certain aspects.

[@exozfear5228]

Fallout is pretty much the same mechanics but different universe

[@skilz8098]

I'm a huge Elder Scrolls fan... not just Skyrim, Oblivion and Morrowind from my late teen and early twenties. When I was a child, I grew up playing Final Fantasy, Legend of Zelda, etc... Skyrim is one of the best games I've ever played... until recently... A few months back I picked up Satisfactory on Steam and it has the same effect that Skyrim did. However, Satisfactory isn't an RPG game, there are elements of Survival, lots of exploration with amazing scenery and diverse biomes, great soundtrack, mining for resources, science or tech tree and the ability to build factories! The roads, walls, power grid, logistics (belts, trucks, trains) & fluid systems through pipes... It's in the same genre as Factorio but so much more diverse... It's not a flat 2D world, It's full 3D with deserts, beaches, forrests, mountains, caves, etc... It is similar to Skyrim in that it is a Sandbox game... It may not be for everyone but if you get into it and begin to enjoy it, you will become immersed into it! There is another game within the same genre and this and Factorio that is just as good that can also be found on Steam and that is Dyson Sphere Program. Both of these games are still in Early Access and are actively being developed. More than just that, these smaller outfit gaming studios listen to their fan base and gaming community! It's because of these past two games that I fell away from the traditional "RPG" well MMORPG games as of late. I got tired of the modern niche of "free to play but pay to win or subscribe monthly to play" atmosphere... And these last three titles are beyond anything a gamer could ask for with a single purchase and hundreds of hours of pure bliss... Yet, I'm still waiting for the next (single player) release in the Elder Scrolls!

[@b13ach__420]

my uncle had skyrim on his xbox 360 at my grandma's old house. i watched him play all the time and thought it was so fucking cool. when i was around 9 (2013/14) he let me create a character and ive been hooked ever since 😭 ive had it on every gaming system ive ever had and still play it all the time. i will never get tired of this game

[@harleysmusic3242]

I love being able to pick a lock and see what’s behind a closed door, and risk for consequence with sometimes a reward. I love it.

[@TheSwordsman100]

As one of those people who care about story and characters, you know the main selling point of any RPG, Skyrim IMO is the best TES. While sure the main quest isn't as epic as Oblivion's, the side content which is the majority of any TES game is much better and filled with far more memorable characters. For example people to this day still debate the civil war and talk about Ulfric, Galmar, Rikke, Tullius and the Thalmor, get hostile towards and turn on a faction that used to be beloved (the Blades) because they want you to kill Paarthurnax, the Companions are a far better replacement for the Fighter's Guild and who can forget Balgruuf or Heimskr? Heck Skyrim's focus on choice offers even greater roleplaying opportunities, as now you are actually able refuse some of the dadric princes. Great effort was also done to let you actually play the crusader class (despite classes technically being gone) with the new sun spells and other enhancements in restoration. (Don't get me wrong I love Knights of the Nine but it only provided the armor and weapons) Block is also really good allowing you to get to magic users safely, tire enemies out, Fus Ro Dahing them without shouting and charge through waves of them, knocking them all out. TLDR you're right, Skyrim is a much better game than people on YT give it credit for.

[@Y0PPS]

It's definitely one of those things people love to publicly hate on but secretly love.

[@sparkyspinz9897]

I agree with you mostly but I gotta say skyrim is the most choice less rpg I've played. Sure you can choose to play your character in almost limitless ways, but when it comes to quest structure choices are either non existant or irrelevant. The choices you get when questing are not "how can I do this, how will it play out?" Because it's the same everytime. The choice is only whether or not you do it in the first place. Take the civil war. Both factions follow the exact same quest lines, just with a red or blue skin

[@TheSwordsman100]

@@sparkyspinz9897 Mostly true, there are multiple quests that have different outcomes. To use your example as I find the CW to be one of the exceptions, If you side with Tullius the priest in Whiterun will be locked up, while siding with Ulfric will cause the Thalmor in Markarth and Solitude to die offscreen and restore the Talos shrine in the Temple of the Nine. (formerly Eight) As for most choiceless RPG, JRPGs across the board have far less choice. With at best 1 choice on who the main character marries at the end. (for example Dragon Quest)

[@sparkyspinz9897]

@@Y0PPS people are most critical on the things they love. I shit on Skyrim hella, and guess what, it's one of my favorite games of all time. Fans make noise about crappy game design because they want it to be better in the future

[@THEM0J0MAN]

I don’t know about story and characters being better in Skyrim All guilds I preferred in oblivion, besides maybe companions vs fighter guild Everything else oblivion shits on Skyrim imo

[@fela001]

Man Skyrim is just my favorite game of all time... idk how to put it into words as eloquently as you do.. It's the perfect balance between WIDE AND DEEP... That one sentence pretty much sums it up for me..