One of the best-selling games of all time, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim holds a special place in many gamers’ hearts.
From following the main quest-line and sucking up dragon souls to become the Dovahkiin, to hunting vampires and draugr, to wandering the wild tundras of northern Skyrim, the game offers countless hours of play for anyone.
You might be feeling the itch right now. Here are five reasons you should scratch that itch, dust off your CD, and clear a couple of hours off your schedule.
1. There are so many options!
Skyrim boasts hundreds of hours of gameplay, besides the main quest-line. Indeed, many gamers forego the quest to defeat Alduin and forge their own path into the wild. With 18 skills falling into the three categories of Magic, Combat, and Stealth, a person can easily get lost with all the choices.
However, few games offer the customization that Skyrim does. Enchanting new sets of armor and weapons, trying to find all the treasure maps that are hidden throughout the game, joining the legendary Thieves Guild and going to rip off some shop owners; the possibilities are endless!
2. Discover hidden secrets.
The number of Easter eggs, hidden epic items, funny quotes, buried treasures, and random sprawling dungeons makes the region just north of Cyrodiil a realm ripe for the explorer and mystery-lover.
Sure, you can google things to do in Skyrim, but sometimes it’s fun to just pick a direction, start running, and see where the road (or forest or mountain trail) takes you. Get out there and find that treasure!
3. Taking down a dragon is just so satisfying.
There are not many better experiences in Skyrim than hearing the roar of a dragon and frantically searching overhead to find your foe.
When he lands and the earth shakes, you know you’re in for a tough fight. It’s hard to think of a more satisfying end, though, when you absorb the soul and the song plays in the background. And don’t forget about all the loot!
4. Different paths.
There are few games that offer just as many different endings as Skyrim does. While the main quest line is somewhat linear, the side quests and factions are where the real variation is.
Do you want to choose the Stormcloaks or the Imperials? Do you want to join and take over the Dark Brotherhood, or do you want to kill them all from the outset and reap the rewards of taking down one of the most infamous leagues of assassins known to Tamriel?
Do you want to be a vampire or a werewolf? You can be! And the endless replay-ability make it a breeze to start a whole new character and have a totally different experience the second (or fifth or sixth) time around.
5. No online play.
While it’s of course fun to get online with your friends and play Call of Duty or Fortnite or any of the other countless online games, every once in a while it’s nice to get away from it all and go on a solo trek through ancient Dwemer ruins.
Skyrim is the ultimate single player experience, and there is absolutely a 0% chance of it being ruined by some unnecessarily angry sixth grader. You don’t have to wait until your clan is all home from work, you don’t have to base your actions on the whims of others, and best of all, you don’t have to pay any subscription fee!
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So, there you have it, five reasons you need to stop whatever you’re doing, go boot up your PlayStation or your Xbox, and play some Skyrim.
Sure, there are bills to pay and work to be done, but how else are you going to immerse yourself in one of the most breathtaking virtual worlds ever created? It’s an endless, limitless canvas for you to create the most epic character of all time.