With yet another version of Skyrim on the way this year—a new edition celebrating the game's tenth anniversary, launching November 11—I found myself wondering what it is exactly that makes Bethesda's wintry RPG so enduring. For me, it isn't the quests, characters, story, dungeons, or combat that keep me coming back: it's the world. Skyrim, the place, is easily Bethesda's greatest creation—and to this day remains one of the most powerfully atmospheric and evocative settings in video game history. But why is it so good?
It's a pretty small open world by modern standards. You could probably squeeze a hundred Skyrims into the sprawling Assassin's Creed Valhalla. But Bethesda cleverly makes the map feel bigger than it actually is through the sheer variety of its geography. As you move around the world, the scenery, lighting, foliage, and weather shift around you, creating an effective illusion of crossing a large, diverse country. Each region, or hold, also has its own culture, history, and unique architecture, which only adds to this sense of depth and richness. It feels like a storied, lived-in place, not just another backdrop for a fantasy RPG.
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To the south-east lies the relatively temperate Rift, a golden, autumnal landscape of rivers, valleys, and forests. Head north and you'll find the volcanic plains of Eastmarch, where adventurers relax in the bubbling hot springs. You can almost smell the sulphur in the air. Further north, blizzards begin to blow in, and Eastmarch is suddenly blanketed in a thick layer of snow. Here you can stop and rest in Windhelm, the oldest city in Skyrim, whose ancient stone walls are etched with ornate inscriptions depicting thousands of years of Nordic history. And this is all just one small section of the map.
Travel west and you'll end up in the Pale, a scrubby expanse of tundra littered with gnarled, wind-battered trees, struggling farmsteads, and roaming giants. To the south, Falkreath, a lushly forested region where it never seems to stop raining. Continue north-west and the Reach reveals itself: a misty, mountainous region that is home to the city of Markarth, which is built on the ruins of an old, long abandoned dwarven city. I'm writing all of this from memory, which speaks to how indelible and vividly designed this world really is.
Skyrim's terrain is analogous to real-world geography in many ways, with clear traces of the Scottish Highlands and Iceland's volcanic plains. But when you see the towering Throat of the World, it's a stark reminder that this world is not entirely like our own. This impossibly tall, vertical, cloud-tickling mountain stretches for miles into the sky, and you get the feeling that some ancient, powerful magic must have wrenched it out of the earth. The Dragonborn's pilgrimage to the peak is one of the most memorable moments in the story, and for many players, their first real taste of the world's immense scale.
Skyrim is great at creating a sense of place too, which is felt most strongly in its many taverns. Whether it's The Winking Skeever, The Drunken Huntsman, or The Ragged Flagon, these candle-lit watering holes—with their toasty fire pits, lute-twanging bards, and tables stacked with appetising-looking food and drink—are a welcome respite from the harsh, frozen world outside. Entering one of these establishments perfectly captures the feeling of escaping into a warm, cosy pub after a long winter walk—an example of just how good Skyrim is at drawing you into its setting and making you feel like you're there.
As I write this, over 20,000 people are currently playing Skyrim on Steam, which is remarkable for a game that's almost ten years old. People still play it for a lot of reasons, including an incredible modding scene that is constantly breathing new life into the game. But for me, and I'm sure many others, it's the Skyrim itself that's the real lure—and the reason the game is still worth playing today. There are better RPGs out there, but very few with worlds as compelling and absorbing as this. I'm not sure where in Tamriel the next game, The Elder Scrolls 6, will take us, but Bethesda will have to work really hard to top Skyrim.
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