The 10 year anniversary of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim brings with it yet another version of the game in Skyrim Anniversary Edition. Anniversary Edition is the latest in a long line of Skyrim releases, but as has been remarked by Todd Howard, fans continue to buy the almost 10-year-old game. It’s a testament to the longevity of Skyrim that Bethesda has viewed it as popular enough to re-release it so many times, but this comes as little comfort to Elder Scrolls fans patiently waiting for The Elder Scrolls 6. The next mainline installment in the franchise is still early in development, which may leave fans more open to the idea of more Skyrim-related content.
While the announcement of Skyrim: Anniversary Edition may have resulted in jokes from the larger gaming community, there has been optimism about the title. Some of the additional Creation Club elements in particular drew some praise, including the addition of fishing and a survival mode. With such minor features conjuring up a positive fan reaction, it doesn’t take too much imagination to think that a full-blown remaster would be widely accepted by fans. In fact, a Skyrim remaster could be just what Elder Scrolls fans need to tide them over until The Elder Scrolls 6.
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Skyrim’s Long History of Remasters and Alternate Versions
When Skyrim was first released in 2011, fans were blown away by the title. However, a decade on, a remaster of Skyrim in 2021 may not garner the same reaction that the original remaster did back in 2016. Back then, Skyrim Remastered was seen simply as something to tide fans over for a couple more years. Five years later and the release of The Elder Scrolls 6 still seems distant, which is a part of the reason why some Elder Scrolls fans may not be happy with the reveal of Skyrim Anniversary Edition. Skyrim, however, is still one of the most relevant titles in gaming and has already been a popular download for gamers who picked up a next-gen system.
Despite the jovial reaction to Skyrim Anniversary Edition, Elder Scrolls fans would likely react well to a full remaster down the line. There are multiple versions of The Elder Scrolls 5 in 2021, giving fans the option to play the game at their desk, on their couch, on the go, or even on their fridge. The multiple re-releases of Skyrim became somewhat of a meme a few years ago, reaching its apex with Bethesda’s infamous E3 2018 conference where Alexa and Samsung Smart Fridge Skyrim ports.
As a result of these memes, the recent announcement of yet another Skyrim port was a source of many jokes. But ultimately, if the right changes and additions were made to a next-gen Skyrim remaster, The Elder Scrolls’ fanbase could welcome it with open arms.
Skyrim Looks Pretty Good Even In 2021
Despite nearly a decade passing since Skyrim’s original release, the game is passable even by modern standards. This is without even considering the upgrades that the PS4 and Xbox One versions of Skyrim brought, or the fan-made improvements within the modding community. By downloading the correct selection of mods, fans have been able to derive some pretty remarkable results on next-gen systems already.
For many, performance and graphics mods are an essential element of downloading and playing Skyrim, but some may be put off by the need to download mods to get the best out of the game. With Bethesda’s resources, another remaster of Skyrim could take the title to the next level, and erase some of the mistakes of the past.
Bethesda has become quite notorious for the bugs prevalent in many of its games, with Fallout 76 being seen as the epitome of a buggy launch. Skyrim’s launch, however, wasn’t all too different, it was just more accepted by fans and many of the bugs were turned into memes. Skyrim’s famous giant launching bug, for example, was so popular among fans that it can still be triggered within Skyrim to this day.
Following the reaction to the launch of Fallout 76, Bethesda may not be able to joke its way out of a buggy launch, so a potential Skyrim remaster would need to be refined. Improved graphics and a level of near-perfect polish may prove to be enough to win fans over, especially considering how many times Skyrim has been iterated on.
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Next-Gen Systems Need a Good Open-World RPG
As is traditional with the release of new next-gen systems, fans have been somewhat disappointed by the lack of new titles to play. This problem is slowly beginning to vanish, however, it could be some time until the next The Elder Scrolls. Avowed is yet to receive a release date, but is scheduled to be released next year, while The Elder Scrolls 6 isn’t expected until after Fable, and doesn’t even have a release window. Skyrim Anniversary Edition may not bring anything all too new to the table, but it could help to bridge the gap between now and the release of The Elder Scrolls 6.
Skyrim Anniversary Edition could be the next-gen RPG that fans return to time and time again. This new version of The Elder Scrolls 5 will bring with it 500 pieces of Creation Club content, as well as three free pieces for existing Skyrim: Special Edition owners. The three free Creation Club mods will be fishing, a survival mode, and Saints and Seducers.
The Skyrim Anniversary Edition will contain graphical upgrades over Special Edition on top of the 500 Creation Club mods, which could make it a worthwhile purchase for fans. But there’s still room for a complete remaster of Skyrim, which the Anniversary Edition doesn’t quite fill. Fans will unquestionably get their fair share of enjoyment out of Skyrim Anniversary Edition, but a complete remaster down the line may still be of interest.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim – Anniversary Edition releases for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on November 11, 2021.
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