🎮 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) Thoughts
I know Skyrim is eight hundred and seventy four years old now but every year, as soon as the weather starts to get a bit colder, for some reason I get an urge to play Skyrim again. Usually I make myself a stealth archer, play for a few hours and get bored (but I have fun for those few hours so it’s all good).
Recently I thought I’d try something a little bit different, so I made a Nord lady called Stabetha, got her a sword and shield and I’m just going for it. I use a little bit of magic now and then to help out but I’m not stressing about that. And I’m having more fun this time than I have in ages!
Because I’m not bothering with sneaking around, I just barge in and go wild, the pace of the game is much faster. I’m blazing through caves and forts and collecting more loot. I’m playing on an easy setting as a result but whatever. I’m actually progressing through the skills trees a bit and getting to see the game change a little as I go. I’m now good enough at blocking that time slows down when enemies are doing a power attack, so I have time to bash them right in the face and sort them out. It’s awesome.
I’m collecting quests left right and centre but I’m being a bit picky about what to actually do. I think Stabetha is a nice lady ultimately so I’m not going to do anything shady sounding, and just focusing on the quests that seem ‘right’. So I’m not feeling overwhelmed by all the quests going on, and as a bonus, I’m well aware that I’m giving myself the opportunity for a totally different play through where I do take on those quests.
I’m making a point of not fast traveling and just enjoying being in the world. Maybe it’s a little bit boring just walking along a road but I’m going with it, actually I find that I zone out and it’s relaxing. I think that urge to play every Autumn is linked with the whole setting and feeling of the game. I like to try and take it all in. I imagine standing in the spray of some of those waterfalls would be amazing. I imagine the air is so cold and crisp and fresh. So I just zone out and try to take all that in. It’s nice.
I’ve also had a couple of ideas for later play-throughs: a unarmed Khajiit who is also a werewolf (and I’ll call them Fang or something stupid), and just get myself in a whole load of trouble. And the other idea would be more of a challenge I think: some kind of elf-y mage-y vampire, which would push me into trying out all the spells and things that I’ve never touched.
All of this is being helped along by a gaming journal that I’m keeping, but I think I’ll save that for another post.