8 Reasons Skyrim Still Feels Like The Open-World RPG Everyone Looks Up To

In the history of gaming, few titles have broken the mold like The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim did back in the day. Not only did this title continue Bethesda's proud Elder Scrolls franchise, but it also offered players various new places to discover, complex game mechanics, and interesting quests that left little to be desired.

While the game has been around for a long time at this point, the fact that it's still popular and continues to have a devoted fanbase goes to show how well it was made. Here are some of the reasons why The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim still feels relevant and remains a point of comparison when it comes to other games in its genre.

8 Mountain Climbing

You See That Mountain? You Can Climb It

When The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim was first announced, one of the main selling points was how much freedom players would have when it came to exploration. While other games were still relying on invisible walls and landscapes that were just there for visual impact, this title pushed the envelope further and allowed players to really make the land of Skyrim their own.

Seeing a mountain in the distance and knowing that you could climb it if you wanted to and had the patience for it has always been, in my opinion, something stellar, and arguably one of the details that make The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim feel more alive than most other titles from its era.

7 No Class Restrictions

Your Playstyle Determines Your Experience

Class systems have been around in RPGs and some open-world games for a very long time, and the fact that this game doesn't rely on them as heavily, is something noteworthy. Instead of picking a class from the start and being tied to it for the entirety of your playthrough, The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim lets you decide which skills you want to master and develop your playstyle from there.

While other games have followed suit, it's undeniable that this was one of the reasons why this game is still considered to be one of the greatest open-world/RPGs of all time.

Still Going Strong to This Day

Mods aren't for everyone. While many people love them and like to apply them to various games to either improve their experience or get some funny results, there are others who defend the purity of developers' original work. Although neither group is in the wrong and everyone's entitled to their opinion, it's undeniable that there are some great mods for this title that completely elevate the experience of playing it.

In the grand scheme of things, mods are much more common for PC. However, there are now some amazing The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim mods for the PS5 and Xbox consoles as well. This lets everyone in on the fun, and it encourages the game's modding community to keep growing.

5 NPCs Have Routines

It's Almost Like They Lead Normal Lives

Let's be honest. Bethesda has always been known for having a few bugs in their titles—and this applies even to more modern ones. While some are just funny, others can completely halt your progress and break the game, which can be frustrating, to say the least. That said, even with a few flaws in their behavior here and there, NPCs in the land of Skyrim are very interesting because they have routines.

Granted, their routine design and several of their mechanics are outdated when compared with those in other games, but for a 2011 title, they still hold up pretty well in my opinion. And the best part is that they not only apply to commoners, as every jarl in The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim also has them.

4 Extensive Lore

A Library of Knowledge Waiting to Be Discovered

By the time The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim came out, the franchise had already been around for 17 years. This gave the fifth installment the wonderful advantage of already having a complex and rich universe behind it to build upon its lore and expand on it. When it comes to this game, there's a literal library of knowledge waiting to be discovered, with the limit being only how much you want to explore and learn.

Discovering more about the land of Skyrim is not only about reading, as many quests will become available the more terrain you cover. The quest related to collecting all the Stones of Barenziah, for example, is a great way to make a new playthrough harder. And don't get me started on all the deities and their interesting backstories.

3 Faction Arc Complexity

A Full Story to Unpack Behind Each One

Combat, main quests, and the journey towards defeating Alduin and saving the land of Skyrim is only half the fun, as joining factions is the other half. Whether it is The Companions, The Coven of Namira, The Stormcloaks or the dreaded Dark Brotherhood, you'll always be met with an interesting narrative around each one and a ton of exciting quests to complete in order to prove your devotion and allegiance to them.

Joining factions can also bring you closer to unlocking some Shouts in The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. A great example of this is the "Marked for Death" Shout, which can be found in various locations, including the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary.

2 Two-Handed Freedom

Being Able to Combine Melee Weapons and Magic Is Great

While hybrid builds are not as common in the land of Skyrim as maxed-out configurations of either long-range, melee, or magic ones, there are some people out there who do use them and wreak havoc with them. Again, they're not for everyone, but if you learn how to use them properly, you can become a force to be reckoned with.

Personally, I'm more of a Two-Handed, Berserker kind of player, and I wield my trusty battleaxe everywhere. However, I can admit that the idea of wielding a one-handed weapon in my left hand, while assigning a powerful Destruction spell to my right hand, sounds exciting. If you're going to be using a lot of spells, the Altmer are one of the best races in The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim for that purpose, thanks to their HIghborn power to regenerate Magicka quickly.

1 Dwemer Ruins

Each One More Dangerous Than the Last

This one will have many people divided, I'm sure. Dwemer ruins, in my opinion, are one of the best elements in The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, as they're not only extremely dangerous and challenging, but also keep you on your toes at all times. While I often enjoy a peaceful stroll through the forest, sometimes I also need that constant feeling of being watched by something vile as I make my way through an ancient underground location.

Whether it is the Falmer, Dwemer Automatons, Dwarven Centurions, or the dreaded Dwarven Spheres, you'll never find yourself with idle hands while exploring one of these.