I’ve Got A Confession To Make: I Don’t Like This Perfect Game From 14 Years Ago

by

For many gamers, November 11, 2015 is a memorable date. That’s when The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was first released on Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. The game, created by Bethesda Game Studios, was an immediate success. Critics loved it, it sold incredibly well, and it was praised for its detailed world and how well it was made. Personally, I’ve never managed to finish the game – I always lose interest before reaching the end.

I’ve never really gotten into Skyrim, despite its popularity and influence on other games I love. For the past 14 years, I’ve been trying to explain why it just didn’t click with me. It’s not that I think the game is bad, or that people who enjoy it are wrong—it’s just that something about the series hasn’t resonated with me personally.

Skyrim Is A Generational Hit, But I’ve Never Liked It

For 14 years, I’ve found myself explaining that while I acknowledge The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is an amazing game, I just don’t enjoy playing it. Following the huge success of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion five years earlier, Skyrim is considered one of the greatest fantasy role-playing games ever made. You play as the Dragonborn, a character you can fully customize, and your main goal is to defeat Alduin, a powerful and destructive dragon.

Skyrim is a huge, immersive open-world game packed with rich backstory, challenging enemies, and tons of side quests. It’s built to deliver a fantastic role-playing experience, letting players make meaningful choices that shape their character, how they play, and their moral compass. With great controls and stunning visuals, it’s easy to see why both critics and players hailed it as a masterpiece when it first came out.

Despite enjoying other open-world games like Mass Effect 2, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, I just couldn’t get into Skyrim. Perhaps the game offered too many choices, making it feel overwhelming, or maybe its fantasy world, while beautiful, felt a bit too familiar. It’s possible I simply haven’t connected with the Oblivion series in general – I’ve always found it hard to get invested.

I think what really gets me about Skyrim is how much it focuses on you as the player, but in a way that didn’t quite click with me. Games like Mass Effect or GTA let you customize your character, but they still feel like they fit within a set story. With Skyrim, you’re the Dragonborn, and honestly, that felt too open-ended. I could do whatever I wanted, but it felt like there wasn’t really a ‘me’ in that world. The music, writing, and everything looked great, but I always found myself getting frustrated or bored after about an hour because I could shape the world however I wanted, and it just didn’t feel engaging for me.

When An Open World Becomes Too Much

This issue wasn’t limited to Skyrim. I experienced something similar with The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion – it was a promising RPG with great mechanics, but I lost interest quickly. I believe the way the open world is presented is the key. Unlike games like Baldur’s Gate 3, where the expansive world feels personal and changes with each playthrough through unique stories, relationships, and conflicts, these older games didn’t quite capture that same feeling of ownership and replayability.

Throughout the game, a core emotional feeling shifts and develops depending on how the player interacts with the story. The constant threat of the Mindflayer inside the player’s head creates tension, while also introducing a rich world full of diverse characters and viewpoints. This reminded me of the Red Dead Redemption games – they initially felt overwhelming, but quickly became captivating thanks to their strong story and complex moral themes.

For me, Skyrim is the perfect playground, but honestly, the whole ‘Dragonborn’ thing didn’t really grab me. I much prefer open-world games that still have a strong central story. I like getting into a character and living their life, instead of just wandering around doing whatever. Even if my choices change things, I want to feel like I’m following someone’s story, not just making my own chaos.

While you have freedom to shape your experience, Skyrim feels like you’re truly driving a huge story, unlike many games that just deliver information and predictable quests. Skyrim is a beautiful and open world where you can do almost anything, but I prefer games that give you a clear goal and then let you decide how to achieve it – similar to the Fallout series, but with a stronger focus on story right away. Finding that balance is key to enjoying a large open-world game, and Skyrim didn’t quite capture it for me.

The Difference Between Disliking A Game And Criticizing It Explains My Perspective On Skyrim

I struggle to enjoy Skyrim as much as other people do, even though I recognize how incredibly ambitious and well-made it is, especially considering it came out over a decade ago. I have the same problem with World of Warcraft. I try to get invested in its vast world, but I always end up feeling lost and unmotivated. It’s an unpopular opinion, but I can’t seem to connect with these games despite acknowledging their success and impact on gaming.

Look, I get why people love Skyrim and Oblivion – I don’t think they’re bad games at all, honestly. I totally see the appeal. It just bothers me when my friends act like I’m just trying to be difficult when I offer criticism, or assume I think Bethesda deliberately messed things up. They were aiming for the perfect RPG, and in a lot of ways, they did nail it.

I’ve always struggled to really get what makes Skyrim so special, and it’s made me realize there’s a huge difference between understanding why a game is good and actually enjoying it. It’s totally a personal thing! Other open-world games, with their amazing worlds and stories, always make me feel like I have a purpose. But with Skyrim, I often feel lost and aimless. Maybe someday – it’s been out for 14 years now – I’ll finally click with it and appreciate its greatness. But right now, it’s probably the most beloved game out there that I just can’t seem to connect with, and that’s okay.

Read More

2025-11-11 22:18