No one could’ve ever expected the influence Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim would leave in the genre. The game has been the subject of multiple remasters, re-releases, and platform changes. It’s available on many devices, and with special editions that all RPG fans have at least dipped their toe into once.
Skyrim’s status as one of the best games hasn’t remained uncontested. Over the years, we’ve seen Bethesda releasing tons of games that chipped away at its popularity, even pointing out where its greatest weaknesses lie compared to others. However, according to Bethesda’s Todd Howard, there’s one simple reason why Skyrim has outlasted anything created by the company previously.
Todd Howard Explains Why The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is So Successful
Skyrim debuted back in 2011 to incredible critical and commercial acclaim. It’s the ultimate RPG experience that boasts immense world-building and capacity for fun all over its densely populated map. We’ve seen tons of Bethesda games arriving since then, but still, nothing compares to Skyrim.
In an interview with the Telegraph, Skyrim‘s game director, Todd Howard, gave an insight into the title’s development and various aspects. While talking about the game’s incredible success, he pointed out that Skyrim caught the attention of players who weren’t traditionally Bethesda’s target due to the game’s simplicity and engaging nature.
We heard a lot of stories, you know, we called it the ‘sofa game’. Where, if you had a friend who didn’t play these kind of games then you’d say ‘hey you gotta check this out’. It just spilled over into this whole other thing.
Bethesda’s approach of easy-to-understand mechanics with Skyrim was one of the major contributing factors to the title breaking all kinds of records known to the game. Even those who aren’t really into RPGs can pick up the game anytime and begin their journey without breaking a sweat like in other games. We’ve seen tons of RPGs hitting shelves in the last couple of years, but nothing matches the simplicity of Skyrim.
Skyrim‘s easy-to-understand approach was expanded in Bethesda’s future games, such as Fallout 4 and Starfield. Just like Skyrim, they didn’t take away any of the in-depth exploratories that the studio manages to capture incredibly well. Instead, they looked into the game’s fundamental features and made them more accessible for new players to comprehend. Despite all that, they still couldn’t measure up to Howard’s finest creation.
Bethesda’s Crowning Achievement Still Keeps Giving in 2024
Skyrim is still popular in 2024 for so many reasons and continues to entertain gamers of all different preferences and backgrounds. Be it gorgeous scenery, modding community, or fascinating lore, players are continuing to find new ways to enjoy the experience. Its quality is evident and still remains the bar that Starfield and Fallout 76 have to leap over if they want to snatch the mantle of Bethesda’s best creation ever.
Unlike many other games that were released at the same time, The Elder Scrolls V has held immense longevity, which is worthy of much praise. Games are more diverse than ever and in many ways better than ever, so it’s surprising that a piece of media from 13 years ago is still so fun! Let’s hope we’ll witness more of Bethesda’s magic in the upcoming The Elder Scroll 6.
