Nook’s Cranny #4 – Why You Should Still Be Playing Skyrim 10 Years After Its Release

Words: Mio Farrenden

The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim is turning 10 years old this November and it’s hardly believable… Thousands of people still regularly play the game and with no accurate idea as to when the next Elder Scrolls installment will be, here’s a few reasons as to why you should still be playing Skyrim all these years later.

First of all, the main quest’s storyline is one of the most interesting yet adaptable game storyline I’ve ever played. It has a lot of structure so it is easily digestible. When you are not feeling up to it, it is also incredibly simple to just drop and pick back up again when you’re ready. Skyrim’s main quest is one of few that allows you to complete the game without the need for side quests, quite the breath of fresh air!

Although you won’t need to complete side quests, you will end up wanting to. The non-mandatory tasks are incredibly diverse and immersive. Taking the time to get through some of them leaves you with a much stronger sense of the world and a greater understanding of all the political turmoil that troubles Tamriel (the world of Skyrim). They can also aid you in your main quest by offering XP, gold, and invaluable items.

As previously mentioned, the game is 10 years old soon. It’s reasonable that you may be a tad burnt out in the Skyrim world or, if you haven’t played it yet, you can see the aged look of a game made in 2011. These aren’t reasons not to play though, mods are essentially life savers when it comes to Bethesda games, they wouldn’t be the same without them! You can get mods that add new quests, more interactive characters, better graphics, basically anything you can think of. Head to Nexusmods to check out what’s available for your edition.

Finally, and maybe one of the most important reasons, the Skyrim community can be really amazing. Everyone who still plays this far in is someone who truly loves the game and can talk for hours about it. You can have lively debates about the politics within Skyrim, share tips, advise on modding the game, and make some really great friends. It may not be an online game (though Elder Scrolls Online is available if you want that), but it has a great online community for you to get chatting with.