Skyrim
Since The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim launched in 2011, it has remained a beacon of gaming excellence, a ruler by which all subsequent RPGs are measured. When playing another game, we may ask: Is its world as big as north Tamriel? Is its physics model so good that it prompts wacky experimentation? Can it be shaped and remolded by modders with as much freedom? Will it lure you in with the promise of becoming a vampire or a werewolf, then keep you there for hundreds of hours with its seemingly endless supply of nooks to explore and crannies to discover? If it can’t manage all that, then it’s not as good as Skyrim. Even the highly anticipated Starfield was referred to as “Skyrim in space,” leading up to and beyond its release—and I think, a few months post-launch, we can safely say no, it’s not as good as Skyrim. — Alyssa Mercante, Senior Editor
