Editorial Skyrim: The RPG for the Rest of Us

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Tags: Bethesda Softworks; Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

<p><em>Even if you think RPGs are dumb, this is a game that will demand your attention.</em> - says IGN in their latest piece of 6 reasons why The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim will absolutely kick ass even if - or especially if - you think RPGs are dumb.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Like millions of others, the game I'll play more than any other this year is The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The only reason this is worth mentioning is because I really, really don't like RPGs.<br /><br />All that leveling up, those tiresome stats, all those dreary fantasy tropes, the endless tinkering with skills and items. Yawn!<br /><br />Quasi-Medieval fantasy leaves me cold. When I trouble myself to read George R.R. Martin, my eyes roll at his absurd olde worlde lingo. I've never been tempted, not for one second, to actually play World of Warcraft. There are very few people in the world less qualified than me to write about RPGs.<br /><br />But this Skyrim? This one is different. It's an RPG for the rest of us. It's a land made for you and me; we innocents who care little for warlocks and wizards, guilds and ghosts.<br /><br />The guys at Bethesda are no mugs. Every single time you see Todd Howard or Pete Hines or Craig Lafferty talking to a journalist, the first thing out of their mouths is the line about Skyrim's accessibility, its universal appeal, its ability to be all things to all men, and women. And this isn't merely a marketing-made dogma shaped for the masses. It's the game's central design principle.<br /><br />The reason why I can't wait for Skyrim is that it is not an RPG, it's an escape-hatch to another world. All games, especially RPGs, offer this possibility of escape, but Skyrim's detail, realism and the sense of wonder it exudes makes it more tempting for non-RPGers than stat-heavy, graphically-limited rivals.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I leave it to you to <a href="http://games.ign.com/articles/119/1199206p1.html#disqus_thread" target="_blank">read through the reasons</a>.</p>
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[Miew]

<p><em>The guys at Bethesda are no mugs. Every single time you see Todd Howard or Pete Hines or Craig Lafferty talking to a journalist, the first thing out of their mouths is the line about Skyrim's accessibility, its universal appeal, its ability to be all things to all men, and women. And this isn't merely a marketing-made dogma shaped for the masses. It's the game's central design principle.

Almost reads like it's meant to be ironic.
(or criticism or whatever)

 

[Morkar Left]

That sounds exactly like Bethesdas (and BiowEAres) target audience.

I'm glad for them they finally nailed it. And I hope they get rid of all this stats alltogether in Oblivion 3. They could start to call it "ultimate freeroaming openworld console shooter experience" or something like that. That brings them more sales and The rpg genre would only benefit from it.

 

[Oriental European]

What a pile of shit.

 

[Raapys]

They're not all without hope.

I really wish IGN would have gotten someone who actually likes RPGs to write about why this game will be great. I was hoping to read that instead of an article written by someone who hates RPGs explaining why this game is simple enough to appeal to him and everyone else. I understand the point of the article, and it's not horrible or anything, just would have enjoyed reading the perspective of someone who's actually a fan of the genre.

kylarisajedi and 66 more liked this

 

[M_I_C_K_E_Y_M_O_U_S_E]

However, Skyrim is not a hardcore action RPG, and has never been claimed to be so either.
It's a ROLE PLAYING Game in the purest, old-school, table-top-RPG sense of the word: living another life in another world

I guess it's valid if you consider Oblivion to be an old school RPG...

 

[Raapys]

Uh, when did the purest, old-school, table-top-RPG sense of RPG become living a life in another world? I seem to remember it was about die-rolling and dungeons.

Also:

but Skyrim's detail, realism and the sense of wonder it exudes makes it more tempting for non-RPGers than stat-heavy, graphically-limited rivals.

Which rivals would that be?

 

[epikitscheesy]

living another life in another world

Sounds cool albeit derp in context.
However, Skyrim is not it, it's itz.

 

[Jaesun]

The reason why I can't wait for Skyrim is that it is not an RPG...

 

[Silellak]

On 11-11-11, my life, my real life, is going on hold. I have a role to play.

 

[Kashmir Slippers]

This is why we can't have nice things.

 

[Morkar Left]

On 11-11-11, my life, my real life, is going on hold. I have a role to play.

On 11-11-11, my role, my real life role, is going on hold. I have a life to live.

Could be used for marketing.

 

[Ruprekt]

I think RPGs are dumb /skyway

 

[Angthoron]

However, Skyrim is not a hardcore action RPG, and has never been claimed to be so either.
It's a ROLE PLAYING Game in the purest, old-school, table-top-RPG sense of the word: living another life in another world

*frustrated roar*

 

[villain of the story]

This... is almost like the admission we have waited to hear for years.

 

[sgc_meltdown]

next up are games for people who don't like games

 

[CrunchyHemorrhoids]

It's called the Wii, or Iphone.

 

[epikitscheesy]

next up are games for people who don't like games

I've always wanted a facebook app that lets you do whatever you want to do

 

[J_J_M]

next up are games for people who don't like games

That is the next move in Bioware's agenda.

Bethesda needs to step it up and be modern and progressive like Bioware. They are way behind in gay romances and no-gameplay. Add more cutscenes and take out the combat. That's the key in attracting an overweight female audience.

 

[Needles]

I never know if these guys are serious ...

Also, why is this not in the best thread ever.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

 

[Morkar Left]

This thread belongs stickied. Whenever somebody is wondering why the codex is such a hate driven community we only have to point him to this thread.

 

[Breaking Axe]

I'm rather shocked at this article, truthfully. It reads like a codex parody, Besthesda is not even pretending anymore.

 

[sea]

Well now we know why BioWare's writing fucking sucks. How does this shit even work anyway? "Hmm, so the applicant doesn't like videogames, doesn't play videogames and in fact wishes that all videogames would allow the player to skip the gameplay itself? Gentlemen, I think we have our new lead writer."

 

[MetalCraze]

PC Gamer may be a bunch of fucking sellouts but deep down below they still like PC gaming and sometimes the horrible cries of their profit-hunger tortured souls spill onto the pages like that.