In general, I don't get how Skyrim is so well regarded. Like, its hardly a terrible game, but I've seen it as candidate for game of the decade (of the 2010s), and it still being popular and getting rereleases... and just do not understand.
I played it through when it first released, and it was fine, held my attention at least. But had no desire to play/explore more. Tried going back with a heavily modded experience, and just the core gameplay is pretty lackluster. Not that I'm telling people their fav is wrong, I just don't see what the appeal even is.
For a lot of normies, Skyrim was their first real open-world high-fantasy experience in a game. As you said, the gameplay (esp. combat) is lackluster but it's also very accessible compared to a lot of other games in the same genre.
As the other guy said, it was a lot of people's first exposure. 2014 and prior it sold 20 million copies; Oblivion, which was the Elder Scrolls game preceding it, has sold less than half of that for it's entire existence (and I'd argue it had more depth than Skyrim)
Yeah, I grew up with Morrowind, which I think is obviously deeply flawed in hindsight, but I felt had a lot more depth of story and setting to it; Oblivion was okay, though I hated the level-scaled enemies, and Skyrim is like, fine? But really feels like they've shed mechanics and world design over time.
Yeah; Skyrim shed repairing weapons and armor (which is fine, that was always just kind of a hindrance/busywork to me), but it also got rid of the ways you could non magically persuade people that were in Oblivion, and a lot of mysticism stuff/school of magic went out the window, not to mention a lot of other little things
Morrowind to Skyrim lends itself to an even more dumbed down feeling I'd imagine, since I know a lot of little things were removed from Morrowind to Oblivion (and Morrowind had the most atmospheric feel)
Repairing equipment I'm fine with losing, just a tax really. Same with Morrowind's not great combat; weapons had a miss chance based on skill, so at the start of the game, something like 85% of your attacks just missed. Biggest problem with the game IMO. Magicka was also a pain, only regened on sleep.
But at the same point, by not needing full voice acting, there is way more dialogue in Morrowind than Oblivion. And its dialogue system, while having a crude UI by today's standards, allowed for a lot more depth of conversation, allowing to ask after a bunch of words. Downside is non-unique NPCs had dialogue based on location, race, politics, ect. Which was kind of cool, as those conversation could be useful, but it did mean a dark elf of the same faction in the same location would have identical dialogue to another.
Then, like Skyrim shedding Oblivion's social spells, Oblivion shed a lot of Morrowind's spells, mostly movement related. Fly being the obvious one, but things like Jump and Mark/Recall were also nice.
Its not to say the newer games add nothing, but I feel like most of what they add is just presentation; so better UI, UX, graphics, voice acting. Skill perks are really the only standout as a true new mechanic. I guess maybe also horses? But spells/potions kind of fit that role of faster overland speed in Morrowind.
In general, I don't get how Skyrim is so well regarded. Like, its hardly a terrible game, but I've seen it as candidate for game of the decade (of the 2010s), and it still being popular and getting rereleases... and just do not understand.
I played it through when it first released, and it was fine, held my attention at least. But had no desire to play/explore more. Tried going back with a heavily modded experience, and just the core gameplay is pretty lackluster. Not that I'm telling people their fav is wrong, I just don't see what the appeal even is.
For a lot of normies, Skyrim was their first real open-world high-fantasy experience in a game. As you said, the gameplay (esp. combat) is lackluster but it's also very accessible compared to a lot of other games in the same genre.
As the other guy said, it was a lot of people's first exposure. 2014 and prior it sold 20 million copies; Oblivion, which was the Elder Scrolls game preceding it, has sold less than half of that for it's entire existence (and I'd argue it had more depth than Skyrim)
Yeah, I grew up with Morrowind, which I think is obviously deeply flawed in hindsight, but I felt had a lot more depth of story and setting to it; Oblivion was okay, though I hated the level-scaled enemies, and Skyrim is like, fine? But really feels like they've shed mechanics and world design over time.
Yeah; Skyrim shed repairing weapons and armor (which is fine, that was always just kind of a hindrance/busywork to me), but it also got rid of the ways you could non magically persuade people that were in Oblivion, and a lot of mysticism stuff/school of magic went out the window, not to mention a lot of other little things
Morrowind to Skyrim lends itself to an even more dumbed down feeling I'd imagine, since I know a lot of little things were removed from Morrowind to Oblivion (and Morrowind had the most atmospheric feel)
Repairing equipment I'm fine with losing, just a tax really. Same with Morrowind's not great combat; weapons had a miss chance based on skill, so at the start of the game, something like 85% of your attacks just missed. Biggest problem with the game IMO. Magicka was also a pain, only regened on sleep.
But at the same point, by not needing full voice acting, there is way more dialogue in Morrowind than Oblivion. And its dialogue system, while having a crude UI by today's standards, allowed for a lot more depth of conversation, allowing to ask after a bunch of words. Downside is non-unique NPCs had dialogue based on location, race, politics, ect. Which was kind of cool, as those conversation could be useful, but it did mean a dark elf of the same faction in the same location would have identical dialogue to another.
Then, like Skyrim shedding Oblivion's social spells, Oblivion shed a lot of Morrowind's spells, mostly movement related. Fly being the obvious one, but things like Jump and Mark/Recall were also nice.
Its not to say the newer games add nothing, but I feel like most of what they add is just presentation; so better UI, UX, graphics, voice acting. Skill perks are really the only standout as a true new mechanic. I guess maybe also horses? But spells/potions kind of fit that role of faster overland speed in Morrowind.