3. Skyrim
Much like the Fallout series, I have been a loyal follower of the Elder Scrolls games ever since I played Morrowind on the original Xbox. The series certainly has come a long way since the Daggerfall days on PC, and developers Bethesda must be commended for moving the RPG genre in the right direction. Their games are often vast and create a world for the avid gamer to become lost in. However, with Skyrim, many gamers were left feeling that the main storyline and those of the varying factions you can become part of were left unfinished, with no actual conclusion. The game thrusts you into the part of Tamriel called Skyrim, which is home to the Nords. A brutal civil war is waging between the Stormcloaks, who want to freedom to worship their own gods (much like the Vikings did in real life), and the Imperials, who seek to enforce the Emperor's law. While you can complete the story arcs for either of these groups, no conclusion is offered as to the fate of Skyrim going forward. No new King of Skyrim is ever put in place, and the future of the possible war with the Thalmor isn't touched upon either, while DLC ended up just creating more questions. Dawnguard, for instance, discusses a new prophecy, but the gamer never actually completes it or finds out the "ending". Developers Bethesda did promise further DLC, but this has now been decided against, as they look to the development of the next Elder Scrolls installment, despite leaving many loose ends in their last offering. None of the lesser factions such as the Thieves Guild or the Brotherhood receive a full and satisfying ending either, but the bread and butter of the main story, that of the dragons, isn't really ended, as they still appear to torment Skyrim despite the main threat being eliminated. I won't argue that Skyrim isn't a good game, however when you write a story arc and want gamers to devote themselves to that, you owe it to the consumer to give them an end to reach out and touch. RPG's are all about story, and despite having a great one on offer, you can't help but feel the last concluding chapter has been ripped out of the Skyrim book.