30 Greatest RPG Video Games Of All Time
1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
There's a lot of reasons why Skyrim is number one. It may not have the amazing story of Mass Effect 2, the excellent combat mechanics of The Witcher 2, or any party control the way Dragon Age does, but it's the game's plus points that excel far past anything shortcomings.
Immersion: When you play Skyrim, you feel like you are actually in a living, breathing world. People going about their business, the day and night cycle, interacting with others, it's been described as an MMORPG but with just one real person in it. When you stand on the Throat of The World, you can almost feel the wind and the cold on your face.
Universal Appeal: A lot of role-playing games can be difficult to get into for the more casual gamer, while some that have been designed for newcomers often get accused of lacking depth. Skyrim manages to appeal to the hardcore RPG fan and newbie alike.
Freedom: You can literally go anywhere and do anything. There is a main quest line, but you don't even have to complete it if you don't want to. Go and become head of the Mages Guild instead, or lead the Dark Brotherhood, turn into a werewolf or go and antagonise some giants to see if they can club you over a mountain. Walk in any direction for a bit and you'll find something new.
Longevity: Skyrim has been responsible for the breakup of relationships, the loss of jobs and people simply forgetting to eat. It's rare to find a game where almost everyone asks each other "How much time have you clocked up?" If you attempt to do literally everything the game has to offer, then expect to total over 200+ hours. You may eventually start seeing quest-pointers as you walk around in real-life, or attempt a dragon shout at someone giving you a hard time.
Graphics: It's just beautiful, from the highest snowy peaks to most expansive green fields. Even though it's aging a bit now, it can still make you gasp in awe when something like a sky-filling dragon swoops over a village. Hundreds of mods now available have even brought the game's graphics up to today's standards if you're on PC, making the game prettier than it ever was.
There's also the crafting system, DLCs, huge skill trees, the character development options, violent combat, varied beasts, political intrigue - the list goes on and on. In the end, people will always have their personal favourite RPGs. Some do certain things better than others, but none combine so many elements in such a perfect way as Skyrim does. It's the greatest of all time, and possibly the greatest game ever made.
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