4. More Freedom With Missions
In GTA games of old, missions have been almost imperative in order to progress with the game. Completing a mission very much depended upon whether or not you could continue with the game. Failure to complete certain missions would mean the story line would essentially stop to the point that new missions couldn't be generated, meaning you were stuck and unable to progress with the game. Skyrim meanwhile allows you to ignore or postpone the main quest indefinitely whilst still enabling you to progress through the game at your own leisure. When asked to do something by an NPC, you could just simply say "Not right now" and be on your way. If ever you got stuck on a mission, it wouldn't matter at all, you could just simply go out and find another one to try. Quests on Skyrim are also not dependent on unlocking parts of the map to explore, meaning you can merely ignore all of the missions and explore the game until your heart's content.