The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Legendary Edition

Nearly every building can be entered, every person spoken to, and every quest ignored in favor of wandering toward a distant mountain or a rumor of buried treasure. Skills grow through use rather than a fixed leveling path chosen at the start.

A civil war between two factions runs alongside the main dragon-hunting plot and can be joined on either side, and shouts learned from ancient dragon language grant powers ranging from a battlefield-clearing gust of wind to slowing time itself.

Beyond the main dragon-hunting plot, guild questlines let the player rise through a thieves' network, a college of mages, or a warrior brotherhood, each with its own tone and rewards. Radiant quests generated on the fly keep giving the player something to do long after the main story ends.

• A fully open frozen province Skyrim's holds, dungeons, and wilderness are explorable in any order from the very start.
• Use-based skill growth Skills like archery or smithing improve by being practiced, not by spending points at level-up.
• Dragon shouts Words of ancient dragon language grant powers unlocked by defeating dragons across the world.
• A joinable civil war A separate political conflict runs beside the main story and can be joined on either side.
• Deep mod support The engine underneath the game supports extensive community-made content and tools.