Critically Disappointed: Skyrim Could Have Had These Brilliant Features

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Brilliant Abandoned Ideas for Skyrim’s Anniversary Edition: A Look Back

Even 15 years after its release, Skyrim remains one of the most popular open-world RPGs ever made, offering a uniquely free sandbox adventure. According to Kurt Kuhlmann, co-director of The Elder Scrolls V, the developers had many more ideas that could have made the game even more memorable, but technical limitations prevented their implementation. (Source: PC Gamer, “A Cartload of Brilliant Abandoned Ideas for Skyrim”). Even without the vast library of available mods, the base version of Skyrim offers a generous adventure within a coherent region of Tamriel. The Anniversary Edition, which includes all Creation Club content released before November 11, 2021, underscores the game’s extensive content. As of December 2023, the file size on Xbox Series X and S is approximately 29 GB. The game is playable on both Xbox Series models and is available on PlayStation via PS Plus Extra/Premium (Special Edition).

Unrealized Ambitions of Skyrim: Dynamic Civil War & Real-time Carriage Travel

Kuhlmann told PC Gamer that his team had to abandon two interesting features due to time constraints and technical challenges. The first was a dynamic civil war system. While Skyrim’s story often mentions the Empire and the Stormcloaks vying for control of Tamriel, players rarely witness conflicts beyond the Battle of Whiterun. Kuhlmann explained that dynamic and random encounters impacted performance too heavily. Fortunately, mods have since brought a version of this concept to life, although the scale and implementation differ from the developers’ original plans. The game’s opening sequence served as a test for a real-time carriage travel system. Players would have been able to travel Skyrim’s roads and dismount to defend themselves during skirmishes, particularly those related to the civil war. However, technical limitations intervened; the horses pulling the carriage could behave erratically, or the carriage could flip unexpectedly. The developers expressed disappointment that they couldn’t implement these features as intended. Perhaps The Elder Scrolls 6 will realize some of Skyrim’s unrealized ambitions. Meanwhile, a recent update celebrating The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim’s anniversary has players engaged with a new fishing minigame, demonstrating the enduring appeal of Bethesda’s flagship RPG.

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