Info about The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition:

Official game description:
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition
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The Anniversary Edition includes a decade worth of content: the critically acclaimed core game and add-ons of Skyrim Special Edition, plus Creation Club content released on or prior to November 11, 2021 - including quests, dungeons, bosses, weapons, spells, and more.
Creation Kit
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About the Game
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Winner of more than 200 Game of the Year Awards, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition brings the epic fantasy to life in stunning detail. The Special Edition includes the critically acclaimed game and add-ons with all-new features like remastered art and effects, volumetric god rays, dynamic depth of field, screen-space reflections, and more.  
Skyrim Special Edition also brings the power of Bethesda Game Studios Creations to PC and consoles. New quests, environments, characters, dialogue, armor, weapons and more – with Creations, there are no limits to what you can experience.

Release date: Oct 27, 2016

Categories: Open-World Exploration, Character Customization, Mod Support, Action RPG, Fantasy, Non-linear Narrative, Crafting, Exploration

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 60; verdict: Aggressive Monetization; summary: The analysis of user reviews for the game reveals several key themes related to monetization and perceived greed. The most significant issues include overpriced DLCs and microtransactions, excessive and overpriced editions, and technical issues with misleading advertising. While some users find value in the anniversary edition if purchased at a lower price, the overall sentiment is negative due to the high cost and perceived lack of value in additional content. The introduction of a paid workshop for mods is particularly contentious, turning community mods into a microtransaction gimmick.
- Mods: score 45; verdict: Moderate Reliance on Mods; summary: The analysis of user feedback reveals that while Skyrim is highly praised for its depth and modding community, there is a significant reliance on mods to fix bugs, enhance graphics, and improve gameplay mechanics. The modding process, although powerful, can be complex and sometimes frustrating, with issues related to mod compatibility and functionality. Despite these challenges, the modding community and tools like Nexus Mods are crucial for many players to enjoy the game fully.
- Wiki: score 10; verdict: Needs Improvement; summary: The user feedback highlights several key issues with the game, including the need for external guides to understand complex mechanics, difficulties with navigation and quest completion, significant technical issues such as crashes and alt-tab problems, and frequent encounters with bugs requiring workarounds. These issues collectively impact the user experience negatively, with technical problems and the need for external resources being the most prominent complaints.
- Proton/Linux: score 15; verdict: Works Well; summary: The game generally runs well on Linux with minimal tweaks, such as enabling Proton Experimental. However, some users have reported issues with game updates and additional account requirements, which can affect the overall experience. Despite these issues, many users find the game to be comfortable and enjoyable on various Linux distributions.
- Steam Deck: score 55; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The analysis of user feedback on the Steam Deck experience with Skyrim reveals several key issues. Virtual keyboard problems are a significant barrier, causing crashes and making the game unplayable for some users. Stability issues are mixed, with some users experiencing crashes and others finding the game runs well. Controller and input issues, as well as mod and version compatibility problems, are also notable concerns. Graphical issues, such as blurry screens and poor graphics quality, further detract from the user experience. These technical barriers collectively impact the overall enjoyment and playability of the game on the Steam Deck.

- Hardware Profile:
  - Summary: The game generally performs well across most hardware cohorts, with higher VRAM configurations experiencing stability issues when heavily modded. Lower-end hardware can run the game with some optimizations and modding, while high-end setups may face crashes and bugs with extensive modifications.
  - Sample size: 776 (2% coverage)
  - Audience skew: Review sample is mostly Windows-based.
  - Windows <8GB VRAM / <16GB RAM (positive, 294 reports): The game runs well with some optimizations and modding, even on lower-end hardware.
  - Windows 12-15GB VRAM (mixed, 139 reports): High-end setups experience stability issues and crashes with heavy modding.
  - Windows <8GB VRAM / 16-31GB RAM (positive, 121 reports): The game runs well with high FPS stability, but may experience crashes with extensive modding.
  - Windows 8-11GB VRAM (positive, 117 reports): The game performs well with improved stability and visuals, even with extensive modding.
  - Windows 16GB+ VRAM (mixed, 40 reports): The game can be stable and optimized well, but may experience crashes and requires significant storage space.
  - Steam Deck / handheld (positive, 11 reports): The game can run well on handheld devices with some effort to prevent crashes.
  - Caveats: 776 of 34639 reviews expose hardware metadata.; Review sample is mostly Windows-based.
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $39.99 - $59.99
  - Reasoning: The evidence consistently highlights that users find Skyrim to be worth its full price due to its extensive content, replayability, and the sheer amount of hours players can invest in the game. Many reviews mention that the game is worth every penny, even at full price, and that the value is maintained despite the game's age. The sentiment is that the game offers a significant amount of content and enjoyment that justifies its cost.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 150.0h
  - Story completion: 55.0h
  - Session length: 3.0h
  - Endgame: 300.0h
  - Reasoning: The evidence provides clear indications of playtime metrics. The first quote suggests a range for casual playthroughs, which aligns with the typical time to finish the main story/campaign. The second quote indicates a broader range for completing the full content including DLCs, which can be interpreted as the typical total time to finish the game. The third and fourth quotes emphasize the extensive replayability and content depth, suggesting that players can spend hundreds of hours exploring and completing everything the game has to offer, which supports the endgame and session length metrics.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game requires some initial investment of time and patience, with the fun typically starting after the first few hours of gameplay. Players often find the early stages boring but become hooked once they progress further.
  - Stance: Fun after initial investment
  - Anchor: Completing the initial tutorial and early quests
  - Time to anchor: 2h 0m
  - Friction: Outdated combat mechanics; Repetitive early quests; Boring initial hours
  - Unlock drivers: Atmosphere and lore; Freedom and openness of the world; Engaging quests and stories
  - Conditions: Exploring the open world; Engaging with various quests; Investing time to progress past the initial stages
- Player Archetypes:
  - Technical Modder (sale)
    - Motivation: Enhancing and customizing the gameplay experience through mods.
    - Playstyle: Technical and customization-focused, often troubleshooting and modifying game files.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: Modder; Tech-savvy
    - Reference games: The Witcher 3; Fallout 4
  - Nostalgic Veteran (buy)
    - Motivation: Revisiting a beloved game for nostalgia and continued enjoyment.
    - Playstyle: Explorative and completionist, often replaying content they are already familiar with.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: Veteran; Loyal fan
    - Reference games: Oblivion; Morrowind
  - Explorative Newcomer (buy)
    - Motivation: Experiencing the game world and its stories for the first time.
    - Playstyle: Explorative and immersive, often getting lost in the game world and its lore.
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: Newcomer; Explorer
    - Reference games: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild; Red Dead Redemption 2
  - Critical Enthusiast (sale)
    - Motivation: Enjoying the game while being aware of and vocal about its shortcomings.
    - Playstyle: Balanced, enjoying both the main content and side activities while being critical of certain aspects.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: Critical player; Enthusiast
    - Reference games: Cyberpunk 2077; No Man's Sky


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Highly Immersive Experience (weight 0.37): The game offers a deeply immersive experience through its atmospheric environment, engaging dialogue, and nostalgic elements. Players frequently highlight the immersive gameplay and narrative.
- Engaging and Varied Quests (weight 0.29): The game features a wide range of quests, including impactful and memorable side quests, as well as an interesting main questline. Players appreciate the variety and depth of the quests.
- Freedom of Choice (weight 0.28): Players enjoy the freedom to choose their paths, explore, and build their own stories. This freedom extends to gameplay actions and role-playing choices.
- Vast and Detailed Open World (weight 0.25): The game world is described as massive, detailed, and alive, offering diverse environments and a living, breathing world that players can explore extensively.
- Active Modding Community (weight 0.25): The game has a strong modding community that enhances the gaming experience with continuous improvements and a variety of mods. Players appreciate the flexibility and support for modding.
- Engaging Storytelling (weight 0.21): The game features an engaging story with complex storylines, character progression, and rich lore. Players find the storytelling and quests to be highly engaging.
- Variety in Gameplay (weight 0.17): The game offers a variety of gameplay styles, playstyles, and choices, allowing players to customize their experience and explore different paths.
- High Replay Value (weight 0.14): The game offers endless replayability with a vast array of quests, builds, and content that keeps players engaged for long periods.
- Top-Tier RPG (weight 0.14): The game is considered one of the best RPGs of all time, with players frequently praising it as a benchmark for the genre and one of their favorite games.
- Beautiful Scenery and Landscapes (weight 0.14): The game features breathtaking and stunning landscapes, beautiful locations, and spectacular scenery that enhance the overall experience.
- Emotional Connection (weight 0.1): Players feel an emotional connection to the game world, characters, and story, which adds depth and personal impact to the gaming experience.
- Extensive Character Customization (weight 0.1): Players appreciate the extensive character customization options, which allow for a high degree of personalization and development.
- Epic Soundtrack (weight 0.09): The game features an epic and well-composed soundtrack that enhances the overall gaming experience and immerses players in the world.

Common complaints:
- Persistent bugs and glitches (weight 0.25): The game is reported to have a significant number of bugs and glitches that can be frustrating and annoying for players. These issues are seen as the developer's responsibility to fix.
- Mod compatibility issues (weight 0.17): Game updates frequently cause mods to break or crash, leading to compatibility issues. This can be frustrating for players who rely on mods to enhance their gaming experience.
- Outdated combat system (weight 0.17): The combat system is criticized for being basic, boring, and outdated compared to modern RPGs. Players find it imprecise and lacking in depth.
- NPC behavior and animations (weight 0.14): Players have noted issues with NPC behavior, including lack of response and basic animations. The NPCs are often criticized for their wooden and unrealistic actions.
- Outdated graphics and mechanics (weight 0.12): The game's graphics and mechanics are seen as outdated, especially without mods. Players feel that the game needs mods to improve its visual and mechanical aspects.
- Need for better story and modding support (weight 0.08): Players express a desire for the game to have a more engaging storyline and better modding support. They want the developers to show more love and respect for the IP and to avoid actions that could fracture the modding community.
- Fast travel issues (weight 0.06): The fast travel system is reported to be flawed and restrictive, causing inconvenience for players.
- Poor optimization (weight 0.06): The game is criticized for its poor optimization, leading to performance issues and a subpar gaming experience.
- Slow pacing (weight 0.05): The game's pacing is reported to be slow at times, which can be tedious for players used to faster-paced games.

Gameplay feedback:
- Open-world RPG with freedom (weight 0.29): The game is praised for its open-world RPG elements, offering true freedom to explore, non-linear gameplay, and a lore-rich world. Players appreciate the open-ended gameplay and the variety of quests and storylines.
- Story-driven and immersive gameplay (weight 0.26): The game features story-driven gameplay with deep storytelling, immersive world-building, and detailed lore. Players enjoy the main story progression and the enduring gameplay.
- Variety of gameplay mechanics (weight 0.22): The game offers a variety of gameplay mechanics and systems, including combat, quests, and exploration. Players appreciate the open-world exploration and the variety of gameplay experiences.
- Extensive character customization (weight 0.21): Players appreciate the detailed character customization options, including character creation, development, and progression. The game offers a variety of customization choices and role-playing mechanics.
- Strong modding community (weight 0.17): The game supports extensive modding, with a large modding community that enhances the gameplay experience. Players enjoy the moddability and community-driven mods.
- Variety of quests and activities (weight 0.17): The game offers a variety of quests and activities, including main story quests, side quests, and guild storylines. Players appreciate the quest variety and the different ways to complete them.
- Humorous and quirky gameplay elements (weight 0.09): Players find humor in the game's quirky elements, such as NPCs traversing walls, horses climbing vertical mountains, and dragons appearing at inopportune moments. These elements add a unique charm to the game.
- Skill-based progression system (weight 0.09): The game features a skill-based progression system, allowing players to develop their characters through leveling and skill progression. Players appreciate the non-linear progression and the variety of skill-leveling options.
- Crafting and alchemy mechanics (weight 0.09): Players enjoy the crafting and alchemy mechanics, which include crafting heavy armor, alchemy, enchanting, and smithing. These mechanics add depth to the gameplay experience.
- Immersive world design (weight 0.07): The game features an immersive world design with captivating music, snowy mountains, ancient ruins, towns, and dragons. Players appreciate the rich and immersive world that feels alive and unforgettable.
- Marriage and adoption features (weight 0.06): Players enjoy the marriage and adoption features, which allow them to get married, adopt children, and have a family. These features add a unique role-playing element to the game.
- Transformations and unique abilities (weight 0.05): The game features unique transformations, such as vampire and werewolf transformations, which add special abilities and gameplay mechanics. Players enjoy these character transformations.

Performance notes:
- Remastered graphics and visuals (weight 0.18): The game features remastered graphics with upgraded visuals, improved textures, lighting, and shadows, enhancing the overall visual experience.
- Frequent bugs and glitches (weight 0.17): Players report a variety of bugs and glitches, ranging from minor graphical issues to game-breaking problems that significantly impact gameplay.
- Loading and technical issues (weight 0.08): Players encounter various technical issues, including problems with loading times, fullscreen bugs, and texture loading issues.
- Occasional crashes (weight 0.08): Some players experience occasional crashes, which can disrupt the gaming experience and require fixes.
- Low system requirements (weight 0.07): The game is friendly to low-end devices and does not require a high-end PC, making it accessible to a wider audience.
- Mod-related performance issues (weight 0.05): While mods can enhance the game, they can also cause performance issues, including overheating and bugs.
- Optimization issues (weight 0.04): There are reports of poor optimization, leading to performance issues on some systems despite the low system requirements.
- Performance on Steam Deck (weight 0.02): The game performs well on the Steam Deck, providing a good experience for players using this device.
- Mixed reviews on graphics standards (weight 0.02): Some players feel that the graphics are not up to today's standards, despite the remastered visuals and improvements.
- Base game feels empty (weight 0.02): The base game is criticized for feeling empty and technically raw, lacking depth and content.
- Mentions of other games' issues (weight 0.02): Some reviews mention performance and loading issues in other games like Starfield, which is irrelevant to the current game.

Recommendations:
- Immersive RPG experience (weight 0.26): Players praise the game for offering a deep and immersive RPG experience, often highlighting its rich and varied content.
- Highly recommended game (weight 0.24): The game is frequently recommended by players due to its extensive content, reasonable price, and overall high quality.
- Modding enhances experience (weight 0.22): Many players suggest using mods to improve and enhance the gaming experience, often considering it the definitive way to play.
- Anniversary Edition recommended (weight 0.09): The Anniversary Edition is recommended for its additional content and guides, providing better value and long-term entertainment.
- Play with an open mind (weight 0.06): Players suggest approaching the game with an open mind and without preconceived expectations.
- Specific mod recommendations (weight 0.06): Certain mods like 'Gemling Queen Jewelry SE,' 'Bows Don't Creak SE,' and 'Vokriinator Black perk mod' are recommended by players.
- Creation Club content issues (weight 0.04): Some players recommend uninstalling or removing the majority of the Creation Club content for a better experience.
- Replayability with different builds (weight 0.02): The game is recommended for its replayability, encouraging players to try different classes and choices.
- Consider price and sales (weight 0.02): Some recommendations are contingent on the game being on sale, indicating price sensitivity among players.
- Online resources for advice (weight 0.02): Players encourage looking up information and advice online to improve the gaming experience.

Other player notes:
- Mod creator feedback (weight 0.02): The user identifies as a mod creator. This could imply that they have specific insights or requests related to modding capabilities or support.

Emotions:
- Nostalgia (weight 0.23): Players feel a deep sense of nostalgia due to long-term experiences and personal connections with Skyrim. Many have played the game since its release in 2011, forming emotional attachments to its world, music, and modding community. The game has been a significant part of their lives, often accompanying them through difficult times and providing a sense of comfort and familiarity.
- Joy (weight 0.19): Players experience joy from the immersive and expansive world of Skyrim, which offers freedom and exploration. The game's rich content, engaging story, and modding community contribute to a sense of discovery and enjoyment. Additionally, the beautiful landscapes and epic soundtrack enhance the overall gaming experience.
- Frustration (weight 0.13): Players express frustration primarily due to persistent bugs and issues within the game. These include quest-breaking bugs, mod compatibility problems, and game crashes. The need for extensive modding to fix or enhance the game, along with outdated mechanics and repetitive content, also contributes to this frustration.
- Excitement (weight 0.12): Players are excited about the vast and immersive open world of Skyrim, which offers a sense of freedom and adventure. The game's rich content, engaging quests, and modding community provide endless possibilities for exploration and customization. Additionally, the anticipation for future games in the series and the thrill of discovering new gameplay mechanics contribute to this excitement.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.05): Players enjoy Skyrim for its immersive atmosphere, engaging storyline, and variety of character roles and activities. The game's vast, non-linear world and modding community offer extended gameplay and customization options. Despite some flaws, the game remains enjoyable due to its rich content and continuous discoveries.
- Admiration (weight 0.04): Players admire Skyrim for its vast and detailed world, immersive atmosphere, and depth of gameplay. The game's unique qualities, such as its freedom, lore, and modding community, are highly praised. The enduring appeal and superior gameplay mechanics contribute to a sense of admiration among players.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.03): Players feel satisfied with Skyrim due to its improved gameplay and performance, especially with mods. The ability to successfully mod the game and achieve high levels and complete quests adds to this satisfaction. The Anniversary Edition with new content and good performance on various platforms also contributes to a sense of fulfillment.
- Disappointment (weight 0.03): Players express disappointment with Skyrim due to its lack of significant improvements and unaddressed bugs from the first release. The game's failure to meet expectations, lack of interesting mods, and unimproved NPC faces contribute to this sentiment. Additionally, the lack of patches and monetized mods have left some players feeling let down.
- Love (weight 0.03): Players express love for Skyrim due to its immersive world and emotional engagement. The game has had a significant impact on their lives, creating deep emotional attachments. The appreciation for the game's design, quests, and artistic qualities contributes to a sense of love and passion among players.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.02): Players are enthusiastic about Skyrim due to its variety of quests and activities, immersive world, and diverse gameplay styles. The active modding community and the game's replayability contribute to this enthusiasm. Detailed analysis and praise for the game's design and freedom also fuel this sentiment.
- Appreciation (weight 0.02): Players appreciate Skyrim for its unique open world and mod support, which offer high freedom for the main character. The game's rich content, pleasant music, and beginner-friendly mechanics are highly valued. The mods that significantly enhance the game and the leveling system with various skills and perks also contribute to this appreciation.
- Amusement (weight 0.02): Players find amusement in Skyrim's humorous interactions, plot twists, and glitches. The game's variety of gameplay mechanics and funny in-game events, such as guards staring at chickens, add to the charm and humor. The bugs, while sometimes frustrating, can also provide comedic moments.
- Awe (weight 0.01): Players are in awe of Skyrim's remastered graphics and immersive world, which offer a beautiful and epic gameplay experience. The depth and richness of the game, along with its breathtaking landscapes and night skies, contribute to a sense of wonder. The soul-stirring soundtrack and sprawling mythos enhance this feeling of awe.
- Humor (weight 0.01): Players find humor in Skyrim's quirks and bugs, often using humorous language and scenarios to describe them. The inevitable Stealth Archer build and funny NPC interactions add to the game's charm. The varied and humorous bugs, along with relatable and funny modding experiences, contribute to this sentiment.
- Pride (weight 0.01): Players feel pride in their personal achievements within Skyrim, such as completing all achievements without mods. The sense of character legacy and personal involvement in mod creation also contribute to this pride. The completion of all achievements and the ability to successfully mod the game add to this sentiment.
- Gratitude (weight 0.01): Players express gratitude for Skyrim's impact on their personal lives and the community around it. The game's positive influence and the appreciation for the developers contribute to this sense of gratitude. The game's impact on the reviewer's life and the community's support are highly valued.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Players express anger towards Skyrim due to frustration with modding issues and Bethesda's practices. The introduction of a paid mod store and updates breaking mods have contributed to this anger. Criticism of defensive fans and the game's unresolved issues also fuel this sentiment.
- Frustration (weight 0.01): Players express frustration with Skyrim due to narrative and gameplay problems, as well as issues with mods and servers. Problems with NPCs, combat, and persistent bugs contribute to this frustration. The need for extensive modding to fix or enhance the game also adds to this sentiment.
- Boredom (weight 0.01): Players feel boredom with Skyrim due to its slow pacing and simplistic gameplay. The combat can become repetitive, and the overall game experience may feel tedious over time. The lack of significant improvements and unaddressed bugs can also contribute to this boredom.
- Hope (weight 0): Players express hope for the future of The Elder Scrolls series, anticipating future mainline games. The expectations for The Elder Scrolls 6 and the hope that Bethesda will stick to what they do best contribute to this sentiment. The anticipation for new content and improvements fuels this hope.}