The world is round, water is a liquid, the grass is green and games are art. Does it even need to be said? Well, apparently, yes as many people over the age of 30 believe that games are nothing more or less than toys. Simple and worthless, something to keep a child occupied once they’re bored with the sandpit. Well let me tell you, fine men and women, that their ignorance only serves to obstruct their own view of the beauty which humanity can produce. The title of this article is a bit misleading as this isn’t just about what makes the Elder Scrolls great, but I’ll also be examining some of the factors which make games so popular.

Firstly, games are by far the most powerful story-telling medium we have to work with. I mean, which do you find more engaging? Reading about people doing things (books), watching people do things (films) or doing things? Clearly, games are the most engaging medium for the audience. Here’s an example. In a book or film, you might be watching or reading about a battle. Every time you watch or read, the results of the battle are always the same. You’re being told in the book or film that the people in the battle are finding it really tough but obviously you just have to take their word for it as you weren’t really in the battle yourself. However, in a game, you can actually be in that battle.

And how does a game make you feel the struggle you might ask? It’s simple: ‘game over’ screens. In a book or film, you can absorb the story with no effort, but with a game, you physically have to fight the battle or else you’ll die in-game. When people complete a book they say “I’ve read the book”. When people complete a film they say “I’ve watched the film”. But when people complete a game they don’t say “I’ve played the game”, they say “I’ve BEAT the game”. You’ve won. You were in a physical struggle and you overcame the odds. If you weren’t good enough, you couldn’t have seen the game to the end. That is what makes gaming so powerful. Anyway, enough about that, let’s take in some of the beautiful Cyrodiil Scenery.

Ah…Lovely. Anyway, now that you have my overall thoughts on games, let’s talk specifically about the Elder Scrolls. These games mean the world to me. They have an effect on me which no other games have ever had: immersion. Total and utter immersion. The moment when a game is so vibrant and so alive that you physically forget it’s a game. When you’re play a game in the right mindset, it can suck you in and make you feel like you’re part of a living breathing world. Charles Dickens might be a good author but I’ve never felt like I was ever IN Great Expectations. I mean, look at these images. The world which the Elder Scrolls titles create may not be realistic (magic and dragons ect.) but the atmosphere and tone of the game is so consistent and the environments are so like those of our own world that these supernatural elements seem to blend seamlessly together.

Another thing which makes the Elder Scrolls my favourite series is the fact that they’re the ultimate anecdote games. Every week, I meet up with my friends who, like me, all play Skyrim and we’re always swapping stories about the dragons we’ve slain or (as much as it upsets me) the hilarious abuses of the game engine we’ve all discovered. Like how, when you buy a house in Skyrim, if you exit the conversation and store all of your gold in a container before the NPC who sells you the house stops speaking, no gold will be taken from you and you can get a house for free. Or how you can use the grab button to place buckets on NPCs heads so they can’t see you when you loot their shops. Not only are these games beautiful and awe-inspiring, but they’re also, quite simply, entertaining and fun. What more can you ask for?

Well, whatever else you could possibly want from your console, the Elder Scrolls deliver. The series’ composer, Jeremy Soule, is the most talented musician in the video game industry and his magnificent score perfectly suits every mood and complements every situation you could find possibly find yourself in during your time in Tamriel.

These games are incredible and if you’ve never played any of them, you’re doing yourself a disservice.

NEXT WEEK: Gaming’s Bad Reputation.