The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

A Bethesda concept artist invented that language, along with a 34-character runic alphabet. Todd Howard wanted the main theme to sound like the series theme sung by a choir of barbarians. Composer Jeremy Soule recorded a 30-person choir three times and layered the takes to get the effect of 90 voices.

The game came out on 11.11.11 and has sold more than 60 million copies. This page is the 2016 Special Edition, with an upgraded engine and graphics, all three add-ons and mods on consoles. One modder built Falskaar, a new land with 25 hours of play, as a job application to Bethesda, and in late 2013 Bungie hired him.

Reviewers praised the character progression and the world, but criticized melee combat, which had improved less than the rest, and the technical problems at launch. Players give it 94% positive across 223,328 reviews, critics 74 on Metacritic. In our Recommended Score it ranks 623 of 4,736 games.

Liked it? Try The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, the 2006 predecessor remade in Unreal Engine 5, and Fallout 4 from the same studio, where you build your own settlements in post-apocalyptic Boston.