The Elder Scrolls

The Elder Scrolls (2011) is a series of action role-playing games that take you to detailed open worlds with free-form gameplay. The series has sold more than 58 million copies.

---

Each game takes place in Tamriel, during a pre-medieval period that includes a Roman-like Empire, Tolkein style monsters, magic and limited technology. You play a hero that rises to defeat a malevolent being or an antagonistic army.

Since debuting with Arena in 1994, the series has produced a total of five main games

• The Elder Scrolls: Arena (1994)
• The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall (1996) with a deeper plot and character classes.
• The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (2002) with a more modular approach to expansion on PC and Xbox
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2006) with a tighter storyline and improved AI on PC and Xbox 360
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) on PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4
• The Elder Scrolls Online (2012) on PC, Mac, Xbox One and PlayStation 4

In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim you are free to roam the wilderness, dungeons, caves, cities, towns, fortresses, and villages on foot or by horse. There is a main quest although you can decide how closely you stick to it. The world is populated by wildlife, creatures and characters you can interact with. The characters can provide or deny quests and items depending on how you treat them.

As you go you develop your character with combat, magic, and stealth. When you have enough skills you level up and choose a new improvement. Along with finding items and weapons, this enabled you to enhance your fighting ability. It's a game that players enjoy as much for the adventures that happen through open play as the main story.

---

Our examiner, Andy Robertson, first checked The Elder Scrolls 3 years ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 10 months ago.