Some games are legendary. Some games are masterpieces. And then there's Skyrim, a game so monumental that even after a decade of re-releases, remasters, and Todd Howard personally breaking into my house to sell me another version, I still come crawling back.

I don’t just play Skyrim. I exist in Skyrim. It has ruined my standards for open-world games. Other RPGs try their best, but let’s be real: no game captures what Skyrim did. It’s the ultimate "I was just gonna play for 10 minutes" experience that turns into "Wait, when did the sun come up?"

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Every Skyrim playthrough eventually comes down to one crucial decision: Who do you side with?

Stormcloaks (The Chads of Skyrim) – Fighting for actual independence, these guys refuse to let Skyrim be ruled by some Imperial cowards who bent over for the Thalmor. Are some of them rough around the edges? Sure. But you know what’s worse than a couple of bad apples? An entire faction that hands over their own people to the Thalmor like some obedient dogs.

Imperials (Spineless Lapdogs) – Once a proud empire, now just Thalmor puppets doing their bidding because they’re too weak to stand up for themselves. The same people who outlawed the worship of a literal god who flexed so hard that he ascended to divinity. You know who wouldn't have allowed that? Tiber Septim. Talos be praised.

But let’s be real—the real villain isn’t even the war. It’s every single Thalmor Justiciar who acts like they own the place. Nothing is more satisfying than walking up to a Thalmor patrol and removing them from existence.

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Skyrim gives you so many choices, but let’s be honest: Most of us don’t make the noble ones.

Companions – Become a werewolf warrior, join a brotherhood of true warriors, and solve disputes the old-fashioned way: with a battleaxe to the face.

Dawnguard – The real vampire slayers. If you’ve ever looked at Twilight and thought, “Wow, vampires need to be wiped off the face of the earth,” this is your destiny.

Parthurnaax Loyalist (AKA: Not a Backstabbing Monster) – The Blades used to be cool. Now? They want you to betray the literal dragon who helped you save the world. Imagine being so full of yourself that you demand the Dragonborn—a god among men—to kill his own brother in arms. That’s not heroism, that’s just being an ungrateful jerk.

Thieves Guild – Start as a common pickpocket, rise to power, manipulate entire cities, and become so rich that you could buy all of Skyrim if real estate agents existed.

Dark Brotherhood – "Kill this guy for money." Done. "Kill this Emperor for even more money." Done. "Now kill everyone else for fun." Absolutely done. If there’s one faction that makes you feel morally questionable, it’s this one.

The Blades (Dishonorable Backstabbing Hypocrites) – They beg you to reform their order, praise you as their leader, and then tell you to kill the one dragon who actually helped you. What’s next? “Oh hey, thanks for saving the world, but now you have to kill yourself because we don’t trust dragons.” No. Just no.

College of Winterhold (The Nerd’s Hideout) – Magic is powerful, sure. But let’s be honest, most people join this place because they’re too lazy or scared to fight with actual weapons. Also, their grand leader dies to some random Thalmor, proving they’re basically useless.

Vampire Lord (Twilight Roleplay Mode) – If you’ve ever wanted to live out your vampire fantasy, congratulations, you’re now permanently allergic to sunlight and universally hated. Even your own followers will tell you you stink.

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Skyrim’s been out for over a decade, and yet people still play it. Why? Mods.

Graphical Mods – Make Skyrim look so good that your PC starts sounding like a jet engine.
Meme Mods – Replace Alduin with Shrek, turn every dragon into Macho Man Randy Savage, or give every NPC dialogue from The Office.
Adult Mods – You know why people use these. Let’s just say you can add Jennifer Lawrence as a follower and, uh… do things that make the Daedric Princes uncomfortable.
Overhaul Mods – Fix combat, add new quests, basically make Skyrim a brand-new game. Some of these mods are better than actual Bethesda DLCs.

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Some games define a generation. Some games leave a legacy.

But Skyrim? Skyrim is forever.

No matter how many times I finish it, no matter how many times I swear I’m done, I always come back. Because no other game lets me slay dragons, start a rebellion, become a vampire lord, betray (or save) a dragon bro, build a house, adopt kids, mod Jennifer Lawrence into my party, and Fus Ro Dah NPCs off cliffs—all in one playthrough.

11/10 – Would wipe out the Thalmor again.

Play Skyrim (Again)