Skyrim is the pinnacle of open world fantasy. I've been able to play over 150 hours in a single, vanilla profile without getting bored or running out of content. You can play the game again choosing different factions and character type and have a totally different experience playing the same game. Then you get into the world of modding, from simple graphics and quality boosts, to creating a whole new story and game. This game not only delivers the action and story telling that players love, but also has more lore than nearly any other franchise, which adds an entirely new aspect to the game.
Massive map, in depth story, incredible designing, and the fantasy action we crave.
I salute you Todd Howard.