The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was released on November 11th of 2011, to nearly universal critical praise, and became an overnight bestseller. Reviews raved about a unique and immersive experience that stands as a testament to the capability of the medium. Players could explore a gigantic virtual world where the choices of the player affects the fate of Skyrim and its inhabitants. The main storyline deals with an incursion of dragons and a plot to destroy the world, though compared to the optional tasks and quests a player is allowed to undertake, this narrative is rather small. This means that the bulk of what conspires within the story is based on the player choices in pursuing side-quests and stories that…show more content… With video games becoming ever more realistic and popular, a once laughable concern is gaining footing. Could Skyrim with its highly developed character creation engineer and in-depth interactive world substitute for the one in which we live? Jean Baudrillard warns of the “precession of simulacra” (169)-- that artificial representations that push out that which they represent. His “desert of the real” (in the context of Skyrim), is a place where relationships in actuality once had meaning and purpose, but were driven out by a simulated presence within the game. This is not the case. Using the theories of Michel Foucault and Louis Althussar, it is clear that Skyrim is a rigid system of choice within a framework that subjects both the player and their avatar. The player is “free” to choose among a narrow field of binaries, thereby erasing any pretenses of free will. After only a few interactions with the game and the choices it presents, it becomes obvious that this structuring hinders the player's individuality, and breaks down any relationships or immersion that might develop under a more open system. One blogger's reaction to the game seems to play into the notion that all his relationships could be replaced with the simulacra Skyrim offers as a replacement: “So on the…show more content… The inhabitants forge “relationships” with the player, though only as givers of information or quest options. If a non-player character dies by mistake, most often nothing comes of it. For example, in one of the early sections of the game the king, or “Jarl” as it is titled in Skyrim, rewards the player with the title of thane and a personal bodyguard named Lydia. The player can choose to have her along as an aid in battle, or tell her to stay in a certain place. She is loyal and forever acquiescent to the player’s demands, though she says little and never adds much to the depth or texture of the game. If too overcome with enemies, she will die, and the game continues without a backward glance. If Lydia was faithful, loyal, and helpful should the player not reward those qualities with a respectful burial, an explanation to her loved ones, and a period of mourning? Skyrim makes it clear that there is no time for such things. There are dragons to slay. The process for investiture in relationships within Skyrim is handicapped and blunt. The game does not give its players the resources to truly become immersed within the
