1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is an open-world fantasy role-playing game (RPG) that came out in 2011 and is still popular to this day. Having sold over three million copies and receiving multiple Game of the Year awards, Skyrim is undeniably a classic. The player takes on the role of the Dragonborn, a mortal with a dragon soul who is prophesied to be the only one who can defeat the evil dragon Alduin the World-Eater. However, this prophecy is just one small portion of the massive and intricate world of Skyrim, so players will never run out of things to do. Even though this game came out 12 years ago, it is still wildly popular and widely played. 

Gameplay: Skyrim’s gameplay is simple, and, while lacking in some areas, exciting. The combat is easy and involves very little strategy, but there are many different ways to approach it. This game improves on its predecessor, TES IV: Oblivion, with its lack of a “class system”, allowing the player to choose whatever playstyle they want and change it at will. The dialogue is mediocre, inconsistent, and generally boring. This was in an attempt to let the player project whatever personality they liked onto the Dragonborn, but resulted in a mild-mannered and tame character. Most dialogue options will get players to the same end result, and there isn’t much at stake with what you say. 

Story: What Skyrim lacks in quality of story, it almost makes up for in quantity—and boy does it lack in quality. Almost every questline is ineffectual to both the player and the Dragonborn, both in the sense that it has no in-game impact and that it leaves no lasting impression. One of the only storylines in Skyrim that is well done is the Dark Brotherhood questline; however, even this tear-jerker of a story leaves the player feeling powerless. Additionally, storylines do not interact with each other in any way, and one can be part of multiple conflicting factions at once with no conflict. Despite its lackluster main storytelling, Skyrim is filled to the brim with little interesting tidbits and side-quests that intrigue for hours on end.

Graphics: For a game released over a decade ago, the graphics in Skyrim are up to par, and, at times, breathtaking. The character models are typical of games released in the 2010s and are definitely an improvement from Oblivion, but the real gold is in the landscapes. From snowy, quiet forests to sweeping northern lights, Skyrim will have the player immersed in a beautiful eternal winter that leaves them missing something they may never have had.

2. Subnautica

Released by Unknown Worlds in 2014, Subnautica is a survival-adventure game set on the aquatic planet of 4546B, where the player is the lone survivor of a devastating spaceship crash. As time goes on, the player must collect and interact with the local flora and fauna to survive on the strange planet, and begins to discover more and more about the crash and the history of 4546B. 

Gameplay: Subnautica features four modes: Survival, Freedom, Hardcore, and Creative. In Survival, the player character (PC) has a hunger, thirst, health, and oxygen meter. They begin in a lifepod containing a broken radio system, medkit fabricator, fabricator, and container with a limited amount of food and water. It has little to no combat, and mostly focuses on building and exploring. To fabricate the tools needed for survival, the PC must “scan” scraps or fragments of that tool left over from the crash to earn the blueprint. The PC can develop bases, vehicles, and tools using this system. In Freedom mode, everything is the same as survival, except there are no hunger or thirst meters. In both these modes, if the player runs out of health (caused by damage from wildlife, radiation, starvation, thirst, or asphyxiation), they die and lose some items. In Hardcore mode, if the player dies, they are permadead and the game file is deleted. In creative, all blueprints are unlocked, nothing takes materials to fabricate, and there are no meters (and therefore no death). 

Story: One of the most interesting parts of Subnautica is the introduction of its story. Subnautica does not contain quests or story encouragement in any way except from their PDA tablet, which relays radio information. The game can be played without ever interacting with the storyline in any way, as these radio messages are often inconsequential and easy to miss. Even without the story, the game is fulfilling and fun, and can be played for hours. The story itself, however, is very good and a great commentary on monopolies and capitalism. The ship that crashed, the Aurora, was run by the space monopoly Alterra, the same company that funded the Degasi: another ship that crashed on 4546B years ago. If the PC wants, it’s up to them to find out what Alterra was really doing on this remote planet.

Graphics: Since there are no NPCs in Subnautica, most of the graphic design is focused on the aquatic flora and fauna of planet 4546B. Ranging from cute little Cuddlefish to mysterious and terrifying Ghost Leviathans, this game is a treat for the aspiring xeno-marine biologist. Many of the species of fauna found in this game are downright horrifying, nightmare-inducing fish that will have you screaming out loud. The landscapes do a great job of conveying tone, from the safety of the aptly-named Safe Shallows to the unending Void at the edge of the map. The textures themselves are relatively simple, but the sheer amount of content and structures left over from the crash of the Aurora can make the game’s loading time astronomical, making it a rather large time investment- one that’s worth it.