It’s hard to get any more iconic than Bethesda’s legendary power fantasy, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Released back in 2011 to a slew of positive reviews, the open-world epic sent shockwaves through the industry as gamers around the globe fell head over heels in love as if Cupid himself had unleashed a well-aimed arrow directly into their heart (or should I say knee — sorry, I’ll get my coat).
Even though we’re almost twelve years out from its original release, Skyrim still remains hugely popular thanks to how deeply immersive and replayable it is. If you’re here, you’re probably in want of a few factoids about Bethesda’s beloved RPG. So, without further ado, here are ten things you (probably) didn’t know about Skyrim. Let’s get started, shall we?
You Can Scale Some of the Mountain Peaks and Unlock Secret Fast Travel Locations
10 Things You (Probably) Didn’t Know About Skyrim
Did you know that some of the super tall mountains in Skyrim can be scaled? And if you manage to make your way to the top of them, you’ll even be gifted with a secret fast travel location?
That’s right, there are four hidden peaks that can de discovered in Solstheim — Mount Moesring, Frykte Peak, Hvitkald Peak, and Mortrag Peak — and if you reach the summit of each respective mountaintop, you’ll be rewarded with a special map marker, which you can use to fast travel to and from. Pretty cool touch, right? The only rub is you’ll need to have the Dragonborn DLC installed to access the area.
So, what are you waiting for? Last one to the top’s a rotten dragon’s egg!
Super Mario’s Original Voice Actor Did the Voice for Paarthurnax the Dragon
10 Things You (Probably) Didn’t Know About Skyrim
Wa-hoo! Yes, Charles Martinet — the original voice actor behind the one and only Super Mario — did the voice acting for Paarthurnax the dragon. For those who may not remember, this ancient winged reptile is the wise leader of the Greybeards who makes his home at the top of the Throat of the World.
Unfortunately, those hoping for a “It’s a-me, Paarthurnax!” will sorely be disappointed, though, as this dragon is obviously nothing like the iconic moustachioed plumber that we all know and love. What a missed opportunity, Bethesda!
Skyrim Has Its Own Choose Your Own Adventure Books Hidden Inside the Game
10 Things You (Probably) Didn’t Know About Skyrim
If you were ever obsessed with Choose Your Own Adventure books growing up, you’re instantly a friend of mine. Yes, the interactive stories from our youth, which saw you turning from page to page to make your way through an epic quest or a mysterious murder mystery, have somehow made their way into Bethesda’s open-world RPG.
Specifically, if you get your mitts on Kolb And The Dragon, you’ll find a classic Choose Your Own Adventure-style book which pits you against a fire-breathing behemoth. Beware, though, it’s tough as ol’ ebony boots. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!
Skyrim Features Over 70 Voice Actors And 60,000 Lines of Dialogue
10 Things You (Probably) Didn’t Know About Skyrim
One of the major criticisms leveled at The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion was that almost every character sounded identical due to the small pool of voice actors Bethesda employed. Sure, while Skyrim’s predecessor had some real star talent with Star Trek’s Patrick Stewart and Game of Thrones’ Sean Bean lending their iconic voices to their roles, the fact that there were only around 20 voice actors made the epic scope of Oblivion feel much smaller.
As a result, the Maryland-based studio made an effort to circumvent the same issue by hiring almost four times as many voice actors as its 2006 forebear, while also expanding the breadth of the script significantly. The end result? The more diverse cast led to a far more epic-feeling adventure. Kudos, Bethesda!
Some Parents Named Their Child ‘Dovahkiin’ and Nabbed a Lifetime Supply of Bethesda Games
10 Things You (Probably) Didn’t Know About Skyrim
As you probably may remember, while your character starts off their epic quest as a blank Everyman slate, the game soon gifts you a snazzy name that the people of Tamriel refer to you as. Yes, you are the Dovahkiin, aka Dragonborn or The Ultimate Dragon Slayer.
Interestingly, during the build-up to Skyrim’s launch, the developer threw down a challenge for all their fans, promising a lifetime of free games to the parents of a child born on 11.11.11 (Skyrim’s release date) who also name their child Dovahkiin. Turns out Megan and Eric Kellermeyer are huge Skyrim fans as they legitimately called their son, Dovahkiin. It’s even on his birth certificate and everything. Now that’s dedication!
Minecraft’s Notch Is in Skyrim, Well Kinda
10 Things You (Probably) Didn’t Know About Skyrim
Minecraft is so huge and popular it literally wangles itself into everything: Lego, Super Smash Bros., SpongeBob SquarePants, McDonalds Happy Meals; you name it, that familiar blocky face of Steve is staring back at you.
But did you know that there’s a Minecraft reference in Skyrim? That’s right, if you happen to be wandering around The Throat of the World, which is one of the tallest mountains in the game, you’ll maybe come across the “Notched” Pickaxe pictured above.
Of course, Notch (aka Markuss Persson) is the name of the original creator of the beloved sandbox create-’em-up, so it’s fair to say that Todd Howard and his team are fans of the Swedish developer’s work.
Skyrim Was Developed By Only Around 100 People
10 Things You (Probably) Didn’t Know About Skyrim
With the ballooning expectations of triple-A video games, the manpower needed to ship premium experiences can often number in the thousands. For instance, Red Dead Redemption 2 is famous for having around 1,600 staff working on the game over the course of several years of development.
With that in mind, then, you’d be forgiven for thinking such an ambitious open-world project like Skyrim would demand a similar amount of personnel. You’d be wrong, though. Surprisingly, Bethesda managed to create their open-world magnum opus with just a team of around 100 developers. Pretty impressive, right?
Winnie The Pooh’s Original Voice Actor Did Voice Work for Several Characters in Skyrim
10 Things You (Probably) Didn’t Know About Skyrim
Another famous actor who also did some voice work on Skyrim is none other than Jim Cummings, aka the warm dulcet tones of A.A. Milne’s honey-eating bear. In fact, Cummings recorded voices for over 23 characters in the game.
Unfortunately, while the actual Winnie the Pooh character isn’t officially in Skyrim, you can thankfully mod him into your game if you’re feeling adventurous. Then, all you’ll need is the grumpy Eeyore, the bouncy Tigger, and the kind and caring Piglet, and you’ve pretty much got the entire Hundred Acre Wood gang.
Skyrim Was the First Western-Developed Game to Get a Perfect Score From Renowned Japanese Publication Famitsu
10 Things You (Probably) Didn’t Know About Skyrim
Famous Japanese video game publication, Famitsu, has always been a unique gaming magazine thanks to the unusual method in which the team write their reviews. After all, Famitsu don’t just have one critic writing a game’s review — like the majority of the gaming press around the globe — but instead, they have four critics covering each and every game’s review process.
Furthermore, each reviewer gives the game a score out of ten, which culminates in an overall score out of a possible 40. Skyrim has the distinct honor of being the first Western game to receive a perfect score of 40/40 from Famitsu. This means that all four reviewers gave Skyrim a perfect 10. Not too shabby, eh?
Skyrim Was Almost a Game of Thrones Tie-In Title
10 Things You (Probably) Didn’t Know About Skyrim
Possibly one of the weirdest facts regarding Skyrim’s development is this wee tidbit. Yes, during the game’s conceptualization phase back in 2006, around a year before HBO acquired the rights to the fantasy IP, Bethesda was approached by George R. R. Martin’s representatives in a bid to meld the two IPs into one video game experience.
That’s right, the Skyrim that you know and love was almost set in the world of Westeros. Crazy, right? Thankfully, while Bethesda was intrigued by the proposition, they ultimately turned down the offer, and instead decided to focus on building their own fantasy world within Tamriel. The rest, as they say, is history.
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