Skyrim is the fifth installment of the Elder Scrolls series by Bethesda and was released in 2011. It has spawned countless memes and won so many awards, Skyrim has in no unreasonable terms cemented its place in geek culture history.
Back when you could track your playtime in games using certain web applications, at my last check, I had well over 400 hours in Skyrim alone. Those services are now gone, but I kept playing Skyrim. Each and every time I feel like I stumble across something I've never seen before. Of course, all the quests are still the same, but I might find a cave I've never explored, or spoken to an NPC who gives me a quest on the spot that I hadn't found previously.
I was suspicious for a while when Skyrim didn't come to Backward Compatibility. My guess was that it was either going to be bundled with The Elder Scrolls 6 (more on that later) or a remaster was in the works.
When Bethesda said in 2015 Fallout 4 began development once they'd ported Skyrim to the Xbox One as an exercise, I was more hopeful.
At E3 this year, we were told there would be a Skyrim remaster, to be known as The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim - Special Edition.
What platforms will Skyrim Remaster be on?
PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4. There are no plans to make this Skyrim Special Edition available on Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3.
It's also worth noting that people who already own the game on PC can get a free upgrade.
When will Skyrim Remaster be released?
All versions will be available on October 28, 2016.
Will Skyrim Remaster offer save transfers?
On PC, yes. But not on Xbox One or PS4; console gamers will need to create a new game and start from scratch.
Will I have to collect all my achievements again?
The plus side to having to start a new game is you can collect all the achievements all over again. The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim - Special Edition will show in your games library as a new entity.
What DLC will Skyrim Remaster have?
The three downloadable content add-ons that were released -- Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn will all come as part of the Special Edition. There will be no additional content on this Special Edition that wasn't previously available on Xbox 360 or PC. No hidden extras. Peter Hines of Bethesda has also stated that there will be no Collectors Edition.
What about mods?
As Bethesda did with Fallout 4 in giving it support for mod content, Skyrim - Special Edition will also feature modded content. This will probably effect achievement unlocks while they're in effect. Just like Fallout 4, mods can be uploaded to Bethesda.net for use in Skyrim. People planning to submit mods should use the specific Skyrim creation kit.
What are the updated graphics like?
Remastered artwork and graphics and a dynamic depth of field bring Skyrim into the new generation. While Skyrim didn't look particularly terrible at the time on Xbox 360 or PS3, developments in home gaming hardware meant people could play on PC at 1080p. Envy wasn't the word at the time, so it's nice to catch up. There is currently no information on minimum computer specifications.
How much will Skyrim Remaster cost?
It will be priced outrightly at $60, but you may be able to get it cheaper through various online retailers.
Bonus info: The Elder Scrolls 6!
Not much is known about The Elder Scrolls 6 at this point in time. All that has been confirmed is that it will be made at some point. The only reason we know anything about it at all so far is because Todd Howard of Bethesda, understandably, got fed up with being asked about it all the time. The hype surrounding Skyrim was long, and it made the wait for release day all the harder. But they plan to go for a surprise launch like they did with Fallout 4.
Are you going to be buying The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim - Special Edition? What mods are you hoping for? Let me know in the comments.
