One of the best things about The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is that there are so many different ways to play. Fancy being a powerful mage? Go right ahead. Wanna strike fear into the heart’s of men as a muscle-bound Norse warrior? You do you. Curious to live the life of a stealth archer? Of course you are - and you can!
Skyrim is a game that’s all about options. But one option that never occurred to me - and I don’t think I’m alone in this - is to simply sack off your destiny as the Dragonborn. Becoming the all-powerful chosen one, learning a bunch of shouts, and then heading out to fight off dragons is such an integral part of the experience that I assumed you kind of… had to embrace it. I was wrong.
Over on the Skyrim subreddit, there’s a really interesting thread right now where users are sharing some lesser-known discoveries about the game after all this time. The one that really caught my eye? You can play through Skyrim without becoming Dragonborn, and the world is actually quite a bit different.
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As explained by Special_Tay, instead of heading straight to see Jarl Balgruuf in Whiterun and fighting your first dragon, you should try wandering the world to see what’s out there.
“The word walls are not occupied by dragons, but by bandits, the Forsworn, and other creatures,” they explain. “Gjalund Salt-Sage will be a little less uptight about traveling to Solsthiem. Also, it's just nice traveling as a nobody.”
A couple of other users chimed in to share similar experiences, adding that it’s nice to be able to explore Skyrim without being seen as an all-powerful warrior. Guards have no idea you are, and you can simply go about your business as a plucky adventurer. Plus, you can still go to Whiterun and become who you’re supposed to be at any point. The only difference is you head off and do it when you feel you’ve explored enough.
So, when you inevitably boot up Skyrim again for a tenth anniversary playthrough, consider slowing down and taking the time to do things a little differently. You never know what you’ll find.
Featured Image Credit: Bethesda