THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is the archetypal open-world fantasy RPG: dragons in the sky, caves everywhere, guild questlines, and freedom to build your character however you want. On PC, it is also one of gaming's most enduring mod platforms.

Skyrim's real trick is how quickly it convinces players to wander off. A cave on the horizon, a rumor in a town, or a strange ruin in the snow can easily become the next few hours. That sense of open-ended adventure, more than any one mechanic, is why it became such a long-running PC staple.