A common habit of modern video games is to make the scenes as cinematic as possible by railroading the player into set paths and objectives with no room for significant choice in the matter. This decision can be a double-edged sword: on the one hand, it allows for exciting storytelling and much higher attention to detail, but on the other hand it makes the game cinematic not only not only in appearance but also in gameplay, seeing as how they become what is essentially a movie where you have to push buttons every now and then. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, an action role-playing game by Bethesda, presents a perfect example of a game that avoids this completely, for better and for worse.

The game begins in the same way every time, with the player tied up on a cart traveling to the province of Skyrim, being carried to their execution at the hands of the Empire, one of the primary factions of the game. Why is this happening? There are many explanations to it, ranging from the player being a thief, being caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, or even working with the rebel group known as the Stormcloaks (another primary faction), who are bent on destroying the Empire, to anything else the player can think of. The game never asks what your story is behind this, nor does it ever tell you, and any of those work as an explanation.
You are saved from your execution at the last moment by the appearance of a dragon, as the guards are too busy being burned alive to stop you from running. The main story is about that dragon, named Alduin, who is trying to resurrect the rest of the dragons and destroy the world for some reason (he’s a bad guy, I guess that’s just what he does).

It is revealed that the player is destined to stop him, and is able to use the magic wielded by the dragons because they were born with dragon blood or something. However, the overall story in Skyrim is much more complicated, and the player does not have any urgent need to complete the main plot. Alduin will wait patiently to destroy the world as you run around setting fire to everything that moves and going from door to door stealing everything that isn’t nailed down… and then come back with a crowbar for the nails. In fact, it is possible to skip the main plot altogether and have just as rewarding of an experience with the games numerous subplots.
The player can join the Thieves Guild and restore their control over corrupt politicians all over Skyrim (similar to large corporations but refreshingly up-front about things), help the Imperials or the Stormcloaks drive the other out of Skyrim (a mainly religious conflict between jerks and racists, similar to many real-world wars), join the Mage’s College (who always choose you to be their leader, even if you don’t actually use magic), or even assume leadership of the Bard’s College and do… whatever it is the leader of the Bard’s College does (I never cared enough to look into it).

The game is known for allowing different players to have unique experiences when playing, a result not only of the games story, but also of the game’s many gameplay oddities and glitches. It is entirely possible for the player to steal everything from a store by placing a bucket over the shopkeeper’s head so they don’t see anything, run a horse into guards and royalty without so much as a slap on the wrist, and even blow up the sun (don’t worry, it will grow back).

The most interesting thing about Skyrim is that despite its un-immersive oddities and often anticlimactic execution, it is actually a very immersive game. Because the player can pretty much react to any scenario however they see fit, it actually makes the player feel like they are in control of their character, and not just a random soldier being told what to do all the time. If you are interested in a game with a story that can be shaped by the player, I highly recommend The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Just keep an eye out for arrows, and keep them away from your knees.