User blog:LeatherNeck2382/Platinum and Beyond

Well as of 1 minute ago, I just got Platinum for Skyrim on the PS3. It is kind of funny actually, rarely do I bother to get Trophies purposefully. In fact, I am rather against the whole idea of getting things that really just amount to bragging rights, but little else. Some games, the Trophies feel hard won and actually worth the time, while others are almost condescending. However, I digress as this is not the point of this particular blog post.

Now that I have all the Trophies for Skyrim completed, I feel that I can actually play the game. Yes, I was playing the game before, so do not get me wrong and think I made it a chore to get all the Trophies. I do admit, some of the Trophies do feel like a chore, but mostly because some feel like you have to go out of your way to get them. On the other hand, some really just define a quest line, so you know really where you are in terms of progress.

Now what I mean that I can start playing the game is that I can wander Skyrim as I please and not wonder if I am missing something. In fact, getting all the Trophies across a couple of characters really let me see and do things that I might not immediately try. Now that I have experienced characters that have used all the skills, done a lot of quests and storylines, I feel that the next character I create will be the one I have the most fun with.

True, I know how the game ends, I have seen all the major factions stories to the end, and gotten a decent lay of the land. That is the idea though. Now, I can roleplay a character exactly how I want it. I know what twists might lay ahead, and avoid the quests, or I can steer right to them. For example, do I want to play a Nord Werewolf that returned to Skyrim in search of acceptance? I know where to start looking. Do I want to be a Vampire? I know where to contract the disease. Do I want to be a reclusive assassin that hates the world because I am mistrusted? I know what races are the outcasts here. Perhaps I want to be a Mage that likes the finer things in life, even if I have to borrow it with no intent to return it. I know where to go for that too.

If you think about it, the Elder Scrolls have always been about freedom. The problem is, too much freedom and you get bored. Not enough freedom and you feel like you are on rails. With Skyrim, I used the Trophies as a rail to learn the mechanics, see what I like, and more importantly see what character types I prefer to avoid. Now, I have the freedom to run around as I please, roleplaying to my hearts content, and because of the sheer scale of Skyrim, I still have not seen all there is to see, so the game still feels fresh as it was on 11-11-11.

There are so many caves I have yet to explore, spells that I have not yet cast, and quests that I never knew existed. So, now that I have my Platinum Trophy, a rare thing for me to even want to get, I am off to explore Skyrim without caring about stats, how many books I read, etc. I am off to immerse myself in Skyrim, meet new and interesting characters, and if I so choose, kill them. After all, what is an Elder Scrolls game without moments of homicial thoughts? Even the goody two shoes want to slap evil NPCs around.