With over 40 million copies sold and numerous Game of the Year awards, it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that The Elder Scrolls is one of the most popular and revered franchises in the video game industry.

It's gone from niche RPGs more akin to Dungeons & Dragons to ambitious, sprawling open worlds that few games can compete with. For many of us, nothing comes close to capturing the feeling of playing an Elder Scrolls title for the first time, and with each subsequent release, the hype builds - but it's justified. Every single time.

These games are great, and though they're not objectively perfect, they keep fans coming back for more.

Though open-world games are far from uncommon, few really capture the depth and scale of Bethesda's worlds. But it isn't just the sheer size of them or even how much there is to do, it's the way everything comes together to really let you live another life in another world.

The Elder Scrolls games aren't without fault, but I'm not going to be talking about that here. Instead, let's dive into just why Bethesda's creations are truly beloved.