I had to go back to my notes in order to write a preview of Bethesda's Skyrim after experiencing a gameplay demo by Todd Howard, the game's director. It wasn't that I was bored during the demonstration, or that I don't remember what I saw. The problem was that I was gripped by a need to play the game. When I think back of what I saw of the game, I just have one thought in my head: WANT.

Here's why:

All-new engine, modding tools day one, or close

The game has been completely rebuilt from the ground up, and the new graphical features are impressive. The characters come close to looking like people, not the wax dummies of past Elder Scrolls games. We were told that the content-creation tools should launch the same day as the PC version, so modders will be able to get to work immediately, creating new content and twists on the game's core experience.

There are horses to ride, and they will get you to places much faster than walking on foot. Someone made the expected joke about horse armor, and there was groaning in the room.

Weapons and spells can be placed in either your left or right hand, or you can hold a weapon and a spell at the same time. If you put the same spell in both hands and cast both at once, you're rewarded with a more powerful effect or attack. You can also combine shields with weapons. It seems like a simple thing, but it's handled in an intuitive, effective way.

The team is going out of its way to make sure you can play the game any way you'd like. If you want to level up a skill, simply do that thing. If you focus on magic, you'll become a powerful magic user. A focus on swords will make you a master at swordplay. The game will feature a "radiant" story system, which will generate dynamic quests depending on your character's actions and abilities. If you'd like to see your character progression, look to the heavens: the constellations are actual skill trees, and they will also show you which of the game's 280 or so perks you have unlocked. The story of your character is written on the heavens.

And then there are dragons

Howard told us that the game features an infinite number of dragons, and one may attack at any time. You may see a dragon swoop down and grab an animal for food, or it may be attacking another character. The dragons have their own AI, and their actions are not scripted. You can run from them, or you can stand your ground and fight. During the demo we watched the player kill two of the dragons in brutal fighting both on land and as they flew overhead.

Random aspects of the game like weather (also generated dynamically) and the high quality of the hand-created dungeon we saw have us excited. This isn't a game you're going to want to rush through; it's a game that rewards exploration, curiosity, and in some cases, experimentation. While we only saw a very small piece of Skyrim, it was more than enough to create a hunger for the game that feels primal.

Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is coming to the PC, PS3, and 360 on November 11.