Skyrim Anniversary Edition is the latest iteration of the classic open-world RPG from Bethesda. But how does it differ from all the other versions we’ve seen over the last 10 years? We do our best to get to the bottom of it.
Skyrim Anniversary Edition is being greeted with the fanfare you’d expect for a classic game that just so happens to have been released about a million times. It’s not that we don’t love it, it’s that it really didn’t seem like too long ago we were toasting its success for a similarly grand milestone.
Honestly, I’m still hungover from mainlining all that champagne at the Skyrim tabletop RPG reveal.
All jokes aside, Skyrim Anniversary Edition gave me the opportunity to revisit a truly special moment in video game history; a marvellous open world that still stands proud 10 years after its initial release.
But how is its old coat of paint holding up? Does the PS5’s power only make its age more obvious? Or has this remaster managed to perform a miraculous resurrection and return Skyrim to its former glory?
The truth, as is often the case, falls somewhere in the middle. No amount of clever tinkering, short of a full-blown Demon’s Souls style remake, could accomplish that task. However, there is definitely something different about the way Skyrim on PS5 looks in this edition.
The game runs at a smooth 60FPS, even in 4K UHD; essentially meaning that Skyrim has never been as beautiful to behold – on console, that is. PC modders have been turning Skyrim into a photorealistic work of art for years.
Aside from the performance upgrades thought, Bethesda only mention “enhanced graphics” in their press materials, and I would agree that I noticed a few item models looking a little sharper than I remember.
The lighting is probably the area where the Skyrim Anniversary Edition improvements are most noticeable, and that section of the game where you begin to approach Whiterun is still breathtaking… which considering its age, is mighty impressive.
You know what though, its probably best if you just take a look yourself. Enjoy!
Skyrim Anniversary Edition is out now on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows. FPS, resolution, and enhanced graphics are available on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of the game.
