Snow gently falls as the Nordic, iron-clad character ventures through the frozen alpine tundra. As the hero continues to trudge through the treacherous mountain path, a familiar utterance suddenly echoes throughout the craggy peaks. The hero prepares to face his destiny once more and from the blazing sky, a fierce and legendary dragon swoops down to engage the warrior in life or death combat. Although this scenario may remind gamers of the climax of one of their favorite stories, in the province of “Skyrim” this scene is one of a plethora of incredible tales waiting to be discovered.

The Bethesda Softworks release of “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Special Edition” for Xbox One, Playstation 4 and PC systems on Oct. 28, 2016 has generated generally positive feedback. This remastered version of Bethesda’s 2011 hit game will return longtime fans to a familiar and beloved realm and invite new players to enter into what may very well be the best single player, open world game of our time.

Features of the remastered edition of “Skyrim” include remastered art and effects, volumetric God rays, dynamic depth of field, new snow and water shaders, pre-included downloadable content, and perhaps most significantly, mod support for consoles. The game costs $60 for console players to purchase and is integrated into the PC version of the game as a free update.

“Skyrim” thrusts players into the boots of the mythical hero known as the “Dragonborn” by allowing the player to choose his or her race, introducing the character to the return of dragons and then proceeds to send the player out into the world to quest at his own leisure.

Throughout the journey, players will find a variety of side quests to dive into, several different groups to join, beautiful lands to explore, treacherous dungeons to uncover and an infinite amount of enemies to brutally slaughter.

In order to play this game to it’s full potential, one must partake in it not as a toy, but instead as an experience. The true beauty of “Skyrim” is not the branching path set before the player, nor the seamless leveling system. The minute details Bethesda has mastered shine as the true beauty of this technological achievement and create the world’s most vivid fantasy for the player to experience.

Aspects of this include the beautiful soundtrack by Jeremy Soule, the variety of books to read, the struggles of normal people in a time of war, the seemingly endless amount of lore that the “Elder Scrolls” omniverse has to offer, and the feeling of constant progress that has been brilliantly blended together by Bethesda to create a feeling of an ideal reality where you can be the hero, the villain and everything in between.

Anyone who desires an escape from their daily lives cannot afford to miss this game, and the time to enter into the land of “Skyrim” is now. Look for the release of the Special Edition of this truly otherworldly experience.