The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim features a ton of colourful characters, and while some can’t be killed for story reasons, one player has claimed to have “killed everything that was killable”.
As reported by GamesRadar, Reddit user Amelix34 accrued a bounty of more than 267,000 in the process of purging the likes of Whiterun, Dawnstar, and more of (inconsequential) life.
This terrible tirade saw Amelix34 kill 3,310 human NPCs, which includes the likes of bandits, assassins, and other baddies, but also innocent villagers, honourable soldiers, and more, alongside 693 animals, 401 creatures, 947 undead, and 55 daedra.
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Unlike some player freedom-focused games like 2023 smash hit RPG Baldur’s Gate 3, in which players can essentially kill everyone, 2011’s Skyrim does restrict players’ monstrous intentions somewhat.
Crucial quest-givers, like Jarl Balgruuf of Whiterun, cannot be killed, for example. Attacking and defeating these NPCs will merely see the character collapse to the ground, but they will eventually get up as to not break the game’s story completely.
Skryim still sits firmly within video game consciousness despite launching 12 years ago, largely because its highly anticipated sequel The Elder Scrolls 6 still isn’t available and won’t be until 2028 at the earliest. This puts the weight on Skyrim’s shoulders, plus other Bethesda games like Fallout 4 and Starfield.
Beyond self-imposed challenges like Amelix34’s, the modding community is also keeping Skyrim interest alive, with one fan even recreating the entire game in Age of Empire’s 2.
In our 9/10 review of the beloved RPG, IGN said: “Skyrim is a rare kind of intensely personal, deeply rewarding experience, and one of the best role-playing games yet produced.”
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.