Being anElder Scrollsgame means that the game must be an open-ended experience, andThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimis certainly the norm rather than the exception. The possibilities for taking down enemies, solving problems, and completing quests are near-endless due to the ability of the player to figure out their own ways to navigateSkyrim.
This leads to wacky or interesting player experiences, such asone player who avoided every dragon and shout inSkyrim, causing each playthrough to be a unique experience. The uniqueness of each playthrough in turn inspires replayability, as different builds, choices, and factors make playthroughs more satisfying for players.
RELATED:Weird Skyrim Clip Shows Dead Alchemist Bouncing Around Cell
Another phenomenon that allows for new playthroughs is the induction of limitation; in other words, when players decide to limit themselves with rules that make playthroughs more challenging. This is probably most often seen in FromSoftware games, but is certainly possible in other games, especiallySkyrimwith added mods. However, recently a player showcased how creative one can be without any modifications, posting a clip of their level 1 playthrough and their incredibly unique and hilarious Mercer Frey kill.
Reddit user walter-fring captured their very quick fight versus the traitor ofSkyrim’s mysterious Thieves Guild. Within, they quickly grabbed Mercer using the Vampiric Grip spell, throwing him around like a rag doll in mid-air. Then, they threw Mercer high up and fired the Wabbajack (a staff that transforms the target), hitting him before he hit the ground. Upon impact, Mercer was transformed into a sweet roll of all things, which walter-fring promptly picked up, found in their inventory, and devoured like some sort of mad magician-cannibal.
To be fair, the argument can be made that, since Mercer was a sweet roll, that it wasn’t cannibalism. However, Mercer’s soul was trapped inside this new doughy prison, and thus walter-fring did literally eat Mercer. If anything, many Reddit users were more upset by the fact that walter-fring ate the Mercer-roll after it had fallen in the disgusting water at their feet. In the end, no one really cared about Mercer Frey’s death, as he is a hated character whomadeSkyrim’s Thieves Guild look foolish many times.
Walter-fring’s clip is a perfect encapsulation ofSkyrim’s open-endedness; using a level 1 character, they used an exploit to cast Vampiric Grip so they could launch Mercer Frey and blast him with the Wabbajack to turn him into a sweet roll. This alone would have been enough to set the playthrough apart, but walter-fring then picking up and devouring said sweet roll was the icing on the cake, so to speak.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimis currently available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.
MORE:Elder Scrolls: Comparing the Thieves Guild in Oblivion and Skyrim
