As South Africa enters its 21-day lockdown in order to combat the spread of the coronavirus, it has left many civilians in the isolation of their homes. Many see this as a great opportunity to spend quality time with some family and loved ones, while others cherish diving into forms of entertainment to occupy their time and pass the weeks (when not working remotely, in that case). To cushion some of the tedium, Nexus has decided to create a daily feature in which we recommend games of varying lengths and content that could pass the time. Our third recommendation in Lockdown Gaming ships us off to Boston in Fallout 4. To say the hype for Fallout 4 before release was off the charts would be an understatement. Quite possibly the most anticipated game of 2015, Fallout 4 boosted itself to the front luxury cart of the hype train following an incredible E3 2015 demonstration that many fondly remember as one of the best in the event's history - and when Bethesda more or less still had their heads screwed on right. Fallout 4 had years of legacy behind it, with Obsidian Entertainment stepping back to allow Bethesda Game Studios, the teams behind Skyrim (yeah, it was kind of a big deal) to return to the Fallout universe. What we got was... something alright. Now that's not to say I dislike Fallout 4. In fact, I think a good majority of it is great. However, I can't help but feel just a tad bit underwhelmed in certain aspects of the game that we'll dive into later. For all its strengths, though, this is easily the most accessible and, dare I say, most action-packed Fallout game. It's the kind of blockbuster rejuvenation that the series really deserved but didn't know it needed. With a stronger emphasis on action and big set pieces, it felt more epic in scale and overall bolder than Fallout 3. The problem there then comes with the subtleties of the RPG system taking a few hits. Fallout 4 significantly dials back its RPG mechanics - a problem that most Fallout 4 naysayers bring up as one of their primary arguments and weaknesses of the game, and deservedly so. While a skill tree is still present, it streamlines its various upgrading paths so that it seems more straight-forward and simplified. Personally, I didn't mind this particular skill tree. It allowed me to still be completely flexible with whatever kind of build I wanted, while honing in on the RPG character building that I love to experiment with in Fallout games. To get some of the biggest praises out of the way before we bring out our dissection toolkit, Fallout 4 has incredible world building. This is something that Bethesda continuously excels at. Even in Fallout 76, the flaming rotting carcass that it is, presents a great and immersive open world in West Virginia. Here, Boston is no exception. Moving away from the bizarrely green Matrix-like landscapes of Washington and the dark sickly browns of the Nevada desert in previous entries, Boston's setting is a little more vibrant and densely packed. And when I say densely packed, I really mean it. You can't walk fifteen feet without running into something to do or see. A problem a lot of fans seemed to have had to do with the greater emphasis on the shooting mechanics. Fallout 4 had shied away from RPG elements and leaned into becoming a traditional first-person shooter with action/adventure elements, is what a lot of fans argued. Personally, I loved that the focus was now on shooting because the shooting feels fantastic and better than ever before, albeit a bit floaty at times (I guess that's just a Fallout curse). Finally, touching on the beginning of the game: this is the best opening hours of gaming you'll ever likely play in an RPG. Remember how Deathclaws were intimidating, tough-as-nails beasts meant to be encountered mid-game in previous Fallout titles, or how Power Armor was something you had to work your way towards for the end portions of the game? Yeah, Fallout 4 says "screw that" and, within the first big mission, throws you in a suit of Power Armor, hands you a gattling gun, and tosses you into the streets to stand off with a Deathclaw. And it's so f***ing awesome. I loved that Power Armor maintenance became a standard for most of the game, as it also became your trump card during particularly tough missions. However, now we must touch on the not-so-awesome points. Fallout 4's story is, well, not that interesting. We actually see how a lesser emphasis on RPG elements affects the story above all else. In Fallout: New Vegas, for example, your one defining character motivation is to just put a bullet in some guy's head. Other than that, the world is your oyster and you have so much agency to just do what you please and pave your own path. Your ultimate goal then becomes a byproduct of how you establish yourself in a role-playing setting. This formula is completely backwards in Fallout 4. Yes, it's fantastic to see a world before the bombs fell and having a spouse is nice, but it felt like the game had already created a character for you - complete with their own ulterior goals and even personality (voice acting is a huge point of contention) - before you could. Isn't that the complete opposite of a role-playing game's purpose? For the most part, your ultimate goal is to find your kidnapped son after you've awakened from cryosleep. This isn't too dissimilar from finding your father in Fallout 3, but the problem here is that, well, it's your baby. The clock is ticking in terms of survival rates. For your father, he could understandably still survive, but here, there's no telling how each passing hour could adversely affect your child. So that's why it's all too jarring when the main story keeps pushing you into finding your son with a great sense of urgency, but the moment you step away from the designated main path to do, you know, role-playing stuff, it creates an oddly disjointed narrative and suddenly strips away that sense of urgency. If you're just rushing through the story without doing any side quests, you won't feel this as much, but that's unfortunate because some of Fallout 4's best quest lines are elsewhere in the game. It may seem like I'm really digging the knife deep in Fallout 4's gut here, but I actually enjoy most of the game. When taken as its own experience, there's a lot to love about Fallout 4, in fact. The combat feels great, the world-building and exploration is top class, and you're always having fun regardless of what you run into. Sadly, the problems persist when you start making comparisons to its predecessors - especially what Obsidian did with New Vegas - and seeing how they've almost perfected that role-playing experience while Fallout 4 noticeably dilutes its own RPG elements in favour of a more blockbuster open world shooter. Then the difficult question comes, why should you play Fallout 4 during lockdown? There's two sides to this recommendation. One, if you're looking for an in-depth RPG experience that will fulfill you on that genre's front, I'd much rather point you to either Skyrim or Fallout: New Vegas instead, while saving Fallout 4 for the time-passer open world shooter not too different from what we see today. However, I can wholeheartedly recommend Fallout 4 to the fans. Yes, it sounds strange since you've probably already played Fallout 4 (and plenty of times), but revisiting it now, five years later, and especially in light of Fallout 76 (shivers), you can really just appreciate the last great Fallout game. Also, "Atom Bomb Baby" by The Five Stars is the banger of the decade. Other Lockdown Gaming Features: Lockdown Gaming Day 1: Skyrim Special Edition Lockdown Gaming Day 2: Persona 5 Remember to visit the South African Coronavirus Website for more information on safety and prevention tips. Stay safe! Emergency Hotline: 0800 029 999 WhatsApp Support Line: 0600-123456

As South Africa enters its 21-day lockdown in order to combat the spread of the coronavirus, it has left many civilians in the isolation of their homes. Many see this as a great opportunity to spend quality time with some family and loved ones, while others cherish diving into forms of entertainment to occupy their time and pass the weeks (when not working remotely, in that case). To cushion some of the tedium, Nexus has decided to create a daily feature in which we recommend games of varying lengths and content that could pass the time. Our second recommendation in Lockdown Gaming has us stealing hearts with The Phantom Thieves in Persona 5. Shifting gears from the high fantasy orc-bashing of Skyrim to a much simpler game (in theory), let's dive into my personal Game of the Year of 2017 - and I'm sorry, Breath of the Wild, but another game stole my heart that year. Atlus' Persona series had mostly been seen as a niche franchise up until this point. While it still amassed a large fan base and its fair share of critical acclaim, I believe it wasn't until Persona 5 did the series really catapult itself into the limelight and bring in a wave of new fans. This was possible due to Persona 5's superb marketability. The art style was unique, featured vivid, eye-popping colours, and a soundtrack that has pretty much been etched into the halls of video game's greatest scores. We'll get back to all of this in more detail, but as far as RPGs went around 2017, the turn-based mechanic was sadly losing steam in the mainstream. Once an extremely popular (and one could argue quintessential) mechanic in RPG games, turn-based combat slowly got pushed further and further back into indie realms as time went on, with most RPG franchises favouring real-time combat (who could blame them?). Persona 5 then came along and completely rejuvenated the turn-based formula in what is, in my opinion, the best of its kind. Taking place in Tokyo, Japan, Persona 5 follows our nameless protagonist, Joker, as he transfers to the bustling city on probation following a wrongful assault. Here, he quickly befriends a handful of people who all seem to notice something rather strange happening in the various districts. Joker soon figures out that him, along with a handful of students, can enter the subconscious realms of individuals called the Metaverse, and explore their psyche like fortresses or castles. Together with the newly formed Phantom Thieves, he uses this sudden power to tap into the hearts of certain bad people in order to, quite literally, change their minds and hearts. Persona 5 set a very high bar for JRPGs of its kind. When not raiding various subconscious palaces and castles - with all of the Phantom Thieves dashingly dressed in leather - players must abide by a daily timeline for Joker to follow. There are times during the day where it's possible for players to enter the Metaverse, but for the most part, daily activities such as studying, working a job, socializing with friends, dating, playing sports, and commuting to school must all be upheld. Now that might sound boring at face value, but trust me, they make up some of the most interesting and addictive aspects of Persona 5 - and are the very reasons why the game is so lovingly embraced as one of the best JRPGs of our time. Let's talk about the Metaverse and combat. Like previous entries, each character is given a number of personas to choose from. While the rule of many only really applies to Joker, other character's personas (think of them as spiritual manifestations that take the forms of creatures) are a perfect reflection of their personalities and these traits shine through in their abilities as well. Using them in combat is essential to victory, but thanks to the complex yet easy to learn turn-based system, Persona 5 presents a number of ways to engage each fight. While exploring the subconscious castles of the Metaverse trying to take down some evil wrong-doer, the Phantom Thieves engage in constant battles, not only with the owner of that Metaverse, but with their various defense mechanisms that take the form of foot soldiers and other creatures. Combat is fairly straight-forward if you're familiar with turn-based combat (select attacks, healing, etc), but bolstered by Persona 5's striking visuals and art style. Colours burst on screen with each command and attack, much like an energetic anime or comic book. It's ultra-stylish and simply oozes "cool", further emphasized by the upbeat jazz-pop tunes of the infectious soundtrack. All of this culminates in battles that are visual and audio bliss, and I really can't stress enough how unique and stylish they are. Persona 5's identity is purely defined by its aesthetic, and with the right amount of heart (no pun intended) in its gripping multi-narrative and layered characters, it ends up working on every level. So why should you play Persona 5 during the lockdown? On top of being one of the best games of the decade (there's your reason enough there), Persona 5 is, by far, the most inviting entry in the series to date. And no, you don't have to have played the previous games to get into this one. It's a self-contained story with a delightful beginning and a heart-pounding climax. How long will this journey take you, you might ask? Remember how in yesterday's lockdown gaming piece, I said Skyrim's story will take you 30-40 hours to beat? Persona 5 makes it look like a cake walk. Atlus' gargantuan JRPG's story alone will take you anywhere between 90-100 hours to complete, and this is excluding the various side missions. On top of that, thanks to the extremely flexible moment-to-moment gameplay of the social aspect of the game, there's plenty of replay value (and if you're the dating kind of gamer, trust me, there are A LOT of options). With Persona 5 Royal on the horizon adding even more quality content to an already beefy experience, there's plenty of reasons to play (and replay) Persona 5 during these times. Even if you aren't a fan of turn-based - and as someone who grew tired of the dated combat system - Persona 5 might just make you a firm believer. Other Lockdown Gaming Features: Lockdown Gaming Day 1: Skyrim Special Edition Remember to visit the South African Coronavirus Website for more information on safety and prevention tips. Stay safe! Emergency Hotline: 0800 029 999 WhatsApp Support Line: 0600-123456

In the first part of this feature, I looked back at what would be considered the “classic” DOOM games: DOOM (1993), DOOM II: Hell on Earth (1994), Final DOOM (1996), and DOOM 64 (1997). All great games in their own right but also all built on, often literally, the exact same foundations. For part 2, I’m going to look at the polarising sequel and subsequent reimagining of the IP. DOOM 3 (2004), Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil (2005), and DOOM 3: BFG Edition (2012) After the flurry of DOOM games released between 1993 and 1997, fans had to wait a long time for DOOM 3. id Software had been hard at work on a new iteration of the id Tech Engine since the release of Quake III Arena in 1999 (DOOM Engine -> Quake Engine -> id Tech 3), and early glimpses of gameplay offered few details, other than the impressive technical abilities of the engine. When DOOM 3, running on the id Tech Engine 4, finally released, the results weere impressive for the time. We got complex geometry and high-resolution textures that seemed custom-made for hellish industrial-organic environments (it would subsequently be used for Quake IV and Prey 2006). Dynamic lighting and shadowing were a big draw, resulting in environments with sharply-contrasting areas of illumination and pitch-dark shadows, coupled with plenty of light sources that would briefly illuminate the environments (such as imp fireballs hurtling towards you). When DOOM 3 finally launched in 2004, the response from critics and fans was divisive. In general, critics took a more holistic view and praised the game for the technology that powered it, whereas the major shift in the core gameplay loop drew a lot of criticism from long-time fans of the IP. Personally, I adore DOOM 3 in all its iterations and, in hindsight, so did quite a few people given the backlash to several changes made in 2012’s DOOM 3: BFG Edition. id Software spent a lot of time developing and iterating the id Tech engine but the results were worth it. The classic DOOM games always had horror elements that made exploration tense – be that the visual design, dark rooms, unsettling ambient sounds, and monster ambushes – but that creepy tone dissipated as soon as combat kicked off. DOOM 3 decided to bring the horror element front-and-centre (at least for the opening two-thirds of the game) and scale back the arena-based combat until the final hours. You spend the bulk of the game navigating narrow and dark tunnels (originally with a flashlight that couldn’t be used in tandem with a weapon), anticipating the next demon ambush (which would often inflict unavoidable damage if you didn’t save-scum). DOOM 3 is also packed with interactable objects, detailed lore, several cutscenes, and innumerable audio logs – all essential to progression, grounding the player in the world, and finally making the overarching narrative interesting. The environments are packed full of interative terminals and switches, adding to the immersion, providing a ton of exposition, and liable to leave you vulnerable to a demon ambush. At the time of release, having always been a fan of horror games, this was the best possible evolution of the IP for me. I’d not followed the modding scene and long since grown bored of “vanilla” DOOM experience, so this terrifying first-person shooter, with plenty of scares and light survival-horror vibes, kept me hunched over a monitor in the dark, occasionally pulling back to scream and swear. It’s not that the core gameplay couldn’t feel like classic DOOM – the reimagined arsenal remained satisfying to use on the demon hordes, and you were still hunting for keys or switches to progress – but more time was spent creeping around in tight spaces where a single unexpected demon could shred your armour and health. It’s only around the two-thirds mark, after a brief foray through hell to obtain the “Soul Cube” artefact, that the pacing changes wildly. This artefact, charged by killing demons before allowing you to one-shot any non-boss enemy to regain health, comes just as the game expands the size of the environment and begins teleporting in demons at will. Anyone who has misgivings about the opening of the game has to concede the final hours are a great pay-off. Hell just kept looking better in each game but some of the weapon models needed work. In 2005, the DOOM 3: Resurrection of Evil expansion was released to tie up some loose narrative ends, reintroduce the super shotgun (still as amazing as ever), some new enemies, and expand on the “artefact” concept. Set more than a year after the events of DOOM 3, another hapless marine finds themselves claiming an artefact that unleashes a new wave of chaos on the recently-reclaimed Mars base. Shorter, faster, and more tightly-focused, Resurrection of Evil introduces several mini-bosses that require the artefact’s power to defeat. Their demonic souls subsequently enhance it with a new ability. By the end, you’ll simultaneously slow time, become invincible, and activate the berserk ability, allowing you run around punching demons to death with impunity – it’s incredible. Eight years later, seventh-gen console owners (and PC) got their hands on a somewhat altered DOOM 3 experience with 2012’s DOOM 3: BFG Edition. It offered upscaled graphics (though nothing close to what modders had already achieved), updated lighting (i.e. less darkness), 60fps shooting (mostly), more ammunition in general, and a shoulder-mounted flashlight – the last two changes triggering the bulk of the criticism. Despite shifting the gameplay further towards action, it was a good fit for consoles, played brilliantly on a gamepad, and came bundled with a new short expansion “The Lost Mission” (a short parallel story to the main game), and vanilla versions of DOOM (1993) and DOOM II. Though I still prefer the original release, the BFG Edition remains a fantastic way to experience DOOM 3 if you’ve only got a console. The combination of DOOM gunplay + bullet time is a match made in heaven. As with the classic DOOM games, the DOOM 3: BFG Edition is now easily accessible on GOG or Steam, there are really cheap current-gen ports for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, while the Xbox 360 version is backwards compatible and remains a great option if you’ve still got the disc. For purists, you can pick up the original DOOM 3 and Resurrection of Evil expansion cheaply on Steam. If you’re after a novel retro experience, you can try hunt down multiple copies of the original Xbox port that is backwards compatible with the Xbox 360 (sadly not the Xbox One). These offer a system-link coop campaign, albeit with modified and shortened levels. DOOM (2016) DOOM (2016) either represents a triumphant return to form for Id Software (especially for the DOOM 3 naysayers), or a return to the tight focus on arena-combat. Either way you look at it, it provides a remarkable single-player experience, with stunning visuals and fluid animations, 60fps gameplay on all platforms, an incredible soundtrack from Mick Gordan, and a surprising amount of lore buried away in menus. Unfortunately, it also came bundled with a criminally-underutilised map editor and a disappointedly-generic multiplayer mode. If fans thought the delay between DOOM 64 and DOOM 3 was long, DOOM (2016) went through several revisions and designs that were scrapped before arriving in its final form over a decade later. Sticking to the campaign, it packs in everything that made the classic DOOM games so memorable – fast-paced gunplay against demon hordes that required priority targeting and optimal weapon use. However, it also introduced an incredible degree of freedom when it came to player movement – running, jumping, double-jumping, or mantling ledges all happens at a brisk pace. Movement was no longer restricted to a single plane as you could now clamber up onto higher areas to gain a tactical advantage or move through the horde, double jumping over demons and blasting them apart while airborne. Hell, again, and prettier than ever - as is that super shotgun model. This enhanced player movement also means more diverse levels with a focus on verticality and nefariously hidden secrets. Combat arenas are almost always multi-tiered, but your demon foes pack an expanded move set to keep the player on their toes: Imps scramble up walls to fling fireballs down on you; Revenants engage their jump packs to get better angle; Hell Knights, despite their bulk, can leap up from below to pursue the player. There are some new mechanics that, while initially seeming at odds with the pace, work surprisingly well. The first is the “glory kill” system: do enough damage to a demon and they may stagger, allowing for a quick and gloriously gory melee kill that’ll drop health. The second is a change in how the chainsaw works: it’s an instant-kill on most enemies – if you have sufficient fuel – and will cause them to drop a myriad of ammo types, like a demonic piñata. In Part 1 of this feature, I said the Super Shotgun was probably Doom's most iconic weapon but I guess the BFG would be the popular vote. With movement and gunplay sped up to such a degree, and with the aforementioned new mechanics, combat is more relentless than ever and requires the players adapt on the fly. You might run into an area full of shambling zombies, ignore them, speed around the arena dropping the annoying Imps that slowly chip away health and armour with their fireballs, glory-kill/chainsaw those zombies for health/ammo, and then finally tackle the lumbering Hell Knight that has been chasing you the whole time. The new mechanics add several new tactical layers to the combat, on top of target prioritisation, weapon choice, and positioning. Despite laying on all this praise and loving my time with DOOM (2016) when I played it for review at launch, it’s the one DOOM game I struggle to replay, rarely making it more than three chapters in before walking away satisfied with that brief taste of the action. Replaying it again for this feature I think I finally understand why. DOOM (2016), as with most modern games, features a progression system. The more secrets you hunt for, the more passive and active abilities you can unlock or upgrade. The problem is the contrast between the pace of the firefights and slow methodical exploration (even if you first go for the upgrade that reveals map items). One might argue you could just ignore them as in prior games, but these secret upgrades actively affect what tools you have at your disposal. The less you find, the less variety there is to the combat, in a game about relentless combat from beginning to end. On my first playthrough, I loved the added complexity and verticality in DOOM 2016's level design. When attempting to replay the game, however, the thought of spending time clambering around looking for all the upgrades and rune trials filled me with dread. Despite my own preferences, if you’ve not played a DOOM game before and can’t stomach older games, DOOM (2016) is a great place to start. In theory, it follows on from the end of DOOM 64 lore-wise, but both it and DOOM Eternal represent a soft-reboot of the franchise. Even when not on sale, DOOM (2016) can be picked up for cheap now on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4, so you've got no excuse. DOOM Eternal At last we arrive at 2020’s DOOM Eternal, a game that I promised myself I’d hold off from until I had experienced the DOOM 64 remaster. Bigger in scope, grander in narrative, tougher by design, and more mechanically complex to provide the player with even more tools to rip and tear, I’ll direct you yet again to Sam’s glowing review for comprehensive coverage of the game that’s capped off an incredible 27-years of DOOM! 27 Years of DOOM Part 1 - The Classics

As South Africa enters its 21-day lockdown in order to combat the spread of the coronavirus, it has left many civilians in the isolation of their homes. Many see this as a great opportunity to spend quality time with some family and loved ones, while others cherish diving into forms of entertainment to occupy their time and pass the weeks (when not working remotely, in that case). To cushion some of the tedium, Nexus has decided to create a daily feature in which we recommend games of varying lengths and content that could pass the time. Our first recommendation in Lockdown Gaming takes us to the land of Tamriel with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. To date, Skyrim stands as one of the most content-filled RPGs of all time. When the game released in 2011, it was a smashing critical and commercial success for Bethesda, who previously brought us its predecessors in The Elder Scrolls series as well as Fallout (that Lockdown Gaming day is coming). However, Skyrim still holds up remarkably well today and somehow remains undefeated in its enormous melting pot of seemingly neverending content. It all starts on the back of a horse carriage as we ride to our execution in Helgen... Picking up Skyrim again recently, I was absolutely astounded to still see how much content and freedom of choice the game presents to the player (on top of the game still looking absolutely stunning from an open world design perspective). In most RPGs, this means a steep learning curve and maybe after 5 or 6 hours, you can finally start forging your own path. However, Skyrim does this from the moment you leave Helgen and emerge in the wide open spaces of Skyrim. You can choose to follow the main path and go to the nearest town to progress the main story, or just go off on your own adventures and make your own experience. There are a handful of classes to choose from in the beginning (or races, more like it) but unlike many other RPGs, you're not shoehorned into picking a specific race for their perks. Basically, your race and character is just a blueprint. You have the freedom to make your character anything you want them to be, whether it's a powerful mage, a two-handed swordman, a stealthy thief, or literally all of the above - the choices are endless and it bodes well to Skyrim's unparalleled player agency. I opted to go for the two-handed swordman approach and ran with the Nord class for the initial bump in points and health. Thanks to the incredible flexibility of the huge but cleverly streamlined skill tree, I was even able to build on my lockpicking and magic abilities on the side. Straying off the main story for the most part, I found myself already tackling an assortment of fleshed out side quests across the various towns and villages. Before even climbing to the peaks of High Hrothgar to have a ball with the Greybeards, I was knee-deep in vampire hunts, a cult conspiracy, and handling magical business affairs as the new Arch-Mage of Winterhold. My personal experiences aside, I'm still playing through Skyrim and enjoying the amount of freedom given to me - a quality rarely seen in most RPGs on the market. Yes, there are finer examples of games with far more in-depth "freedom", so to speak (see Persona 5), but Skyrim never feels like it bottle-necks that freedom. At no point, in the odd 25-30 hours I've been playing thus far, did I ever feel like I was being shoehorned into doing an activity or quest, or even steering back onto the path of the main story. It's there, sure, but it's a suggestion - and I absolutely adore that. The fun in that then comes down to what else you can do outside of the main story. The simple answer is... quite a lot. Dare I say, the best qualities, moments, and experiences of Skyrim hardly even come from the main story at all. Yes, it's quite an epic high fantasy tale of chosen ones, evil dragons trying to bring about the apocalypse, and more magical artifacts and MacGuffins that would've given J.R.R. Tolkein a run for his money, but the devil is in the details here. The expansions that come packaged in the Special Edition consist of Dawnguard, Dragonborn, and Hearthfire. Arguably, Dawnguard and Dragonborn are the best ones to look out for. The former is mostly focused on the resurgence of an evil vampire regime and cult, while the latter takes us to further shores to uncover the potential existence of another Dovahkiin. It's all riveting, well-written, and incredibly fulfilling stories that could easily make up entire games on their own. Skyrim's morality system is open to pretty much every side of the coin. You can choose to be evil (like Dawnguard suggests), hunting down villages of people and, hell, even siding with the vampires and werewolves - and have all of Whiterun's guards hot on your trail - or simply play the part of a carefree potato farmer out in the countryside who just so happens to be a legendary warrior capable of absorbing dragon's souls. I think that might be the only thing that you can't really escape (call it fate, I guess) concerning the main story: you are the chosen one. No choice. No buts. Just kill an ancient evil dragon and save the world. To that extent, the "fullness" of the role-playing experience is dialed down a notch or two, but not enough to force you into doing a character-altering action or decision (I'm looking at you, Fallout 4). That said, why is Skyrim a quintessential game to play during this lockdown? It goes without saying that if you aren't into RPGs, you may not find Skyrim to your liking, but it is one of the more streamlined and accessible RPG titles of its kind in a very good way. However, it also packs an astronomical amount of content. The base game's main story itself should take you around 30-40 hours to beat, but outside of that, you're easily looking at 100+ hours worth of content. Adding the three available DLC to the mix, each bringing another 20-30 hours each, and you've got yourself an RPG experience to easily last you 200 hours or much more. Taking into account replay value as well (which this game has a lot of, trust this from a guy playing Skyrim for possibly the fifteenth time), and the math can figure itself out. Best of all - and back when Bethesda wasn't singing "Country Roads" with broken online games - Skyrim is prime, quality content. Remember to visit the South African Coronavirus Website for more information on safety and prevention tips. Stay safe! Emergency Hotline: 0800 029 999 WhatsApp Support Line: 0600-123456