As the fifth chapter in The Elder Scrolls franchise, Skyrim made leaps and bounds in simplifying old-school RPG elements into a more easily accessible final product. This was clearly the right move, given how popular the series has remained (and how often it's been ported). The exploration in this game is the beating heart of the series and one of the biggest reasons why players keep coming back. With the release of Starfield, the entertainment factor of handcrafted Bethesda worlds is something fans are more aware of than ever before.