Monday Muzak LXI: Good Night

By now, plenty of people have moved beyond Tamriel's northern continent and have been dabbling in other worlds, preparing for the inevitable apocalypse when Diablo 3 unlocks and loot-fests begin. While I'm ready to sink my teeth into some crossbow dual-wielding, I'm just not ready to put Skyrim down yet. Like its predecessors (I'm talking about Oblivion and Fallout, mostly), it is something I'll keep coming back to for years until the next iteration becomes available. Fallout, while not the same franchise, was fundamentally the same game. The dark and dreary world it was based in wasn't very pleasing to the eyes, though. I looked back at my time with Oblivion on a regular basis, reveling in the moments I had where I just stopped and took everything in. Skyrim delivered that feeling, but multiplied it. Coupled with a few enhancements, the game looks absolutely stunning. Without the audio from Jeremy Soule, however, it just wouldn't seem as powerful.

Imagine this as you kneel, sneaking through a city at night, avoiding torch-lit areas and advancing on your soon-to-be-slain target. Imagine this and the sound of your conjured fire spirit as you're standing before a moon-lit lake. Imagine this, emerging from a cave into the night air, still holding your battleaxe after a fierce battle with a band of bandits.