When looking at a myriad of role-playing games, there are certain aspects that are captured in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim that are often found lacking in other games. These components put Skyrim in a class of its own among role-playing games. The components of a great role-playing video game are a compelling story, rich and deep character development, and vivid graphic design, all of which come together in an intriguing game that sparks the imagination and captures the mind. The game begins at the character design screen. A vast number of choices await the player as he decides on his character's characteristics. Choices of race, gender, and affiliation are common to most video games, however Skyrim really takes it a step further. The developers have included hair length, color and style among other things. Additionally, they have included many features such as defining eyes, nose, and chin to add more user preferences to your character. Once the user has completed the character creation process, the fun doesn't stop. Within the game, the character development process has a unique feel that is rarely experienced in a video game. The normal leveling practices of killing enemies and gaining more experience are thrown out the window. Instead, the developers took a “hands-on” approach. Instead, each time a character uses a certain weapon, skill, or armor, their proficiency in that field increases slightly. To paraphrase Tom Francis, "every hour, an important decision is made about the character's (Francis) ability." character building really happens. Described here by Mr... in the middle of the paper... and great attention has been paid to the emotion contained in each character's voice. To sum up Onyette, the characters feel whole and not just downtown receptionists handing out quests (Onyett). Skyrim's musical soundtrack is impressive and is one of the best created for a video game. Overall, Skyrim is a fascinating game that includes a compelling story, deep and rich character development, and vivid graphic design to maximize the user experience. The exceptional use of these features makes it one of the best RPGs ever. Works Cited Francis, Tom. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim review. November 10, 2011. Web. March 1, 2014.Onyett, Charles. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Review. November 14, 2011. web. March 1, 2014.Schiesel, Seth. "It's your (virtual) world. Feel free to roam or kill." The New York Times November 26, 2011: C.1. Network. March 1 2014.