The endless debate over what is and is not an immersive simulation game continues, and one of Dishonored’s co-creators says he believes Skyrim is one of them.
Immersive simulation, as a genre, is difficult to define. I won’t even try to define it for you in any meaningful way, I just know that games like Thief, Dishonored, and Deus Ex fall into this genre. This kind of game has many of the main qualities of other genres, which is why it is difficult to define. But in a recent interview computer gamerDishonored co-creator and Arkane founder Raphael Colantonio has shared a bold opinion that Skyrim is an immersive sim (and Baldur’s Gate 3 is “immersive sim-adjacent” ).
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Explaining himself, Colantonio said: “If you really think about it, Bethesda games – or Obsidian games – are very, very immersive simulation games. The overlap between first-person RPGs and immersive simulation games is very Blurry. A sense of being there, right?
I don’t think he’s entirely wrong. Immersive simulations often allow you to interact with objects in the game world in ways that produce unique results, and Skyrim certainly lets you do that, even if it’s not always clear how purposeful some of these moments are. Colantonio, whose new studio Wolfeye just recently announced what looks like the next game for Dishonored, went on to explain himself, saying: “We’ve always made immersive simulation games. That’s what we’ve always done and always will. Do. Oh, not at all” I would be surprised. Their games rely heavily on simulation.
When talking about Baldur’s Gate 3, Colantonio said: “I do think Baldur’s Gate is at least an immersive simulation game, although not in the same way as The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim or Dishonored. Too much the same, but it also lets you interact with its world in fun and unique ways. Baldur’s Gate is a great game for you and everyone under the sun, Colantonio.
