Appreciated... If That's What They're Going For: Skyrim

My tackling of the subject matter is probably a little late. Skyrim is still being played, but not quite as much. I know some people run off of the occasional visit to the land of Skyrim, but it's not quite the obsessive 20 hour periods that put people into hospitals, because they didn't drink enough water.

True Story.

No, I won't share it with you, that stuff's personal. Wait... Do you think I'm the one who plunged into a chaotic dehydrated state? Nah, it's a friend. Really.

Established Un-reliable Narrator Achievement Unlocked.

I'm not here to talk about the real-world-bad-stuff of Skyrim, I'm here to talk about something I appreciate, if it is indeed what they're going for. That something is the Cave Allegory.

For those of you who don't know what the Cave Allegory is, I'll provide you with a quick summary:

1. It is an idea created by Plato
2. It illustrates education
3. The Story: People in a cave are chained and forced to look at a wall. Behind them is a fire which casts shadows. They see shadows of many things that represent the outside world. Eventually, one person is no longer chained and that person goes outside the cave, seeing real things, not just shadows. They go back into the cave and talk about their outside world experiences, thus sharing knowledge. In turn, the people chained before get free, in order to pursue the new knowledge people before them gained by going outside of the cave.

How does this apply to Skyrim? Well, whichever character you make, you don't really start leveling up until you venture outside of the cave. I mean this literally. In the opening segment, you have to escape underground... through a cave. There's even a sleeping bear to compliment it. It's strangely symbolic and alluding. What exactly does it say when you're leveling up getting out of the cave? Well, it says you don't start learning the truth until you explore things for yourself. It's no surprise, this isn't the first time Bethesda has done this. Look at Fallout 3 for example.

In Fallout 3, we begin the game underground in a vault. Everyone in your original understanding of the world lives there, and most importantly, learns there. When you're finally forced to leave, it's a struggle. It's an attempt to break the shackles. It's even tougher realizing you might not ever come back, especially if you've developed a liking to the people there. Once you break out the doors into the real world you're greeted by a bright light that blinds you for a bit. The world is, all of the sudden, real. This is the truth that some people in the vault had held you back from. As you explore the new world, you gain levels and experience new things. Eventually, you can make your way back to the original vault, which is a story arc I don't want to spoil.

Skyrim does this, but takes a more immersive approach. Think about the typical Skyrim experience: Play the game, stop playing, go out into the real world, talk about it.

We all experience different things outside of the cave. We come back to the cave to share those experiences with friends and family, who then leave the cave in pursuit of the same experience. This is education incarnate, according to Plato.

So, did Bethesda do this on purpose? I can never say for sure. In order to answer that, I'd have to ask the game devs myself. It just feels blatant. If you're playing Skyrim, there's actually a book that you can read that outlines the Cave Allegory.

Shit, if that isn't enough, then I don't know what is.

Still, I know I can't say for sure, but it is almost 100% certainty.

I feel this is a good start in my explorations for rhetorical gaming. After all, games are an art, they convey different messages and teach different things. This is just 1 pair of eyes looking at something I just appreciate. It's something that us gamers can talk about. It's an experience we share. If you have any neat experiences with Skyrim or even the Cave Allegory, I'd love to hear em!