Summary
Though small in scale, the cities ofSkyrimare widely considered to be one of the best-designed hubs in a Bethesda game, and players are debating which city from the Nord province stands above the rest. When comparingNew Atlantis fromStarfieldtoSkyrim’s towns, a considerable amount of players would argue that places such as Windhelm and Solitude possess a bit more charm. A big advantage that the hubs inSkyrimhave is how densely packed they are with interesting NPCs or quests for players to pursue.
Akila City inStarfieldembraces the traditional way of designing a Bethesda city, and it’s for those reasons that many consider it their favorite. However, another part whereSkyrim’s design shines is how varied its urban hubs are when compared toOblivion, the predecessor game. Whether it’s the stone halls of Markarth, or the layout of Whiterun that so strongly resembles Edoras fromThe Lord of the Rings, the cities inSkyrimexude plenty of character.
Players gathered to discuss their favoriteSkyrimhub in a thread posted by Intricate1779 on the game’s official subreddit, and given that no consensus was reached, it speaks well of Bethesda’s effort in giving each city a strong visual identity. Even smaller towns such as Dawnstar were given a nod, though there have been concerted efforts from the modding community over the years to expand upon the cities ofSkyrim, injecting them with even more detail, and widening their overall scope and splendor.
However, given that the thread specifically asked people to decide theirfavoriteSkyrimtownbased on architecture, there were plenty of strong arguments cast in favor of Markarth due to its Dwemer stonework architecture. Unfortunately, the blatant corruption that grips the city has done little to endear it in the eyes of the community. Windhelm suffers from a similar issue, as the beautiful Nord architecture starkly contrasts against the racism permeating through its streets. If one were to rank cities by how they feel, then the community seems to highly value Whiterun, as its coziness and atmosphere are second to none inSkyrim.
Even thoughSkyrimcame out eleven years ago, plenty of people still play the game as they anxiously await the release of the nextElder Scrollsgame.Skyrim’s powerhouse of a modding community has taken Bethesda’s original vision much farther than anyone could have predicted back in 2011, and hopefully, it may end up doing the same forStarfieldin the months to come. As for the future of Tamriel, fans hope that cities of the nextElder Scrollsprovince end up surpassing those ofSkyrim, though that has proven to be a feat easier said than done.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimis available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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