I never played The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion. With its huge, expansive world and sandbox mechanics, it should have been right up my alley. I think, though, I was turned off by the incredibly generic British Isles-inspired setting. It was a pretty rendition, prettier than anything that had come before, but in light of games like World of Warcraft, it just seemed so… blah.

Now, Skyrim‘s snowy, mountainous setting and horn-helmeted, long-bearded Norsemen, that’s something I can get behind. It’s amazing what a small change in scenery can do to inspire a bit of enthusiasm. Hopefully developer Bethesda can learn from some of the mistakes that plagued Oblivion (which, admittedly, were also a turn off for me).

The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim releases on November 11th, 2011.