How long did it take to 100% Skyrim?

How Long Did it Take to 100% Skyrim?

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, an action role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios, is a massive open-world experience that has captured the hearts of millions of gamers worldwide. With its rich storyline, engaging combat mechanics, and vast wilderness to explore, it’s no wonder that many players are eager to complete the game and achieve 100% completion. But, just how long does it take to achieve this milestone?

Main Questline Completion

According to estimates, the main questline of Skyrim can take around 34-40 hours to complete, assuming you complete all the essential quests and storyline missions. This timeframe can vary depending on your playstyle and the difficulty level you’re playing on. However, if you’re looking to complete all the side quests, optional content, and achievements, the journey will take much longer.

Completing Side Quests and Optional Content

Completing all the side quests and optional content in Skyrim can take an additional 200-300 hours. These quests are often scattered throughout the game’s vast open world, and players will need to explore different locations, interact with various NPCs, and complete challenges to unlock them.

Achievements and Collectibles

Gathering all the achievements and collectibles in Skyrim can add an extra 100-200 hours to your playtime. Achievements are optional rewards that can be unlocked by completing specific tasks or meeting certain conditions, while collectibles include items such as ancient artifacts, hidden scrolls, and rare commodities.

Building and Exploring the Hearthfire Homesteads

For those who opt to build and explore the Hearthfire homesteads, this can add another 20-50 hours to their playtime. Hearthfire is a downloadable content pack that allows players to build and customize their own homesteads, complete with gardens, decorations, and NPCs.

Total Completion Time

So, just how long does it take to 100% complete Skyrim? Assuming you complete the main questline, side quests, optional content, achievements, collectibles, and build and explore the Hearthfire homesteads, you can expect to spend around 500-800 hours playing the game.

Comparison with Other Games

To put this into perspective, 500-800 hours is significantly longer than most modern games. For comparison, completing the main storyline of other popular games such as The Witcher 3 and Dark Souls may take around 20-50 hours, while games like Dark Souls and Bloodborne can take around 50-100 hours to complete.

Tips for Speedrunning and Efficiency

If you’re looking to complete Skyrim quickly or efficiently, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Use a character with high magic resistance: This will allow you to complete quests without wasting time on unnecessary fights.
• Prioritize quests: Focus on completing quests that give you the most experience and rewards, rather than doing them in the order they appear in the quest log.
• Explore wisely: Instead of exploring every nook and cranny, focus on visiting key locations and NPCs that can give you valuable information and quests.
• Use fast travel: When traveling between locations, use fast travel to save time and avoid long commutes.
• Save often: Save your game frequently to avoid losing progress in case you encounter any problems or die in a tough fight.

In conclusion, completing Skyrim can take anywhere from 34-40 hours to complete the main questline, up to 800 hours to complete 100%. With its rich storyline, engaging combat mechanics, and vast open world, Skyrim is a game that rewards exploration and investment, and players who take the time to complete every quest and achievement will be richly rewarded.