Since its release in 2011, Skyrim holds up as one of Bethesda's most reliably entertaining games to revisit. At this point, Skyrim's flaws have become almost as key to its identity as its successes. Because of this, longtime fans of the game are hoping to see some of Skyrim's more unusual errors carry over into The Elder Scrolls 6.
As an open-world RPG, player freedom is at the core of Skyrim's gameplay, meaning that the game has to take into account almost every possible action. It seems like a guarantee that no amount of bug testing, no matter how reliable, could account for every potential error that could occur within the game as a result. While many fans praise Skyrim for its strong replay value, this feature is also something of a hinderance when it comes to stability.
Generally speaking, Skyrim has held up relatively well for a game that's almost 10 years old. This is helped, of course, by Skyrim's dedicated and active modding community, which is full of gameplay and graphics overhauls to make the game feel fresh even now. However, the game is also infamous for the large number of glitches that are present as a result of the game's engine. Over time, these have almost become an essential element of Skyrim in the eyes of many fans. It's possible that these fun errors could reappear in the next Elder Scrolls release, which is currently in development by Bethesda.
Skyrim Glitch - Flying Mammoths
Dragons aren't the only flying creature that players should watch out for in Skyrim. On occasion, they may also encounter airborne mammoths - though usually they don't get the chance to do much damage before the mammoth plummets out of the sky to its death. Horses also tend to float at times, as do various other enemies throughout the game. This largely occurs because of an error that results when spawning creatures onto distant terrain. While it does tend to break the immersion for some Skyrim fans, others hope this bizarre encounter will make another appearance in The Elder Scrolls 6.
Skyrim Glitch - Living Mannequins
Sometimes glitches can move all the way through "fun" territory and straight into "terrifying", turning Skyrim into something of a horror game unintentionally. Within the script of the game, mannequins aren't technically objects - they're NPCs that have been reskinned and placed in a particular pose. When this script breaks, they tend to act like normal NPCs again - which means that players can find mannequins running around their house for brief periods of time. While unintended, this unsettling glitch added a layer of fun into something as mundane as player housing within Skyrim, and could hopefully do the same in Elder Scrolls 6.
Skyrim Glitch - Baskets Being Foolproof
It's not entirely clear if this falls under the category of bug or feature, but either way, it's a hilarious and useful mechanic that's become iconic to Skyrim fans. While the stealth feature in Skyrim is relatively advanced, even for a game from 2011, it isn't completely immune to being exploited. Although NPCs can detect the Dragonborn if they make too much noise or wear heavy armor, their visual awareness isn't quite up to par. By placing a basket or bucket over an NPC's head, players can essentially become invisible, making it incredibly easy to pickpocket or steal something from right under a character's nose. Many fans are hoping that The Elder Scrolls 6's AI will provide just as many unusual gameplay opportunities as Skyrim's did.