In an excellent video mash-up, creator Pertinax has put Forrest Gump in the role of the Dragonborn, running through the world of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The video itself is just under sixty seconds long but harps on some hilarious tropes present in many RPGs like The Elder Scrolls series. There are no mods present here, just talented video editing, and a hot take on how replayable certain parts of RPG games are.
Pertinax has been creating Skyrim mash-up videos to great success in the last few months, often featuring characters from The Sopranos edited over the Dragonborn. This is the first time that Forrest Gump makes an appearance, and to great effect. Many of the previous videos poke fun at the experience of encountering a dragon or arriving in a certain town for the first time. But this new video also takes a shot at what it’s like to replay an RPG like Skyrim multiple times. Some players might add mods to improve Skyrim's combat, or something similar, but not everyone has the opportunity to do that.
Pertinax's video depicts Forrest Gump running through the early sections of the game, including the iconic opening sequence in Helgen, and the first major quest in Bleak Falls Barrow. Epic Skyrim orchestral music swells as Forrest runs through each new environment, adding to the ridiculousness of the visuals. The video perfectly highlights the difference between playing a game for the first time and playing it for the tenth.
While certainly funny on its own, Pertinax’s latest video touches on something that all RPG gamers can relate to. In RPGs, especially an open-world game like Skyrim, the options of how to play are practically limitless, as shown by the plethora of character options in Skyrim. However, even the most open of open-world games still need to make sure new players understand how the game works through tutorials and beginning quests. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has The Great Plateau, the Pokémon games make you run errands for the professor, and Skyrim has Helgen and Bleak Falls Barrow.
Once these early parts of the game are complete, the world opens up significantly, so it’s easy to understand why a veteran player would push through these sections at a brisk pace, just like Forrest Gump in this video. At this year's QuakeCon, the developers spent time reliving Skyrim's opening scene. It's hard to deny its significance, but anything repeated enough times can get tiresome. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim celebrates its tenth anniversary this November. It’s great to see a game nearly a decade old still providing excellent entertainment.
Source: Pertinax/YouTube