The Canadian winter of 2011: I remember it well.

I walked to the nearest mall (about 4 km away) in 1 foot of snow. The air pierced my skin; -23 degrees celcius the news said in the morning. I couldn't know for sure, I didn't have a cellphone to check the weather. Even if I did, 3G technology was too expensive to use. My iPod touch was the only device available to me and even then, WiFi was negligible. Not many stores hosted WiFi networks back then. I eventually made it to the mall.

I walked into the EB games; Xbox 360, Wii and PS3 games lined the walls. There was a small section that sold used games - useless to me. I was here for THE game. I was here for Skyrim.

I found the game on a shelf. It called to me. Most would recall seeing the cover saying 'The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim' but all I saw was 'Play Me!'

Now, mind you, I had never played an Elder Scrolls game before. I had tried to pirate Morrowind as a 12 year old but failed numerous times. But now I was 18. I was a man. I was set to conquer the beast but little had I known how large the beast would be.

I placed the game box on the counter. The cashier, a middle aged man, told me how great my decision was. He was a chubby man, about 5' 10". He lacked hair on the top of his head and his teeth were a little scraggly. But he was civil. I could tell he was an experienced gamer - a veteran of the hobby.

He placed 'the game' in the classical EB Games bag and I was on my way out of the store. By the time I got outside of the mall, night had fallen. Canadian winters are notorious for their short day span. I placed 'the treasure' inside my jacket and zipped it up tight. I could not allow the baby to suffer the same way I did. It needed warmth and care.

As soon as I got home, I popped the game into my Xbox 360. I didn't know what to expect. What is The Elder Scrolls? Why was the middle aged man so hyped about the game? I got my answer. As soon as I was being dragged in a cart to my execution, I understood why this was to be the game of games.

Now it is the year 2019. I am no longer the fresh-faced 18 year old. I have experienced life. I have been through hell. However, every time I launch this game, I am the wide-eyed 18 year old again: no obligations to anyone but myself.

If you have never played this game in the past, don't bother. The graphics haven't aged well (although they were premium for the time). The user interface is still sleek, however. If you can get past the graphics, animation and combat; the stories in the game are unforgettable. I wish I could go back in time to the winter of 2011. I wish I could forget about this game so I could experience it again.

Skyrim set the bar for what modern games should be. It not only deserves a 10/10 but it deserves a place in our history books. There is so much content to experience in the game that you could play it for YEARS and still not have experienced everything in it. Why do you think I bought the game again? For fun?

I'm going back to finish the game once and for all.