Update: I finished it. It can really only be described as a very slow, very painful, and very heart-wrenching train wreck. This is a masterpiece.

This is quite literally my favourite game right now.

I haven't finished it yet, so don't take my word as gospel, but one of the most striking things that have hooked me about this game is how uncensored it is. Everything is so raw - nothing is sugarcoated, it really is a psychological rollercoaster, and because of this, it's much easier to relate with the story as a reflection of the real world, as opposed to just another pleasant tale. It really makes it hit that much harder.

The characterisation and voice acting is absolutely insane. And I mean as insanely sublime as Marita's bread. The voice acting and scripting gave the characters a vitality that I never saw in Skyrim, and sometimes the intensity of the emotion holds onto your heartstrings and never let go. I'm looking at you, Tharaêl. The issues explored in quests and backstories are much more mature than that of skyrim, and often many of your dialogue choices will have significant consequences, that are often not apparent as you make your decision. Tharaêl again. I'll never forget the guilt you made me feel.

The worldbuilding and lore is just as solid as the characterisation, it doesn't feel scrapped together, or recycled, or plagiarised. The world pulls you in and rewards you for learning more about it (quite literally, with a quest and a buff), offering moments of humour, of grief, of happiness, and of many inside jokes.

The gameplay is completely overhauled, and a LOT harder than Skyrim. I struggled to play on Novice difficulty. The system for levelling skills revolves around buying books, rather than practise, which initially led me to think that money would be my biggest concern, but once you reach a certain threshold, you'll hate the limited amount of learning points you acquire per level more than your bank account. Yes, there is a bank in this game. The perks feel a lot more useful (and impactful) than those in Skyrim, especially with the talents, although I may be biased because I never actually used shouts for combat in Skyrim.

Really, this is a bloody amazing game, and it's free (if you own Skyrim), so why not give it a try?