Bethesda: Skyrim's landscape is "epic reality"

Art director Matt Carafano has called Bethesda's approach to Skyrim's landscape as "epic reality", highlighting the new title's visual departure from previous Elder Scrolls titles.

"With Skyrim we've come up with something we call internally 'epic reality'," Carafano said in a video posted on Game Informer.

"What that means to us is dramatic views wherever you go. With every landscape or region of the game we try to make it look amazing and unique. ... Definitely the landscape is something we're pushing, to get you that sense of epic reality."

Carafan also commented on the franchises successive thematic makeovers. "With each game, we try to really reinvent the series, and really take it a huge step forward in just the visuals, graphics everything about the game," he said.

"A lot of that is a direct reaction to the previous game. Oblivion was more kind of standard European fantasy, and with Skyrim, we wanted to do something more. That same feel wouldn't fit for this game. We wanted to do something that [if] you were living in Skyrim, it is different. It is the home of the Nords. Everything is based off them."