Dungeon-crawling is a favourite pastime for many fans of games, physical and digital alike. As soon as Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson decided to put dragons in one hand and dungeons in the other, people have been ravaging the dark, damp homes of all kinds of nasties in search of gold.
It’s a treasured hobby for many fans, and the activity has come a long way since its initial conception. We even have sci-fi horror ‘megadungeons’ now in the form of the expansion module Gradient Descent for the excellent tabletop RPG, Mothership. You can grab that here, by the way.
But in the end of the day, dungeon-crawling should be simple. Structured exploration that allows for just enough freedom. There are walls, after all. It keeps players inside. Keeps them on track. The number of tracks, however, is up to the designer.
That’s where we get dungeons that feel more like whole adventures. I’m talking about games like Dark Souls, where we have entire zones in place of actual dungeons. Remember ‘The Depths’?
Skyrim has plenty of dungeons. Bandits, spiders, undead galore. But one dungeon stands out to me the most. In fact, replaying Skyrim now, it’s one of the only dungeons that has stood the test of time for me.
That’s Bleak Falls Barrow.
I don’t know how many times I’ve climbed the slopes up to Bleak Falls Barrow since Skyrim released, but playing it again recently after a handful of years still gave me a sense of awe.
What immediately struck me about Bleak Falls Barrow is its sheer presence. The shambling ruin and its ancient stone arches hang over the mountainside, aloof. As if, in its age-long meditation in the snow, it forgot the grandiosity of its architecture.
Perhaps I’m waxing a little too poetically on some polygons from a game released over ten years ago, but I do believe Bleak Falls Barrow is one of the greatest video game dungeon crawls of all time.
The initial ascent gives players plenty of time to soak in the ambiance of the mountain and the surrounding slopes. The snow and wind and excitement of the task ahead; we’re early days in the game here. That is, unless, players have had one too many detours before finally getting around to this pivotal quest.
Then comes the reveal itself. If you didn’t catch the majesty of Bleak Falls Barrow before reaching the top, the developers work hard to ensure you get the perfect angle as you round the final corner.
Let’s not forget the watch tower nearby, as well, harbouring a small gang of bandits for players to warm themselves up before the gauntlet ahead of them. The ascent, the bandit tower, that cinematic reveal. It’s this triple threat of design and aesthetic decisions that make Bleak Falls Barrow so memorable from the get-go.
Entering Bleak Falls Barrow does not disappoint, either, nor does it overwhelm; we’re treated right away to an open space of large stones, arches and pillars, cut with a beautiful light from the cold outdoors. Dead ahead, warmer light, and the mutterings of two bandits talking about a captured cat.
- Sidenote: This cat, we’ll find out later, is not only a large sabre-tooth, but its locked in a cage that the player can unlock themselves. A small but nice touch that provides great payoff for this little set-up right at the start.
Descend further, and players are treated to more bandits. But soon enough, Skyrim treats us with a simple puzzle room. This addition is typical of dungeon-crawl design, as are the various traps that Bleak Falls Barrow features. As mentioned, it’s a simple puzzle, but the environmental hints not only fit with the aesthetic of the ruins, they make an otherwise tedious room more immersive.