One generally accepted rule of role-playing games is that the richer the story, the more-realized the environments, and the deeper the mythology, the better the overall experience will turn out to be. From the earliest entries in The Elder Scrolls series, a complex mixture of different races, cultures, and territories has turned the team's world of fantasy into a surreal and immersive experience.

Game Informer has already given fans a behind-the-scenes look at development on The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and the latest video focuses on the unique artistic vision and attitudes that will be setting Skyrim apart from the games that preceded it.

From the very first announcement trailer for Skyrim, it was clear to fans of the series that the game would be fully embracing the fantastic, basing much if not all of the story around dragons and dragon-slayers.

These newest insights from Skyrim's Art Director Matt Carofano offer a bit more context on the concept images revealed in the previously released magazine scans, and confirm that from elves to animals, no creature or race is being overlooked when it comes to significant artistic design.

We know that Bethesda will be bringing a far more robust game engine this time around, and now we have an idea of just what they'll be using that improved technology to achieve.

Have a look at what direction the look and feel of Skyrim will be taking:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opedn8e-aag

It's always great to hear what the developers have in store for fans where combat, story, and innovative additions to gameplay are concerned, and now it's clear that Bethesda has spent the last few years crafting a compelling story and vision as well.

For those who felt that Oblivion had left behind the series' more hardcore fantasy elements for a more generic swords-and-spells motif, rest assured that for Bethesda's latest game, the team will be taking advantage of all of the lore they can get their hands on.

The magic words for the game's art department are 'epic reality,' an effort to make even the most mundane aspects of Skyrim feel jaw-droppingly spectacular. Some developers may feel that constantly offering top-quality content can actually bore the player, but Bethesda obviously feels that their story is just too big to tell with muted environments.

It was always a safe bet that Bethesda would bring a quality game to their loyal fans, but the team's dedication to bringing realism and logic to a world as vast and fantastic as Skyrim can only mean an even richer experience than fans are used to.

From creature design to modelling of statues, the people working on the game seem to be fully aware that if Skyrim is as big a success as we hope, then this may be the beginning of a new age for the Elder Scrolls.

Eager fans still have a hefty wait on their hands, as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim won't be released until November 11, 2011 for the PS3, PC, and Xbox 360.

Source: Game Informer