The kill camera executions of Skyrim claim their roots from an earlier Bethesda title in Fallout 3. Going from an isometric role-playing game into post-apocalyptic Oblivion meant that Bethesda needed to adapt several features from the early Fallout entries into a completely new type of gameplay. The Aimed Shot became V.A.T.S, and its successor went on to become an iconic staple of the franchise since. Skyrim’s kill camera takes plenty of functionality from the camera in V.A.T.S, as both lock the player’s animation during a cinematic slow-motion shot.
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One of the rarer finishing moves in Skyrim happened to LordofBeez, who shared it on the game’s official subreddit. Despite having played Skyrim since December 2011, LordofBeez claims that this is the first time he’s witnessed the brutal finisher in action. Given that complex finishers are mostly restricted to melee weapons, this may also be LordofBeez’s first foray into the wonderful world of dual-wielding in Skyrim.
The execution seen in the video is called a Head Lock by the game, and it is only triggered when dual-wielding Swords and Daggers in Skyrim. The part that makes it more satisfying compared to other finishing moves may be its duration. The Dragonborn takes his time in slaying the gargoyle compared to the more fast-paced executions from the dual-wield category such as the Cross Slash.
While there is no guarantee that The Elder Scrolls 6 will carry over the kill camera executions of Skyrim, it’s certainly an expected feature for the sequel. With eleven years since Skyrim’s release, Bethesda may be planning to introduce a more visceral type of combat for the next Elder Scrolls title, taking inspiration from successful modern games such as Elden Ring and God of War Ragnarok. Not much is known about the upcoming sequel to Skyrim this early into its development, but players can expect to see some of Bethesda’s new direction with Starfield.
The Elder Scrolls 5 Skyrim: Anniversary Edition is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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