The Elder Scrolls games are polarizing because they're not fun in the traditional sense (they got better on this axis over time, but were never great)
The fun of an Elder Scroll's game, for me, is the sense of aimlessness in a world that doesn't feel structured like a quest-checklist, but like a world. Something I can poke and prod and truly make my own goals and activities in. You could almost call it "meta-fun". The individual actions aren't fun - some in Morrowind are almost painful - but the big picture is enthralling for someone like me.
But not everybody's like that; and not everybody likes them
The fun of an Elder Scroll's game, for me, is the sense of aimlessness in a world that doesn't feel structured like a quest-checklist, but like a world. Something I can poke and prod and truly make my own goals and activities in. You could almost call it "meta-fun". The individual actions aren't fun - some in Morrowind are almost painful - but the big picture is enthralling for someone like me.
But not everybody's like that; and not everybody likes them