Skyrim is one of the greatest fantasy RPG games ever made, and one of the de facto standards of the genre. With its epic quest and sweeping vistas, the game is enthralling enough that one could end up playing for hours on end and losing sleep over it.

What's great about Skyrim is that it has aged well, which is why the game's remastered version released late last year was received well by gamers.

To make the most out of your Skyrim experience, here's a list of tips and tricks that you can use as you continue your exploration of the northern realm of Tamriel.

Save the game.

This goes without saying: if you don't want an untimely death or an unexpected glitch to disrupt your gaming experience, make sure to save the game early and often, especially before the start of a major encounter. Otherwise, you might end up losing several hours of progress.

Lose the baggage.

In a game that is full of details like Skyrim, not everything will be yours for the taking. Yes, it is tempting to pick up every loot and trinket you encounter in your journey. However, carrying too much loot can slow you down. So instead of complaining about the game being cumbersome, use or sell the loot that you have and carry only the high-value stuff in order to keep the game moving.

Hit the books.

Skyrim is home to more than 200 books and scrolls, which provide a lot of information on the history and lore of the Elder Scrolls. Read the books as much as you can in order to increase your skills. Check out a book's value in order to determine if it is a Skill Book; if its value is greater than 50 golds, then you need to read it.

Wait it out.

After a big fight, you need to be patient and "wait" for a couple of hours in order to strengthen yourself and improve your stamina bar.

Listen to the locals.

While traveling, it is best to be on alert and listen in on conversations. In Skyrim, everybody has a story to tell. The citizens can provide you with plenty of information that you can use later, be it a side quest or the location of various groups.

Eat everything.

Since Skyrim is full of alchemy ingredients, it is best to eat everything. This way, you can determine the relationships between ingredients and their magical effects. This will increase your alchemy knowledge as well as improve your potions' potency.

Hire a companion.

Hire a companion to take with you on difficult quests. A companion will help you during combat, as well as provide you with extra storage space.

Streamline your favorites.

At the beginning, you are going to use your "favorites" menu all the time. However, the menu can become cumbersome and complicated as the game wears on, so clean up the clutter, create custom names for enchanted items, and delete the stuff you don't use quite so often.

Use the third person perspective.

Yes, Skyrim is mainly played from a first-person perspective. But there are certain parts of the game where a third-person perspective will work really well, especially in the forest where wild animals can jump at you out of nowhere.

Pace yourself.

Don't rush headlong into the game's core quests. Take your time and conquer the side quests, find spell books, explore the regions, and amass your loot.