'Challenge runs' are a strange and simultaneously irresistible thing. Take a suitably open-ended and pliable game, like Dark Souls, Minecraft or Fallout, impose a set of arbitrary restrictions on yourself, and watch the hilarity ensue. Whether it's beating Dark Souls with only a hundred arrows and no other weapons or trying to have sex with every possible partner in New Vegas as quickly as possible, there's nothing like challenge runs to give you a different perspective on these beloved games and a real appreciation for all these interlocking systems. YouTuber Joov has taken this even further with a special subset called 'region locks', which challenge players to make as much progress as possible while staying within certain map boundaries. Take, for instance, the most recent of these challenges, wherein Joov is confined entirely within one of Skyrim's DLC areas, technically not even within the province of Skyrim itself:
Having to eke out a living and advance as far as possible on the ash-covered island of Solstheim may seem a miserable existence, and it certainly is… at first. Delving into everything the DLC has to offer requires cunning and resourcefulness, no doubt, but it also makes me a little concerned for Skyrim players – can Elder Scrolls 6 release already? They clearly need enrichment!
