Quote Originally Posted by Rynjin View Post
Don't be dense. The marketing doesn't literally need to say "Master over 20 Shouts!" for it to be part of the main pull of the game. There are two main "hype" moments set up in the initial trailer, the payoff for the opening narration, followed by the dragon breathing fire and Dragonborn retaliating with Fus Ro Dah, and absorbing the dragon's soul at the end.

The main quest REQUIRES you to learn several Dragon Shouts, and one of the main faction you are also REQUIRED to deal with serves exactly one purpose: getting you more Shouts.

Shouts are the only true new mechanic in the game.

Shouts replace at least one classic spell (Aura Sense) and introduce new mechanics you cannot otherwise interact with (like Slow Time).

A Shout is literally the Maguffin you need to defeat Alduin.

Shouts are literally the thing that makes you, the Dragonborn, the main character, special. They are the glue by which all the rest of the plot revolves, from Ulfric slaying the High King with his voice that kicks things off all the way down to the final battle.

Also, contrary to your assertion, there IS a Steam achievement for it: Thu'um Master, for learning 20 Shouts. That is all of the ones available in the base game.
If we're assuming canon from Steam achievements I think we're gonna have a bad time.

Regardless, I certainly never felt any drive to gather every single shout. Nor did the game push me to do so at all. The idea that the Dragonborn gathers them all is any more canon that anything else you can do is silly.