Skyrim is Bethesda’s most successful game of all time, and it’s one hell of a game too, so it makes sense that they’re trying to get every penny out of it that they possibly can. And unlike most cases, it actually makes sense here- somewhat. Skyrim is a game with unbelievable replay value and longevity, and given the commercial and critical success each and every one of its releases and re-releases has had, it’s not surprising that Bethesda don’t yet feel like moving in.
But if they want The Elder Scrolls 6 to have the same kind of impact and legacy as its predecessor has had on the industry at large, moving on is exactly what Bethesda needs to do. And sure, that means they need to stop re-releasing Skyrim and just start working on The Elder Scrolls 6 already- but that’s not all I mean.
What I mean is, even in terms of game design, in terms of the kind of experience they want to off, Bethesda needs to look forward, and rather than trying to emulate the success of Skyrim, they need to do something new and fresh. While setting Skyrim as a benchmark has become something of an industry norm in the last half decade or so, Bethesda need to be careful about falling into that same trap.
Pioneering new ways to play and expanding player freedom and emergent gameplay even further is the only way to go for The Elder Scrolls 6. The game needs to forge an identity of its own, rather than staying in the shadow of Skyrim. Right now, we know next to nothing about the game. So here’s hoping that whenever Bethesda decide it’s time to focus on The Elder Scrolls 6, they feel the same as we do about what direction they need to take.
This article is part of our series on Bethesda’s next big entry into the world of The Elder Scrolls. Through this series we take a look at the possible new features that Bethesda can add into the next The Elder Scrolls game, based on what they implemented in the previous entries and player feedback.