Remember when you first played Skyrim or heard about it? Back in the day, it was almost impossible to avoid either. If millions of players weren’t venturing into the world, picking fights with giants and dragons while learning new shouts and drinking in the gorgeous visuals they were talking about. For all its faults, Skyrim was quintessential Bethesda – a game where the combat may not have been the best, but the lore, the quest design, the sheer breadth of content – yes, even the 100+ dungeons that weren’t all super-unique – and the art direction were top-notch.
Of course, that was in 2011, and to say that Bethesda Game Studios isn’t exactly at that same level anymore would be correct. You can excuse Fallout 76 since it’s a multiplayer title, one now helmed by Bethesda Austin and significantly improved over the past many years. You could probably give a pass to Fallout 4 – which no doubt saw positive momentum from the TV show, which, as the studio is wont to do, derailed most of it thanks to an iffy Next-Gen version.
However, Starfield turned out to be the last straw for many. Released in September 2023, it can’t break 6K concurrent players on Steam, even with mod support. Shattered Space was a massive flop, and for all the hype and hoopla leading up to its release, Bethesda Game Studios has revealed little about the future. At least there’s a PS5 version rumored to be announced soon and an alleged second expansion seemingly launching this year.
Amid all this, there’s still that one shining beacon for many fans – The Elder Scrolls 6. It was announced at E3 2018 with no gameplay or details for almost seven years, and the biggest update provided by Bethesda is that early builds are being played, which was roughly a year ago. Your guess on the project’s current status is as good as ours.
Nevertheless, there’s that hope, however meager from whatever fans may remain, that The Elder Scrolls 6 will be the game that finally redeems Bethesda. I believe we’ll all forget about the studio’s many missteps and mistakes when the marketing finally gets rolling. All caught up in the hype, eager to believe those sweet little lies just one more time. However, it may not be as easy as with Starfield purely due to another release.
Love, hate or respect it, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 raises the bar for whatever The Elder Scrolls 6 may attempt in the open-world action RPG space. You could argue that it does this for many similar titles, especially those focused on narrative consequence, reactive worlds, immersive gameplay and attention to detail.
Yet, despite this being more of a grounded medieval title versus the fantasy medieval setting of Tamriel, there are way too many lessons for Bethesda to ignore. And no, I’m not just talking about launching your game when it’s polished and performs remarkably well on all platforms while presenting more impressive visual fidelity versus…well, Starfield.
I’m talking about side quests with tangible consequences and crimes actually having a long-term impact on your reputation. Or a sense of realism that doesn’t just lean on your Charisma or Speech when considering your responses but also on your station, reputation, clothing, and hygiene. I’m also talking about a world brimming with stuff to do – and no, not just carrying sacks around for hours straight (not that there’s anything wrong with that).
Look at all the memes about players getting all their skills to 30 before arriving at a pivotal early moment in the story. It’s not so much about becoming overpowered as exploring and enjoying everything because there is so much incredible stuff to see. Contrast this to arriving at the same randomly generated base and fighting the same enemies for the umpteenth time.
However, perhaps the most important lesson is that your experience doesn’t have to offer such a complete lack of friction. One could argue that the save system in Deliverance 2 is unfriendly and annoying, even if it makes your decisions much more impactful. But don’t worry – the world still finds plenty of other ways to beat Henry down. Due to his distinct lack of skills and weapons, you must find ways to work your way up through the world. I’m not just talking about picking fights and improving your fisticuffs per punches thrown, but also earning money to afford better clothing, armor, weapons, and items.
Of course, there’s also taking the time to learn how the world works. You can’t just venture into the night and hope for the best. Wandering into a group of well-armed bandits or even wild dogs is, just like real life, a miserable way to die. That’s because even if Henry has nothing (contrived set-up stripping the first game’s skills and armor aside), the world isn’t waiting to unfold and offer everything on a silver platter. You’re not just fighting to conquer it but also to understand it and further your own goals.
From a story perspective, this allows players to shape Henry’s personality and role-play a certain way, which the various Perks further assist with. Become a beloved hero, a reviled murderer, a sneaky thief, an apothecary or a humble blacksmith – or maybe, if you have the time and patience, a bit of everything.
That freedom of choice further extends into combat, another aspect that Bethesda needs to take notes on. Does it come across as plodding at times, especially in the beginning when Henry has the lung capacity of a baby kitten? Sure, but as you improve, build stamina and get good at reading your opponent, encounters become more tactical and engaging.
There’s weight behind everything, whether you’re striking an opponent or batting their attacks aside, waiting for the perfect time to strike. And if none of that sounds appealing, find Mutt and acquire some Houndmaster Perks. Watch the mayhem unfold. Repeat.
Some of these ideas may go against the blueprint of a Bethesda title – of going almost anywhere with very few consequences or tangible risks, especially with the ability to save anywhere. And both games offering their own thing is fine, especially if The Elder Scrolls 6 leans more into Skyrim’s power fantasy (which it very well may since a former Bethesda designer says it will use a similar leveling system).
However, the quality of the quest design, coupled with how the world feels alive as opposed to a fancy set where everyone walks around, staring awkwardly like in Starfield (before it was patched), are just a few things Bethesda could learn. Don’t get me started on the incredible presentation, the sharp writing or the characterization. Or the fact that Bethesda needs to overhaul how it handles things like companions, their quests or dialogue choices.
As much as you might think I’m chiding Bethesda for its failures – which I am, make no mistake – it’s competition like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 that can spur it to achieve better things. Sure, it didn’t happen after other great open-world action RPGs like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Cyberpunk 2077, and so on, but there’s always hope. Whether Bethesda can leverage that to deliver an Elder Scrolls, which sets the bar for the generation rather than playing catch up, is ultimately the million-dollar question.
Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.
