Elder Scrolls 6 Has to Overcome an RPG Problem That Bethesda Has Made With Recent Games

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Fans are eagerly awaiting The Elder Scrolls 6, which is expected to be Bethesda’s next big game after Starfield. While The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is considered a classic, recent games like Fallout 76 and Starfield have raised concerns about Bethesda’s design choices for the sequel. Some fans feel Bethesda’s typical approach hasn’t fully evolved, especially considering the many excellent RPGs that have come out since Skyrim was released.

It looks like we’ll have to wait a while for The Elder Scrolls 6 – probably not until 2028, and even 2027 is optimistic. While that’s frustrating, it does give Bethesda time to make the game as good as possible. However, Starfield also took a long time to develop, and it still had some of the same issues that fans have become critical of in Bethesda games.

The Elder Scrolls 6 Will Likely Follow Skyrim’s Approach To RPG Systems & Open World Design

Bethesda is well-known for creating incredibly detailed game worlds, a tradition that began with The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind and reached new heights with Skyrim. Skyrim essentially set the standard for open-world RPGs, offering a vast world filled with things for players to stumble upon while exploring. From bustling cities and challenging dungeons to diverse factions and hidden locations, the game was packed with interesting places to discover, adding countless hours to the overall experience.

As a big fan of Bethesda’s open-world games, I was really excited for Starfield. While Skyrim did a great job making its world feel detailed and unique, Starfield unfortunately highlighted some problems with how Bethesda builds these huge spaces. I noticed they tend to reuse the same basic designs for places – sometimes even entire dungeons – and just drop them into different parts of the galaxy. It was especially disappointing to land on these massive planets and find they were mostly empty, with only one real location to check out… and that location often turned out to be a copy of a base or outpost I’d already visited. It just didn’t feel as special as I’d hoped.

Like many RPGs, Skyrim’s character progression felt somewhat limited. While the skill trees offered a lot of different perks, allowing for detailed character builds, your choices didn’t significantly impact gameplay. You could become skilled in everything – thievery, magic, and combat – simply by leveling up enough. Starfield attempted to address this with character backgrounds, but these backgrounds had little effect beyond the initial character creation process.

If the next Elder Scrolls game relies too heavily on features from Skyrim or Starfield, it could repeat their issues. Bethesda’s open worlds are special, but players often find them feeling empty or repetitive. Also, without truly engaging role-playing elements, people might not finish the game – similar to how many players stop playing Skyrim before the end.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Offers More Weight To Its Role-Playing Mechanics

Unlike Bethesda’s games, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 focuses heavily on player choice and its consequences. While Skyrim offers limited branching storylines, Kingdom Come 2 takes it much further – every decision, skill improvement, or battle truly shapes the rest of your experience and has a lasting impact on the game world.

Unlike games like Skyrim with magic and dragons, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 offers a realistic medieval experience. This lack of fantastical elements actually enhances the role-playing, as you begin by building your skills from the ground up. You’ll need to consciously decide which abilities to improve as you face challenges, and this focus on learning the world around you creates a deeper, more immersive experience than many other RPGs.

This game offers a lot of freedom and plenty to do in its expansive open world. Like Skyrim, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is packed with activities, but your choices have a bigger impact on developing the main character, Henry. Combined with a perk system that adds layers to your character and the risk of failing quests if you’re unprepared, every decision you make in Kingdom Come feels more meaningful and affects the game world around you.

Bethesda’s Approach Lacks Depth In Player Choices That Make RPGs Interesting

It’s hard to directly compare design approaches, but Bethesda’s RPGs have often lacked meaningful choices with lasting consequences. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 seems to recognize that real risks and the impact of player decisions are key to a truly immersive role-playing game. Bethesda’s games often feel too safe, where your choices don’t really matter in the end.

One of the things people love about Skyrim and similar games is the feeling of being incredibly powerful. However, the next installment, The Elder Scrolls 6, could benefit from a different approach. By looking at games like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 for inspiration, Bethesda might create a more realistic and immersive experience in the world of Tamriel, making players feel more connected to the game’s setting.

What kind of RPG features would you like to see in The Elder Scrolls 6? Share your thoughts in the comments or discuss it with other fans on the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-02-15 19:17