How Bethesda Should Make The Elder Scrolls VI
The Skyrim's the limit.
The Elder Scrolls VI is a long way off, but after Skyrim's mega-selling success, Bethesda is surely plotting the next entry in its fantasy series and dreaming up ways to make it bigger and better than ever.
Since debuting with Arena in 1994, The Elder Scrolls has become synonymous with vast open worlds, high fantasy and free-form gameplay, staples that have remained throughout its lifecycle.
The series has evolved in many ways since Arena whisked players away to Tamriel for the first time. For instance, there was no overworld in the original but sequel Daggerfall gave players a map the size of Britain to explore.
Threequel Morrowind took a quality over quantity approach by switching the action to Vvardenfell, a comparatively smaller land that was more fleshed out with greater detail and variety than before. These two approaches were married for the latest instalments, Oblivion and Skyrim, which featured massive maps replete with living, breathing locations teeming with depth and gameplay possibilities.
Arriving in the present, the lack of an official Elder Scrolls VI announcement hasn't stopped the fans from waxing lyrical about the features the next game should include. Bethesda would do well to take these suggestions on board.
10. Completely Overhaul Combat
There are Skyrim fans out there who love the game's first-person combat system, but even its most staunch defenders would surely admit there's room for improvement.
Battles often feel unnatural and lack that satisfying hack 'n' slash grit. Weapons, for instance, could use more individuality, with battle axes packing more of a weighty punch than daggers, but the latter feeling more agile in-hand.
Although the option to mix skills and classes places more offensive options at players' fingertips, Skyrim's combat feels dated alongside the likes of The Witcher 3 and the latest Dark Souls sequel, and this is something the next Elder Scrolls must address.
The ability to dodge or roll would beef up the protagonist's defensive capabilities, while new counters, blocks and attack combinations would create a broader, more engaging experience out there on the battlefields.
Combat must be more dynamic. In Skyrim, warriors start with basic slash and block techniques as well as ranged attacks via their bows, but in a game like Dark Souls III, the list of offensive and defensive capabilities is vast: dodge, block, parry, leap attack, power attack, normal attack, guard breaker - players are spoiled for choice, and this is the kind of variety the Elder Scrolls VI is in need of.