10 Big Leaps Between Video Game Sequels

With some of the longest-running franchises in gaming, it's possible to track the changes in the industry incrementally through new instalments. On the flip side, Elder Scrolls games tend to be so infrequently released that each one feels like a completely fresh experience so to pick just one pair would be impossible.

Perhaps the outlier to this is the two years between the original game ("Arena") and its sequel ("Daggerfall). Whilst this is therefore also the smallest jump in quality, it's very clear that the Bethesda team had learnt a lot on their first RPG and applied that experience to every facet - creating a bigger, prettier and more active map to explore.

Morrowind arrived six years later following the real advent of 3D gaming, being the first entry to come to Xbox and doing so in stunning fashion, as the most impressive RPG on console at the time. Whilst the map is this time much smaller, with a lack of procedural generation it makes for a more considered world to get lost in. Four years later, Obsidian added an unprecedented physics system to Elder Scrolls, as well as HDR lighting and an spectacular draw distance.

Five years on marked the most recent mainline entry with Skyrim, which improved lighting, shadows and weather effects greatly. It also added a greater degree of verticality to Tamriel, making for some pretty impressive views.

The earliest predictions for Elder Scrolls VI could see it arrive in 2025 - over 15 years since Skryim - continuing the trend. Considering Skyrim's original launch in 2011 wasn't even natively in high-definition, it's fair to say we've come a long way since... so goodness only knows what Elder Scrolls VI will look like.