Elder Scrolls 6: 10 Phenomenal RPGs Bethesda Must Learn From

3. Dial Up The Action - Mass Effect

The Elder Scrolls' combat system undertook a bit of an overhaul in between Oblivion and Skyrim, but it was still lacking enough polish to make the action feel really exciting. Add to this the fact that the so-called war taking place in Skyrim seemed painfully placid, and Skyrim was definitely an action adventure that was light on spectacle.

Starting with humble RPG roots, Bioware's Mass Effect series took on a focus shift in between its first and second entries, with Mass Effect 2 becoming every bit the exciting action game and solid RPG. We have to hope that the combat system will be further improved, but if it doesn't then an increase in meaningful action has to be the least we hope for.

If the story again takes place in a war-torn land, players need to feel like they're really struggling through the conflict. Even Oblivion's siege of Kvatch was a better battle than anything that took place in Skyrim, but some more compelling sequences like the ones in Mass Effect 2 could improve on this while still suiting the RPG mould.