Elder Scrolls 6: 10 Ways To Make The Perfect Sequel

10. DON'T Introduce A Voiced Protagonist

Skyrim intro
Bethesda

I honestly can't think of anything more antithetical to a 'role-playing game' than a voiced protagonist. Bethesda introduced that feature in Fallout 4, but all it did was rob the player of their agency, funnelling them into a predetermined narrative and making all the wonderful distractions and side-quests of the open world feel more than just a little out of place.

The whole point of an RPG is to let the player live out a fantasy, to imbue their chosen character with a voice of their own and a journey they can craft along the way. Sure, Skyrim had the main Dragonborn arc, but as soon as players escaped Helgen Keep, they were free to do whatever they pleased. They could travel to the College of Winterhold to become a mage, or head south-east to Riften to make their fortune with the Thieves Guild - there really wasn't a narrative constraint on what they could or couldn't do.

A voiced protagonist undermines all of that, even if the game affords players a multitude of options to mess around with.

This is why the next Elder Scrolls title absolutely mustn't introduce one. It's easy to consider it an innovative step on the surface, but scratch a little deeper, and you'll realise it undermines the foundations of what makes these RPGs so compelling.

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Content Producer/Presenter
Content Producer/Presenter

Resident movie guy at WhatCulture who used to be Comics Editor. Thinks John Carpenter is the best. Likes Hellboy a lot. Can usually be found talking about Dad Movies on his Twitter at @EwanRuinsThings.