Bethesda games are known for grand, sweeping worlds and for loving their own franchises just a little too much, but besides all of that, the best Bethesda games bring RPGs that are known for consistently bringing fascinating levels to the combat systems that Bethesda games include.
From the medieval fantasy of The Elder Scrolls games to the wide arsenal available in later Fallout entries, the combat systems of Bethesda have varied a great deal but have almost always managed to leave a lasting impression on gamers. In spite of any other problems that Bethesda have had with keeping their games consistent, their combat isn’t usually one of the greater problems facing the studio.
6 Fallout 4
There was something about Bethesda’s early work in games like Fallout 3 which didn’t manage to impress as they tried to get the idea of shooting mechanics correct. This proved to be an issue that still holds back some of the better entries in the Fallout franchise, but Fallout 4 finally managed to be the one that got it right.
Despite not being considered one of the very best Fallout games, the shooting mechanics and combat systems in Fallout 4 were excellent and, when the ADS system was added to all of that, it made for a much more strategically-focused style of play that helped gamers fall in love with the Fallout franchise all over again.
5 The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
While Skyrim is generally considered to be a flawed masterpiece, it is considered by many to be one of the finest games ever to exist. The grand sweeping world built in Tamriel is filled with so much lore and history from the other games in The Elder Scrolls franchise that Skyrim was bursting with more content than most gamers could ever make it through, even in multiple playthroughs.
However, the Skyrim combat system, enabling players to use magic, swords, axes, bows, and more in their fight against a wide array of enemies, has so much capability and range to it that players can focus entirely on enchanting a wooden sword and make it the most deadly weapon in the game. The possibilities are endless, and when players become too powerful for their own good they can switch to a different style of weapon or reset their traits from the beginning for a new challenge.
4 Dishonored 2
Dishonored 2 presents another excellent combat system that is so well-loved because it can be entirely avoided. Not only can players choose to focus on their great array of magical abilities and weapons in Dishonored 2, which can be upgraded as the game continues, but they can choose to fight in stealthy manners and can complete side quests that even allow them to complete the game without killing anybody.
This wide array of choices is wonderful but doesn’t stop players from wantonly murdering their way noisily through the kingdom of Empress Emily Kaldwin. Dishonored 2 is one of the better pure action games to be released in the last decade, and the improvements made to the combat system since the first game in the franchise are hands-down the biggest factor towards this success.
3 Wolfenstein 2: The Old Colossus
The revamped and best Wolfenstein games had big shoes to fill, after all the original Wolfenstein games basically invented the idea of a first-person shooter and so the combat systems were a big focus for the new entries. While The Old Colossus was hugely strong due to a narrative and dark origin story for BJ Blazkowicz, the combat was also just so damn fun.
Killing Nazis almost never gets old, and The Old Colossus allowed players to beat armies of enemies into bloody pulps with a great variety of options in how to do so. It felt like an FPS level-up beyond other games being released at that time, allowing The Old Colossus to stand out even in a hugely saturated marketplace.
2 The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion
Elder Scrolls fans may love the simple combat of Skyrim, but Oblivion is still the height of the franchise in many ways. There was much more attention to detail and difficulty provided in Oblivion’s combat style that Skyrim would later lack, some minor details like blocking requiring timing were taken out in the follow-up that help make Oblivion a more structured, challenging style of combat.
The AI of many enemies in Oblivion is also a level higher than they would later be in Skyrim, which made a big difference for players. Oblivion also allowed players to simultaneously cast magic and attack with other weapons, which players would later complain about no longer being able to do in Skyrim. The fifth entry in the franchise would be grand and sweeping but would be a failed attempt to regain the combat in Oblivion.
1 Doom Eternal
One of the most combat-focused game franchises of all time, Doom has always been at the forefront of finding ways to make murdering random demonic creatures more fun than ever before, and Doom Eternal is already being considered one of the best games in history for how clean, crisp and amazing the combat systems are.
Players are able to fly about in arenas chock-a-block full of enemies, destroying in a huge variety of ways, and face much more challenge in combat and a necessity for switching up their method of attack that the 2016 Doom entry simply didn’t provide to the same degree. Some players are torn over the style of Doom Eternal’s combat, but it is one of the most complete combat systems ever seen in a video game.