An eye-opening series of photos shows just how far Bethesda has come with its UI through the years. There have been a wide variety of games made by Bethesda since the studio's beginnings, and these pictures showcase how much the studio has improved over time.
Since Bethesda Game Studios' formation in 2002, trends and technology surrounding gaming have changed drastically, causing studios to work towards keeping up with the constant evolution. Now, 20 years after its formation, Bethesda Game Studios makes some of the biggest titles around. From Fallout and The Elder Scrolls, to the highly anticipated Starfield, the studio is on the radar of virtually every gamer. Even if Bethesda makes games that aren't everyone's cup of tea, most gamers know of the studio, but some may not be aware of how far the studio has come. Not every studio is lucky enough to have lasted so long, and a collection of photos details just how many things have changed since Bethesda's birth.
Reddit user ChromaticDilation shared a series of pictures to the Starfield subreddit that demonstrates the many changes Bethesda has made to the UI in its games. The slideshow begins with Morrowind and ends with the upcoming Starfield, offering fellow fans a jaw-dropping demonstration of how far UI design has come.
With earlier games like Morrowind and Oblivion, the UI feels very dated when looking at it now. The design is more straightforward, organizing everything in stylized boxes. Skyrim's UI has a similar approach, but is much cleaner and aesthetically pleasing. However, things take a major turn when the slideshow gets to the Fallout games, demonstrating how Bethesda chose to be more creative by fusing the UI with the game's world via Pip-Boy. The slideshow concludes with Starfield, detailing an incredibly clean and, once again, straightforward approach to UI. When it comes to Bethesda's design, it's clear that the studio chooses whatever style serves the game best.
It's wild to see such a clear demonstration of a development studio's growth. Bethesda has managed to follow and keep up with the quickly changing trends in gaming, and it's helped create amazing UI and in-game design that make these games feel even more alive. With the upcoming release of Starfield, Bethesda could have a generation-defining game on its hands, and carefully curated design is an important detail in that potential success. It will be fascinating to see where Bethesda's UI goes from here and how it will evolve to best serve future games.