The Elder Scrolls 6 is likely still a bit far away, as even though the game was officially announced back in 2017, no release date has been revealed. That said, whenever the game does release, it will need to be an improvement over previous Elder Scrolls games, bringing the franchise into the modern era and competing with the RPGs that have been launched in the wake of Skyrim.

Many have argued that this sort of modernization and evolution is something that Bethesda failed to achieve with Starfield. Though the long-awaited interstellar epic does a lot right, it has been criticized for its lack of innovation, not just when compared to other contemporary titles, but within Bethesda Game Studios' own catalog of RPGs. The space opera is certainly better looking than the BGS games that came before it, but not much was done to alter the fundamental game design staples that the studio has been engaging with since the days of Fallout 3 and Oblivion, with elements like quest design, exploration, and progression feeling a bit too familiar. Bethesda should aim to avoid similar issues when developing The Elder Scrolls 6.

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One of The Elder Scrolls Online's Best Combat Ideas Shouldn't Go To Waste With TES 6

Although the two will likely be vastly different, The Elder Scrolls 6 ought to take some notes from the combat design of The Elder Scrolls Online.

Bethesda Game Studios Needs to Evolve Its RPG Formula With The Elder Scrolls 6

Combat Should See Some Improvement in Elder Scrolls 6

Although more recent releases like Fallout 4 and Starfield improve Bethesda's brand of combat, squaring off against enemies has never been these games' strong suit. Oblivion, Skyrim, and The Elder Scrolls Online all have essentially the same combat mechanics, ones that are built around stats and progression rather than skill or moment-to-moment action. For instance, melee combat in Starfield is mostly the same as it is in Skyrim, resulting in battles of attrition that don't significantly reward skills like reaction speed or positioning.

Though there has always been criticism of combat in The Elder Scrolls and Fallout, most players accept the shallow mechanics as part of the experience, as aspects like narrative and exploration are considered more important. However, contemporary RPGs like Elden Ring, The Witcher, and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth prove that a game can have great combat without compromising those other aspects, so The Elder Scrolls 6 ought to get more competitive when it comes to actual combat mechanics and skill-based gameplay.

The Elder Scrolls 6 Should Approach Story and Character Differently

Starfield continues a protagonist framework that The Elder Scrolls has stood by for several entries, with the player-created character fitting into the "chosen one" archetype. This facilitates epic storytelling, allowing for the establishment of high stakes from the get-go, but it also leads to plots that are at-times by-the-numbers or even nonsensical. For instance, Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, and Starfield all position the player-character as morally upright and decent while presenting opportunities for the player to commit immoral, indecent acts that don't have much bearing on the narrative. This can result in side content like the Dark Brotherhood questlines in Elder Scrolls games feeling a bit toothless, offering a surface-level depiction of evil that is self-contained and at odds with the main story. By making a few key changes to long-standing approaches to main quests, side content, and general narrative framing, Bethesda Game Studios can further improve its fantasy storytelling in The Elder Scrolls 6.

The fantastic atmosphere and worldbuilding of Starfield help it feel unique, and the game is great in many other areas as well, but there is some truth to the arguments that it is only superficially different from previous Bethesda Game Studios releases in terms of design. While many long-time fans are looking forward to seeing the return of the studio's fantasy RPG series with The Elder Scrolls 6, Starfield proves that Bethesda should prioritize innovation, making bold, fundamental changes to gameplay, structure, and narrative.

The Elder Scrolls 6

Franchise

The Elder Scrolls

Platform(s)

PC , Xbox (Original)

Developer(s)

Bethesda Game Studios

Publisher(s)

Bethesda Softworks

Genre(s)

RPG