Highlights
- Starfield offers a refined gameplay experience, but its difficulty may be challenging for both new and old Bethesda players, with smarter enemies and the complexity of managing resources and quests in a procedurally generated cosmos.
- Fallout 3 introduced a new layer of difficulty with gunplay mechanics and enemies that can shoot players, making it a more challenging experience.
With Bethesda releasing Starfield, a grand-scale RPG, their first new IP in over 2 decades, it’s time to look at their impressive library of games and see which Bethesda game is the hardest among them all. Whether it’s the ability to converse with friend and foe, shoot or slash, all Bethesda games have an extreme level of freedom for players to enjoy, no matter the difficulty.
However, on the topic of difficulty, there are some titles that players will want to be aware of before they start their adventures. Most of these titles feature a difficulty option to toggle to make things harder or easier, but this is mainly about the difficulty of mechanics and gameplay challenges.
7 Fallout 4
Emerging from Vault 111, Fallout 4 was a bold and modern new entry into the Fallout universe. Fans had not seen this post-apocalyptic landscape in years, and Fallout 4 was a refreshing return thanks to its revolutionary gunplay and looting mechanics, as well as the first and only time a voiced protagonist featured in a Bethesda game.
The difficulty scaling emerges pretty quickly in Fallout 4, and players will be able to see that this is a fairly easy Bethesda title. The gunplay makes things smooth and fast, and enemy AI isn’t the smartest. Companions can’t die, and players feel guided toward everything they should do to become the best.
6 Fallout 76
While reception may not have been the best at launch, Fallout 76 has become the only way to play Fallout multiplayer, and that comes with a few perks. Fallout 76 features the same gameplay as Fallout 4, so players can enjoy the easy and familiar mechanics of the previous entry, except this time, with a few friends to help.
The addition of co-op is a first for the series, with a potential Fallout 5 bringing even more unknowns. This means that friends can enter their power armor, pick up the nearest Gatling gun, and take out any monstrosity that dares to take them on in a fight. The game is easy enough thanks to its online attributes.
5 The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
Perhaps the immediate pick for most newcomers to Bethesda, Skyrim is one of the greatest RPGs ever made, and its open world is to be marveled at even a decade later. From the moment players enter the immersive world of Skyrim, they are faced with their dragon-slaying quest. Players will see rather quickly why Skyrim is a fairly easy Bethesda game.
The quests are simplified, and waypoints give a defined place of interest. The combat just features players hitting things hard with sharp objects, or mastering a mage build to practically break the game and kill anything instantly. On top of this, the AI isn’t the smartest, meaning players can dominate as the Last Dragonborn.
4 Fallout 3
Bethesda’s first try at the Fallout franchise came with Fallout 3, a game where they finally embraced gunplay mechanics. Fallout 3 did a great job for such an early attempt, but with it came a new difficulty that fans of The Elder Scrolls probably didn’t expect. The fact that enemies can now shoot players instead of firing slow arrows, or using sluggish melee weapons, meant a new layer of difficulty was added.
On top of the fact that enemies had guns, players could fire their own but to a less devastating effect. Some weapons felt like literal BB shooters. The area scaling is rather punishing too, so if players wander off, they may find themselves getting instantly killed by a fire ant or something worse, so it's best to stick to the weird and wonderful characters of Fallout 3 for XP before venturing too far.
3 Starfield
The newest entry into the infinite creativity of Bethesda, Starfield is a conquest of space exploration and wonder. From the moment players are dropped into the infinite space of Starfield, they will find themselves lost in all the good ways possible. Yet, this lost feeling may be alarming or intimidating to new players as they try and master all the new mechanics and features Starfield has to offer, whether that's getting married or joining a pirate crew.
The gameplay is at its most refined yet from a Bethesda game, but its difficulty might be a tad challenging to new Bethesda players, and even old ones. Enemies are smarter, planets can be filled with hostile alien life, and managing resources and quests isn’t the easiest in a procedurally generated cosmos.
2 The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion
Unlike the other Bethesda games, Oblivion doesn’t exactly hold the player’s hand as soon as they enter. Following the emperor of Tamriel out of prison and into his murder, players are given the freedom to do whatever they want. They can start their journey by following the dying request of the Emperor, or, go to the Imperial City to become the Champion of the Arena, or just run around making skooma and installing the best Oblivion mods.
The possibilities are endless in Oblivion, but new players may struggle with its leveling system, in which enemies will get noticeably harder as the player levels up, which doesn’t help them feel as powerful as they should be. Mechanics also aren’t the clearest they could be, but it’s all part of the charm and fun of this great fantasy epic.
1 The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind
Most of the difficulty from Morrowind comes from ‘getting into it’. The game is good, and very lore-heavy, which could be a great joy for The Elder Scrolls fans who want to enjoy what the series has to offer. However, the game is notably dated in terms of graphics and mechanics, so players shouldn’t expect the most immersive journey that Tamriel has to offer.
Areas are leveled, meaning players can’t just explore anywhere without seeking power first. Quests are seen as more difficult, as players have to find their own path thanks to a lack of quest markers, and hitting enemies can be a burden based on stats. Even still, it’s rather easy to break the game with potions.