Two of the biggest names in the RPG genre are Fallout and The Elder Scrolls. One whisks players off to a fantastical world filled with magic while the other brings them to a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Each franchise goes for a very different feel, but they are both tied together by the studio that makes them. For years now, Bethesda has been delivering fantasy adventures through The Elder Scrolls and science-fiction based tales with the Fallout franchise. Both series have amassed a huge fanbase, and both have been considered some of the best games that the genre has to offer.
Fallout and The Elder Scrolls have become the focal point of Bethesda's portfolio, with Starfield being the first new IP from the studio in years. However, while The Elder Scrolls has always been headed up by Bethesda, Fallout has had a plethora of studios lending their names to the series. The series not only started under Interplay, but Obsidian also lent its talents to Fallout New Vegas. This has made the franchise very diverse with all these studios lending their creative vision to push it forward, and that is something that The Elder Scrolls has not benefited from, but maybe it should.
Fallout New Vegas Stands Out
Fallout New Vegas was the sixth title in the Fallout franchise, but only the second title since Bethesda transitioned the series to 3D. It launched two years after Bethesda released Fallout 3, and it was developed by Obsidian Entertainment. The title served as a way to bridge the gap during the long wait between Fallout 3 and Fallout 4, and it also allowed a new studio to lend its vision to the franchise. As of now, it is considered by many players to be the best game in the Fallout series and there have been many calls for it to get a sequel.
The story of Fallout New Vegas and the mechanics were very different from the Fallout games that came before it. The game put players in control of a Courier in the Mojave Desert instead of a Vault Dweller like most other Fallout games. Players are seemingly killed at the start of the game, but they are able to climb out of their grave, and they embark on a journey across the desert to find their killer. Along the way, the player will meet all sorts of colorful characters and warring factions in a story that has received immense praise.
Obsidian Entertainment spent some time improving old mechanics while adding some new features to the series. It improved the combat to make VATS more useful, the character creator was sped up, and a bunch of new perks were added. The studio also expanded upon crafting, which was even further expanded upon by Bethesda for Fallout 4. On top of all that, the game also saw the return of the reputation system from Fallout 2 and companions were given far more depth.
Elder Scrolls Fans Have Long Waits Between Entries
Fallout New Vegas not only allowed another developer to lend its vision to the franchise, but it also helped give Fallout fans content to play while Bethesda was busy working on The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. Instead of taking away resources from that game, Bethesda partnered with Obsidian and allowed it to craft its own title set in Las Vegas. The studio hasn't done this much since, and that is why Bethesda fans tend to have such a long wait on their hands.
Starfield will be hitting store shelves soon, unless it gets delayed, and then Bethesda will work on The Elder Scrolls 6. That is great news for Elder Scrolls fans, but it's been a long time since the last single-player RPG set on Tamriel. While ZeniMax Online Studios did release The Elder Scrolls Online, fans of the franchise have had no single-player experience to sink their teeth into besides the constant Skyrim re-releases. After The Elder Scrolls 6 releases, Bethesda will be working on Fallout 5 which means that Elder Scrolls fans are probably in for another long wait for The Elder Scrolls 7.
Elder Scrolls New Vegas Could Reinvent Tamriel
Making a video game takes time, but sometimes the length between titles is just a little too long. It has been 11 years since the last game in the series, and it will no doubt be even longer until The Elder Scrolls 6 is in the hands of the players because it is still in pre-production. However, Bethesda could alleviate this wait if it allowed another studio to take Tamriel for a spin. That does not mean just more Elder Scrolls Online expansions or a mobile game, but a fully-fledged single-player RPG like Fallout got with Fallout New Vegas.
Since its inception, The Elder Scrolls series has been headed up by Bethesda. While some studios have helped make various spin-off titles like The Elder Scrolls Online, there is yet to be a single-player RPG headed up by another developer. Bethesda has done a great job with the franchise so far, but maybe it is time for another studio to lend its creative vision to a world as expansive as Tamriel. It could not only inject new life into the fantasy world, but it could also allow Bethesda to focus on other projects without leaving The Elder Scrolls fans out to dry.
Fallout New Vegas is considered by many to be the best game in the Fallout series, and it was not even made by Bethesda. It was a fresh new take on the series, and it allowed Bethesda to focus on other projects while also giving Fallout fans something to chew on. The Elder Scrolls could benefit from something similar as fans have to wait way too long for the next chapter. For a fantasy world as expansive as Tamriel, it would only make sense to let another studio run around in it for a bit.
The Elder Scrolls 6 is currently in development.