The Elder Scrolls VI can't just be another Skyrim, it needs to be more

The Elder Scrolls VI is one of the most heavily-anticipated games of all-time, behind GTA VI of course. Bethesda’s last few titles Fallout 76 and Starfield unfortunately didn’t live up to fan expectations, but many are positive the studio will nail its next Elder Scrolls game.

Why are they so sure? Because The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is often considered to be one of the greatest games ever made, so why wouldn’t its successor be just as good?

Check out the only teaser for The Elder Scrolls VI below

Now I’m going to be honest and say I’m really not a fan of Skyrim. I played the whole thing from start to finish, completing every side quest and rising the ranks of every faction, and when I eventually rolled credits I was happy to have played it but was content with never going back.

That said I have returned every now and then to start a new playthrough, but regardless of which direction I ping my character off in I always lose interest and close the game. This isn’t a critique of Skyrim as I know there are loads of players out there who are probably on their 50th playthrough right now and still loving it, I just know it’s not for me.

This is why I get such a horrible feeling when I see Bethesda fans adamant The Elder Scrolls VI will be a success because Skyrim was. It’s a series Bethesda knows well for sure, which automatically puts it at an advantage over Starfield’s development since it was such a huge departure from anything the developer had made before.

It’s that familiarity that’ll probably make it easier for Bethesda to create a vibrant and immersive world to explore, but the improvements need to go deeper than just pretty graphics and points on a map.

Bethesda

One of my biggest problems with Skyrim was how repetitive the gameplay was. It never felt like you had to try in combat as every encounter could be solved by mind-lessly swinging your weapon around like a lunatic until everything in the room is dead. Even the archery builds are renowned for making the game too easy, and I don’t remember a time where I was genuinely excited to fight something aside from Miraak, but only because of how much the DLC built him up.

There’s also the common critique that the factions all functioned largely the same. Help the College Of Winterhold for a bit and you’re suddenly headmaster, help the Thieves Guild out and you’re the leader of the gang, visit the Dark Brotherhood and you’re suddenly the chosen one. They’re fun quests, but the ends don’t quite justify the means for me.

And of course there’s the argument that all Bethesda games nowadays feel exactly the same. Starfield’s biggest criticism was that it felt too much like Fallout, but bigger, and my biggest concern for The Elder Scrolls VI is that it'll just feel like Skyrim, but bigger. Of course I could be wrong but given how successful the game has been and how long it’s been Bethesda’s golden child, would it really be a surprise to find out it has been used as the sole point of reference when making The Elder Scrolls VI?

I think it definitely needs to have some similarities for sure, as when you look back on all the Elder Scrolls games one after the other you can easily tell they’re cut from the same cloth. However what I’d really love to see is The Elder Scrolls VI really push the boat out in terms of what a fantasy RPG can do. We’ve seen Baldur’s Gate 3 and even Metaphor ReFantazio do it and if any other game has that kind of potential it has to be the next Elder Scrolls.

Larian Studios

Give me a huge world to explore but give me an actual reason to see it all, whilst also keeping the main quest in the back of my mind. Skyrim was hilarious because Alduin was causing chaos across the land but the Dragonborn is too busy decorating his house in Whiterun or sacrificing people to a Daedric Prince. I’d love to see the quests you do actually have an impact on the world around you, and not just “this faction doesn’t like you now because you helped this one instead.”

Combat will be a big one for me, as I’m hoping it’s much more fluid and gives you even more freedom than the previous games. I love a game that has cool magical combat so going to Skyrim after playing Morrowind and Oblivion felt a bit disappointing, even if it was cool summoning a magical bow and arrow out of nowhere.

What I’m getting at is that Skyrim was a good game. It’s not my cup of tea, granted, but I think a full playthrough of a game you’re not mad about proves it’s got something going for it. That said, The Elder Scrolls VI can’t just be a sequel to Skyrim or a successor to Skyrim. It needs to stand on its own.