Bethesda has been one of the most successful RPG companies of the past decade and broke records with the critical and commercial success of games likeSkyrim, which sold 20 million copies between 2011 and 2014. Over the last few years, however, disappointments likeFallout 76have made the success of the studio’s flagship franchise inThe Elder Scrolls 6more important than ever.
There’s more competition in the first-person RPG market than there was whenSkyrimreleased. BetweenAvowedandCyberpunk 2077, the genre has some highly anticipated titles on the next-gen consoles. Bethesda has also stated thatThe Elder Scrolls 6will not be released until after another first-person RPG from the developer, a sci-fi epic titledStarfield. However, this could offer Bethesda a unique advantage that could allow the RPG giant to stay on top.
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The Competition
Bethesda is faced with more competition than ever in the first-person RPG market. Acclaimed developer ofThe Witcherseries, CD Projekt Red, is moving into the first-person RPG market withCyberpunk 2077, one of the most hotly anticipated releases of 2020. Obsidian Entertainment, a developer many see as vying for Bethesda’s crown, is seemingly directly targeting the first-person fantasy fans who have been waiting for news aboutThe Elder Scrolls 6. The teaser for Obsidian’s upcoming gameAvoweddidn’t reveal much, but it did show a first-person sword-and-sorcery point of view extremely reminiscent ofThe Elder Scrolls.
To add to the pressure, Bethesda’s last few titles have been unable to achieve the same joint critical and commercial success ofSkyrim. WhileFallout 4made a profit, the voiced player character and inflexibility of the roleplay garnered a lot of criticism, with many observing that the game was a more innovative shooter than it was an RPG.Fallout 76drew further criticism, to the extent thatThe Elder Scrolls 6was announced earlyin an attempt to divert attention.
There are a few ways, however, that Bethesda could turn the situation it finds itself in to its own advantage. First, the studio could look at the features that are best received inCyberpunk 2077andAvowed.Cyberpunk’s melee combat, for example, has already been criticized as clunky in previews in a similar way toSkyrim’s, so the studio needs to figure out how to make combat feel weighty and immersive in its next first-person game.
The studio could also look to upcoming projects like the rumoredMass Effectremasterfrom BioWare, especially when considering how other developers have tried to maintain older IPs. It is likely, however, that the studio will find the most success if it looks primarily to other first-person RPGs.
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Starfield and The Elder Scrolls
Fortunately forBethesda,Starfieldoffers the studio a unique opportunity to be more experimental with some of its solutions than it might be willing to risk without precedent with a valuable IP likeThe Elder Scrolls.Starfieldshould serve as the testing ground forThe Elder Scrolls 6, adapting to the next generation of first-person RPGs by learning fromAvowedandCyberpunk’s successes and mistakes.
It has been decades since Bethesda has tackled a brand new IP, however, so the studio’s ability to pull ofStarfieldhas yet to be proven. Commercial flops likeBioWare’sAnthemdemonstrate that big developers can have critical and commercial failures, so plenty of care will still need to be taken with the upcoming game to ensure that more faith isn’t lost in Bethesda.
Nonetheless, releasingThe Elder Scrolls 6afterStarfield,Avowed,andCyberpunkgives Bethesda a chance to make very informed choices for the game’s direction if it takes the opportunity. It is by learning from the competition and experimenting with its next game that Bethesda may be able to find stable footing again and makeThe Elder Scrolls 6live up toSkyrim’simmense legacy.
The Elder Scrolls 6is in development.
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