There is a certain element of the longstanding fantastical RPG series that will likely carry forward into The Elder Scrolls 6. The Elder Scrolls franchise has become known for becoming simpler in its complexity and overall difficulty with each subsequent mainline release, and the same may eventually be said about TES 6 when compared to the massively successful Skyrim.
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Increasing Simplicity Within The Elder Scrolls
A trend that has arguably extended to a wide variety of different video game genres over time, The Elder Scrolls franchise has been widely characterized as becoming simpler with each mainline release. The nature of this increased simplicity is wide-ranging, being attributed to the increased presence of things like waypoint markers and more lenient difficulty options.
For example, the 2002 title Morrowind was the first foray into the Elder Scrolls franchise for many fans, and one of its largest appeals was the open and free nature in which it let the player explore the game. With no waypoints and a much more rudimentary map, the player was left to their own devices, having to thoroughly read the quest journal and use in-game signage to navigate between settlements and find figures of interest.
This would be completely changed with the release of Oblivion and more so again with the 2011 release of Skyrim, with quests and travel being far easier to navigate via the addition of a compass, waypoint markers, and completely free fast travel. While fast travel did exist in Morrowind, it was limited to actual modes of transportation that the player had to seek out and purchase, with only certain destinations resultantly being eligible to travel to. Although it may not be as significant, many fans of the franchise are expecting this trend to translate over to The Elder Scrolls 6 upon its eventual release.
Potential Changes Between Skyrim and The Elder Scrolls 6
As The Elder Scrolls franchise has aged and grown so significantly in popularity, it is no wonder that Bethesda has had to refine its core formula to appeal to wider audiences and increase player retention. Given the likely aforementioned reception and hype around TES 6, it can be said that a newfound demographic will once again be introduced to the franchise, perhaps indicating a need to further refine the franchise’s core gameplay.
Most of these potential changes may be precipitated by the likely increased scale of The Elder Scrolls 6, in which the pre-existing norm of navigation and travel simply may no longer be viable. This could possibly be remedied by a summonable mount or greatly increased movement options via magic, although this may be labeled by some as an increased level of “hand-holding” that takes away from the core immersion and depth of TES gameplay.
Other ways that the game could appeal to new fans would be to offer a disproportionately easier mode of difficulty for players to experience a more narratively-focused playthrough in which combat is not as threatening or looming. It remains to be seen what kind of direction the gameplay of The Elder Scrolls 6 will go, although increased simplicity seems almost inevitable when considering the franchise’s history.
The Elder Scrolls 6 is currently in development.
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