Fantasy is a classic genre in RPGs, and The Elder Scrolls is one of the most prominent video game fantasy RPG franchises. It’s also the only fantasy RPG franchise currently developed at Bethesda, resulting in a long wait between game releases. One of the biggest strengths of a fantasy RPG is the inclusion of a magic system. A robust magic system can transform a player’s experience of a game, and should ideally be a key part of a fantasy RPG. The Elder Scrolls 6 has the opportunity to improve upon Skyrim‘s magic system, especially as Bethesda haven’t recently released a game with a magic system at all in recent years.
Magic has always been a part of The Elder Scrolls, but Skyrim was criticized even at launch in 2011 for simplifying The Elder Scrolls‘ magic system. While it did make magic more intuitive, it also made magic less useful and, ultimately, less powerful, especially for magic-based builds and when compared to previous games in The Elder Scrolls such as Oblivion and Morrowind. The Elder Scrolls 6 needs a robust magic system that improves on Skyrim‘s.
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The Elder Scrolls’ magic system has changed with each game, particularly between Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim. It’s uncertain what kind of magic system The Elder Scrolls 6 will have, but there’s more pressure on it to succeed than many of its other systems because of its unique nature as an exclusive part of the fantasy genre.
Bethesda’s last fantasy game was Skyrim, which was released 14 years ago in 2011. Since then, Bethesda has focused on its sci-fi IPs, Fallout and Starfield. As such, Skyrim‘s magic system remains the latest magic system that Bethesda has developed. This magic system shouldn’t be carried over to The Elder Scrolls 6 as it’s far too simplified and can’t hold up, especially at higher levels. With other, far more creative mechanics available, The Elder Scrolls 6 could feasibly create a far more interesting, dynamic, and powerful magic system that is still intuitive and accessible.
Skyrim‘s magic system is currently outdated, and even at the time it was released in 2011, it received criticism for being overly simplified compared to its predecessors. Oblivion‘s magic system allowed players to hold weapons in both hands, with the cast key binding separate to weapon attacks. There were also features such as the ability to create unique spells, which was an incredibly popular feature that was controversially removed in Skyrim. Many other spells were either removed or simplified, making magic less potent and less viable to pursue than other builds, especially when compared to previous The Elder Scrolls games.
Since Skyrim‘s release, there have been many other fantasy RPG games with far more robust magic systems. The Elder Scrolls 6 will need to improve its magic system to compete with other modern fantasy RPGs that have been released since Skyrim, but also those that will be released alongside The Elder Scrolls 6. Bringing back Oblivion‘s spell crafting system would be a good start, but adding more spells, including more lore, and improving the Mages Guild storyline to make magic more integral to its plot than it was in the College of Winterhold storyline in Skyrim would be good steps.
- Released
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November 11, 2011
- ESRB
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M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
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Bethesda Game Studios
- Publisher(s)
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Bethesda Softworks