Summary
For over a decade, immersive RPG fans have asked, “Why does no other RPG feel likeThe Elder Scrolls?” A surprisingly small number of studios have tried to take the crown, but no contender has ever managed to drawSkyrimorOblivionfans away for very long.
FromSkyrim’s legendary modding scene toOblivion’s groundbreaking open world, Bethesda’s classics remain in a class of their own, but that isn’t just down to nostalgia. It’s the result of several unique design choices most studios can’t (or won’t) replicate.
9A World Without Barriers
Every Mountain Climbable, Every Door Open
Skyrim was famously marketed on the powerful “see the mountain, climb the mountain” promise. However, this is just carrying on a long tradition. Unlike many open-world games where buildings are facades or mountains are invisible walls,The Elder Scrollscommits to full immersion. Every house can be entered, every peak reached. That’s not just being able toenter most buildings in the open world; it’s every building.
This level of detail is rare, in part because it’s expensive from both a technical and practical standpoint. Most studios prioritize scripted “water cooler moment” experiences over true freedom, and this is true even for other excellent open-world games, likeThe Witcher 3’s curated world. In Tamriel, the world feels lived-in, not just designed.
8The Art Of Letting Go
Trusting The Player To Explore (And Miss Things)
Many open-world games bombard the player with markers, checklists, and urgency. Bethesda is particularly good at producing games that allow the player to get lost without resorting to constant handholding or intrusive signposting.TES' design philosophy has changed over time(with map markers inOblivionand floating quest markers inSkyrim), but remains intact at its core.
This means some content goes undiscovered, but that’s the point. Secrets don’t seem like such a big deal if they are constantly handed to the player on a silver platter. In Tamriel, the thrill of stumbling upon a hidden cave or forgotten legend makes the world feel endlessly deep, and such worlds are only possible thanks to letting some content go unseen.
7Lore That Doesn’t Talk Down To Players
Unreliable Narrators, Cosmic Mysteries, And Metaphysical Playfulness
Most fantasy worlds have clear-cut histories. TheElder Scrollsseries thrives on ambiguity. Writers like Michael Kirkbride and Ted Peterson wove gnostic, mythological, esoteric, and magical realism influences intoDaggerfallandMorrowind,before others built upon that inTESgames likeOblivionandSkyrim, creating a lore that is heavily debated, not just recited, by fans.The Elder Scrollsis one of the few series to use the unreliable narrator so often and confidently.
Many characters' stories don’t line up. Occasionally, twoin-game books found in the worldcontradict each other. The Gods might be liars, and even time isn’t linear. Tamriel’s history is not cleanly defined and is open to interpretation and contradiction, leaving even existential questions about thecosmos unanswered, something fans have reveled in for years.
6Combat Is Just One Aspect
Accessibility and Fun Over Complexity
InThe Elder Scrolls, combat is just one flavor of the experience, but not its “killer app.“Skyrim’s combat is sometimes called “basic,” but its simplicity has always been one of its strengths.TESisn’t a combat simulator, it’s a fantasy life simulator. Besides risking a move it away from its RPG roots, raising the combat complexity level would risk alienating those more excited about the “fantasy life simulator” possibilities than a transient adrenaline rush. Besides, there are alwaysmods to improveSkyrim’s combatavailable to download.
Game studios interested in pushing the limits of simulation tend to opt for more complexity in their games. By contrast, big changes inTESare related to game feel (for example, giving combat more of an impactful feeling inOblivion). Bethesda’s mix of focusing on immersion and streamlining the player’s experience makes it easy for players to suspend their sense of disbelief and to settle into their new home, whether they be warriors, mages, stealth archers, pacifists, vampires, bartenders, hapless skooma addicts, or any role the player chooses.
5The Weight Of A Team Effort
Budget, Talent, And Creative Freedom For The Developers
Creating a world as densely packed with life and diversions as Tamriel requires scale. Bethesda’s teams include writers who design dungeons, programmers who drop magical tidbits into the lore, and artists who shape quests. This interdisciplinary culture is rare, and in large, modern game studios, it is hard to replicate due to specialization or structural interdependencies.
When it comes to building open-world RPGs with exploration of any scale, the need for a large budget is almost inevitable. There is something positive to be said aboutBethesda’s willingness to put creativity before all, and small teams that aim to build an “Elder Scrolls” killer often find themselves out of time or funding. That said, there are somepromising indieElder Scrollsprojectson the horizon.
4The Music Of Tamriel
The Sublime Sounds Of Immersion
OblivionandSkyrimhave their epic moments in the score. However, just like the gameplay loops of theElder Scrollsgames themselves, Jeremy Soule’s music never failed to miss the chance to impress beauty and awe upon the player in the quieter moments. It takes a composer of great ability to understand the gravity and lightness of what it means to inhabit Tamriel.
TheElder Scrolls' unmatched musical geniusis just one reason why there are so fewElder Scrolls-like games orSkyrimkillers. Of all the audio-visual genres in any medium, fantasy has always leaned heavily on its music to set the tone and pace, and for non-linear fantasy games, that pace setter is essential.
3Sacred Spaces And A Hallowed Feeling
A Deeper Understanding Of Spirituality And Religion
For many, magic is the heart of any good fantasy story or world, but the miracle of fantasy (at least the uplifting kind) allows its audience to experience the certainty that gods are real and enjoy the certainty that entails, regardless of their real-life beliefs. It may be odd to pair video games and a sensitivity to the sacred, but at its core,Morrowind,Oblivion, andSkyrimcontain deeply spiritual elements in both their lore and atmosphere.
It is no coincidence that the soundtrack is serene and choir-like. The main story almost always involves a cosmic transformation. Most important of all, while Daedra may make a regular appearance, the gods are always beyond mortal perception, even if their benevolent blessings can always be felt at their places of worship. Although gods may appear in other series, they are rarely as well considered (or variously interpreted across different cultures, between men and mer) as they are inThe Elder Scrolls.
2The Power Of The Creation Engine
Multidisciplined Developers With An Accessible Toolkit
Bethesda’s creation engine has gotten some flak over the years, with many fans blaming its age forthe bugs that populateThe Elder ScrollsandFallout. However, the Creation Engine is foundational to the series' success. Its modular design allows developers to craft towns, cities, dungeons, and vistas faster than most other engines, and with more room for player interactivity to boot.
So much development time can get tied up in building or tuning up code, but the Creation Engine lets creatives get on with the creative stuff faster, and as a result, it has proven to be popular with those who use it. That includes Obsidian during their extremely tight development cycle forFallout: New Vegas. It’s one of the main reasons modders have stayed withThe Elder Scrollsfor so long.
1A Healthy Mod Scene
Making Worlds For A Community
It is no small thing to make modding tools for players, as it takes significant time and resources to provide support for such projects. Even if the studio is willing to lend its tools, its publishers might not be so keen. Bethesda is an unusual company in that it offers its modding tools practically out of the box, encouraging its fans to create their own creations.
From minor tweaks or fan-made quests toTEStotal conversion mods, mods ensure that there is always fresh interest flowing throughout the community, no matterOblivion,Morrowind, orSkyrim’s age. Open-world RPGs with mod support tend to be rare because modding tools need to be a consideration right from the start. From a legal and financial standpoint, it’s quite a risk.
