Looking forward to Elder Scrolls 6? Here are 10 predictions about Elder Scrolls 6 Argonia that may just come true..
With all the rumors circulating, it’s easy to get confused and excited at the same time at the mere thought of having our hands on the next Elder Scrolls game. Expectations are high to see what cards Bethesda will play to make Elder Scrolls 6 an even bigger hit from its predecessors. Here’s what we’d like to see on the next installment that will make it a game changer.
10. New weapons and dual-wielding
Halberds and spears. This should be more like it. C’mon Beth! Show it to us.
Fans applauded Bethesda for incorporating the option to wield almost any combination of weapon and spell on each hand, seeing how hard fans tried to mod it in the past Elder Scrolls games.
The next Elder Scrolls game will give us new weapons to hold, expanding choices and the overall look of characters. There will be spears, halberds, and chained iron balls to name a few. You’ll now be able to portray Poseidon skewering enemies with an electrically-imbued trident, or whip enemies with nunchaku like Bruce Lee.
Doing it right. Dual wield should not be limited to weapons like what Darksouls did here.
What I crave to see though, is this idea of players able to equip two shields at the same time. Looks dumb? Tell me how cool-looking a mage holding two different staves in each hand is; not even in the movies, have I ever seen one do so.
Many will say that shields are just for defensive purposes – a common misconception. Have you seen what shield bashing can do? It can stagger most enemies, rendering them helpless to incoming attacks. Now imagine two shields – a continuous left and right barrage of shield bash can transform hard bodies into vegetables from the constant pommeling.
We also expect dual bows on future Elder Scrolls installments. Imagine how that would work.
9. Guns anyone?
Ninja star. Because everyone wants to be a Ninja once in their life.
I’ve recently watched a movie like Skyrim and I thought the game lack something essential: the ability to hurl things at your opponent or in short, projectile weapons. Slashing with glowing blades (unless they’re lightsabers), hacking with rusty axes, staves shooting toasting fireblasts – it’s the same story all over again. These puts a limit on the weapon choice and combat approach you can use in the game.
Yeeha! Don’t want to be a ninja? Then be a cowboy!
Elder Scroll 6 will breathe fresh air by introducing projectiles like spears, javelin, rocks, gladiator nets, and tomahawk axes, which fans have been looking for. Forget hack and slash battles. We’ll be seeing javelin throws impaling enemies like shish kebab, swirling axes piercing through plates of armor, and slingshots hurling rocks to blind unknowing guards.
8. Horses will be extinct
Say cheese! Grab the reigns and take a magic carpet ride across Tamriel.
Horses are good for travelling the expansive world, hopping from town to town and riding on their backs when you’re over encumbered from stolen goods. Slashing or shooting enemies while sitting on the saddle isn’t a great experience though; you only get a limited angle to work on and it sucks.
Players were allowed to ride dragons in Skyrim with the help of the Dragonborn DLC, so maybe Elder Scrolls 6 will use this ability and have a flying Pegasus instead of an ordinary steed to carry you across the world. How about an exhilarating ocean glide from a friendly killer whale or a huge salmon for those who prefer to navigate the splashing waters? A piggyback ride on a sociable troll for climbing mountains won’t be a bad idea either.
Horseback riding has become commonplace in almost every game applicable. Argonia will surprise us with new flavors to make things more enticing.
7. Spells to conjure
Sheogorath’s quest in Oblivion. It’s literally raining cats and dogs.
Fire, ice, and electric bolts – the staple magic spells of almost every game in history. Sure they do lots of damage, but they’re just boring. Maybe that’s one reason some players opt for a more personal, hand-to-hand approach in dealing with threats.
Elder Scrolls 6 will reinvigorate the school of magic by adding more devastating spells in its repertoire. Cast earth magic that can move boulders to your advantage or form ground fissures to stagger armies to the ground, or invoke nature-altering spells like the Storm Call shout in Skyrim and cause damaging flood in the targeted area. These types of spells not only make the mage types more interesting to play but also make the game more visually gratifying.
Even crazier, there will be a super-secret scroll deep in the mountains that will allow you to hail forth a rain of flaming dogs just like what Sheogorath did in a quest in Oblivion.
6. Grow your own family
Adoption. A step towards a brighter future for all of us.
I’m not against adoption or anything. It’s saintly to pick up homeless, innocent kids who need special care, attention, and guidance of a parent. But isn’t it a good idea to have your own kids, watch them grow to full adults, eager to explore the world and have their own adventures?
Did the absorption of dragon souls made the Dragonborn infertile? I’ve never played a game where the hero can have his/her own child. I want to be able to raise my own child on the next Elder Scrolls installment. I want to guide the future generation of heroes because there’s no better model than a hero himself.
This is what you do after adopting children.
5. Build your own castle
Castle not enough? Build your own town instead.
With the introduction of Hearthfire in Skyrim, players were able to build their own houses and grow it to the size of a manor completely equipped with its own stable, farm, and fishery. It made storage, smithing, and enchanting much easier as your home can be a one-stop shop for these functions.
Now that you’ve tasted the convenience of having your home sweet home, don’t you like to go big like having your own castle? Servants left and right heeding your needs, bard singing any song you want, farmers plowing your fields and merchants making money for you.
You kill mythical creatures, stop wars, end political dynasties, and dominate guilds and factions – you’re the supreme hero of the game and not a farmer, mason, or carpenter to tire yourself on petty things. It’s time for the citizens of Tamriel to shower you more than just praises and titles. They owe you their lives for the record.
4. New playable race
Play as a friendly giant. I wonder how will they get inside shops and houses.
Argonians? Khajiit? They seem boring choices to me. Not that I’m against playing them in the next game, but just looking for a more unusual take on the story of the franchise.
Past plots revolve around the living and Argonia will continue to do so. How about the addition of an extra quest or an additional content that’ll let you play the extinct and non-playable races of the Dwemer or Maormer, exploring their history and further enriching the lore of the Elder Scrolls franchise?
Maybe they’ll even let us have a peak on how to live like a lonely giant, or a glorified but feared Daedric Prince.
3. Improved combat system
Split in two. This is what should happen if you get hacked by a huge axe.
We all know how unsound combat in Skyrim is: slicing an awfully large dragon, feeling nothing but air with every swing of the sword. Next thing you know, the fight’s done.
You just see enemies bleed and their health bars chipped down, wondering where and how you’ve hit them. There are no wounds or any telltale signs you did any damage. Just wave your weapon like a child swaying his wooden sword and voila! Your foes are dead.
What can we expect from a combat mechanism that’s outdated? Holding daggers, or a sword in each hand, or even a massive axe, all have the same swaying action with only variations in speed to emphasize weight. It’s like the hero is a two-trick pony, only able to deliver the same one-two punch regardless if he’s holding a knife, a sword, or a cooking pot.
Unarmed combat. There should be a mixed martial arts skill in the next game.
This is why I enjoy sniping enemies with an arrow more than hitting them with large axes. I feel hits land on solid flesh, especially on long-distance shots that send men flying from impact.
My point is that the game should implement more realistic combat mechanics and animation. If I hit the legs, it’s just logical to see them limping towards you; Hit the arms and there’s a high chance of disarming the enemy or reducing the power of their blows. These effects not only add flavorful animation but also set grounds for more strategic combat approaches.
2. New game, new engine
Riverwood rendered in Unreal Engine 4. Isn’t that gorgeous?
Skyrim is an absolute stunner. It’s considered by many as one of the most gorgeously designed games, it can make your eyes bleed with detail: forests filled with towering trees, castle ruins chipped and half buried, caves filled with underground streams and sharp rocks – everything made alive and lifelike.
But let’s admit it; the engine is as old as our grandfathers. It has already been pushed to its limit and an overhaul won’t be enough to keep up with next-gen game engines. It will be like injecting steroids to a 90-year old man in crutches and entering him in a triathlon.
The old Havok engine should be replaced by far superior ones. How about utilizing an engine similar to Battlefield’s Frostbite, Crysis’ CryEngine, or the widely popular Unreal for the next Elder Scrolls game? I’m sure fans would love to see a game that snaps out of our screen with luscious details and convincing animations.
Elder Scrolls VI in Unigine? I need to prepare my quantum computer.
1. Release date
Looking towards a better future. You better give us one Elder Scrolls 6.
Rumors say the next game will be released on March 15, 2016. I say it will be later than that.
With the teaser and screenshots for Fallout 4 released, it means it’s just around the corner. Bethesda is wise enough to milk the game with DLCs and expansion packs for at least a year, meaning they will not be releasing the next Elder Scrolls game within a year after Fallout 4. Contrary to the rumors, I’d say the soonest will be on December of 2016 and latest will be on June of 2017.
What are your craziest predictions for the upcoming Elder Scrolls 6? Share them with us by commenting in the section below.
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