A screenshot of Baldur’s Gate 3, which stands tall as one of the biggest and most-popular RPGs of the 2020s thus far. (Image credit: Larian Studios)

With Xbox and Bethesda’s latest RPG, Starfield, now out, many are turning their eyes to the horizon. Far, *far *out there lies the studio’s next projects, including the long-awaited, highly anticipated The Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout 5, the next entry in the developer’s post-apocalyptic sci-fi franchise. If we’re lucky, they might even come out one day.

Bethesda says The Elder Scrolls 6 is "progressing really well," even if it’s still "a long ways off;" undoubtedly, Fallout 5 is even more so. Regardless, something a lot of folks are wondering about is how the two games might shake up the studio’s open-world design so that they feel distinct compared to the developer’s other projects, such as Skyrim and Fallout 4.

Skyrim offers very little consequences for or reactivity to your choices, meaning that you can experience all of its content regardless of what you do. The tradeoff, though, is that its world arguably feels less alive and immersive. (Image credit: Bethesda Game Studios)

That ties directly into his second suggestion, which is that Bethesda should strive to make choices in The Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout 5 "meaningful." Larian Studios’ Game of the Year-winning 2023 RPG Baldur’s Gate 3, he says, is a shining example of a game that does this well, and was lauded for it.

"I also think, to look at Baldur’s Gate 3 and draw lessons from that mash hit, that part of what made it so popular is that it felt like all choices were meaningful because you made a choice and it made a big difference in your play," he suggested.

All the latest news, reviews, and guides for Windows and Xbox diehards.

"Bethesda games have maybe pulled back from doing that a little bit. The focus is on putting your toys away [keeping different parts of the game separate and without consequences that carry over] but in these games you do something in the Thieves’ Guild quest line that completely changes what becomes of the Mages’ Guild, for example," he continued. "The world and the game is changed because of your choices. Have it make a real impact."

Ultimately, Nesmith believes that "the gaming community has spoken," and that fans are hungry for RPGs with deeper levels of reactivity and consequence. And given the success of games like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, it’s hard to argue against that notion.

One caveat to going in that direction is that certain pieces of content won’t be playable in every single playthrough, which Nesmith says Bethesda actively tried to avoid with Skyrim. However, perhaps it’s time for the studio to trade some of that open-endedness for a richer, more reactive world.

"That was actually an intentional thing in Skyrim. The thinking was that we spent time and effort making this content. We want to make sure the player can experience it all," he said. "That was done intentionally and I think those are good decisions. But as we’re pointing out, every formula can get stale after a while, so maybe it’s time to shake it up and do it a little bit differently and say all the content is available but you may need to do another playthrough to experience all of it."

Do you agree with Nesmith that The Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout 5 should have more dynamism and reactivity to your choices? Or are you hoping that Bethesda will stick to more of its traditional open-ended formula? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he’s been an avid fan since childhood. He’s been writing for Team WC since the summer of 2017, and you’ll find him doing news, editorials, reviews, and general coverage on everything gaming, Xbox, and Windows PC. His favorite game of all time is probably NieR: Automata, though Elden Ring, Fallout: New Vegas, and Team Fortress 2 are in the running, too. When he’s not writing or gaming, there’s a good chance he’s either watching an interesting new movie or TV show or actually going outside for once. Follow him on X (Twitter).

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.