PC Gamer editors debate 8 strong Elder Scrolls opinions after 2,500 combined hours

Five PC Gamer editors with over 2,500 combined hours across The Elder Scrolls series have published a set of strong opinions about the franchise's past and future, sparking debate about RPG design, quest writing, and Bethesda's creative direction.

One editor argues that The Elder Scrolls should return to being a true RPG, claiming the series has become "a uniform mush" as Bethesda has removed stats, skill points, and character limitations over successive games. "A lack of limitations, a willingness to tell a player they can't do something, that this or that skill is simply outside their remit, has made Bethesda's games more accessible but also more boring," the editor writes. "It's time to go back to the old ways."

Another editor defends Skyrim's main quest, arguing it outshines most of its sidequests. They note that Skyrim's Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood questlines lack the quality of their Oblivion counterparts, with Dark Brotherhood missions feeling routine and Thieves Guild progression tied to procedurally generated filler. By contrast, Skyrim's main quest offers spectacle, memorable moments like Paarthurnax, and avoids repetitive Oblivion Gate dungeons.

A third editor laments the removal of Oblivion's spellmaking system, which allowed players to create custom spells. While acknowledging the feature was balance-breaking, the editor argues that removing it further moved Elder Scrolls away from being a true RPG. They advocate for letting players "break the game over our knee" and note that Oblivion's approach, where mages could achieve godlike power, aligned with classic tabletop RPG design philosophy.

One editor defends Morrowind's quality while acknowledging its weakness in side quest design compared to later entries. They credit Oblivion and Skyrim for significant improvements in that area, pointing to Oblivion's "The Ultimate Heist" as a standout multipart infiltration mission and Skyrim's "A Night to Remember" as genuinely shocking content. They push back against the notion that only older Elder Scrolls games deserve praise.

An editor expresses skepticism about Bethesda's ability to create compelling Dark Brotherhood content in future games. They praise Oblivion's Dark Brotherhood questline and specifically highlight "Whodunnit?," which they describe as a miniature immersive sim with multiple outcomes. Referencing Starfield's reception, they suggest modern Bethesda lacks the "weirdness, creativity, and gallows humour" needed for similarly complex questlines.

Another take proposes a radical shift: Bethesda should abandon handwritten stories and embrace systems-driven, emergent gameplay akin to Dwarf Fortress or Mount & Blade. The editor criticizes the studio's writing trajectory, noting a decline from Oblivion through Skyrim and describing Starfield as the "absolute nadir" of its narrative efforts. They argue Bethesda should commit fully to what it does best: creating rich worlds with mechanics and systems that drive action rather than relying on scripted plots.

Finally, one editor praises The Elder Scrolls' interactive world design, where players can pick up items, read books on shelves, and rearrange objects in NPCs' homes. They contrast this with more disconnected inventory systems in games like Cyberpunk 2077 and argue that this granular interactivity is key to the series' immersion. They conclude they would accept significant loading zones if it preserved this environmental interactivity.