Summary
Each game in Bethesda’sElder Scrollsseries so far has placed a lot of importance on its open world, with the setting of each map playing a massive role in everything from the lore to the main storyline and quests. If this trend continues inThe Elder Scrolls 6, picking the rightregion of Tamrielfor the upcoming sequel to explore could be incredibly important to the overall experience.
The world inhabited in each installment ofThe Elder Scrollsfranchise is fully realized — using lore, warring factions, and religion as crucial tools for realism. Bethesda uses all those things to make its settings feel like living, breathing places, and a crucial part of the lore and the religious practices throughout Tamriel is the pantheon of the Nine Divines, a group of nine figures that are said to control different domains of mortal life like time and death. So, by extension,The Elder Scrolls 6has an important decision to make about its setting, and how the story of the Nine Divines may fit into its world.
Why The Elder Scrolls 6 Needs To Look Past Its Rumored Location
In June 2018, Bethesda released a teaser trailer forThe Elder Scrolls 6,showing little more than a gorgeous view of nature. However, some fans immediately began to speculate that this trailer was showing off a part of Hammerfell based on the harsh mountains seen in the teaser — a view that is consistent with Hammerfell’s appearance inThe Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall.This area of Tamriel is known for being the home ofThe Elder Scrolls' Redguards, a group that has its own religious beliefs and gods like Zeht and Diagna.
If the next game in the series focuses exclusively on Hammerfell, it’ll be able to prioritize deepening the story of the Redguards, as well as religious figures that haven’t been explored extensively yet. However, this will come at the cost of exploring the continuing story ofthe Nine Divinesand their wider impact on Tamriel.Skyrim’sworld has already outlined the potential impact the Nine can have on anElder Scrollstitle. Many of the central conflicts in the game, including the civil war between the Nords and the Imperials, occur due to Talos being banned from the Nine Divines.
How High Rock Could Be The Answer Bethesda Is Looking For
High Rock is a province in Tamriel that shares a border with Hammerfell. It is also home to the Bretons that worship the Eight (the same gods as the Nine, but withoutTiber Septim). Due to its vicinity,The Elder Scrolls 6could easily integrate both Hammerfell and High Rock into its map. This could show off the contrast between two different religious beliefs, and how that contrast causes conflict. By extension, another, larger-scale war between the populations of Hammerfell and High Rock over religion wouldn’t be out of question.
How The Elder Scrolls 6 Could Develop an Equal Focus on Setting and Lore
The Elder Scrolls 6should not just focus on enhancing its worldbuilding by integrating diverse religious beliefs and conflicts, but it should also improve combat and RPG elements to get the most out of its setting. Hammerfell and High Rock offer a unique opportunity to explore the stark contrasts between different cultures and their faiths. In Hammerfell, the Redguards’ distinct religious practices could provide fresh gameplay elements, while High Rock’s devotion to the Eight Divines can offer a different perspective on faith and its influence on society. The franchise has always been known for its RPG mechanics and interesting tools that can be used in combat, like magic and Words of Power (which were exclusively found inSkyrim).Although combat and RPG progression have always been detailed inElder Scrollsgames, the feel of the combat has never been particularly impressive.
Skyrimwas released in 2011, and its combat mechanics were good enough to let the strongest aspects of the game, like its sidequests, worldbuilding, and exploration shine. However, more recent open-worldRPG games likeElden RingandCyberpunk: 2077have showed that it’s possible to create a massive game with a truly deep and rewarding combat system.The Elder Scrolls 6should follow these examples and embrace gameplay that doubles down on its inspirations. Players should have more agency to interact with the Nine Divines, join their practices, or even go against them. Hammerfell could provide a great way to diversify gameplay and deepen the lore – the player could learn Redguard customs and unique incantations the faction wields in combat, doing the same in High Rock to illustrate how people of different faiths fight and interact with the world around them.
