Todd Howard Hints At ‘Immersive & Reactive World’ For The Elder Scrolls 6

Bethesda chief Todd Howard has hinted at the immersive and reactive open-world that players might – and hopefully will – experience in The Elder Scrolls 6.

Elder Scrolls 6
Credit: Bethesda

The release of the hugely anticipated RPG may be years away, but that hasn’t stopped fans from getting excited at the prospect of experiencing this beloved world on new-gen consoles – and it seems that the Bethesda chief shares that same excitement.

When speaking to newspaper outlet The Guardian, Howard spoke about his hopes for the game, saying: “I’d like to see more reactivity in-game worlds, more systems clashing together that players can express themselves with.

Bethesda logo
Credit: Unsplash/Bethesda/GameByte

One of most recent examples of a reactive world done well was with Red Dead Redemption 2, where even though you couldn’t see what was going on in the background, the world’s population and wildlife was always up to something.

It’s also nothing new having NPCs reacting to the choices that you make, but in previous Elder Scrolls games NPCs would likely react to choices that you made during a quest rather than your actions within the world, something that was implemented superbly in RDR2.

Arthur on a horse in RDR2
Credit: Rockstar Games

Additionally having a huge open-world is nothing new with The Elder Scrolls series, but like most open-world games, having the biggest world is not the be all and end all.

If you have a large world littered with filler, it’s going to feel quite empty from an immersion standpoint.

On the flipside, a smaller world filled with meaningful activities – such as seen in the Yakuza series – offers a far greater level of immersion for players.

Image from The elder scrolls online
Credit: Bethesda

In the same interview with The Guardian, Howard also hinted that The Elder Scrolls 6 won’t have a large world just for the sake of it.

I think chasing scale for scale’s sake is not always the best goal,” said Todd Howard, hinting that the game will prioritise quality over quantity.

However with the release of The Elder Scrolls 6 likely to be years away, Todd Howard and his team of developers at Bethesda will have plenty of time to get this game done right.

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Featured Image Credit: Bethesda