Of all the upcoming releases within the gaming industry, not many come as close in terms of fan anticipation asThe Elder Scrolls 6. As a long-awaited title belonging to a longstanding and adored franchise, fans have now been waiting for over a decade for a game that only grows in expected ambition and scale with each passing year.
Given the time of development and the careful approach that Bethesda has taken withThe Elder Scrolls 6, it is likely that the game will eventually curate an experience that excites and satisfies many fans upon its eventual release. With that being said, it remains thatTES 6needs above all else to curate its own defining core mechanic that can rival previous iterations of the franchise, such as the importance of dragons within 2011’sSkyrim.
RELATED:If The Elder Scrolls 6 Hits Hammerfell, a Dragon Shouts Equivalent May be In the Cards
The Dragons of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
Many mainline installments in the franchise are defined by the locations in which they are set, with many taking place primarily within a single province ofThe Elder Scrolls' continent of Tamriel. The most recent mainline release forThe Elder Scrollsof course took the series to the province ofSkyrim, the home of the Nordic race and snowcapped mountains.
The core narrative ofSkyrimrevolves around the current geopolitical strife and ancient culture of its eponymous setting, with legendary ancient dragons plaguing the many settlements of the region.Skyrim’splayer character is known as the Dragonborn, with Dragonborn being almost mythical heralded humans that possess the blood and soul of dragon-kind. Due to the protagonist’s nature as a Dragonborn,Skyrimpossesses the unique and defining mechanic of dragon shouts, which could be learned by the player and utilized in combat for a wide range of exciting purposes.
As well as this,Skyrim’sgameplay is typified by fighting dragons themselves, with important sections of the game’s narrative being centered around this. Dragon fights can occur at any time withinSkyrim, offering risky and tense battles that grant huge rewards in the way of absorbing the dragon’s soul to learn more dragon shouts. It can be said that this aspect ofSkyrim’s gameplay was the most defining, and so it is clear whyThe Elder Scrolls 6will have to offer some form of equivalent.
The Elder Scrolls 6’s Defining Mechanic
No concrete information has been released yet regarding where the franchise’s next release will be set, but many fans believeThe Elder Scrolls 6will be set in Hammerfellas its primary location. A large-spanning province befit with bustling port cities and arid deserts, Hammerfell offers a good range of locations, biomes, and cultures to take inspiration from.
With dragons being fairly indigenous toSkyrim, it is clear that Bethesda will have to come up with an equivalent mechanic that makes sense within the parameters ofTES 6’s location. Hammerfell is home to the Redguard race and influential ports, with the sprawling coast of the province potentially fostering a comprehensivesailing or piracy mechanic withinThe Elder Scrolls 6
On top of this,Hammerfell has deep connections toThe Elder Scrolls' Dwemer race, known for their highly advanced technology and structures. In this way,The Elder Scrolls 6could focus on the exploration of labyrinthine forgotten Dwemer structures, with the player having to engage hostile Dwemer machines and creations like the franchise has never seen before. While topping the iconic presence ofSkyrim’sdragons will be a tough move, it is clear that a Hammerfell setting could foster many possible alternatives for Bethesda andThe Elder Scrolls 6.
The Elder Scrolls 6is currently in development.
MORE:The Origins of Hammerfell’s Redguard Add More to Elder Scrolls Lore Than Meets the Eye
