Games Inbox: What would The Elder Scrolls 6: Hammerfell be like?

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The three pillars
The internet detective angle is getting pretty crazy with some fans, but I can’t argue that the evidence for The Elder Scrolls 6 being set in Hammerfell is looking pretty definite. I haven’t played anything other than Oblivion or Skyrim, so I have no opinion on it, but if it’s got lots of diverse locations that sounds good to me. Skyrim wasn’t really the most varied place to visit, so I’d appreciate an improvement on that level.

Beyond that, I’m not really sure what to expect from the new game, especially given Starfield didn’t really manage to advance anything. Better first person combat, for sure, but for me the thing that made Skyrim so impressive is the immersion, the customisability, and the detail and hidden areas of the world.

Improving on these three pillars is the most important thing, in my opinion, not just compared to Skyrim but everything that’s come since. It still feels like Skyrim does some things better than much more recent games but the question now is can even Bethesda beat it?
Jonah

The Nintendo curse
I definitely like the idea of a Zelda: Ocarina Of Time remake for the launch of the Switch 2, but I feel like as soon as you make a prediction for Nintendo to do something that basically guarantees that it won’t happen. It’s like a jinx or something, because I don’t think I’ve ever seen it come true even for basic things that should be easy to guess.

I do agree that Nintendo will want some kind of Zelda game for the launch window, but I agree it won’t be Breath Of The Wild – for the simple reason that that was the launch game for the Switch and it might confuse causal gamers as to whether the Switch 2 is even new, if it’s launching with the same game. Unless it’s just promoted as a remaster upgrade and not really a separate thing, but that doesn’t sound very Nintendo-like.

But that brings you right back to what game will it be, and I admit I don’t know. But that’s why the Switch 2 is exciting. I like not knowing.
Kobe

Cher warned you
Just as we all knew at the time, even Xbox fans, the FTC were right and the Activision Blizzard acquisition should never have gone through. In fact, I think Xbox fans are the most regretful, as it becomes obvious what it really means for the format.

Problem is you can’t turn back time. I’m no legal expert but I’m going to assume that the FTC can’t get the acquisition overturned, so at worst what’s going to happen? A fine? Something that will lead to Microsoft laying off even more people?

The worst thing is none of this seems to have helped Xbox at all, unless you think they needed something to push them into going more multiformat, which I guess you could argue is true. But it all seems like a big mess to me.
FUDD

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Fast vs. slow
I have no intention of buying Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition but I do find myself weirdly fascinated by it, since it is so far beyond anything I would ever be interested in. I find speedruns to be a very strange way to enjoy a game and find them very boring to watch.

To me, it’s like you’re purposefully breaking the game and trying to get it over with as quickly as possible. I realise I’m downplaying them by saying that but it’s so completely opposite to the way I try to enjoy games I struggle to believe there’s people that prefer it this way.

I also don’t know where they get the spare time to get so good at just one particular game. I would much rather use that time to play something else. But whatever floats your boat.
84Colbat

Konamivania
Does anyone else not think it’s madness that Konami still hasn’t even hinted at a new Castlevania game yet? I really don’t understand why they’re putting all this effort into new Silent Hill games, when Castlevania is so much better known.

I guess Castlevania isn’t a big seller in the modern world either but at least non-gamers have heard of it, if only through the Netlfix series. I remember there were rumours of a big budget game a while back but nothing has ever come of that. If I were Konami I’d just sell my video games to someone else.

They’re never going to have the bottle to make a new Metal Gear game, so what’s the point?
Eelfish

Worldwide apocalypse
Very much looking forward to Fallout London and I hope this encourages even more mods on a similar scale, especially if Bethesda officially endorses them. For me, the most obvious location is Russia but looking around there doesn’t seem to be any planned at the moment. I found an old one called New Moscow on Nexus Mods, but I don’t think it’s very good.

I really think Bethesda were wrong to say that Fallout will never be set outside of the US in any major way. This isn’t GTA, where the whole point is a satire of American culture. I guess that’s what Bethesda thinks it is, but I would never even have considered that if they hadn’t mentioned it.

For me, Fallout is about what happens after a nuclear apocalypse. It’s the attempt to restart civilisation and what different routes people take. None of that is exclusive to the US. In fact, it’s more interesting if you look at how different cultures deal with the same problems.

Setting new Fallout sequels in increasingly more obscure American cities seems like such a waste of the concept. At this rate, where is Fallout 8 going to be set? Some place I’ve never heard of, I’d imagine.
Taylor Moon

Everyone Vs. Capcom
Loved the Reader’s Feature with all the Vs. Capcom ideas. I don’t see any of them happening, but I’d be up for any and all of them. One thing he didn’t mention though was the idea of a Capcom Vs. The World game, in terms of rival fighting games.

I know we won’t ever get Mortal Kombat, but we could have Street Fighter Vs. Tekken Vs. SNK Vs. Sega Vs. Arc System Works Vs. French-Bread. I think that’d be great and because fighting games are kind of niche by their nature it could be organised more easily than other kinds of games, I would assume.
Tobin

Rare release
I was quite upset at the success of Sea Of Thieves on PlayStation 5. Not because of any console war nonsense but because it seemed to lessen the chance that there’d be any new game from Rare. I know they announced Everwild but I don’t see that ever coming out and the developers seem to have admitted it was just a vague idea that never really existed as an actual game.

The fact that they haven’t released a new game in six years is really upsetting to me, as I enjoyed their games so much during the N64 era. I know lots of people have left since then and they’re, literally, not the same company anymore but the name still means something to me and, as far as I know, they’re still one of the biggest developers in the UK.

To see it all wasted in some multiplayer-only online game is really annoying. New ideas would be better, but I certainly wouldn’t object to a new Blast Corps, Banjo-Kazooie, or Conker. I also would’ve thought Microsoft would want to encourage one of the only companies to ever come close to Nintendo in terms of making 3D platformers but there’s been nothing.

I hope Rare are happy doing what they’re doing at the moment, but it’s hard to imagine given how famous and popular they used to be and how most people playing Sea Of Thieves probably don’t even known who they are. It’s a case of success being a double-edge sword as far as I’m concerned.
Tronix

Inbox also-rans
I see Paramount cancelled the Halo live action series after two series. While the first was average I really enjoyed the second and the special effects were way better, as was the story, and was looking forward to the continuation of the story.
TWO MACKS

GC: There’s some talk of a different network picking it up for series three, but we’re not sure how likely that is.

I very rarely buy DLC, once in a blue moon, however the Shadow Of The Erdtree DLC is up there with the XCOM 2: War Of The Chosen DLC. Amazing games, both embellished further by passionate developers.
Chevy Malibu (PSN ID)

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The small print
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