My relationship with Bethesda games over the years has had many highs and lows, but one thing that hasn’t really bothered me that much is the loading screens. Bethesda and loading screens go together like peanut butter and jelly at this point, and this staple feature has been one of the biggest critiques that the developer has faced over the years. As much as gamers want Bethesda’s loading screens to finally come to an end with The Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout 5, the truth is that this probably won’t be the case, and fans may want to prepare themselves.
Bethesda’s loading screens have continued to ignite conversation and debate, and I completely understand the frustration. If the loading screens didn’t stop with Starfield, though, then there shouldn’t really be any reason to assume that they will suddenly be addressed with The Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout 5. Even though they can be annoying at times, Bethesda is continuing to use the Creation Engine, which means more loading screens are more than likely on the way.
Bethesda Is Staying Loyal to the Creation Engine, So the Loading Screens Will Continue
As someone who was incredibly excited about Starfield before it came out, Bethesda’s space-faring RPG failed to meet my expectations. I thoroughly enjoyed the ship building and some aspects of the story, but it didn’t resonate with me how Fallout did. When it comes to games made by Bethesda, I’m more invested in Fallout than The Elder Scrolls, but I’ve had plenty of experience with both franchises. So, I’m well aware of the developer’s fondness for loading screens, but it wasn’t a deal-breaker when it came to playing Starfield. Perhaps I’ve just grown to accept the loading screens, because even when I feel like they kill the game’s momentum, the wait time is at least short-lived.
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The news that The Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout 5 are using Creation Engine 3 isn’t a surprise. Bethesda has shown with its response to Starfield critics that the developer is determined to stick to its guns. At this point, loading screens have become a key part of a Bethesda game’s identity, which means it should be expected at this point. Of course, that’s going to be controversial, especially after so many years of waiting for The Elder Scrolls 6, but a game with a lot of loading screens is better than having no game at all.
Bethesda’s Reliance on Loading Screens Feels Outdated, But That’s Far From the Only Feature That Is Stuck in the Past
In many ways, Starfield felt like it arrived years later than it should have. Between the NPC interactions, the exploration and world, and RPG elements that didn’t really feel like an evolution of the developer’s past games, Starfield is outdated to a lot of gamers. It wasn’t just the loading screens that made the game feel like it was from a different gaming era, though. Creation Engine 2 is a big reason for this, but it also might just be part of Bethesda’s special flavor. Todd Howard has been in charge of this studio for a long time, and he and the team he entrusts with these projects may simply enjoy a more nostalgic-feeling game.
The biggest critique about Bethesda’s number of loading screens is that they break a game’s immersion. That’s fair, but a strong story and exploration can at least make the roadblocks less noticeable. Unfortunately, Starfield struggled to achieve that balance, and I believe it made the loading screens feel more obvious and frustrating compared to past games.
There’s a real possibility that a new Bethesda game that features the same improved elements as other RPGs would no longer feel like a Bethesda-made project. Granted, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t room for improvement. However, things like loading screens are minor compared to the world building and repetitive procedural generation problems that Starfield highlighted. The Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout 5 need to address those complaints before loading screens are ever even considered.
Bethesda Now Has a Lot in the Works
- Fallout 3 remaster
- Fallout: New Vegas remaster
- Fallout spin-off (being made by Obsidian Entertainment)
- Continued Fallout 76 support
- Continued Starfield support
- The Elder Scrolls 6
The announcement of the Fallout 3 and New Vegas remasters and confirmation that a Fallout spin-off and Fallout 5 are in development is big news for fans of the post-apocalyptic franchise. Bethesda is still being tight-lipped when it comes to The Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout details, but these reveals have ended a long silent period. It’s definitely news worth being excited about, but fans who are hoping for major improvements to how Bethesda games function might be disappointed.
Creation Engine 3 Expectations Need to Remain Realistic
The Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout 5 might look a lot better when it comes to graphics, but Creation Engine 3 is unlikely to be the leaps and bounds forward that certain fans have been hoping for. Starfield was a big visual improvement. However, it still very much played like a Bethesda game. That doesn’t have to be a bad thing, though. Even though it can be jarring to play Starfield and Fallout 4 after experiencing stronger first-person RPGs like Cyberpunk 2077, Bethesda’s offerings still have their own specific charm.
There hasn’t been an Elder Scrolls 6 release date confirmed yet, but leaks have claimed that the target could be as far away as 2028 or more.
The hard truth is that Bethesda may no longer be one of the kings of the RPG genre. Years of evolution in mechanics and key features have continued to run laps around the beloved Skyrim developer. The Elder Scrolls 6 already has Warhorse Studios’ Kingdom Come: Deliverance series to contend with, and the latter’s confirmed Lord of the Rings RPG is only going to make the competition more difficult.
Regardless of how long the wait is, The Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout 5‘s launches are going to be incredibly exciting. However, it wouldn’t be surprising if the same complaints that plagued Starfield‘s release returned. I really hope that isn’t the case, because Bethesda makes interesting games, even when the project doesn’t always hit the mark. There’s no telling what common Bethesda features will be present in future games, but it might be best for fans to make peace with loading screens.
