The Ultimate Masterpiece: Unveiling the Perfect Blueprint for The Elder Scrolls 6 from a Spellbinding Baldur's Gate 3 Area

Highlights

The Elder Scrolls 6 needs to raise the bar in combat, storytelling, and world design, and Baldur's Gate 3 is setting a high standard.

The Elder Scrolls 6 is expected to pay tribute to Blackreach, a unique and mysterious underground setting in Skyrim, by introducing its own expansive subterranean area. Drawing inspiration from Baldur's Gate 3, the game should seek to emulate the intricacy, liveliness, and immersive storytelling found in the Underdark of Baldur's Gate 3. This underground realm should boast intelligent adversaries, diverging objectives, and a wealth of narrative content.

In the past ten years, numerous groundbreaking RPGs and open-world games have been released, setting higher standards for combat, storytelling, and world design in the gaming industry. The Elder Scrolls 6 must now surpass these standards. Baldur's Gate 3, considered one of the most significant RPGs of 2023, is one of the games that has raised the bar for The Elder Scrolls 6. It provides valuable lessons, particularly in the design of a specific area.

Although The Elder Scrolls 6 may not replicate everything from Skyrim, it will likely pay tribute to a certain aspect: Blackreach. This expansive underground environment is renowned for its unique aesthetic, eerie atmosphere, and exceptional opportunities for exploration. While an exact replica of Blackreach is unlikely due to the game taking place in a different country than Skyrim, The Elder Scrolls 6 will probably include a massive, multi-layered underground area since such environments are a common feature in open-world RPGs. The design principles of Blackreach would likely be incorporated in some form. If Bethesda decides to create an extensive underground zone, they should consider using one of Baldur's Gate 3's areas as a template.

What The Elder Scrolls 6 Can Learn From Baldur’s Gate 3’s Underdark

Previously mentioned, The Elder Scrolls 6 set a high standard, and Baldur's Gate 3 didn't make it any easier. However, Larian's game excels in environment design and exploration, particularly in its portrayal of the Underdark. This vast underground region serves as an excellent example for games like The Elder Scrolls 6 seeking to create similar subterranean realms.

The Underdark is first encountered by players during Baldur's Gate 3's main campaign, as they venture towards Moonrise Towers. Contrary to typical expectations of dull and unremarkable underground levels, the actual zone leaves a lasting impression. It is treacherous, eerie, and draws inspiration from Skyrim's memorable underground locations, including Blackreach. The Underdark is enveloped in otherworldly, luminescent fungi that illuminate the paths, which teem with unsettling and formidable creatures, as well as ancient, abandoned structures. In these aspects, the Underdark shares similarities with Blackreach.

The Underdark sets itself apart from Blackreach through its intricate and dynamic nature. While Blackreach may hold enemies and additional content, it largely feels abandoned and lacking life. This is a common trait in many underground regions within video games, causing some gamers to hesitate when encountering these levels. The Underdark, on the other hand, takes a different approach. It is densely populated, geographically complex, and layered with multiple levels. Players must navigate and interact with the environment in various ways, with the history of the area evolving as the protagonists explore it.

The Elder Scrolls series revolves around player choice, but Blackreach and other underground areas lack significant and interesting choices. In contrast, the Underdark teems with not only mindless creatures but also intelligent humanoids who possess their own agendas that may either clash or align with the player's. A prime example of this is the presence of Dwarf slavers who have seized control of a Deep stronghold. This kind of compelling and high-stakes narrative content is absent in the underground regions of Skyrim and previous The Elder Scrolls games.

The Elder Scrolls 6 is currently being developed and is expected to be quite distinct from Baldur's Gate 3. Nonetheless, comparisons between the two are likely to be made as they are both ambitious Western RPGs. The introduction of mechanics like in-game relationships in The Elder Scrolls 6 will now need to meet the new standard established by Baldur's Gate 3, as perceived by the gaming community. While The Elder Scrolls 6 should not simply mimic Baldur's Gate 3, there are valuable lessons it can glean from it, such as incorporating underground environments.