Over the past few years, The Elder Scrolls series has managed to work vampires, werewolves, and other mythological creatures into their narratives to create even more depth to gameplay. So with details on The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim coming at a snail’s pace, fans everywhere are dying to know how the newest game will expand on the previous installments. Will players be able to turn into werewolves this time around? Vampires? Dragons?
Todd Howard, the game’s director revealed in the latest Game Informer podcast that while it’s impossible to give exact answers, nothing is out of the question at this point.
Since Bethesda first released the game’s announcement trailer, and later clarified the story of Skyrim, fans have been dying to know the details. While we know that the game is truly the culmination of all games before it, it’s still unclear what kind of a story it seeks to tell.
The Elder Scrolls games have featured a variety of themes, tones, and plotlines that contributed to each game feeling somewhat different from the rest of the series, so merely stating that ‘dragons’ will be the focus this time around doesn’t answer much.
When asked if Skyrim would be continuing the tradition of allowing players to change shape into werwolves or vampires, Howard wouldn’t confirm or deny it. With the game’s release still almost a year away, the final decisions have yet to be made, but the details he did give are sure to get fans excited:
“I can say that… we are fans of that stuff as well, and we are currently messing with all of that. So I don’t want to commit to ‘here are the things you can change into’ and what they’re like right now. Not because we’re not doing it, or not attempting to, I just don’t know, honestly, where that’s going to end up and how deep we’re going to get into that.
“If you look at the Bloodmoon expansion we did for Morrowind, which is probably the thing that we did that’s closest to Skyrim in some flavor, you know, the main gist of that was you become a werewolf. So, we do have some experience doing that… not too long ago.”
We’re not prone to over-analyzing words and casual comments from developers, but it’s clear that shape-shifting is definitely on the minds of those in Bethesda’s offices. While it may surprise some to hear just how far the game is from being completed, the fact that so many issues are still up in the air could end up being to blame for many things not making the finished product.
Being able to turn into werewolves may not make it into the retail release of Skyrim, but fans can’t be that upset to learn that it was considered, but ultimately cancelled in order to make the game better as a whole. But now we can move from shape-shifting, and onto the question of mounts.
In this day and age, the mere mention of dragons brings to mind images of either fighting or flying one. So when Howard first revealed that dragons would play a major role in the game’s story, many wondered if that meant that they would be fulfilling their childhood dreams of soaring on the wings of giants.
While Howard told fans that they shouldn’t count on riding any dragons, he did give some information about the team’s approach to horses in Skyrim. Describing the horses of Oblivion as closer to “jeeps” than actual living creatures, Howard reiterated his previous sentiment that the developers were working on it, but would only follow through if they felt it could make the game better:
“We don’t know where it’s going to end up. There were things with the Oblivion horses- we like having them, but there are certain things… they weren’t the greatest implementation of horses. And now you see games come out like Red Dead, you know, there are more horses in games that we feel like just the basic implementation we did in Oblivion isn’t going to be good enough. So, we are currently attempting things with that and we don’t know where it’s going to end up.
“A world without them feels a little weird, without seeing them… So, we definitely want to have them… we don’t know yet what you’re going to be able to do with them, and to what level.”
While it probably isn’t the yes or no answer fans were likely hoping for, a ‘maybe’ seems to be the most that we can expect this far from release. The team at Bethesda is obviously intent on giving their fans a game that is improved by past mistakes, not simply bigger or prettier.
They’ve already revealed the major changes they’ve brought to the menu systems and to the combat specializations, so it would be an understatement to say that they’ve got their hands full. After all, are the additions of mounts and shape-shifting worth it, if the game turns out worse?
We defer to Bethesda’s judgment, since nearly every bit of detail they give us only helps Skyrim climb even higher on the list of our most anticipated games.
Unfortunately the wait won’t be over anytime soon, since The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim doesn’t arrive until November 11, for the PS3, PC, and Xbox 360.
Source: Game Informer
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I’d like to change into a Werewolf. Where wolf? There wolf. There castle.
They should allow us to ride dragons but only when we beat the game that way it does not defeat the purpose of exploring. Bethesda please make us ride dragons. Also riding mammoths would be cool.
Well i mean if we could ride bears or mountain lions or even have armor on our horses would make up for not being able to ride dragons.They should also let us buy mounts.
I think that you should have dragons in it to ride, but not like immediatley, like more towards the game and stuff like that. And if you are going to make horses, you might as well bring back the unicorn.
I ment more towards the end of the game
Man, no dragons. i just want a game that i can fight in with amazing quests and a nice storyline. id say add another guild. And make secrets that are just hard to find amazing things like in Fallout New Vegas. but please please dont make it like fallout 3 where if i steal 10 things im evil. that was stupid.
You should put the werewolves back, i think it would be a great thing to have in the game, i know i would play it a lot more if their werewolves in it, oh and bring back treasure hunting because in oblivion you had to be a certain level for amours or weapons to appear and that kind of made it suck a little.
if it has werewolfs I wood pay 70$ to play it.and if you needed more time I can’t see why you couldn’t push the release date back to make it a perfect game
I sooooooooo agree
I have been a Elderscroll fan since Arena I played it nearly 2o years. I played my Were boar from Daggerfall for over 5 years.
DO NOT TELL BETHESDA SOFT I WOULD NOT BE UP SET IF THERE NO VAMPIRES OR WEREWOLVES!!!!
AFTER THAT CRAP JOB IN OBLIVION I DESERVE THEM !!!! HOW DARE YOU SPEAK IN ARE NAME Andrew Dyce!!!!
I WANT MY VAMPIRES!!!!! UPSET YES? I AM UPSET!!!!!
I hope we can turn into a Werewolf in Skyrim, but that said, it sould be something that happens every full moon and not when ever you want to. GO SKYRIM!!
I agree with that. Also with mounts I think it would be cool to have wagons and you can buy horses for it and store your equipment and stuff in them, and being able to dye your clothing, and add cloaks/capes. Lastly you should be able to have dogs as a companion.
They prolly know that fans were upset that their were no wearwolves I see them being in skyrim I think you should be able to get a dragons. Egg and raise it to be tame kinda like a pet in fable 3
I agree. we should get an egg and be able to raise it. that would be so cool. We wouldn’t get it right away, of course, but maybe halfway or even a special side quest where you have to find a nest would be cool. ut even without im still going to get this probably but not right away. i’ll probaly wait to see if our dreams come true. Hell they could even make it a DLC quest. Just as long as it happens
Okay I have been playing oblivion since it came out and I have also played abit of the games b fore it but all I ask is that u add werewolves. We need them in this game I hated not having werewolves in oblivion. I can’t stand the vampires in that game either. All I ask is that there are werewolves in Skyrim. And I always wanted to know why you never made a werewolf expansion pack for oblivion it would have made the game heck of alot more fun. So I should tell you I have wanting and hoping that you made another elder scrolls gameand well… ITS ABOUT DAMN TIME
honestly there should be werewolves producers if your reading this there will be a decrease in profits. If there are not also, I love the games but I would like to see werewolves in the game. I would also like to be able to transform into them also if you are only able to turn into a werewolf on a fullmoon then in a month there should be a good amount of fullmoons. Like if your in a village and you see its getting dark you should make the player seem like oh crap I need to get out of her because I am about to change. Three more things 1you should aslo be able to go around with a pack,2you should have it were you can run on all fours or your hind legs because I honestly hate running on all fours you should be able too choose also you should give the werewolf more abilitys like you guys did the vampire in oblivion and lastley better graphics when you change it should look more realsitc by ending this very long comment i would like to say “I LOVE ELDER SCROLLS IF YOU GUYS DONT GET GAME OF THE YEAR THEN SOMETHING IS TOTALY WRONG WITH EVERY1″ BEST GAME EVER
wow ok so when i think of dragons since that seems to be what its based around more, i also to think of vampires and werewolves, i mean we were able to become a vampire in oblivion, why not spend a little more time and add something else that would get alot of hits…yea true you guys are the ones who is making the game, but were the one who has to pay to play, so i strongly thing us gamers as a community have a right to have our ideas and thoughts answered…
they should defiantly put the ability to transform into werewolves. if it had werewolves believe me, i would pay 100 dollars for the game and play it like theres no tomorrow
I even 200 dollar and play it til it bores me. Howlong it takes? till TEC 20 is released
Put horses! in Fallout3 I was so annoyed with all the walking. I know you wanna show off the scenary but it will be shown off with horses also just give us something to ride. walking on feet really does bother my patience lol -__-
As an active contributer in the elder scrolls saga i would say as it is werewolves would be a very good idea just look at all the mods on oblivion for werewolves wouldnt that be great on consoles come on bethesda deliver
Bethesda will most-likely put werewolves in Skyrim. I mean Bloodmoons setting was in a place called Solstheim & thats a Mining Village in Skyrim. So when it posts through my Letterbox im gonna go to Solstheim & fight some Werewolves til i get infected ^^
i wish they would let us become werewolfs, and make it longer than oblivion because their were only like 10 storyline quests on oblivion so….. i hope theres more quests and maybe RIDE A DRAGON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SKYRIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I agree we should get a dragon egg quest so we can raise a dragon for our awesome designed characters and that we should call our dragons by dragon tail for reaches hard and long times
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