Bethesda is at a strange point in its history. For the first time in over two decades, the developer will be releasing a new IP in the form of sci-fi RPG Starfield. Although part of its flagship fantasy franchise, Todd Howard recently described The Elder Scrolls 6 as still being in the "design" phase despite it being announced over three years ago. The future of the Fallout franchise remains a mystery.
Other developers have found success remastering their older titles. Halo and, more recently, Mass Effect: Legendary Edition both remastered their classic original trilogies to great success. Here are the Bethesda games most deserving of a remaster, and why each one is a good candidate.
The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind
Morrowind is one of the most beloved Elder Scrolls games. The Elder Scrolls 3 took players to the island of Vvardenfell, and it quickly became apparent just how much the game's setting broke previous high fantasy molds. There were giant War of the Worlds-esque bug creatures, strange architecture, and the introduction of religious concepts which were mainly inspired by influences beyond the Hellenic and Norse pantheons. The game had a rich story which few Bethesda titles since have been able to match, making its bizarre and alien world feel truly alive.
The game's age shows, however, especially for fans of the franchise who got onboard with Oblivion or Skyrim and are now exploring earlier titles. Nevertheless, Morrowind remains one of the Bethesda games most deserving of a remaster because while its graphics haven't aged well, its concepts are still among the most creative ever developed for The Elder Scrolls.
Both Oblivion and Skyrim took a more traditional fantasy route, while Morrowind took aesthetic influence from the Sumerian civilization, Hinduism, and more to create a rich world whose graphics no longer live up to its original ambition. Morrowind certainly has some of the most striking visuals of any Bethesda game from the tech-infused and bloated body of the last Dwemer to the asteroid suspended over Vivec City. Seeing those concepts realized in more modern graphics could be jaw-dropping.
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion
Oblivion is both more recent that Morrowind, and in some ways less visually unique. Although the game was acclaimed, some fans criticized its world as less interesting that the one players got to explore in The Elder Scrolls 3, especially after Cyrodiil was retconned from being a lush jungle to a more generic temperate climate. Oblivion, however, could also be a more suitable candidate for a full remaster than Morrowind. While it seems unlikely that Bethesda would remaster Morrowind by hiring actors to perform all of the game's unspoken lines, Oblivion is already fully voice-acted. Its character designs in particular, however, have not aged well.
Mods like Oblivion Character Overhaul show just how many visual improvements can be made to a game like Oblivion while still working within the confines of the game's engine. A version of The Elder Scrolls 4 which improved on the original game's clunky character models and brought them more in-line with the designs found in Morrowind and Skyrim could bring a lot of fans back to Oblivion.
With the dialogue and combat mechanics already more recognizable to fans who joined the series with Skyrim, an Oblivion remaster could be one of the most cost-effective routes for Bethesda to go down. The modding community has already shown just how good this 2006 release can look. With Bethesda Game Studios' resources behind a remaster, it could stand to revive Oblivion for a new generation. It would also be great to see Oblivion with some AI tweaks, helping to give Cyrodiil's NPCs the truly dynamic lives the game was originally unable to deliver.
Fallout 3
As with Oblivion, Fallout 3 is a great candidate for a remaster where significant improvements could be made without expending huge amounts of resources. The Fallout series has struggled to keep up its acclaim in recent years. Fallout 76 tried to take the series to multiplayer to mixed reviews, while many fans consider Fallout 4 a better shooter than it is an RPG. Going back to Fallout 3 could help restore some of the series' credibility without the risks of making another full-fledged Fallout game.
As with Oblivion's character models, Fallout 4's customization options leave a lot to be desired. In another similarity with Oblivion, mods like Fallout Character Overhaul demonstrate just how much better the game can look without needing to be fully remade. Returning to Fallout's Capital Wasteland and seeing it brought back to life in all its post-apocalyptic glory wouldn't just be a treat for Fallout fans, but a reminder of what Bethesda is capable of at its best.
Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout: New Vegas may be the Bethesda game most deserving of a remaster, although technically it was developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Bethesda. It is the story of the game's development, however, that shows just how much potential a remaster could have. Fallout: New Vegas is a fantastic RPG with some of the most memorable characters in the franchise, great dialogue, and a unique western spin on the series. It achieved all that despite a constrictive development timeline which saw major parts of the game, including a far larger version of New Vegas itself, to be cut before the retail release.
It seems unlikely that Obsidian will work with Bethesda again, but Bethesda could go back and remaster some elements of New Vegas, expanding the strip and updating the graphics to truly bring Obsidian's original vision to life. Fans have been asking for a New Vegas remaster or sequel for years, and a remastered version of Fallout: New Vegas could be very successful. As well as working on Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6, Bethesda's Austin Office has been working on a mysterious, unannounced project. It's possible the secondary studio is already working on remastering an older Bethesda game, but for now fans can only wait and see.