In Bruce Nesmith's view, Bethesda has in recent years lacked an emphasis on the real consequences of player decisions.
Former lead designer of TES V: Skyrim Bruce Nesmith shared his view on what the next numbered entry in The Elder Scrolls series should be like. In an interview with PressBoxPR, he said that The Elder Scrolls VI should take a closer look at the experience of Baldur’s Gate 3 — one of the most successful and widely discussed role-playing games of recent years.
According to Nesmith, the key to Baldur’s Gate 3’s success lies in the feeling of real weight behind every choice. The game consistently demonstrates the consequences of player decisions, changing the world, the characters, and the course of events. In his opinion, this is exactly what Bethesda’s projects have been lacking in recent years.
The developer noted that the studio’s modern games have "drifted somewhat" away from the concept of radical consequences, whereas Baldur’s Gate 3 builds the entire gameplay experience around the idea of the player’s tangible influence on what happens. If he were still involved in making key decisions, this approach would be his top priority.
Nesmith left Bethesda in 2021, but continues to closely follow the industry’s development and regularly speaks about the future of role-playing games. Over the years at the studio, he took part in the creation of Daggerfall, Morrowind, and Oblivion, served as lead designer on Skyrim, wrote quests for Fallout 3, and also worked with the Dungeons & Dragons franchise.
