Advantages and Disadvantages of a Vast Starfield-like Open World

When it comes to exploration, Bethesda has long been a trailblazer, especially with its iconic series like The Elder Scrolls and Fallout. These games are celebrated for their expansive worlds where discovering hidden gems, unearthing lore, and engaging in unexpected encounters transforms every journey into an adventure. With The Elder Scrolls 6 on the horizon, the stakes are high as it follows in the footsteps of Skyrim and Starfield, with Starfield potentially serving as a new benchmark for scale and ambition.

Considering an open world for The Elder Scrolls 6 that mirrors Starfield’s vastness brings its own set of positives and negatives. While Starfield has nailed some aspects of its open world, it’s not without its flaws. Should The Elder Scrolls 6 decide to adopt a similar approach in scale, the outcome could bring both advantages and drawbacks, sparking debate about whether it should mirror Starfield’s expansive nature.

There’s no denying that a larger map could allow The Elder Scrolls 6 to craft an even more enriched world. While Starfield boasts an impressive 1,700 planets across 120 solar systems, The Elder Scrolls 6 could create a similarly expansive world by focusing on density rather than sheer size. Starfield’s vastness sometimes means its content is stretched thin, so a denser, more intricately populated world could give The Elder Scrolls 6 an edge, making its open world feel as grand as Starfield’s but packed with more intricacies per square mile.

A sprawling, Starfield-sized world would provide The Elder Scrolls 6 with the opportunity to enhance exploration beyond what Skyrim offered—a game often hailed as a masterful achievement in open-world design. This could mean a larger variety of secrets, more intricate factions to engage with, dramatic vertical landscapes, and side quests that surpass those in Skyrim in terms of depth and intrigue.

On the flip side, scaling up the open world brings the risk of it feeling barren if not done expertly. The larger a game world, the more challenging it becomes to fill that space without it becoming monotonous. Starfield fell into this trap at times, with its many planets offering similar sceneries and experiences, making deeper exploration feel less rewarding.

This challenge isn’t one easily overcome, as sustaining player interest over hundreds of hours in such a large world has historically been quite difficult. If The Elder Scrolls 6 aims for a world similar in scope to Starfield’s, it’s possible that it might encounter similar criticisms. Given the mixed reception of Bethesda’s recent titles, it might be wise for The Elder Scrolls 6 to tread carefully with ambitions of such magnitude.

Yet, it’s not entirely out of reach to create an open world that matches Starfield in size and still succeeds in captivating players. Such a task is undeniably demanding, but there’s hope that The Elder Scrolls 6 could rise to the challenge and deliver a surprising experience that exceeds expectations.