Best Progression Systems in Bethesda Games

Best Progression Systems in Bethesda Games

• Improve character skills by focusing on specific actions in games like Skyrim, making progression feel natural and tailored to player choices.
• Fallout 4 allows players to develop attributes and skills while exploring the wasteland, turning pre-war characters into survivors.
• Morrowind's classic RPG progression system lets players choose skills to upgrade and enhance, crucial for surviving in the game world.

Bethesda makes an assortment of games that commonly follow the RPG genre. With popular franchises like The Elder Scrolls and Fallout, players tend to level up through these RPGs using their individual progression systems. Bethesda has been one of the best for creating these progression systems, as players feel as if their character has improved for the better each level while aiming towards a certain build or type of play style for their character depending on the game.

Related

Most Selfless Characters In Bethesda Games, Ranked

Bethesda's RPGs have often introduced some of gaming's most interesting characters. The following ones would put everything on the line for others.

With this in mind, these are by far the best games by Bethesda, with brilliant progression systems that encourage players to build upon their character and watch them improve throughout the adventures they have.

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion

Level Up Skills Through Using Those Actions

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

Platform(s) PS3, Xbox 360, PCReleased March 20, 2006Developer(s) BethesdaGenre(s) RPG

Starting off strong, Oblivion is a classic Elder Scrolls title that encourages players to use the actions they want to level up more than anything else in the game. This means if players want to improve their character in a certain way that isn't like their usual play style, they will need to manually make that difference, so they can start leveling up different skills.

When players have increased their skill in various things, they are then able to level up by resting in a bed. This makes the progression of Oblivion feel far more natural, as improving skills feels like an entirely different day, even if the player only needs to sleep for an hour. Oblivion also encourages players to pick a build at the start of the game, so that the RPG focuses on improving certain skills more than others.

Fallout 4

Improve Attributes And Establish Skills While Exploring

Fallout 4

Platform(s) Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, PS5, PS4, PC, Xbox OneReleased November 10, 2015Developer(s) BethesdaGenre(s) Action, RPG

Bethesda has made more than fantasy titles, as Fallout 4 is another brilliant RPG from the developers that is not only a great game to explore but also has a brilliant progression for players that wish to see their character grow. Starting the game, players will choose their starting attributes, but these won't matter until they have finally been let out to adventure across the radiated wasteland.

Related

Bethesda Games With The Best Villain Rosters, Ranked

Bethesda games have spawned plenty of iconic villains. These are the games with the most impressive villainous lineup.

With a Pip-Boy on their wrist, players can now start using their skill points to uncork various skills as well as increase their attributes even further. To reach the higher levels of the Pip-Boy skill tree, players will require even more points in specific attributes to turn their inexperienced pre-war character into the battle-hardened survivor of the new world they are stuck in.

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim

Shouts That Are Unlocked Through Exploration

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Platform(s) PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 3Released November 11, 2011Developer(s) Bethesda Game StudiosGenre(s) Action, RPG, Adventure

The Elder Scrolls is another Bethesda franchise that has some of the best progression in RPG gaming history. Like previous Elder Scrolls titles, Skyrim allows players to increase their various skills through doing activities that are related to them. For example, the more conjuration spells a player uses, the quicker that skill will increase, which will then allow players to purchase spell books of better quality.

Not to mention that each skill tree is easy to understand, so players can easily choose where to use their skill points. Players can then separately put points into their Health, Stamina, and Magicka. Alongside this skill progression, after unlocking a specific part of the main story, players can also start to use the Dragon Shouts that the Dragonborn is known for. Finding the words to earn these shouts or make them more powerful is found through exploration and completing various quests, not to mention defeating dragons to use their souls to unlock them.

The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind

A Classic RPG Progression System

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

Platform(s) Xbox (Original), PCReleased May 1, 2002Developer(s) Bethesda Game StudiosGenre(s) RPG

Morrowind may not be the first game in the Elder Scrolls franchise, but it's one that players commonly praise for its classic RPG progression system. As seen in the likes of Oblivion, Morrowind is the title that first encouraged players to use whatever skills they wanted to upgrade and enhance themselves. Besides this, choosing a build and focusing on certain features is important for those who wish to mini-maximize their character and have a chance at surviving in Morrowind.

Related

Best Bethesda Games For Mods

Games both developed and published by Bethesda are no strangers to mods. Here's which ones remain the best for modded content, even years after.

Players will also wish to look into the various guilds available in Morrowind and progressing through them will help players level, with many of the later quests of these guilds being a lot harder to complete. Overall, Bethesda made a great classic RPG that allowed players to progress at their own pace.

Starfield

Unlock Special Starborn Abilities Through The Main Story

Starfield

Platform(s) Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, PCReleased September 6, 2023Developer(s) BethesdaGenre(s) Action, RPG

While Starfield had its issues when it was released, with many players expecting more from Bethesda, it cannot be denied that Starfield by far has one of the best progression systems in a game developed by Bethesda. Besides having the usual progression systems of Bethesda games such as earning experience to level up the player's character and therefore allowing them to purchase various skills.

Some of these skills also unlock various other things for the player, such as new upgrades for their ship, as well as adding other mechanics such as the stealth meter. Players can't just purchase the next rank of skill but must instead unlock it by completing the skills challenge. Alongside this, the magical space powers players can also unlock in the game aren't just purchased like other skills, as players must progress through the main story of Starfield to unlock all sorts of interesting powers and find the buildings they can be found in.

More

Best Bethesda Protagonists With Villainous Tendencies

Despite the heroics of most Bethesda protagonists, some aren't afraid to be a little bad, providing wastelands and fantasy worlds with villainy.