What We Want To See From Microsoft & Bethesda's Partnership

Maybe you already saw this one coming. A lot of people loved Fallout New Vegas when it was first released a decade ago – published by Bethesda and developed by Obsidian Entertainment. Obsidian has been busy with their own RPG experiences ever since. The Pillars of Eternity series was a blast from the past and a spiritual successor to Baldur’s Gate. The Outer Worlds took home plenty of “Best RPG” awards last year, and Avowed looks to be an intense smorgasbord of medieval-era story beats and sword-swinging combat. Now that Obsidian and Bethesda are together under Microsoft’s extensive umbrella, Fallout New Vegas 2’s announcement and development might not be such a stretch anymore.

Depending on your final choices as Morgan Yu at the end of Prey, there might not be much of a story left to tell … but we still want to return to this universe. Prey 2 could possibly focus on the aftermath of a potential Typhon outbreak, and it would be interesting to fight and survive in the denser, outdoor locations of Earth as opposed to the cramped, claustrophobic passageways of derelict space stations. There’s also the chance that Prey 2 could have its own standalone story with a new protagonist and new enemies. Only time will tell what the team has in store for its Prey playerbase. 

Tango Gameworks’ Ghostwire Tokyo looks to be a terrifying action-thriller set in a night-shrouded Tokyo. However, much of its psychedelic visuals are reminiscent of The Evil Within’s various monsters and ghouls. By the end of The Evil Within 2’s narrative, we find out that all is not as it seems. In many ways, The Evil Within 3 can explore numerous storylines stemming from the previous game’s finale. I’d be excited to delve into a different timeline as a new, original character where Mobius’ evil schemes are finally realized and the world is under their psychological control. 

Okay, yes, this entry is as ridiculous as it sounds, but hear me out. Doom and Halo, when melted down to their basic components, are quite similar: They both feature a one-man-army protagonist shotgunning hordes of strange-looking creatures in the face to some pretty kick-ass soundtracks. Doomguy and Master Chief are both iconic heroes, it would be awesome to play as the two of them and pummel some weird mixture of the Covenant and demons in a cooperative mode. With id Software and 343 Industries under the same corporate banner, it’s not impossible.

We know that both of these games have been officially announced, but how could we not include them on the list? During Bethesda’s E3 2018 press conference, Todd Howard revealed both Starfield and The Elder Scrolls VI with short teaser trailers. Not much is known about Starfield or The Elder Scrolls VI other than the fact that they will definitely be next-gen experiences. If the success of Fallout and previous Elder Scrolls entries were any indication of the detailed storytelling and sheer scope of Bethesda’s sandboxes, then these upcoming titles will likely be just as immersive and unforgettable. 

Skyrim is one of the most available and popular AAA titles out there. But is it safe to assume that Starfield or The Elder Scrolls VI won’t follow suit? Microsoft’s Phil Spencer stated that Xbox-exclusivity for future releases will operate on a case-by-case basis so it stands to reason that both IPs could very well be multi-platform games.