Bethesda is arguably one of the best publishers of our generation. They haven’t come out with a bad game yet, although some were sub-par before patches. They are an extremely forward-thinking company. Bethesda was an incredible publisher (and developer, although Bethesda Game Studios acts under their parent publisher) before this console cycle, but they have really come into their own during this generation. While their games aren’t necessarily plentiful, every release has a level of quality that other studios simply lack. This year’s Prey seems to be their weakest link, but it still scored roughly an 84 on Metacritic. Bethesda has also attracted some of the biggest names in gaming, with Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami developing The Evil Within, which was a survival-horror title in the same vein of his signature series Resident Evil (and arguably surpassed most recent installments). The Evil Within 2 comes out in just a few weeks and we absolutely cannot wait to get our hands on it and see what Mikami-san has in store for us next.
Fallout 4, was, well, Fallout. It sucked players in and the GOTY edition came out roughly a week ago, giving those who missed out on it the opportunity to purchase the game along with all of the DLC. Doom is another game that Bethesda has released within the past year that excited gamers, and now there is even a version for the Nintendo Switch coming out. Wolfenstein II is releasing later this year, again with a Nintendo Switch version coming early next year. Skyrim coming to the Switch needs no explanation, despite the game’s age. Dishonored 2 is yet another game that falls under Bethesda’s umbrella of high-quality titles and was met with universal praise. Do you realize a pattern here?
Bethesda is even bringing their games to VR. Skyrim, Fallout VR, and Doom have all been given release dates. Skyrim is coming to the PlayStation VR on November 17, Doom VFR is coming to both the PSVR and the HTC Vive on December 1, and Fallout 4 will be releasing in VR on the Vive on December 12. This is yet another example where Sony has a clear edge over Microsoft, and the fact of the matter is is that PlayStation has their own dedicated VR hardware, while Microsoft seems lost on that front despite the fact that they are coming out with the most powerful gaming console ever created.
Bethesda’s support of the Nintendo Switch is also very important. They see the trends, they see the potential of the machine, and they are utilizing it while their competitors sit back and simply watch. This is a huge mistake on their competitors part. When the dust settles, Bethesda will reign supreme and Nintendo Switch owners will eat Bethesda’s games up. There’s no question about it. There are already so many Switch owners who are ready to play Skyrim on the go. As far as I’m concerned, I’m most excited for Doom and Wolfenstein II. Wolfenstein II, being a new release, is an enormous accomplishment for Nintendo. While they are getting it a little later than their counterparts, honestly, being able to play that both on the go and in the comfort of my home will be a very satisfying.
Bethesda is a very forward-thinking company. They see the value in Virtual Reality and are bringing some of their best games to the forefront. They also see the upside to the Nintendo Switch, and while I do not expect them to bring every game to Nintendo’s hit console, the fact that they are showing it so much support so early on is very encouraging.
Bethesda knows what they are doing, both as a publisher and a developer. Honestly, there’s nothing I want to play more than Doom in VR as well as Wolfenstein II on my Nintendo Switch. If the Switch ends up coming out with VR hardware, that would make it all the better!
Bethesda is on fire and they’re skyrocketing ahead of their competitors. Only time will tell if they are able to catch up.