The gameplay in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has aged tremendously well since its release in 2011, but Bethesda should still plan an overhaul of the game's sneaking system for The Elder Scrolls 6, as it was too overpowered. Although not too powerful to begin with, leveling up stealth in Skyrim was incredibly easy and provided massive boosts in combat, eventually making it so that players could crouch in the open and not be seen by the game's enemies. When paired with archery, players could one-shot enemies while remaining undetected in full view, as hostile characters would be unable to see the Dragonborn even if they weren't concealed by the environment.

Apart from it being way more viable to use than melee or magic combat, using stealth in Skyrim fed into a repetitive gameplay loop where each encounter involved the same process of hitting the crouch button and picking off enemies one by one. The sneaking skill was also incredibly easy to use if players wished to steal from Skyrim's NPCs, making it less difficult to attain wealth within the game. Sneaking making the game less challenging could be ignored if players made a character build that prioritized melee or magic combat, but for those who wanted to pursue the Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild questlines, it was unavoidable.

Related: New Playable Races The Elder Scrolls 6 Could Introduce

There are plenty of different aspects of Skyrim's gameplay that should be updated for The Elder Scrolls 6, but sneaking requires a big overhaul. Apart from it presenting a lack of challenge in its current form, it's also just not that fun to play compared to the other options available to players. Arguably worse is that makes the AI seem clumsy, and although Skyrim's bugs and quirks are part of its charm, they may be less tolerable in a full sequel, particularly since highlights of the previous console generation like The Last of Us 2 and Dishonored 2 included polished and deep stealth mechanics. Granted there's a lot more to The Elder Scrolls than just combat, but it's still a core pillar of its experience and is something that should be addressed now that Bethesda has the backing of Xbox for The Elder Scrolls 6.

Deepening Stealth In TES6 Would Bring More Role-Playing Opportunities

A character aiming a bow at a draugr in Skyrim

The Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild quests might be some of Skyrim's best, but that's arguably more down to their darker narratives than the missions themselves. Sneaking simply highlights the jankiest aspects of Skyrim, whether that be the poor enemy AI or the overall floaty feel of the game's combat. This potentially has the undesired effect of funneling players into different roles that prioritize action, where Skyrim's shortcomings are less noticeable. Many players are sure to be able to overlook the game's limited approach to stealth, but for those used to the more compelling systems seen in titles like Dishonered or Shadow of Mordor, the gulf in quality could prove frustrating enough to restart Skyrim with a different character build.

This is why nailing stealth in The Elder Scrolls 6 could be really important. By making sneaking more challenging and potentially as exciting as melee or magic combat, Bethesda could make The Elder Scrolls 6 more immersive than Skyrim and encourage players to try different characters that would specialize in different aspects of combat. This isn't to say that the next entry should abolish the option of going for a jack-of-all-trades build, but rather that stealth and sneaking should feel more distinct and fleshed out, and how that, in turn, could introduce more role-playing opportunities. Chances are that most players who used sneaking in combat throughout Skyrim paired it with the archery skill tree to get the most out of it, but a deeper version of the system in The Elder Scrolls 6 could make other weapons like daggers just as viable.

Bethesda is still yet to reveal much if any information regarding The Elder Scrolls 6, but as the studio hopefully reflects on the best and worst of Skyrim as it develops its sequel, players can hope that sneaking will receive a much-needed upgrade. The current system seen in Skyrim feels underdeveloped compared to the other combat options present in the game, and given the leaps other games have made since then in fleshing out their own stealth systems, it's something The Elder Scrolls 6 should really address.

Next: Skyrim's White-Gold Concordat & What It Means For The Elder Scrolls 6