Skyrimmay be the most popular and successful game inThe Elder Scrollsfranchise, but the series’ roots stretch back to 1994. While the older Bethesda games may feel dated to modern audiences, they offer a glimpse into the evolution ofThe Elder Scrollsfranchise.
Bethesda is now making things easier on video game archeologists by bringing four earlyElder Scrollsgames plus2003’s multiplayer FPSWolfenstein: EnemyTerritoryto Steam. These include some of Bethesda’s more obscure titles, and fans can even pick up three of these games for free.
RELATED:Rumor: The Elder Scrolls 6 ‘Leak’ Claims to Reveal Setting, Features, and More
The classic Bethesda games now available on Steam areThe Elder Scrolls: Arena,The Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall,An Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire, andThe Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard. The oldestElder Scrollsgames,ArenaandDaggerfall, are free, as isWolfenstein: Enemy Territory. Meanwhile,BattlespireandRedguard are $5 each. However, it’s not clear whether the free games will stay that way forever, so players may want to act quickly just in case.
Released for MS-DOS in 1994,Arena is both the firstElder Scrollsgameand the first original IP developed by Bethesda Softworks. A first-person game with early 3D graphics reminiscent ofDoom, it features hundreds of dungeons scattered across an infinite procedurally generated world. Players must traverse Tamriel to free the Emperor and depose the evil sorcerer who took his throne. New players should be careful, though, as Arena is infamous for its brutal early-game experience, with many players struggling to even escape the first dungeon.
Meanwhile, 1996’sThe Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfallintroduced several conceptsthat would become enduring parts ofThe Elder Scrollsseries. This includes introducing TES’s leveling system, where players level up their skills by using them instead of the more common experience-point system. It also introduced joinable factions and the option for players to become a vampire, werewolf, or wereboar. These all influence howDaggerfall’sNPCs view the player, a feature present inTES 3: Morrowindbut substantially toned down in the laterElder Scrollsgames.
An Elder Scrolls Legend: BattlespireandThe Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguardare unusual installments inThe Elder Scrollsseries. The first game is essentially one giant dungeon crawl through the titularBattlespire. Players must traverse the spire to rescue their friend from Mehrunes Dagon, the Daedric Prince of Destruction.Redguard, on the other hand, is unique in the series for being a third-person action game reminiscent ofPrince of Persia. It’s also the onlyElder Scrollstitle with a predefined protagonist
ArenaandDaggerfallare both important stages in the elevation of modern Bethesda games. Meanwhile,BattlespireandRedguardoffer interesting glimpses into what the franchise could have become. If nothing else, these retro games now on Steam giveElder Scrollsfans something to do asthe wait forThe Elder Scrolls 6drags on.
