Summary
Bethesda, more than video games (or re-releases ofSkyrim) sell dreams; dreams of infinite worlds or star systems, fantasies of power in pristine worlds, or reveries of mechanized mayhem in post-apocalyptic playgrounds. They have taken chances (and have succeeded or failed) with big projects. But since there is only so much time in the world and investor patience, some ofBethesda’s biggest ambitions were left grounded so that other projects could take off.
Some of these abandoned projects even have documentation of their progress, some were midway through cooking, while others were simply a sparkle in Todd Howard’s eye and a few design documents lost in some desk draw. While Bethesda has pulled off some masterworks in its prime, as the chess club master himself would (never) say, sometimes a project just doesn’t work.
6Doom 4
Many gamers may be thanking their lucky lords of Hell that this one never came to fruition given the incredible, rip-raw quality ofDOOM(2016). While Bethesda did go on to publish it, ID Software ultimately brought the new adventures of the Doom Slayer to life, but the legendary Maryland-based studio was once knee-deep in the demon trenches trying to resurrect the franchise sometime in 2013.
The game was canceled due to its resemblance to the then-red-hotCall of Dutyfranchise and lack of “DOOM-like elements” (presumably thespeed, gore, and bombastic gameplay that the earlier games were known for), earning it the nickname “Call of Doom.” Thanks to a short documentary byYouTube’s own NoClip, fans can look at what could have been and breathe a (fiery) sigh of relief.
5The 10th Planet
Many followers of Bethesda’s works will know thatStarfieldwas a game the company had been wanting years, even decades, to make. Perhaps the seeds ofStarfieldbegan with a little game calledThe 10th Planet, which was being developed between Bethesda and another studio called Centropolis. Only a dark and mysterious trailer exists showing off the world and some of the story beats of the game.
In reality, however, the game was canned before pre-production had finished because they “couldn’t get the game looking as good” as the promotional material, and Centropolis had other commitments to meet. The game would have featured a war-torn solar system, fleets of reptilian alien invaders, and some jaw-dropping spaceship designs. Perhaps the company felt burned on the project even so many decades later, withStarfield’s ships giving a realistic, clean, NASA-punk look, winning out over the lurid and alien styling of their lost sci-fi epic.
4Eye Of Argonia / Paradise Sugar
During theirMorrowindera, Bethesda was stretching their creative muscles by trying to tell as many stories about the world of the Elder Scrolls as they could. While ambitious (but highly flawed), 1998’sElder Scrolls Adventures: Redguarddidn’t do as well as Bethesda had hoped. However, some fans may be surprised to hear that the swashbuckling pirate adventure was intended to be the first in a series of three.
The series would have taken players to the mysterious, murky, and inhospitable swamps of Black Marsh in a title called “Eye of Argonia.” The third, “Paradise Sugar,” would have sent players to the Khajiit land of Elseweyr, a vast expanse of jungle and desert sands, birthplace of the highly addictive fictional substance, moon sugar. Although very little is known about the projects,Elder Scrollsplayers at least got to see these provinces inThe Elder Scrolls Online, without having to deal with the jank of Redguard’s engine.
3Battlecry
At a time when games likeOverwatchwere practically printing money for studios all over the gaming world, it must have only been natural for the money heads at Bethesda to toy with the idea of building a game like that of their own. The result wasBattlecry, created by then-named Battlecry Studios (now Bethesda Austin). The game has an industrial-revolution look to it with seriousDishonoredvibes.
The team originally set up the studio to bring their vision to life. Unfortunately, after their acquisition, they were tasked with tinkering with Bethesda’s Creation engine to make way for Fallout 76’s multiplayer. By 2015, the game wasde factoshelved. While this type of multiplayer battler was a dime a dozen in the mid-2010s, it is a shame thatBattlecrynever saw the light of day, as being a Bethesda-led title,the hero shooter would likely have been packed with great lore and world-building. However, after so many years since the last playable demo in 2015, any fresh news about the game is unlikely to surface.
2Prey 2
After an abduction, a US soldier finds themselves on a Cyberpunk-alien world called Exodus. The original was filled with weird, alien weaponry,Portal-esque portals (pre-Portal), and death-cheating spirit-roaming segments. Any fan of this would-be series will attest that it had all the makings of a much-beloved franchise. Alas, it was not to be.
While Arkane Studios’Prey(2017) turned out to beone of the greatest first-person immersive sims of all time, manyPreyfans still feel burned that a sequel to their belovedPreyis forever lost, in part thanks to Bethesda’s use of the franchise’s name (just to retain the rights), and because the game’s Alpha looked so promising in a hands-on presentation at E3 2011. In more bad news, for gamers who did not have the pleasure of experiencing it, the original is still unavailable on most PC digital storefronts.
1The Elder Scrolls Travels: Oblivion (PSP)
This game was in development long enough that there is even footage of some early builds of the game floating about online.The Elder Scrolls Travels: Oblivion(presumably the “travels” part comes from the PSP’s portability, as with the otherTravelsentry, the N-Gage’sShadowkey) was the impressive attempt at puttingOblivion’s then-groundbreaking visuals into the PSP. Rather than attempting an open world, Bethesda wisely decided to plan for ten levels with a central hub location tying it together.
While that may sound disappointing, the story would take the player allacross the continent of Tamriel(but with a focus on High Rock) in a battle against a mysterious figure named “Zhurl” in a story that took place parallel to theOblivionthat fans know, love, and meme on today. The idea was to show off that the Oblivion Crisis brought on by Manmankar Camoran and Dagoth Ur was a continent-wide event that engulfed every part of the empire.
