Bethesda’s reputation has seen better days, but one should not forget the decades of gaming goodness they gave fans before more rocky releases like Fallout 76. The fanbase has voiced their pleasure and frustration with the company the best way the internet knows how - through memes.
The ten listed below cover the whole spectrum of emotions regarding the company, from the recent controversies to running jokes surrounding the games. Hopefully, the company can regain its mojo with the upcoming Starfield and Elder Scrolls VI. Until then, fans can revisit the Elder Scrolls games or their contributions to the Fallout series.
Updated On September 25th, 2020 by Jason Wojnar: Bethesda has been in the news recently thanks to Microsoft’s recent acquisition of them. What this means for the future of the company besides more exclusive and day one Game Pass releases is still up in the air, but fans have already gotten quick to work on crafting memes around what is one of the most shocking gaming news stories of the year. The new memes added to this list all deal with this major business transaction, being both humorous and reflecting gamers’ hopes for what Bethesda might do under Microsoft.
15 Bugs Everywhere!
One infamous aspect of Bethesda games is the slew of bugs populating each release. Even their celebrated games like Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 3 had tons of glitches at launch, not all of which were remedied with future patches. The console ports had even more notorious issues, which only got worse as one progressed into the story. While it is cute to joke about, fans can only tolerate it for so long. What was once excusable fifteen years ago in a massive RPG is no longer acceptable.
14 Ah, The Canvas Bag
This meme is in reference to the canvas bag collectible that accompanied Fallout 76, was promised as a part of a 180$ special-edition. Most fans did not receive theirs upon release, instead waiting up to seven months for delivery.
On top of all the other controversies surrounding the multiplayer title, this only further angered legions of fans. While the game still has a long way to go, they have improved it enough to warrant a second chance.
13 They Can, It Just Would Not Be A Lot Of Fun
Any Bethesda fan knows playing one of the massive, open-world RPGs in third-person is more of a novelty than a valid way to engage with the environment. The protagonist’s animations look janky and aiming is harder in this perspective. It is nice to see the player character decked out in all their gear, however. Maybe future titles will better implement this viewpoint to make it a more viable gameplay alternative.
12 Yeah, But You Could Live In It For At Least One Hundred Hours
Thank goodness Bethesda is not in charge of architecture or city infrastructure. If they were, civilization would collapse within a day. Ten years ago at least one could count on it being filled with compelling side quests and interesting customization options. Now, it would most likely host a glorified audio log scavenger hunt.
11 Skyrim Is Everywhere
Skyrim has made it onto so many devices, it’ll probably end up on pocket calculators in a couple of years. They are due for a new re-release soon, considering the last port was a VR version in 2018. The game is large and filled with countless customization options, so re-releases only encourage fans to pick it up again and play through the world in a different way.
10 They Hurt Themselves, But They Can Heal Themselves Too
While it may be fun to poke fun at Bethesda, they are surely aware of fans’ displeasure with the current state of their games. Fans should not give up hope, however. Plenty of other developers have waded through deep waters to find glory again. Just think about Square Enix ten years ago versus where it is today, or Capcom before they released Resident Evil 7. Starfield and Elder Scrolls VI could be their big comeback.
9 Skyrim Grandma
The biggest piece of news about Elder Scrolls VI is this streamer’s inclusion in the game. For those not in the know, Shirley Curry is an elderly woman who made a name for herself streaming mostly Bethesda games.
She only discovered the hobby in her sixties, but became immediately enamored with the medium. Because of her love for the game and her place in the fandom, Bethesda announced that she will appear as an NPC in the next installment. This meme is all good vibes.
8 Not Completely Unbelievable
With Bethesda’s penchant for re-releasing Skyrim on every console under the sun, it is not completely unbelievable to see this happening in the future. Given the changing tide of the industry, it would not stick out as much as it did even five years ago. Most major games jump generations these days, using the new hardware to improve classic titles. With the recent merger between Bethesda and Microsoft, one wonders if a Skyrim re-release would make it onto PS5 or if it would be an Xbox exclusive.
7 2015 Was A Wild Year
Bethesda’s E3 2015 press conference really knocked it out of the park. Not only did they showcase all of these games, but Fallout 4 was to be released less than six months later. It was an especially notable press conference because 2014 was a dry gaming year in general, so to see all these titles on the horizon really felt like Todd Howard was the titular character of the Shel Silverstein story.
6 And Fans Loved Every Minute Of It
All the prior Elder Scrolls games take a similar toll on one’s social life, but Skyrim took off like no other Bethesda game. Going through the main quest may take anywhere between fifteen and twenty-five hours, but engaging with all of the other side quests will extend that to almost one hundred hours, and then there is the DLC. Few other single-player experiences touch this.
5 Cook Those Games Until They Are Done
Microsoft’s new era seems to let their partner studios work at their own pace without interfering with game development. However, a little kick in the butt could do a little good for a developer every now and then. While this meme speaks in jest, one would not mind if Bethesda was now afforded the luxury to work on a game and test it until they stamp out most of the major bugs and glitches. Players would be willing to wait a little longer for titles if it were to fix major technical issues.
4 Awkward
Obsidian Entertainment, which is made up of some developers who made the original Fallout, made Fallout: New Vegas, often considered the best of the first-person entries.
Considering the two companies’ histories with each other, finding each other among the crowd of first-party Microsoft studios might make for an awkward situation. Fans are hoping this will mean a Fallout: New Vegas 2 or some equivalent in the near future.
3 Now This Is Some DLC We Want
Where will Microsoft Flight Simulator go after the most recent release was set on the entire Earth? The recent purchase of Bethesda has given fans some ideas of what their next edition can do. After conquering the real world, why not take the action to a fantasy world like Tamriel? Breathing fire alone would be worth whatever price they charge for the DLC.
2 Fans’ Dreams
Some fans are seriously hoping for Obsidian to take another crack at the Fallout franchise now that they are both Microsoft studios. This scene from Justice League shows Bruce Wayne nonchalantly buying a bank as a favor to Superman. While this purchase may seem like a flex on Microsoft’s part, seven and a half billion dollars is not chump change, and it was not spent without some serious thought and consideration.
1 Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining
Some are seriously worried at this purchase, thinking Microsoft is trying to gain a monopoly on the gaming industry by consolidating all the biggest studios. However, even those who are worried about this cannot help but become excited at the prospect of Fallout: New Vegas returning in some form, whether it be a sequel or a remaster. While on this topic, why not let InXile Entertainment, the makers of Wasteland 3, make a new isometric RPG in the Fallout universe?
