Bethesda Game Studios

Bethesda Game Studios has virtually defined the modern open-world fantasy sandbox RPG. The ability of Bethesda as a studio to draw the player in and fully immerse them in a world that feels real is its greatest strength. Bethesda was founded in 1986, but it wasn't until 1996 that it truly established itself. That was the year Daggerfall was released. It has over 15,000 cities, towns, and villages scattered across a procedurally generated world that would take you days to walk across in real life.

Bethesda Game Studios' Morrowind took things up a notch with 3D graphics, improved stories, and a more "alien" world. It forewent Daggerfall's ridiculously large map in favor of a smaller, handcrafted alternative, but it didn't have to give up much depth in the process. With DND-style dice rolls for attacks, gear pieces that slot to individual parts of your body, and custom spell creation, the game remains quite complex. Bethesda's newer games, such as Fallout 3, Skyrim, and Oblivion, are all advanced in terms of graphics, world simulation, and scope, though often at the expense of core mechanical complexity.

Detailed Information:

Founded: 2001
Genre specialty: First-person open-world RPGs
Notable franchises: The Elder Scrolls, Fallout

Website: bethesdagamestudios.com