» Thu May 19, 2011 4:23 pm Immersion.
The Elder Scrolls is about to lose something. There were moments in Oblivion and Morrowind, whether in the Arena or the Wilderness, when you engaged in combat with an opponent you had never seen, and had no idea how strong it was. Your health drained, you gulped down every potion in your inventory, and you didn't run, you held your ground- and kept your sword swinging knowing each strike could be the last.
It was a a brilliant feeling. It was realistic. It was immersive. By not having enemy health bars, Bethesda made a statement about its RPGs. Their RPGs were not just games, they were escapist realities, stimulating the senses not just of playing a game but of dreaming or reading a novel. By adding health bars to every individual, the NPS and monsters in Skyrim will be less visceral creatures worth wondering at and more conglomerations of empirical hit points. Even if this was always true, it's nice to believe it isnt.
Having enemy health bars does not ruin this. Skyrim will no doubt still be a phenomenal game. But I will look forward to the first mod removing them. I would like to wander in my Tamriel, not knowing every hit point of everyone around me. This isn't World of Warcraft. This is Elder Scrolls. This is Skyrim.
