One of the most popular names in the video game community, Bethesda has been responsible for some of the most iconic titles the community has ever seen. Be it the classic Elder Scrolls franchise or the adrenaline-fueled gravy train known as Doom, Bethesda has earned the praise from old-school and new-gen gamers alike. The recent acquisition of Bethesda by Microsoft has opened a lot of possibilities for either company and has given the community a lot to look forward to as well.
Currently, the massive fanbase is waiting patiently for the upcoming unique FPS title Deathloop to hit the stores, although the publishers have postponed its release. As the community awaits the final release date of Deathloop, here is a list of titles from the house that gifted the world a blockbuster hit known as the Wolfenstein franchise.
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Bethesda Softworks developed and published its own titles almost for the first two decades of its existence. In a way, these titles shaped the direction the publishing house would take. Even during the initial years, Bethesda showcased a huge diversity of genres, something many publishing houses have failed to accomplish. Some of these titles would later go on to build successful franchises of their own, like The Elder Scrolls series.
- Gridiron! (1986)
- Wayne Gretzky Hockey (1988)
- The Terminator (1991)
- Home Alone (1991)
- Where's Waldo (1991)
- The Terminator: 2029 (1992)
- The Terminator: Rampage (1993)
- Delta 5 (1994)
- The Elder Scrolls: Arena (1994)
- The Terminator: Future Shock (1995)
- Skynet (1996)
- The Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall (1996)
- XCar: Experimental Racing (1997)
- NIRA Intense Import Drag Racing (1999)
- IHRA Drag Racing (2000)
- IHRA Professional Drag Racing 2005 (Console: 2004; PC: 2005)
Bethesda Game Studios has been around for almost two decades now, with a considerable number of feathers in its hat. This developer has given rise to some of the most iconic franchises associated with the publisher, most notably the Fallout series. Furthermore, Bethesda Game Studios took over The Elder Scrolls franchise from the third title in the series and turned it into something iconic.
Currently, the studio has a major upcoming title in the oven, namely Starfield, which happens to be Bethesda's first new IP in over 25 years.
- The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind (2002)
- The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion (2006)
- Fallout 3 (2008)
- The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim (2011)
- Fallout 4 (2015)
- The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim – Special Edition (2016)
- Fallout 76 (2018)
- The Elder Scrolls: Blades (for Android and iOS: 2019)
- Starfield (yet to be announced)
The id Software-Bethesda duo has been responsible for one of the most iconic video game series, Doom, mainly popular due to the adrenaline-fueled gorefest that characterizes its gameplay. Although the duo had come up with the FPS series Rage as well, it is perhaps safe to assume that the former is the most prominent feather in the hat of id Software.
- Doom (1993)
- Doom 2 Re-release (Xbox 360: 2010, PS3: 2012, Nintendo Switch: 2019)
- Quake Live (2010)
- Quake 3 Arena Arcade (2010)
- Rage (2011)
- Doom 3 BFG Edition (2012)
- Doom (Re-Release) (2012)
- Doom (Reboot) (2016)
- Rage 2 (2019)
- Doom Eternal (2020)
This duo started its journey with Dishonored, a title that many have come to call one of the best stealth titles of all time. In addition to this, the duo has also been responsible for the passable hit Prey, considered to be the spiritual successor to the 1994 sci-fi title System Shock. Currently, Arkane is buying its sweet time before releasing one of the most-anticipated titles right now, Deathloop.
- Dishonored (2012)
- Dishonored (Definitive Edition) (Xbox One and PS4: 2015)
- Dishonored 2 (2016)
- Prey (2017)
- Dishonored: Death of the Outsider (Standalone Expansion) (2017)
- Wolfenstein: Youngblood (2019)
- Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot (PSVR and HTC Vive: 2019)
- Deathloop
Machinegames is responsible for the nascence of Bethesda's alt-history collection, or the revived Wolfenstein series. The franchise had already achieved blockbuster status from the days it changed hands between an array of publishers. However, it can be safely said that Bethesda was the perfect choice for the revival of the series five years after its last title in 2009 (Wolfenstein, published by Activision).
Quite a shift from the older titles from the franchise, these games take players to an alternate timeline, where the Nazis have won the Second World War. The series became an instant hit and has had many distinguishing accolades to its name. The third title in the series, Wolfenstein: The New Colossus, received the award for the "Best Action Game" at The Game Awards 2017.
Machinegames jointly developed the last two titles in the series with Arkane Studios. However, both failed to make a mark in comparison to the other titles, which have earned critical and commercial acclaim. On the contrary, Wolfenstein: Youngblood and Cyberpilot were subjected to harsh criticism.
In addition to this, Machinegames has been currently working on an exciting new Indiana Jones project.
- Wolfenstein: The New Order (2014)
- Wolfenstein: The Old Blood (2015)
- Wolfenstein: The New Colossus (2017)
- Jointly with Arkane Studios: Wolfenstein: Youngblood (2019)
- Jointly with Arkane Studios: Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot (PSVR and HTC Vive: 2019)
Bethesda usually follows the format of letting a particular development house dedicate itself to a particular franchise or series. For instance, id Software has been solely been in charge of the Doom and Rage series, and Machinegames has been responsible for the revived Wolfenstein franchise. However, the publishers made an exception with Fallout: New Vegas, a spinoff title from the iconic franchise, when they roped in Obsidian Entertainment.
Speaking of miscellaneous developers associated with Bethesda, one has to talk about Tango Gameworks, the devs behind the popular survival horror series from Bethesda, The Evil Within. In addition to these titles, Tango Gameworks is also the developing house for the upcoming first-person action-adventure title Ghostwire: Tokyo, which will see the light of day later this year (in all probability).
- Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth (Headfirst Productions, 2005)
- Star Trek: Encounters (4J Studios, 2006)
- Star Trek: Tactical Assault (Quicksilver Software, 2006)
- Star Trek: Legacy (Mad Doc Software, 2006)
- Star Trek: Conquest (4J Studios, 2007)
- Wet (Artificial Mind and Movement, 2009)
- Rogue Warrior (Rebellion Developments, 2009)
- Fallout: New Vegas (Obsidian Entertainment, 2010)
- Brink (Splash Damage, 2011)
- The Evil Within (Tango Gameworks, 2014)
- The Evil Within 2 (Tango Gameworks, 2017)
- The Elder Scrolls: Legends (Dire Wolf Digital, 2017)
- Doom 64 Remaster (Nightdive Studios, 2020)
- Ghostwire: Tokyo (Tango Gameworks, October 2021)