“Skyrim’s lead developer suggests revisiting Morrowind, warning that a remake might not live up to expectations.”

Remaking The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind presents two significant challenges, as noted by a former lead at Bethesda Game Studios. First, there’s a chance the original source code may no longer exist. Second, Bruce Nesmith, who was the lead designer for Skyrim, believes players might find it hard to enjoy the 20-year-old RPG without cringing.

Nesmith speculated in an interview, “The problem with doing Morrowind is that I bet they don’t have the original code. The game is so old. I don’t know if the original source code exists anymore. If it does, can you even compile it?”

He further added, “Go back and play Morrowind and tell me that’s the game you want to play again.” This statement might stir some debate, as he acknowledged the nostalgia tied to classic games. However, he cautioned that revisiting a game from two decades ago could lead to some uncomfortable moments. “We all have these fond memories of pivotal moments in our gaming history… but you go back and play a 20-year-old game and you will cringe.”

Having spent decades at the studio, Nesmith noted that even in last year’s remaster of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion, those “cringe moments” were present but easier to overlook due to the nostalgia factor. “I worked on Oblivion. I’m even responsible for some of those cringe moments,” he admitted. “The further back you go, the more that’s going to be an issue. The reality of playing Morrowind would not stand the test of time, in my opinion.”

He suggested that while a full remake of Morrowind could potentially avoid some of these pitfalls, it raises the question of why not create something entirely new instead. Nesmith is open to the idea of a “new story” set in the unique, alien landscapes of Morrowind, stating, “You can include the giant crab palace and all of that stuff but make it new and avoid all the things that would not have survived the test of time.”