In an interview with PC Gamer, Raphael Colantonio, the creator of Dishonored and Prey, shared his views on the concept of “immersive sims”, which he even included The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim.
According to the developer, games from Bethesda and Obsidian fit perfectly into this category due to many of their characteristics. However, sometimes it can be difficult to differentiate between role-playing games and immersive simulators.
He noted that Bethesda’s projects are less action-oriented than Arkane’s; they emphasize character stats, although they also rely on world simulation.
For example, the ability to trick a mercenary by putting a bucket on your head definitely points to the game’s immersive sim genre.
Colantonio also added that such games can have different accents, including action, but at their core they remain immersive simulators. He would be surprised if Bethesda took a different view.
Colantonio is currently working on a new project at WolfEye, an action RPG set in an alternate history version of the United States.
