Honestly, I always thought it was weird that Fallout games didn't have bows or crossbows in them till Fallout 76, and even then they don't function like you'd imagine they would in Morrowind, Oblivion, let alone Skyrim. Archery fits both a post-apocalyptic setting and a medieval fantasy setting.
@LordMordredARCHERY IS A BIG SKILL INVESTMENT IRL COMPARED TO A GUN OR CROSSBOW BUT APPALACHIAN STYLE WOODEN CROSSBOWS SHOULD REALISTICALLY PROLIFERATE AS A DIRT CHEAP HUNTING "GUN" FOR THE POOR
@nugger@LordMordredElastic bands, plywood "barrel" and simple lever trigger sear. The german slingshot guy made quite a few of them as a design to avoid having crossbow arms.
What about a modified doom 2 game pain elemental made out of squirrels or that is one giant squirrel that launches even bigger squirrels instead of launching lost souls