What are the best games like Skyrim? It may be nearly a decade old, but the open-world RPG still feels peerless. The majesty of its frozen fantasy world stole our hearts when it launched in 2011, and many of us are still playing it to this day. Skyrim has managed to age gracefully over the years and is still one of a select few RPGs that can take you on an unforgettable adventure.
Skyrim’s staying power is helped along with a little help from some of the best Skyrim mods. Returning to those admittedly aging graphics is made easier with new HD textures while new quests can be added to the game by installing fan-made expansions. Skyrim has contributed to the rise in popularity of open-world fantasy RPGs and is considered to be one of the best PC games of all time, but there are plenty of other games with reams of lore to learn, expansive character customization, and a dedication to creating an immersive world. If you enjoyed Bethesda’s beast and are looking for something similar then we have a list for you: the top five games like Skyrim. It should at least help tide you over until The Elder Scrolls 6 release date arrives.
Here are the best games like Skyrim:
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
First on our list is easily one of the best PC games ever made; The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. This is a strong contender for the best open-world fantasy game ever, and similarly to Skyrim, it’s one that continues to blossom with age. Our Witcher 3 review heaped praise onto the open world game when it was released, and despite getting on in age, the beauty of its landscapes, embroidered clothing, and every other visual flourish continues to outshine most of its younger rivals.
The Witcher 3 follows Geralt of Rivia, the infamous, silver-tongued-and-haired monster hunter for hire. This third entry in the series is a great entry point into the series as it eases you into its story and combat. It also upholds everything The Witcher is celebrated for, by continuing to champion player choice, giving you the option to pick and choose how to respond to the requests of characters and the exquisitely written questlines you embark upon – from saving children from witches to hunting down a missing frying pan.
The Witcher 3 is a game of great length, with some of our own personal experiences taking us from anywhere between 30-250+ hours to complete – demonstrating it’s not only Skyrim that can turn your entire weekends into save game files, especially if you add to the experience with the best Witcher 3 mods. Check out our Witcher 3 review if you want to know more.
Dragon Age: Inquisition
While the Dragon Age series isn’t as long-lived as The Elder Scrolls, it does have plenty of swords-and-sorcery action to offer across its back catalogue. The latest of which is Dragon Age: Inquisition, the third entry to BioWare’s successful series, which takes place in Thedas – a mystical land host to a variety of kingdoms and dynamic climates. Our Dragon Age Inquisition review was favourable to the game way back in 2014 – a testament to how good it is that it’s still one of the best RPGs today.
Although strictly played in third-person, as opposed to Skyrim’s typically first-person perspective, Dragon Age: Inquisition is riddled with rich lore and supplies a colourful open world packed with plenty of side missions to keep you occupied. If you love the loot system in Skyrim, you may favour what Inquisition has to offer here; there’s a plethora of weapons and armour, alongside a fulfilling reward system that provides essential crafting materials for your journey.
Inquisition also features a roster of charming and witty characters, and BioWare gives most of them a more engrossing narrative and memorable personality than anything Skyrim manages. If you enjoyed the option to marry in Skyrim then you’re in luck, as Inquisition lets you woo and romance party members. Forewarning, though: some of them may just break your heart. +10 to sadness right there.
There’s still no Dragon Age 4 release date, but we know it exists, and that’s okay for now.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
Proving that older games shouldn’t always be put on the shelf, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning arrived in 2012 to little fanfare, but it’s one of PC gaming’s best RPGs. In a similar vein to Skyrim, you’re able to customise your character and class with a combination of skills, weapons, and abilities at your disposal, with a central focus on building your character from the ground up. While there are traditional classes like Skyrim you don’t have to dedicate yourself to one; as a ‘Fateless’ character, you’re free to swap and change your skill tree at any time.
It also happens that Kingdoms of Amalur comes from the mind of Ken Rolston, the lead designer behind Skyrim’s predecessors: Morrowind and Oblivion. Rolston managed to incorporate some of the Elder Scrolls’ best elements into Kingdoms of Amalur, including its striking environmental design and characterisation that veers away from the typical RPG pitfall of feeling like Tolkien fan fiction.
Like Skyrim, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning continues to receive positive reviews on Steam despite being a similar age, and comfortably sits in the category as a well-rounded fantasy RPG.
The Elder Scrolls Online
Finally, we have The Elder Scrolls Online. Bethesda’s online entry in the Elder Scrolls series got off to a rocky start upon launch in 2014 – as we talk about in our Elder Scrolls Online review – but after feedback from its fanbase and gradual refinements to the system, developer ZeniMax Studios continued to refine its MMO to the point that it’s now considered a serious contender to World of Warcraft’s throne.
Scrapping the subscription fee opened the world of Tamriel to thousands more players, and the game’s major expansions – Morrowind and Summerset – have been very well received, helping to further fix some of the game’s long-standing grievances.
Maintaining the perspective, fonts, and UI of Skyrim to provide a true Elder Scrolls feel, this MMORPG is definitely worth picking up for fans wishing to extend their Skyrim experience, while still looking for a fresh adventure. Even better is the fact that it lets you explore Tamriel with friends. Everything you expect from an Elder Scrolls game is here – the races, the up-close combat, the sprawling questlines – but it’s transported to a complex, stat-focused MMO. Plus, the Morrowind expansion is pretty much designed for those crying out for a Morrowind remaster.
There you have the best games like Skyrim. While there are some older titles on this list, their overall quality outshines any aging visuals. These aren’t just games to tide you over until Elder Scrolls 6 releases, they’re some of the best RPG games ever made, so get stuck in.
