Best Open-World Games Where You Play As An Elf

Key Takeaways

• Elves have been central in fantasy games like
  Dragon Age
  and
  The Legend of Zelda
  , offering players the chance to explore vast worlds.
• Games like
  World of Warcraft
  and
  The Elder Scrolls
  feature multiple diverse Elven races with unique abilities in massive open-world settings.
• Elven characters in
  Pillars of Eternity
  &
  Middle-Earth
  games offer immersive RPG experiences layered with unique storytelling.

Elves have long been a staple in fantasy stories. These pointy-eared humanoids have existed in fiction for many centuries, going all the way back to European folklore and becoming part of pop culture thanks to stories such as The Lord of the Rings.

As gaming has progressed, gamers have also been able to experience vast worlds to explore from top to bottom as elven characters. Whether it is a preset character or one that the player creates, elves have often been the main protagonists who can explore open worlds in action games, RPGs, and other genres.

8 The Legend Of Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom

Fans Have Wanted To Explore Hyrule As Zelda For Years

While not the most expansive map, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom does provide fans with an explorable map of Hyrule in the style of the Link’s Awakening remake. On top of that, it is a different experience than usual. In this game, the player controls Princess Zelda on her own adventure rather than Link.

While Link and Zelda are called Hylians, fans commonly accept that with their pointy ears and bright eyes, Hylians are an interpretation of fantasy elves. In Echoes of Wisdom, Zelda goes on a classic adventure for the series, featuring dungeons, distinct locations, and monsters, but with unique puzzles that fit Zelda’s focus on magic in the Switch title.

7 World Of Warcraft

Still The King Of MMOs Over 20 Years Later

One of the longest-running MMORPGs out there, World of Warcraft helped make the genre commonplace with the chance to roam Azeroth. Players can choose one of twenty-eight playable races, including the Night Elves, Blood Elves, Void Elves, and Nightborne, each with distinct looks, strengths, and abilities.

World of Warcraft continues to get regular updates and expansions, allowing players to experience new storylines, dungeons, bosses, and locations across the fantastical universe. On top of the four choices of elves, there are also several classes to pick from, such as mage, warrior, rogue, paladin, and plenty more.

Cyrodiil Is Arguably The Most Beautiful Elder Scrolls World

These days, The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion is often overshadowed by its arguably superior sequel, but it still deserves plenty of praise. Many things that the sequel is known for started with Oblivion. The game provides an immersive open world that had very little direction for the player after the opening quest, allowing them to go anywhere and do whatever they wanted.

Similar to World of Warcraft, there are multiple elven races to choose from: High Elf, Wood Elf, and Dark Elf. Each one has different stat attributes that can drastically change the way players choose to play their custom classes. In Oblivion, players can freely explore the serene land of Cyrodiil to complete various quests when they are not diving into the titular Planes Of Oblivion.

5 Pillars Of Eternity 2: Deadfire

A Fusion Of Fantasy And Pirates

Perhaps if a player is looking for something different from the usual fantasy setting, they can turn to a world of pirates on the high seas with Pillars Of Eternity 2: Deadfire. The swashbuckling isometric RPG adventure features six playable races, including the elf, which comes with the options for two sub-races: Pale Elf and Wood Elf.

As an upgrade from the first game, Pillars Of Eternity 2 features an explorable world with oceans, tropics, towns, deserts, mountains, and more to delve deep into. The sequel is often considered superior to the original, with strong RPG gameplay developed by Obsidian Entertainment and the pirate theme that allowed it to stand out from similar games.

Bethesda’s RPG That Took The World By Storm

The same three elf races from previous Elder Scrolls games return in The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, but with an even more detailed character creator, allowing gamers to craft their dream orc characters. Skyrim has become a gold standard in the fantasy RPG genre. Gamers consider it a step up from Oblivion in nearly every aspect, from the massive Northern Territory of Skyrim itself to the gameplay.

Bethesda knows that Skyrim was a massive hit, because it has been re-released and remastered multiple times on different console generations, including virtual reality. Mods have also allowed players to go even further with options for customization, new missions, and mechanics to keep the game thriving over a decade later.

3 Middle-Earth: Shadow Of War

The Most Immersive Middle-Earth Experience

Monolith Productions’ open-world adventure games set in the Lord of the Rings universe already surprised gamers with the patented Nemesis system to make every playthrough different. Middle-Earth: Shadow Of War went even bigger than before, with Talion’s rise as the Bright Lord becoming beloved by gamers and Tolkien fans.

However, Shadow Of War also features two alternate playable characters: Eltariel and Baranor. Eltariel starts as an ally of Talion, but is also the main protagonist of the Blade Of Galadriel DLC. This expansion furthers the story, allowing gamers to wield her skills as an Elven assassin. Eltariel can also be used as a skin for Talion in the main story.

2 Dragon Age: Inquisition

Playing As An Elf Can Change Story And Dialogue

The first time the Dragon Age games embraced an open world was with Dragon Age: Inquisition, an RPG in the same vein as Mass Effect by the same development studio: BioWare. Like Mass Effect, it featured plenty of story and dialogue options that could impact the plot and characters dramatically, but with spells and magic.

The main protagonist of Dragon Age: Inquisition can be created from scratch, with four playable races to choose from: Human, Dwarf, Qunari, and Elf. BioWare’s take on the elves is similar to The Witcher universe, where elves and other non-human races are the victims of prejudice. Choosing to play as an elf changes interactions with characters throughout the story.

1 The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom

Old And New Converge In The Largest Hyrule Map Yet

Open worlds have existed in The Legend of Zelda franchise for years, with the original arguably being one of the first in gaming. However, The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom takes it to another level with the largest Hyrule to explore, over twice the size of the map from Breath Of The Wild, which already broke the record for the largest map.

Link receives new rune abilities in Tears Of The Kingdom that lend themselves to even more intricate puzzles inside the shrines and the return of more traditional dungeons. The abilities also allow Link to traverse up into the flying islands, which can also be explored.