Best Elder Scrolls Games

It’s hard to talk about RPGs without mentioning The Elder Scrolls franchise. The way Bethesda has molded the RPG genre with their main Elder Scrolls titles cannot be overstated. Bethesda has always pushed to make immersive experiences, crafting beautiful worlds well before open-world design became the standard.

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Despite having five main entries, many more Elder Scrolls titles are either spinoffs or entire series in their own right. While Bethesda has settled on making open-world RPGs ever since Morrowind, Zenimax Online Studios and others have made Elder Scrolls games with strange alterations to the franchise for better or worse.

The Attempt To Bring Elder Scrolls To Mobile Platforms

The Elder Scrolls Travels: Shadowkey

Platform(s)

N-Gage

Released

November 24, 2004

With the success of Morrowind in 2002 and the growing popularity of different gaming consoles, it’s no surprise that Bethesda wanted to cash in on that portable gaming juice. As Nokia positioned the N-Gage as its attempt to create a gaming phone, The Elder Scrolls Travels was Bethesda’s answer to calls clamouring for an Elder Scrolls experience on mobile platforms. Essentially released as “pocket” experiences set in minor regions of Tamriel, the initial Stormhold, Dawnstar, and Shadowkey titles were full-fledged open-world experiences criticized with a lackluster combat system, basic controls, and short distance made even worse by the N-Gage’s technical limitations.

There was also a canceled Travels: Oblivion that attempted to bring the Oblivion experience to the PlayStation Portable, as well as an actual Oblivion Mobile available for Java-enabled phones that disappointed fans for its level-heavy, isometric experiences.

The Game That Started It All

Released

March 25, 1994

Developer(s)

Bethesda Softworks

How Long To Beat

25 Hours

The game that started it all, The Elder Scrolls: Arena initially started as a gladiator-style game set in “the Arena” where players can explore Tamriel in between fights, until the game started to breathe life into the very towns players could explore. Now, Tamriel is an “Arena” where players have to strive to survive – complete with 9.6-million km worth of towns as well as procedurally-generated dungeons to explore.

The game is among the first in the industry to feature a full-blown day and night cycle, where merchants appear in the day and hide at night while bandits and thieves roam about. Although infamous for its initial difficulty, players who get around the game’s rather finicky mouse swing-based swordfighting and leveling system, Arena becomes quite the delightful early-90s RPG experience. While certainly not as forgiving and optimized as other Elder Scrolls titles, Arena’s ambition is evident at the onset.

A Rather Limiting Touch-Screen Experience

Released

May 12, 2020

Developer(s)

Bethesda Game Studios

How Long To Beat

10 Hours

The Elder Scrolls: Blades is Bethesda’s most recent attempt in creating a portable experience for The Elder Scrolls titles, this time developed for the iOS, Android, and Nintendo Switch. Taking place after Oblivion and hundreds of years before Skyrim, the story of Blades takes place at a time where the player’s character is a surviving former member of the Blades and is now tasked to protect their hometown from various threats.

Despite the technology available at the time, creating the full-fledged open world experience of The Elder Scrolls titles has yet to be achieved in Blades. Instead of exploring an open world, players explore levels with nigh-unavoidable combat encounters they have to fight using taps, swipes, and other touch-screen mechanics. The player’s town serves as a hub that they upgrade, with the heavy exploration taking place in select levels. With mechanics such as stealing and stealth absent, the apparent linearity of Blades left a bitter taste in the mouths of fans.

A Thorough Dungeon Fighter With Its Limits

An Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire

Released

December 2, 1997

Developer(s)

Bethesda Softworks

How Long To Beat

16 Hours

After Arena started to have a niche following and Daggerfall proving The Elder Scrolls as a franchise with potential, An Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire is positioned as more of a dungeon-crawler than the open world experience of its predecessors. Set in the battlemage training ground called the Battlespire, players are a mage apprentice who finds themselves fighting a Daedra invasion by Mehrunes Dagon and have to save their companion from the Daedric Prince.

Despite being technically a commercial failure, Battlespire tries to innovate the Elder Scrolls formula by introducing a team-based versus mode, a co-op mode, and a more intuitive character creation system that lets players create their unique playstyle. While its NPCs are absent, all enemies can be spoken to before combat, allowing players to even convince enemies to stand down. Sadly, the game does suffer from game-breaking bugs, inefficient spells, zone-based leveling, and rather difficult combat encounters.

An Attempt To Ride The Times

The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard

Released

November 16, 1998

Developer(s)

Bethesda Softworks

How Long To Beat

15 Hours

Set just after the Third Empire had conquered Hammerfell, The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard puts players in the shoes of the Redguard Cyrus as he goes to the island of Stros M’Kai in Hammerfell to find his missing sister, Iszara. Although technically open world with its option to free roam, Redguard is a surprising departure from the franchise with its action-adventure focus and third-person perspective. Unlike other games, Cyrus being a Redguard also comes with specific skillsets, disallowing players to customize their “own” character.

Although developed during the popularity of the Prince of Persia and Tomb Raider franchises, Redguard fails to capture the interest of gamers not just with its stark departure from Elder Scrolls conventions but also its general limitations as a game itself – buggy and rather stiff gameplay, unremarkable voice-overs, and lack of technical depth.

A Decent Twist To The Fallout Shelter Concept

Life Simulation

Casual

City Builder

Systems

Franchise

The Elder Scrolls

Released

September 10, 2024

Developer(s)

Bethesda Game Studios

Publisher(s)

Bethesda Softworks

ESRB

12+

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The Elder Scrolls: Castles is the Elder Scrolls take on Fallout Shelter, where this time players take on the role of the new emperor of Tamriel. Taking place in their castle, players are tasked to oversee their subjects, make vital decisions for the kingdom, send their warriors off to missions, and pass their throne to the next generation.

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Gameplay in Castles has players build their castle from the ground up. Player-assigned emperors get to make vital decisions that affect settler satisfaction, which in turn affects their overall performance. When emperors die of old age, they can be replaced by anyone of the player’s choosing. There is also a more complex party-based combat system, where players now have access to special attacks depending on the equipment their characters are wearing.

One Of The Most Expansive Elder Scrolls Games

Released

September 20, 1996

Developer(s)

Bethesda Softworks

How Long To Beat

31 Hours

While released just two years after Arena, Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall is quite the ambitious sequel. Players are on a mission to help the ghost of King Lysandus and would have to track down the letter he’s sent to the former queen of Daggerfall. Although players are now limited to travelling between Hammerfell and High Rock, the game boasts almost twice the map size of Arena – covering 15,000 dungeons, villages, and towns – and is by far the largest map of any Elder Scrolls game.

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There is a vast number of new features in Daggerfall, such as a robust spell-creation system when they join the Mages Guild, building reputation when joining other Guilds, and even the option to become a Vampire or a Werewolf. Daggerfall maintains the more convoluted mouse swing-based combat system of its predecessor, but its difficulty added to the thrill of the overall title. Despite being unimpressive in terms of its presentation today, Daggerfall at the time of its release was Bethesda’s biggest success – having won many Best CRPG/RPG Awards and only being bested by Diablo in some competitions.

The MMO Experience People Were Waiting For

Released

April 4, 2014

How Long To Beat

160+ Hours

Bethesda finally answered the call to provide a multiplayer Elder Scrolls experience with The Elder Scrolls Online. Released in 2014, The Elder Scrolls Online is technically a far-off prequel to the series, taking place around the time of the Second Era. This chaotic time has three factions fighting over the Ruby Throne to rule Tamriel. Although numerous customization options exist for characters, The Elder Scrolls Online now features a class system with unique passives, spells, and attacks that encourage characters to stick to particular setups.

Although it received mixed reception upon its 2014 release, its subsequent re-release and annual content started to win players back due to its depth. The base game gives players access to specific areas of Tamriel, while its Chapters and Crown Store DLCs are positioned to offer access to different areas with their own stories. In 2025, The Elder Scrolls Online will cancel its yearly chapter releases in favor of seasonal content consistent with other MMOs to guarantee the release of more frequent content for players.

Explore Vampires And Werewolves In Tamriel

Vampires and Werewolves remain an exciting part of Elder Scrolls lore, and The Elder Scrolls Online: Greymoor takes a crack at converting these mechanics into the MMO. Despite Greymoor being one of Skyrim’s more “boring” marshy regions, the 2020 update manages to showcase impressive graphics appropriate to the expansion’s brooding tone – especially with its story involving witches, vampires, werewolves, and a conspiracy to break the region from the inside. Much of Greymoor seems like a celebration of Skyrim’s Dawnguard expansion, complete with a vampire companion (Fennorian).

The DLC itself comes packed with content, such as Harrowstorms that turn inhabitants into either zombies or corpses, a new archaeology-focused Antiquities system, six soloable dungeons (Delves), six World Bosses, and a 20-hour raid (Trial). Despite the wealth of content, however, Greymoor’s lackluster storyline and grindy Antiquities make the new additions less interesting and more of a drag – appropriate for a lifetime as a vampire.

Introduces The Interest Scribing Mechanic

Serving as a continuation of the “Shadow Over Morrowind” multi-year storyline, The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road takes a surprising reveal at the end of Necrom and continues the story in the West Weald, bringing players back to a slice of Cyrodiil that will leave hardcore Oblivion fans enjoying the nostalgia trip. Playing under the premise of a higher-stakes story will leave players of Gold Road feeling like they’re in the middle of a crisis similar to Morrowind’s all over again, this time with the trappings of the high fantasy setup of Cyrodiil.

Gold Road satisfies players with a compelling story with equally interesting side quests, although a lot of filler might turn some off in between. This is the same sentiment toward scribing, the new gameplay mechanic allowing players to modify their skills in interesting ways. However, the tedious grind to unlocking Scribing’s many effects can turn the gameplay element into a less than satisfying part of Gold Road’s gameplay.

A Modern Take On The Video Game Classic

It’s only in The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind that fans can finally return to Vvardenfell since the original Morrowind release, and this time the MMO gives it a fresh coat of paint involving improved graphics and a storyline that takes place more than 1,000 years before the events of Skyrim. The Chapter comes with the Warden, the first ESO class released since its 2014 launch, specializing in summons, healing, and defenses – much like a druid in other games. Although it comes with a lackluster companion, the Warden is a flexible enough class that provides a much-needed variety of approaches to both PVE and PVP content.

Despite the sheer amazement of Morrowind recreating Vvardenfell as it appeared on the original release, some might feel a lack of anything “new” to discover if they’ve done a fresh playthrough of the original title. Either way, the region’s PVE content will give players a lot of opportunities to sympathize with many of Vvardenfell’s citizens as well as get engrossed with its overarching storyline – especially with how “detached” the area seems with larger Tamriel.

A Game Of Thrones Take On The Franchise

Players who want to experience more interpoliticking in Tamriel will appreciate The Elder Scrolls Online: High Isle and its setting in the Systres Archipelago. The European castle backdrop of High Isle will thrust players straight to its intrigue, where various factions aim to become the ruling faction in the isles. Other points of interest include the captivating Gonfalon Bay and the mysterious Amenos, which seems to be an inescapable prison for ne’er-do-wells who eventually resorted to creating their own society to survive.

Arriving with High Isle is the Tales of Tribute minigame, essentially a resource-building card game, which can become an engaging PVE and PVP activity for card game enthusiasts. However, while High Isle attempts to deliver a political thriller with its Chapter’s main story, High Isle falls flat in terms of overall presentation and gameplay loop.

A Decent Dual-Lane Card Game

Systems

Released

March 9, 2017

Publisher(s)

Bethesda Softworks

Multiplayer

Online Multiplayer

Engine

Unity

ESRB

m

How Long To Beat

4+ Hours

OpenCritic Rating

Strong

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Despite being closed down until the end of 2025, The Elder Scrolls: Legends became a favorite among niche fans of the franchise who appreciated the attempt at making a card game with mechanics similar to Hearthstone and Magic: The Gathering. Set in ancient times, players are the Forgotten Hero as they and their allies try to stop the Culling, an Elder Scroll prophecy involving a High Elf named Naarifin from unleashing demons called Daedra from the White-Gold Tower.

The game itself is straightforward to get into, where players get Mana every turn that they use to play Support Cards (continuous buffs), Action Cards (instant effects), Creatures (main units with summoning sickness), and Items (Creature buffs). The game also introduces unique mechanics, such as Lane-based gameplay, Runes that serve as lifelines before players truly lose the match, and “Prophecy” keyword cards that are instantly playable when players draw them out of Runes.

A Breath Of Fresh Air With The Necromancer Class

Cats become the central imagery of The Elder Scrolls Online: Elsweyr, specifically the Khajiit who reside in the region. The locale’s heavy Asian inspiration makes it a sight to behold compared to the heavy Western trappings of usual Elder Scrolls destinations. And with a central story involving dragons and quite a lot of interesting Delves and side quests surrounding Khajiiti culture, and fans have quite a lot of content to sink their teeth into.

A treat for Elsweyr players is the addition of the Necromancer class. While its practice is outlawed by the Mages Guild in the lore, the class proves tremendously fun and flexible to play, offering spellcasters a new take on being able to fit almost any role in the party.

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Going to Elsweyr is a breath of fresh air for Elder Scrolls fans, although the lack of dragons in its supposed dragon-centric main story can feel somewhat of a letdown. And while dragon fights become the Chapter’s Raid-like highlights, players can have the engaging story and the fun Necromancer class to thank for a wild ride.

Finally Face Dragons With Friends

Despite not being a full-blown Chapter, The Elder Scrolls Online: Dragonhold gives players a livelier take on the MMO that simply stuns with its take on Southern Elsweyr – complete with amazing views, more colorful characters, and dragon hunts that lure players into intense fights around every corner.

However, Dragonhold held back (no pun intended) in terms of content, as while dragons stole the show, they also “stole” everything else – no extremely unique architecture and landscapes, no unique furniture, and not a lot of new PVE content. Moreover, some endgame players might be disappointed with the lack of overall content for players ahead of the pack in terms of progression.

Buff Skills With The Arcanist Class

The story of The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom takes players deep into the Telvanni Peninsula, which is the home of the Telvanni Dark Elf house, as well as Hermaeus Mora’s Apocrypha. Central to the expansion is the new Arcanist class, allowing players to use powers straight from the realm of Oblivion. Players can obtain and use Crux to trigger Arcanist abilities and augment skills with them, with skill trees allowing players to use their runes for offense, defense, and support.

Despite players seeing enough of Dark Elves in Morrowind and Vvardenfell, Necrom elevates the typical presence of mushroom and fungi of the Dark Elf “aesthetic” with more exciting Delves and World Bosses. The Necropolis is surprisingly brimming with life despite the player’s short time there, and exploring Apocrypha felt much like the fever dream it was advertised. And while its quests and encounters could use some variety, Necrom’s story is interesting enough for players to power through – especially with the thrills the Arcanist offers.

Close Breaches With A Delightful Mer Aesthetic

Players of The Elder Scrolls Online who play through Summerset will be surprised to find themselves in the pleasant meadows of Summerset, which is by far easily the prettiest setting in the game. Players are new members of the Psijic Order, and they’re tasked to go around Summerset to close breaches and unlock new skills they can integrate into their builds. The experience is complete with High Elf denizens in silver and gold armor as well as believable NPCs that make them more worthy of rooting for as players complete quests.

Similar to other high-rated Elder Scrolls Online DLCs on Metacritic, Summerset leaves a lot to be desired in players’ eyes. Granted, players may enjoy the DLC’s slate of quests and encounters, but removing their aesthetic would reveal familiar design tropes associated with many of the game’s offerings. Many players also feel like its copy-pasted design choices hurt the potential of the expansion.

A Bizarre, Immersive Take On The Elder Scrolls Concept

Released

May 1, 2002

Developer(s)

Bethesda Game Studios

How Long To Beat

45 Hours

Morrowind made sense as a region to explore in The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind as it was the game to truly depart from its predecessors’ clunkier beginnings into a more fleshed out RPG. Having a character creator integrated into the storyline and players being a former prisoner pardoned in the exotic land of Vvardenfell made for a perfect staging ground of new The Elder Scrolls experiences.

On top of fresh looks that involve giant jellyfish mounts and marshes that seem more alien than fantastical, Morrowind’s story is enough to captivate RPG fans. If not for its grindy leveling mechanics and exhausting traveling system, Morrowind would have easily made for a must-try game for multiple playthroughs. Regardless of these faults, the intensity of Morrowind’s main storyline can provide a refreshing take on the RPG genre – and one of the most unique games to enter The Elder Scrolls franchise.

Immerse In The Wonders Of Cyrodiil

Released

March 20, 2006

How Long To Beat

30 Hours

The high fantasy aesthetic of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion and its setting of Cyrodiil remains a sight to behold. Taking place after the prophesied assassination of Emperor Uriel Septim VII, players now need to find the king’s last son so he can save the world. Featuring fully-voiced dialogue, gripping faction quests, and compelling franchise staple side mechanics like Vampirism and spellcrafting, it makes sense for Oblivion to stand out from other RPGs at the time.

Perhaps the only things that make Oblivion inferior to Skyrim would be its awkward voicework, broken leveling mechanics, and overuse of bloom that often gave players too much focus on “fantasy” to have a grounded experience.

A Game Immortalized For Its Depth

Released

November 11, 2011

How Long To Beat

26 Hours

There’s nothing about The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim that hasn’t already been said, and it’s precisely the game’s potential for longevity that made it such an impactful title in the RPG space. Set centuries after the events of Oblivion, players take the role of a prisoner set out to die in the far-off northern region of Skyrim when a dragon – said to be extinct – suddenly appears. While the dragon’s reappearance seems to coincide with a prophecy about the end times, players also need to convince Jarls on the brink of civil war to unite against this new threat.

While the game’s impressive graphics, gripping storyline, and improved take on gameplay already made Skyrim a crowd favorite, it’s the constant updates and re-releases (that are dunked on) as well as its modding community that can make each Skyrim playthrough more memorable than the last.

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