Best Games Like Skyrim

It’s hard to imagine that it has been more than 10 years since


The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim


was released. A masterpiece in every aspect, Bethesda’s game is set 200 years after its predecessor in a place called Skyrim. It follows a Dragonborn on a quest to defeat a dragon called Alduin The World-Eater who is destined to destroy the world.

The game entertained many, both the ones hungry for a rich open-world and a good story and those just looking for pleasing graphics and casual battles with monsters and other creatures in the fantasy world. Here are the

best games like

Skyrim


.

Updated October 21, 2023, by Mark Sammut

: The Elder Scrolls 6 is still years away, and there are only so many times that somebody can play through Skyrim before they start craving a change of pace. Luckily, there are plenty of

RPGs like Skyrim

that can deliver the good.

Baldur’s Gate 3

This is a tricky one as

Baldur’s Gate 3

and

Skyrim

‘s minute-to-minute gameplay share little in common. The former utilizes a turn-based combat system that prioritizes party synergy, forward-thinking, and strategy. Battles are difficult right out of the gate, and players will be punished if they have a poor grasp of the core mechanics. Larian’s RPG is also portrayed from an isometric perspective and is not set in a continuous open-world, although players are encouraged and incentivized to explore the available map and to make detours from the main story’s path.

Depending on what someone is searching for,

Baldur’s Gate 3

might not have the tools to scratch their

Skyrim

itch. However, if a player is looking for brilliant storytelling, deep customization, and a flexible world shaped by the player’s decisions, they cannot do much better than this 2023 release. Similar to how

Skyrim

set a new standard for RPGs,

Baldur’s Gate 3

has done the same, albeit for the tactical subgenre.

Divinity: Original Sin 2

is also by Larian and is equally incredible.

Hogwarts Legacy

Those who dabble a lot in

Skyrim

‘s array of magical skill trees and spells will find a lot to appreciate in

Hogwarts Legacy

. This recent release gives players the chance to finally live out their

Harry Potter

dreams by attending the illustrious Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Although

gamers

will spend a lot of time walking the halls of the school itself, there is a larger world outside that players must explore if they want to see and do everything the game has to offer.

With an array of spells to learn, customization options, and side quests to conquer, there is a ton of content to sift through for magic enthusiasts and open-world fans alike.

Ghost Of Tsushima

Although many players find themselves enamored by

Skyrim

‘s freedom and open-world exploration, there is an overarching storyline that can be rather engrossing once it gets going. At its core,

Skyrim

features a rather robust storyline that slowly unravels as players complete story missions and side quests throughout the lands of Northern Tamriel. Those looking for another tale of intrigue to keep them engaged as they make their way through an open world should consider picking up

Ghost of Tsushima

.

This fantastic story-driven action release follows Jin Sakai as he adventures across the island of Tsushima in hopes of liberating it from an attacking Mongol force. With amazing voice acting, beautiful graphics, and an edge-of-your-seat story,

Ghost of Tsushima

is the perfect release for

Skyrim

fans who want to wrap themselves up in another epic adventure.

Genshin Impact

There are some great open-world releases out there for fans of

Skyrim

craving another large-scale release. Some of them are even free-to-play, like the popular

Genshin Impact

. Players who enjoyed

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

should feel right at home in the lands of Teyvat. Like

Breath of the Wild

and

Skyrim

,

Genshin Impact

grants players access to a wide open-world filled with various biomes that can be freely explored. They can use a variety of items to help them explore, but they can also scale mountains by hand using the climbing mechanic.

With many characters to unlock via a Gacha system and a lengthy story flanked by sidequests, players can spend hours upon hours making their way through this free-to-play title.

Cyberpunk 2077

Riding high after the release of

The Witcher 3

, one of the few RPGs that challenges

Skyrim

in terms of critical success, CD Projekt Red seemed set to take the sci-fi genre by storm through the release of

Cyberpunk 2077

. Infamously, the game launched in a not-so-great state, and the PS4 and Xbox One versions are still almost impossible to recommend; however, the PC and next-gen iterations are nowadays more than playable. While an argument could be made that the title failed to meet all of its potential or promises,

Cyberpunk 2077

is nevertheless ambitious and periodically brilliant.

Obviously, the game’s setting is the direct opposite of

Skyrim

‘s, but both projects shine in the same department: their worlds. Night City is

Cyberpunk 2077

‘s crowning achievement, even more so than its very good story and decent gameplay. The map is dense with content, details, and lore touches that make the simple act of exploration fun.

Elden Ring

FromSoftware’s latest entry into the “

Souls

series” is perhaps their most ambitious yet. The massive open world and freedom of choice that

Elden Ring

gives to its players help to create an experience that feels as large as

Skyrim

. It’s important to note that

Elden Ring

, like many

Souls

games, is a lot more difficult than

Skyrim

, but learning how to survive in the punishing world is just as rewarding as it is in

The Elder Scrolls

.

With a robust character creator, tons of weapons to choose from, and a wide array of playstyles,

Elden Ring

feels like a truly massive open-world adventure.

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Those looking for a robust world that feels alive may want to check out

Dragon Age: Inquisition

. The third entry in the

Dragon Age

series,

Inquisition

follows players as they attempt to survive an outpouring of demons flowing into the world. Similar to the Dragonborn, players take on the role of a “chosen one,” as their character is graced with the ability to close rifts, allowing them to plug up dimensional holes and stop demons from invading Thedas.

Like

Skyrim

,

Dragon Age: Inquisition

allows players to choose from a variety of races and backgrounds. There is an abundance of skills to unlock which should give players a variety of playstyles to choose from.

The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild & Tears Of The Kingdom

Nintendo’s attempts to breathe new life into

The Legend of Zelda

series led to the release of a title that most people genuinely believe to be the greatest video game ever made.

Breath of the Wild

is nothing short of a masterpiece and is a title that most fans of open-world action-adventure titles should definitely try out.

The open-ended gameplay of

Breath of the Wild

coupled with an excellent gameplay loop made for one of the best games like

Skyrim

. It’s a game that will take hundreds of hours to complete — a fact that

Skyrim

fans would absolutely adore.

Breath of the Wild

‘s

sequel

,

Tears of the Kingdom

, sticks fairly close to its predecessor’s formula, making it an easy recommendation for any open-world fan. Despite many similarities,

TOTK

still incorporates enough new ideas to feel like a worthy successor rather than just a retread. This time around, Hyrule is also way more active since its citizens are in the process of rebuilding.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance

It’s a testament to the ambition of Warhorse Studios that they decided to go all-out and develop one of the biggest open-world games of all time that is absolutely jam-packed with content across the board.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance

is an easy recommendation for any player who wants to play games similar to

Skyrim

.

The combat system is easily one of the more unique aspects of the game, and mastering it can take quite some time. However, players who finally invest in their character will enjoy an excellent game that features a great story, tough combat, and memorable characters.

Gothic

Gothic

is a classic open-world title that not many players might’ve heard of. However, the old-school charm of this game coupled with refreshing — and rather impressive — open-ended gameplay makes for a unique experience that most people haven’t really heard of.

It’s a shame that

Gothic

is such an underrated title since a ton of people are missing out on a brilliant game. It might take a while to get used to, but players seeking out

games like

Skyrim




will be more than happy with this title.

Horizon Zero Dawn & Horizon Forbidden West

Horizon Zero Dawn

and its sequel,

Horizon Forbidden West

, are two of Sony’s standout open-world games, and they are both fantastic on their own. Set in a distant future where Earth has become a post-apocalyptic mix of prehistoric architecture and robotic monstrosities, Guerilla’s series follows Aloy, an outcast who is dragged into a conflict that exposes the world’s history.

Armed with melee and ranged weapons, Aloy has to take down massive mechas using bows and a stick, although she does have a couple of neat items at her disposal.

Similar to

Skyrim


, these games are often at their best when they encourage players to explore their vast and gorgeous environments.

Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen

Capcom is a studio known for featuring games with excellent combat systems.

Dragon’s Dogma

is another one of Capcom’s exciting offers, taking the form of an excellent dark fantasy action RPG that fans would absolutely adore.

The combat is not the only

highlight

of this series, with the exploration and story also being perfectly serviceable in their own right. Players who want a version of

Skyrim

with a dark fantasy setting and infinitely better combat needn’t look any further than

Dragon’s Dogma

.

GreedFall

Traveling to a new world across an ocean is a daunting proposition that threatens no return, yet also promises great and untold treasures. In

GreedFall

, the player sets out as an emissary of their noble house to a distant and little-explored land.

The prevalence of nature magic and the corruption assaulting it weaves a knot of stories like vines that pull one into a grand adventure. The combat feels more like a

Dragon Age

game, but the lore, enemies, and terrain feel very Nordic; not unlike the northernmost province of Tamriel. There are also a ton of fun and interesting characters with intriguing, branching dialogue.

God Of War & Ragnarok

Santa Monica’s

God of War

started as a linear hack and slash franchise, but the series took a sharp turn for its 2018 entry. While still not a sandbox like

Skyrim

, the newest entries take place in open areas that reward exploration. Armed with a limited supply of weapons, Kratos viciously hacks his way through a reasonable variety of enemies, and the combat system is quite satisfying.

Ragnarok

expands on everything that worked in its predecessor, fine-tuning the gameplay while offering more variety in terms of enemies and locations. It is arguably the

best game like

Skyrim


on the PS5, although newcomers should start with the 2018 release.

The Outer Worlds

Any project developed by Obsidian is at least worth a try, and

The Outer Worlds

takes quite a lot of inspiration from


Fallout


. Rather than one big open-world, the 2019 sci-fi RPG is split into smaller hub planets that follow fairly linear designs, although players are allowed and encouraged to explore their surroundings. Opting for a satirical tone, the story does not hold too many surprises, but the writing is generally top-notch, as tends to be the

case

with Obsidian’s releases.

The Outer Worlds

definitely feels like an AA-version of something like

Skyrim

or

Fallout

. It is not quite as expansive as those franchises’ modern releases, and a playthrough will likely not last longer than 20 hours. However, the actual content is great, especially the character customization. Obsidian is working on

The Outer Worlds 2

with Microsoft’s backing, so there is a good chance the sequel will be bigger and, hopefully, better.

Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning

A great variety of ways to obliterate one’s foes awaits in

Kingdoms of Amalur

. This is another fantasy world with cool monsters to battle and hot loot to be found. It’s one of those games in which exploring every inch of the map is entertaining. The variety of terrain and gorgeous visuals make adventuring to new areas always feel fresh and exciting.

There are plenty of weapons and spells to choose from; one can be a warrior, rogue, or mage. Possibly a combination of those for something more specialized. The freedom to explore an open-world is liberating, just like gallivanting about the bold, brisk lands of

Skyrim.

Outward Definitive Edition

Ever wondered what the average Joe might be up to while the Dragonborn is out there saving the world?

Outward

kind of answers that question, as the open-world game follows a rather unspectacular adventurer who is primarily driven by a desire to clear their debt. This motivation subsides relatively quickly, and the protagonist’s goal becomes to simply explore an expansive world just for the sake of it.

Outward

is rough around the edges, but its ambition cannot be faulted. While the combat and presentation leave quite a lot to be desired, the game makes up for it by emphasizing player freedom. The RPG encourages players to just head out into the unknown, although they should be well-prepared as death awaits around every corner.

Outward

is basically a fantasy RPG with survival elements, and while not perfect, it does a serviceable job by both genres.

While a seemingly obvious recommendation, players who entered the acclaimed RPG franchise with

Skyrim

might feel hesitant to explore previous entries in the series. Naturally, earlier

Elder Scrolls

titles are considerably more dated than the 2011 entry, but their strengths are timeless. Like

Skyrim

, these

Elder Scrolls

games need to be played:

The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind

The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind

was a major leap from its predecessor,

Daggerfall

, in terms of graphics. Aside from that, the third entry in the series is wonderful. Once again, the title refers to the place where the game is set, Morrowind. The plot revolves around an island in Morrowind called Vvardenfell where the deity Dagoth Ur tries to gain power and free Morrowind from the Imperial reign.

The game has two expansions,

Tribunal

and

Bloodmoon

, which are also worth playing.

Morrowind

received almost universal praise and should be a must-play for every

Skyrim

fan.

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion

The critically acclaimed predecessor of

Skyrim

,

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion

is considered by many to be one of the best games ever made. The entry’s title does not refer to the place where the game is set but to the main quest, which is to stop the fanatical cult called Mythic Dawn that plans to open a portal to the demonic world called Oblivion.

Like all

Elder Scrolls

games,

Oblivion

offers many hours of gameplay. Once finished, the player can take a look at its two expansions:

Knights of the Nine

and

Shivering Isles

.

The Elder Scrolls Online

Unlike

Morrowind

and

Oblivion

,

The Elder Scrolls Online

debuted after

Skyrim

. ZeniMax Online Studios’ MMORPG had a somewhat rough birth, but it has grown into one of the better multiplayer experiences on the market. Even more than five years after its release,

ESO

continues to be very active, releasing its fifth expansion,

Blackwood

, on June 1, 2021.

By this point, the MMO has an overwhelming amount of content, so much so that newcomers might feel reluctant to jump in this late in the game. However, a great thing about

ESO

is that it has taken plenty of measures to make the experience accessible to new players; for example, expansions are not level-gated, meaning people can jump into their content when they feel like it. Anyone yearning for a

game like



Skyrim


should start with

ESO

.

The Fallout Series

After dropping hundreds of hours into

Skyrim

, someone might find themselves aching for a change of scenery that also retains somewhat of a similar content loop. If that is the case, then Bethesda’s

Fallout

games are the way to go. While Interplay and Black Isle Studios’

Fallout

and

Fallout 2

are too dissimilar


to

Skyrim

to make the cut, both of these RPGs have aged well courtesy of their writing and world-building.

Fallout 3

Fallout 3

is another open-world RPG game developed by Bethesda. While no dragons or elves will be seen here, as the game is set in a post-apocalyptic world in the year 2277, it nonetheless has that “

Elder Scrolls

feel.”

The game starts in Vault 101 where the player starts their adventure as a 19-year-old in search of his father in the ruins of the United States. The graphics were decent for the time and

Fallout 3

is rich with quests and battles, offering more than 50 hours of gameplay.

Fallout 4

A sequel to the previous entry is another game worth playing.

Fallout 4

is set ten years after the events of the first game; in Vault 111, the player witnesses the murder of their spouse and their son’s kidnapping. Naturally, they vow to get revenge and venture into the outside world, a region called The Commonwealth featuring places such as Boston and the surrounding area.

This open-world RPG saga offers many hours of interesting gameplay and with several DLCs available to download.

Fallout: New Vegas

A spin-off not developed by Bethesda,

New Vegas

is a contender for the best entry in the acclaimed franchise. Closer in tone and structure to the series’ pre-Bethesda isometric entries, Obsidian’s game refines the dialogue and reputation systems to provide players with more leeway in how they can act, enhancing

New Vegas

‘ role-playing element in the process.

New Vegas

plays similarly to

Fallout 3

, although it arguably fine-tunes most of the ideas found in the 2008 release.

Like

Skyrim


,

New Vegas

has a very active modding community that has kept the game relevant for more than a decade.

Dragon Age: Origins

A spiritual successor to the

Baldur’s Gate

,

Dragon Age: Origins

was released two years before

Skyrim

. The two games have many things in common: They are both fantasy-themed RPGs with great stories, have a lot of creatures to kill, countless quests to solve, and a myriad of items to collect.

For a game published more than ten years ago,

Dragon Age: Origins

‘ graphics are still amazing, but the game’s best part is definitely the dialogue and audio.

Dragon Age: Origins

is, excluding other

Elder Scrolls

games, the closest thing to

Skyrim

available to play.

Red Dead Redemption 2

In truth,

Red Dead Redemption 2

and

Skyrim

share little in common. While they are both open-world, their settings are nothing alike, with Rockstar’s title taking place during the Old West. Both games emphasize exploration, but

RDR2

is considerably more story-driven than

Skyrim

. Gameplay-wise, the Western game is a grounded third-person shooter, which obviously puts it in stark contrast with

Skyrim

‘s fantasy system.

Despite their differences,

Red Dead Redemption 2

and

Skyrim

share one very important thing: they raised the bar for open-world games. That alone makes

RDR2

a must-play title, and that’s before taking into account its fantastic writing, characters, and visuals.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Released the same year as

Skyrim

,

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

is a fantasy-themed RPG game based on a novel by Andrzej Sapkowski and developed by Polish studio CD Projekt Red. In the third installment of the series, Geralt of Rivia is once again dragged into an adventure involving armed conflict, magic, the supernatural, and love.

The Wild Hunt

is really fantastic. The game is outstanding in every aspect, from the graphics to its story and voice acting. It offers numerous hours of good fun and riveting writing, along with some absolutely fantastic expansion packs.

Mass Effect 2

If

Skyrim

is the best fantasy-themed RPG game on the market, then

Mass Effect 2

is the best science fiction-themed one. BioWare knows how to craft memorable characters and worlds. The game is an improvement over its predecessor in every way and experienced strong critical and commercial success.

While

Skyrim

has dragons, dwarfs, elves, and monsters,

Mass Effect 2

has a huge variety of alien races as well as other creatures, all of which are well-designed. The

Mass Effect

trilogy is definitely a unique experience.

Starfield

In 2023, Bethesda released

Starfield

, its first new IP in decades. Such a project was destined to be put under a microscope as it needed to live up to almost unreachable expectations set by releases like

Skyrim

and

Fallout 3

. While not without its failings,

Starfield

is overall ambitious and impressive, offering an evolution of the Bethesda formula without being just

Elder Scrolls

in space (which would have been great as well).

Featuring comfortably Bethesda’s best combat to date, the sci-fi game starts slow as it eases players into a reasonably lengthy main story. Similar to the developer’s other RPGs,

Starfield

‘s optional content is its true highlight, and the game encourages players to just visit and explore procedurally-generated worlds to their heart’s content.

MORE: Open World RPGs More Breathtaking Than Skyrim