Looking for a game like Skyrim to jump into? In this post, we’ve highlighted seven games like Skyrim that are worth playing if you’re looking for a new game to try.
On November 11th, 2011, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was released. Even though it’s been nearly one decade since its release, Skyrim remains exceptionally popular. So popular, in fact, that Bethesda has released and re-released Skyrim on every major console.
Even though Skyrim is a massive game with lots to offer, playing it for so long can get boring. If you love Skyrim but want something new and different, then you’re at the right place. In this post, we’ve highlighted some of the best games to play if you’re a fan of Skyrim.
Table of Contents
2. Dark Messiah Of Might And Magic
3. Fallout 4
4. Arcanum: Of Steamworks And Magick Obscura
The Witcher 3
Even though The Witcher 3 was released just six years ago, in May of 2015, it’s already considered one of the greatest RPGs ever made. A significant part of this reputation is how The Witcher 3 offers a rich, open-ended experience with lots of content while also telling an excellent story. Just like Skyrim, The Witcher 3 offers a vast open world.
A vast open world filled with side-quests, NPCs to speak with, and dungeons to explore. You can, while engaging with this world, develop your skills and abilities.
Rather than playing as your own custom character, though, you play as Geralt Of Rivia, a man with a well-defined past and a well-defined mission. Throughout the game, you are free to customize certain aspects of Geralt while also making choices that affect the story and world.
Since you play as a well-defined character, The Witcher 3 focuses far more on story and characterization than Skyrim.
The story is very well-written. As are the side-quests, along with the characters you encounter within those side-quests and the main story. Despite the greater emphasis on storytelling and characterization, The Witcher 3 still offers plenty of freedom. You can, if you want to, focus entirely on exploring the world and completing side-quests.
The sheer amount of content that The Witcher 3 offers, combined with its excellent writing and storytelling, make it one of the best games like Skyrim and a must-play for RPG fans.
Dark Messiah Of Might And Magic
Set in the fantasy world of Might And Magic, Dark Messiah invokes just about every familiar fantasy trope you can think of. You will find giant spiders, demons, dragons, magic swords, orcs, mages, elves, and lots more.
Each one of these tropes is anchored by a story and presentation that feels decidedly edgier than the one found in Skyrim.
Just like Skyrim, though, Dark Messiah offers several classes and various skills. You can develop your character the way you want to. A similar level of versatility is seen in the game’s combat system and environments. You are given access to various weapons and spells. Each one allows for a unique style of play.
The environments can be interacted with. You can, for example, knock over objects to eliminate enemies or cast an ice spell so that enemies will slip on the ground.
Beyond those elements, though, Dark Messiah is very different from Skyrim. Rather than offering a massive open world with lots of content, Dark Messiah is linear. The game consists of nine chapters. Every chapter contains a specific goal that you must accomplish to progress.
For the most part, every chapter consists of fairly open-ended environments. So, you have some flexibility when it comes to how you achieve your goals.
If you can look past the linearity, though, and want something short and sweet, with a unique combat system, then Dark Messiah Of Might And Magic is lots of fun.
Fallout 4
Just like Skyrim, Fallout 4 was developed by Bethesda Softworks. Everything that Skyrim offers can be found in Fallout 4. A vast open world; plenty of unique quests; NPCs that you can interact with; tons of items; a plethora of unique skills, along with much more.
Rather than taking place in a fantasy world, Fallout 4 takes place in a post-apocalyptic setting that mixes and matches elements from pulp science-fiction and 1950s Americana.
As you would expect from a Bethesda Softworks game, Fallout 4 is absolutely massive. You have access to a huge world filled with side-quests and dungeons. You can go anywhere you would like, pursue any quest, and create your own character.
Like Skyrim, as you explore the game’s world, you can upgrade your skills and items while joining the factions that interest you.
A great game that’s just like Skyrim, Fallout 4 offers open-ended gameplay, plenty of enjoyable quests and factions, as well as a unique world and aesthetic.
Arcanum: Of Steamworks And Magick Obscura
Let’s get this out of the way: Arcanum: Of Steamworks And Magick Obscura is a flawed game.
Some of the gameplay is clunky. The voice acting isn’t always great. There are a couple of bugs that can disrupt the experience. And, sometimes figuring out how to play the game is a challenge. Even though those flaws are present, Arcanum is still one of the best RPGs out there.
The greatness of Arcanum, despite its flaws, is due to the impeccable writing and worldbuilding, as well as the versatility of every game mechanic. The world of Arcanum is a world where magic and technology co-exist.
These elements serve as the foundation for rich, complex mythology and various ideological conflicts that you as the player engage with. You, as the player, are free to choose what you specialize in—magic or technology—and how you engage with the world around you.
Every specialization changes the game, as well as your interactions with the world. Since this is the case, every playthrough is unique.
Even though Arcanum isn’t the longest game—it’s not short, though—the variety of mechanics and how each mechanic affects the game allows for immense replay value.
If you can look past the flaws, and want a unique fantasy game with a distinctive world and compelling mechanics, Arcanum is very much worth playing.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines
Just like Arcanum, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines was developed by Troika Games. For the first few years after its launch, Vampire was unpopular, having been a financial failure.
A large part of this failure was due to the prevalence of bugs and glitches. But, despite those bugs and glitches, the game had a dedicated fanbase.
A dedicated fanbase that took it upon themselves to create a series of fan patches. Each one of these fan patches eliminated many of the bugs and glitches that had, prior to their release, made portions of the game very difficult to play.
Since the release of those fan patches, Vampire has only become more and more popular. Despite the game’s many flaws, it’s not hard to see why this is the case. The unique Los Angeles setting, combined with a wide variety of distinctive urban fantasy locales and wonderfully written characters, makes for an RPG quite unlike anything else out there.
As with Skyrim, you are free to develop your skills and abilities while also pursuing side-quests. Unlike Skyrim, though, Vampire is hub-based and offers fewer side-quests. But, by and large, this content is more varied and more well-written, and each hub is distinct from one another.
If you don’t mind janky graphics and the occasional bug, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines is a fantastic RPG that offers a wonderful atmosphere, great writing, and rewarding gameplay.
Dragon Age: Origins
The story and world of Dragon Age: Origins is, in their own way, very similar to Skyrim. You will find just about every familiar fantasy trope within the game’s world, as well as an epic story that involves vanquishing an ancient evil.
But, unlike Skyrim, Dragon Age offers more in-depth storytelling, a greater emphasis on choices, as well as the titular “origins” system.
For those who’ve played Skyrim or consumed other fantasy media, the story in Dragon Age will be familiar. But, what sets Dragon Age apart from other fantasy games is its excellent characterization, which gives the story, and world, a greater level of emotional depth.
Every time you speak with a character, you are given several dialogue options. Each one of these choices matters, affecting the ways in which particular characters see and interact with you, as well as future events within the game. While not present in Skyrim, many of these mechanics are similar to those found in a couple of the other titles in this list.
But, one mechanic that no other game in this list offers is that of the “origins” system. Right before you begin Dragon Age, you must create your character. To create your character, you must come up with a name, customize the character’s appearance, choose a race and, then, choose a class. Every race and class combination consists of its own unique origin story.
Each origin story lasts for around two hours, serving as a way of introducing you to the game’s world, as well as the core mechanics that you will be relying on throughout the entire game.
If you enjoy slower games with a greater emphasis on character and dialogue, then Dragon Age: Origins is an excellent fantasy RPG that’s worth trying.
Enderal: The Shards Of Order
Unlike the other games in this list, Enderal: The Shards Of Order isn’t a full release. Rather, Enderal is a total-conversion mod for Skyrim. As a result of this, the graphics, and most of the gameplay, is identical to what’s found in Skyrim. But, the world and story and some of the combat mechanics are very different.
Even though there are some similarities, the world of Enderal is very different from Skyrim, with unique mythology that explores themes such as time, religion, and fate. The mythology found in Enderal creates an engaging story that lasts for around fifty hours.
Throughout the story, you will explore many unique dungeons, complete several quests, interact with well-written characters, and engage with some unique mechanics.
For the most part, Skyrim’s combat is quite basic. There’s a heavy emphasis on repeat attacks and small movements, but little else outside of that. Since Enderal is a total-conversion mod for Skyrim, the combat is similar. But, enemies are much stronger, the combat is slower, and every encounter is its own unique challenge.
If you love Skyrim and would like something very similar, but with a unique world, story, and combat system, then Enderal: The Shards Of Order is one of the best mods you can install.
