The increasing size and scope of video games has led to some incredible innovations in the genre. Gigantic open-world experiences can be intimidating to some audiences, but when they’re done properly they’re like nothing else. Skyrim, the fifth entry in the popular Elder Scrolls series has proven itself to be one of the best examples of this type of game.
Skyrim has helped establish the new standard, but there are still lots of other games that strive for something similar, whether it’s accomplished or not. Accordingly, here are 5 games to play if you like Skyrim and 5 you should avoid.
10 Play: Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Kingdom Come: Deliverance is a thrilling and massive RPG adventure that's set during the Holy Roman Empire. What's so interesting about Kingdom Come: Deliverance is how it strips away luxuries like magic and places players in the position of a character who's truly at the bottom rung of the ladder.
Kingdom Come prioritizes story and paints an incredible picture that may be slow at times, but is constantly impressive. When it comes to the basics of RPGs, Kingdom Come isn’t just exceptional, but it may even beat Skyrim.
9 Avoid: Kingdoms Of Amalur: Re-Reckoning
Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning is an impressive remaster of the original title that improves a lot of qualities of life and puts together a much more attractive package. Kingdoms of Amalur is set in a fantastical world that features magic, supernatural entities, and a vast array of species and races.
Kingdoms of Amalur isn’t a bad game, but it feels more like a Zelda or Fable title than it does an Elder Scrolls title. The quests lean a little too hard in the repetitive nature of MMOs.
8 Play: Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen
Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen is a robust expansion to the original open-world hack and slash action-RPG epic. Dragon’s Dogma understands the glory of a rich world and the game beautifully indulges in extravagant weapons, intimidating dungeons, and a litany of troublesome monsters to fend off.
Dragon’s Dogma has a clever AI pawn system to add some appreciated backup in battle. The game definitely focuses more on aggressive combat than Skyrim, but the worlds are still very similar and it’s the perfect title for players who long for a rich fantasy that’s heavy in action.
7 Avoid: Fallout 4
One of the biggest problems with Bethesda's Fallout 4 is that it suffers the cruel fate of following Fallout 3, which kind of nailed the formula. As a result, Fallout 4 is still an entertaining and impressive game, but it begins to conjure diminishing returns in this doomed world.
If no other Fallout games existed, Fallout 4 would be a triumph, but as it stands it's a repetitive experience that can lose the gamer in the weeds, rather than how Skyrim caters to avoiding those dangers and never breaking the illusion.
6 Play: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Dragon Age: Inquisition is the third entry in BioWare's popular Dragon Age series. Inquisition continues to throw players into a rich fantasy world that elegantly mixes magic and old-fashioned combat together.
Dragon Age has a beautiful world and engrossing story that’s heavy with history, but it's the large amounts of weapons, equipment, and rewards that will trigger memories of Skyrim. It takes the game's crafting and collecting features to bigger places and for those that aren't crazy about Skyrim's first-person perspective, Dragon Age: Inquisition plays out in third-person.
5 Avoid: Monster Hunter: World
Capcom’s Monster Hunter series has taken some time to catch on with audiences, but the latest releases in the franchise have been the most popular yet and shown just how universal this series can be. Monster Hunter: World provides an enormous playground to hunt ferocious beasts and craft incredible weapons and accessories.
Monster Hunter: World may scratch that open-world itch that Skyrim players have, but the heavy emphasis on combat and the nature of enemies might be too much for others. Monster Hunter: World is a glorious cooperative community experience, but it’s no Skyrim.
4 Play: Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
The Legend of Zelda titles have turned into some of the most popular and beloved Nintendo titles, but the franchise’s debut on the Switch re-invented the series in some major ways. Zelda titles have always been big and pushed hardware, but Breath of the Wild is a whole other story.
Breath of the Wild nails the transition into a gigantic open-world game and it’s been incredible to see just how creative players get in the game to solve problems. Open-world Legend of Zelda has become the new normal and the upcoming sequel should create something that could easily surpass Skyrim.
3 Avoid: Phantasy Star Online 2
It’s taken Phantasy Star Online 2 a very long time to finally get a North American release, but the prestigious MMO series from Sega has finally graced hungry gamers.
Phantasy Star Online 2 is a satisfying follow-up entry in the series that features a full world and some truly enjoyable teamwork that’s possible with the community. However, the futuristic aesthetic, largely populated world, and how it’s more an MMO than a standard RPG might still be enough to rub hardcore Skyrim players the wrong way.
2 Play: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The Witcher video games have always had a devoted fanbase and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is largely considered to be the apex of the franchise. The Witcher 3 perfects everything from the previous games and gives players a shocking amount of control, whether it's in the quests that they approach or how they negotiate relationships with other characters.
It's so easy to just disappear in the world of The Witcher and it's an immensely satisfying experience that doesn't matter if players are fighting off ferocious monsters or just carrying out incidental quests to help those that are in need.
1 Avoid: Assassin's Creed Syndicate
The Assassin's Creed series is still around and kicking, but there's a wildly inconsistent level of quality across the titles and many try to pack in so much content that they become more of a chore than entertainment.
Assassin's Creed Syndicate is set in London during the Industrial Revolution and revolves around a brother and sister assassin team, but other than those creative touches the title is laborious and has a combat system that’s practically broken. It's far from the best that Assassin's Creed has to offer and it has a totally different flavor and pacing than Skyrim.