Summary
The Elder Scrollsseries has become one of the most prolific in all of gaming, known for helping to define RPGs as a genre ever since its inception in 1994. With no sign ofThe Elder Scrolls 6in sight, however, more fans have been delving into the history of Bethesda’s largest franchise. Over the course of decades and console generations alike, the world of Tamriel has established a rich lore both through multiple iconic entries and other lesser known spin-offs that leaveThe Elder Scrolls 6with much to draw from.
Several titles of the series are often lauded as some of the best RPGs of all time, but that doesn’t mean evenThe Elder Scrollshasn’t experienced problems along the way.Skyrimis a ubiquitous term to even those with casual knowledge of video games, and all the steps taken along the way are rarely afforded the same level of praise.The far less popularElder Scrolls:Arenadates back far before even the days ofOblivion’s prominence, and Bethesda has focused on experimentation within the past few years, for better or worse.
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S Tier
The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind(2002) -The game that truly defined the modern formula ofThe Elder Scrollsas most players know it,Morrowindis widely considered to have held up over the years despite its slow pace. If the game’s flaws such as unforgiving rolls and enemies like Cliff Racers can be looked past, it is easily the most immersive experience in the franchise. While it may lack many of the quality of life features players have come to expect in the era followingSkyrim,Morrowind’s aged state has also ensured that a plethora of mods are available for the title. Completed with its Tribunal and Bloodmoon expansions that foreshadowed the future of the series,Morrowindis the most definitiveElder Scrollsfor those that value the roleplaying experience.
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion(2006) -A legendary release of its era,Oblivionis likely one of the most memorable video games in history. Known to both veteran gamers who played through it and younger audiences who have seen its NPCs as memes,Oblivion’s cultural influence cannot be ignored. Taking a much more traditional fantasy approach to the series, the fourth mainline entry features what is generally considered to be the best questing throughout the world of Cyrodiil. With its Knights of the Nine and famous Shivering Isles expansions,Oblivionwas elevated to a cultural status that few titles have reached. Around for the better part of 20 years itself, thevariety of mods available forOblivionalso allow this title to be updated in several modern ways.
A Tier
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim(2011) -Following years of hiatus after the last mainline entry,Skyrimwould revolutionize its franchise and the gaming industry as a whole in 2011. Bringing a more traditional RPG to the forefront of the mainstream during the seventh generation of consoles,Skyrimaffected trends for yearsto come with its groundbreaking release. Streamlining many RPG mechanics of the series in a controversial manner,Skyrimmananged to appeal to the widest audience of any release yet. While it has been criticized in the years following its release for the ways in which its age has begun to show across multiple re-releases,Skyrim’s influence is undeniable.
The Dawnguard expansion would bring vampires and werewolves to the forefront before Dragonborn introduced even more to the adventure, following up on the massive amount of content already innately available.Special Editionwould bring the title into the next generation with more continued support than a game in the series had ever seen beforeSkyrim Anniversary Editionmore recently did the same years later. Seeing official support to mod creators given by Bethesda,Skyrimhas evolved over time into nothing short of a monolith in the industry.Skyrimhas amassed an impressive amount of mod support itself, with huge projects such as Skyblivion and Skywind even recapturing some magic of previous titles.
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B Tier
The Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall(1996) -The follow-up toArenarefined key features of the first title while also featuring the largest game world of the franchise through Bethesda’s use of procedural generation. Difficult to find and play due to its age,Daggerfallis actually considered quite good by those who have been able to play it. It may have outdated presentation and UI compared to its successors, but its large amount of content makes it impressive for the era in which it was released. Despite its somewhat primitive nature,Daggerfallhas received continued community support through an updated Unity engine port that is far more accessible and compatible with mods for those who wish to delve into the roots of the series.
The Elder Scrolls Online(2014) -The Elder Scrolls Onlineis Bethesda’s foray into the MMO space, which seesTamrielopened up to the multiplayer experience in a massive way. Still active and supported nearly a decade after its initial release, this expanded take on the franchise has been praised for featuring areas that have yet to appear in the modern mainline series.
Initially receiving mixed reception upon its release that required a subscription to play,ESOfound its footing the following year when the game reestablished itself through a buy-to-play model with the Tamriel Unlimited update. Supported with extensive content additions in the years leading up to now,The Elder Scrolls Onlineis going strong with its recentNecrom expansion.
An Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire(1997) -Originally an expansion toDaggerfall, the first spin-off of the franchise failed to find the same RPG depth the series was built on despite its adherence to much of the core identity established with the first two titles. Focused on a story that sees the player as a Battlemage escaping Oblivion and facing Mehrunes Dagon,Battlespiretakes a much more linear approach thanThe Elder Scrollsis typically known.
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C Tier
The Elder Scrolls: Legends(2017) -A collectible card game released for mobile devices,Legendssaw Bethesda dip its toes into a space that games likeHearthstonehave managed to thrive within. With development halted less than three years into the life of the game, however, it’s safe to say that this experiment didn’t really pan out.
The Elder Scrolls: Arena(1994) -The first entry in the series,Arenaintroduced the land of Tamrieland the extensive lore ofThe Elder Scrollsearlier than some may have guessed. A relatively solid dungeon crawling experience that utilizes the concepts of rolls and character building made famous byDungeons and Dragons,Arenalaid the groundwork for future titles but doesn’t quite hold up anymore.
The Elder Scrolls TravelsSeries (2003-2006) -All but forgotten by the vast majority of players, theTravelsset of spin-offs made for mobile phones stands as a strange relic of the past. Appearing basic due to their hardware,Stormhold,Dawnstar, andShadowkeyalike are both hard to track down and likely not worth the effort for most. While they may be inconsequential to the greater franchise, theTravelsseries is still worth remembering as a period of bold experimentation when anElder Scrollsexperiencewas available on a simple flip phone.Oblivion’s down-port mobile version would end this experiment in 2006 when it disappointed with a bizarre isometric perspective that has yet to return.
The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard(1998) -Infamously departing entirely from the core RPG systems that make up the identity ofThe Elder Scrolls,Redguardbizarrely follows a gameplay structure much more reminiscent ofTomb Raider. Failing to capture the magic of either style,Redguardis remembered as a tragically mediocre title that has only found value in recent years withinthe video game speedrunning community. Stripping away the staple mechanic of creating a custom character, this is one of Bethesda’s strangest experiments in retrospect.
The Elder Scrolls: Blades(2020) -Another mobile game following the end ofLegends,Bladeshas been one of the most controversial releases and potentially the most malignedElder Scrollstitle.Also released on Nintendo Switch,Bladesfeatures the most fully realized port ofThe Elder Scrolls' core experience to a mobile device. Maintaining relatively similar combat and base mechanics to titles likeSkyrimandOblivion, one key aspect of this title is generally cited as its undoing:Blades' aggressive monetization. Despite the negative reception the title’s microtransaction systems have received from several sources, its status as a profitable endeavor makes it a recent success as fans await the next mainline entry.
The Elder Scrolls 6is in development.
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