The Elder Scrolls VIis coming.Slowly, but it is. We all dearly miss this series that’s already way older than many of the people playing it nowadays, so we should perhaps look to the past for some greatTESmoments that we might have missed.
What better time than now, or the four years that we’ll have to wait in line, to read about the best and worst games in the series to get you ready forTES VI?Note that this is about the single-player RPGs, soThe Elder Scrolls Onlineis not part of our rankings here.
12. The Elder Scrolls: Arena
I know I’m a big meanie for putting the oldest game in the franchise in the lowest rank, but this is actually a great achievement for the series. How many franchises can boast that every single sequel in their catalog has managed to outdo the original?
Arena, even with the help of some neat fan-made mods, looks and plays very dated nowadays. Still, it was a revolutionary thing back in the day—and one that you can still enjoy for some of its merits and archeological value.
11. The Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall
Daggerfallgreatly improved upon its predecessor in terms of graphics, scope, and size. Though ancient,Daggerfallremains one of the games with the largest play area in gaming history, although you’ll probably get bored before seeing one-tenth of the whole thing. I’d callDaggerfalltoo dated to play nowadays if you’re not a game history buff, but you’re able to experience a much prettier version if you get theUnity remaster, which I totally recommend.
10. The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion – Knights of the Nine
Oblivion’sfirst expansion begins with some dumb and repetitive design choices that might end up causing a bunch of players to give up on it, but those who brave through the great filter are in for one hell of a treat.
Knights of the Nineinvites players to go through the trials and tribulations of knighthood, and it turns out it’s actually a pretty fun ordeal. Also, one of the things that always bothered me aboutOblivionwas the lack of a direct confrontation against a villain. Yeah, sitting back while a dragon goes on a kaiju fight against the Devil isn’t that awesome,Oblivion.Luckily,KONmore than solves that problem.
9. The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion – Shivering Isles
Remember when I talked about a confrontation with a cool villain in the entry above? Well,Shivering Islesis all about going after a mad god in an equally mad world. This one is filled with memorable moments worthy ofMorrowind,but the star of the show is the main quest. One of the quarrels one can have withOblivionis the lack of open-endedness, but you won’t find that here, as your decisions will finally impact the story.
8. The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim – Dawnguard
you may never do wrong with vampires and werewolves. Both had been staples of the series for a while, but now they take center stage in the main plotline. The main story is fun, but even more fun are the Werewolf and Vampire skill trees that you can now unlock and explore to quench your thirst.
7. The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim – Dragonborn
Before there wasBloodborne, there wasSkyrim’s Dragonborn. It teased a great confrontation with someone capable of rivaling the Dovahkiin, and we got that, but the star of the show, in my opinion, was the Lovecraftian elements.Skyrimis gorgeous, but I find the environments a bit repetitive.Dragonbornsolves that in spades by taking us to a new area filled with eldritch horrors that will likely stay in your mind, as you slowly lose it to madness.
6. The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind – Tribunal
Tribunal, the first expansion forMorrowinddoes away with the massive and beautiful areas of the main game. It makes up for that, however, by inviting players to solve an engrossing conspiracy whose setting is based on classicTESconcepts. It’s a short but sweet experience that you should totally get into if you like the originalMorrowind, as it raises the overall difficulty and expands upon its challenges.
Important note: Do not installTribunalas soon as you begin your adventure in the original game. This will create a high chance of powerful ninjas showing up to kill your character whenever they go to sleep. This isnota joke.
5. The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind – Bloodmoon
A hero arrives at a snow-covered island to go on a werewolf-hunting adventure.Bloodmoonisn’tSkyrim, but only because it doesn’t take place inSkyrim.Morrowind’ssecond expansion more than sows the seeds for what would becomeSkyrimby sending players on a darker adventure in a Norse mythology-inspired land. If you loveSkyrimand want to experience a “demake” of sorts, this is the one for you.
4. The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
They finally did it. There was speculation, there were rumors, but when theOblivionremaster shadow dropped on one sleepy day, the internet was damn near set on fire. It was a fun time, sure, but still just a remaster.
That’s why it ends up in the fourth spot on this list, two whole places behind the original. The OG was the one that showed us all what games could really do with its living world and roaming NPCs. The remaster is a fantastic homage to what is undoubtedly anElder Scrollsclassic.
3. The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
Well, there’s not much left to say about this one. I mean, there are a lot of people talking crap about it on the Internet, but they write their negative reviews while on their coffee breaks from their 500+ hour-long playthroughs, so do those even count?
Skyrimis a massive success, a game that has remained popular for over a decade, and one that so many claim is the strongest entry in the series. I disagree, as I’m not a fan of how it hand-holds us throughout the main quest, but who am I to say that this is not the ultimateTESexperiencefor you?
2. The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion
Even thoughSkyrimblew its numbers out of the water a few years later,Oblivionwas the breakthrough game for this series.Oblivionmade not just the series, but RPGs in general, the hot new mainstream thing.
Back when it came out,Oblivionlooked betterand brighter, thanks, absurd HDR, than any other game on the market.Oblivionlooked like an impossible feat for a console, but it was the real deal. Moreover, it featured a more console-friendly approach to its combat and overall gameplay than its predecessor, which sacrificed some depth but allowedOblivionto put the Xbox 360 on the map as a serious threat to the PlayStation 3.
1. The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind
Even though many might contest my decision, I must rub salt in the dissidents’ wounds by stating that this wasn’t even a close one. Though old enough to drink in the US,Morrowindremains not just one of the best RPGs of all time, but one of the best exploration games ever — an achievement it simply did not owe us.
If you ever feel like taking a break from the main quest, you can just walk in a direction — any direction. It’s ok, as you’ll surely stumble upon some underground area where you’ll have an unforgettable adventure and likely get a cool new item.Morrowinddoesn’t take players by the hand and never fails to reward the adventurer inside you. The combat might be a bit dated by today’s standards, but it also features the deepest gameplay in the series, making it a perfect marriage between clunky and fun. We may never ever get anything quite likeMorrowind, and the world is a sadder place for that.
