20 Best Open World Games Like Skyrim
Hello, gamers! I usually create lists of games in different genres. But every year or two I make a new list of open-world games like Skyrim. Most of the lists that I create are top 10 ones, but this is the biggest and fattest list so far with top 20 games that are more or less similar to Skyrim.
Check out the complete list till the end because it may surprise you. Okay, let’s start with the list.
Outward
This is an open-world RPG where the cold weather of the night or a small infected wound can be as deadly as a predator lurking in the dark. Outward delivers an outstanding RPG experience together with survival a nice gameplay, offering a deeply-rewarding challenges for gamers. You can play alone or co-op, even a split-screen is a possibility.
Finally, a split-screen for the non-racing and non-shooter game. This game will give you a sense of adventure and will not guide you by hand with a linear story. Although not everything is good, movement and combat feel a bit clunky, voice acting could be better, and character customization is very limited. Anyway, it’s a nice game, try to get it on a sale.
Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt
Everyone knows this game because it is one of the most popular games out there. But If you somehow avoided it, just play it. You don’t have to watch this list any further. You have found your game, and your search is over. Let me tell you four interesting facts about The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt.
Fact One: Card game Gwent, which you can find in Witcher, was created in three days. Yep, that was a deadline for its creators, and they indeed delivered.
Fact two: Witcher’s map is 20% bigger than Skyrim’s.
Fact three: At the peak of the most distant mountain on Toussaint’s horizon sits a photo of the development team, useless but nice to know.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
This is basically Skyrim, just without dragons, elves, giants and penis-people. Oh wait, there were no penis-people in Skyrim either, so those games are even more alike. Kingdom Come: It features a close to reality combat system that requires patience and calculated attacks instead of the smashing buttons like he gamers used to do in Elder Scrolls.
The game was made on 5 million dollars budget. It may seem a lot for a casual folk like you and me, but keep in mind that Skyrim’s development cost was roughly around 100 million. So, maybe that’s why in Kingdom Come you won’t find any elves or vampires.
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Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
This game has a ridiculous story. The State of Rhode Island gave an astonishing amount of $75 million to fund the project. Yes, the government itself gave the money to developers and ordered to make an incredible game. Do you know what happened? The game managed to claw back only 4.5 million, and by this whole state of Rhode Island almost went bankrupt.
Around one million people live in this state, and you can imagine that every single citizen of them lost about $70 from this expensive deal. Now the game is getting a remastered version. Nothing concrete yet, but Microsoft accidentally listed the game prematurely on its storefront. It will probably be released this September. So, keep an eye on it. You know why? Because when the government asked developers to make an incredible game, they delivered. Game is fantastic, and despite it being a financial disaster, it is one of the best RPG games ever created.
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Although it can look a bit childish for a mature player, It has a massive, memorable open world, and when it first showed up, many were thinking about Skyrim, just in a Zelda universe. You can go anywhere your eyes can see, fight tons of monsters, evil spirits and even a few dragons.
The best thing that you can fly. Well, mostly downwards, but in this world, it feels incredible. It is fun to play, no matter what your age is.
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Horizon Zero Dawn series
I say series because quite soon you can play part 2 of the game on a Playstation 5. In this game you are a girl named Aloy and trying to figure out what happened to the world and why there are thousands of huge mechanical animals and dinosaurs wandering around. This is a post-apocalyptic game, which means you are going to find various ruins and ancient secrets.
Although, the game is trying to be suitable for everyone, so here you will find no gore and no boobs. Yeah, Aloy will not show you hers and also you will not find some old Playboy magazine hidden in ancient ruins. Of course, Horizon Zero Dawn is crueller than, let’s say, Breath of the Wild, but when you play it, deep down you feel that it could be made better.
Isles of Adalar
This is an open-world fantasy RPG that can be played in the first or third person. This game reminded me of Morrowind very much. In my opinion, one of the most critical things in the Elder Scrolls universe is that you can actually pick up items from the world and then put them into your inventory. If you see the roll of cloth, shield, vodka or skooma bottle on the table, you can actually pick it up, and you can do the same here in Isles of Adalar.
It is an Indie game, so don’t expect AAA quality from it like you never expect moonshine you have bought from shady dealer to be as good as Swedish or Lithuanian vodka. I tried to play the demo version, you can find it on Steam, and in my opinion, it was quite good.
Well, it had many problems, like a terrible fish-eyed field of view. You can constantly feel that something is off no matter how you adjust it. It feels like some VR game was made to be not to be VR anymore.
Greedfall
In this game you will explore untraveled new lands as you set foot on a remote island filled with magic, riches, hidden secrets, and extraordinary creatures. Here you can complete quests and objectives in a multitude of different ways through combat, diplomacy, deception, or even stealth. Also, you will be given complete freedom in character progression, customize your appearance, freely choose your abilities, spells and skills and play as male or female.
Sadly, you can’t play as a ladyboy, and there is no vodka bender class. So, if you had high hopes when I said complete freedom, now I just shattered them, I’m sorry. Although most of the people find this game good, and I should mention that Greedfall is very grindy. Also, you can feel the lack of enemy variety and has terrible face animations. It feels like they are made out of rubber, and someone is just pulling strings to make them smile or open their mouths.
Nevertheless, in my opinion, this game is strong 8 out of 10, but definitely not a masterpiece.
Gothic series
Games of Gothic series are great, from the first ever Gothic game released in 2001 to the last spin-off, released in 2010 named ArcaniA. These open-world RPGs have immersive stories, original worlds and gameplay that pin you to your chair better than anything else.
Even now you can download various graphic enhancement mods, so they look shiny as new. The Gothic remake is also happening as THQ Nordic has confirmed its intention to make a full remake after the recently-released playable teaser proved popular. If you own any Gothic or any Piranha Bytes game in general on Steam, you can try this demo version of remade Gothic by yourself free.
Risen series
This game has the same developers who made Gothic series, with similar gameplay, but unfortunately a bit less love from the gamers. There are three games, released in 2009, 2012 and 2014 accordingly. The first game has the best reviews, and the third one has even a little bit of hate, because, it has a bit boring plot and somewhat watered-down gameplay to suit Xbox and PS3 bad animations and graphics.
But, to be fair, even Elder Scrolls Oblivion had problems because of that back in a day, and now it is considered a masterpiece, at least by me. So, it is probably best to decide for yourself if you like the games or not. Add them to your wishlist, wait for a sale and test it out.
Might & Magic series
If you like old-school games, I’m totally recommending you to try Might & Magic 6, 7 and 8, because earlier games are so old, they are not even created for Windows and are just a dungeon crawlers, not open-world games. Starting from the sixth part, games were made when 3D technologies were already available, so they have a semi-open world where you can roam in any direction. But all enemies are just 2D sprites because computers back then were extremely limited and lame.
You had to have 32 Megabytes of RAM to run Might & Magic VI smoothly. For example, the same amount of RAM Half-life required, which was released in the same year. But Half-life wasn’t the open world so it could make better graphics in smaller environments and PC’s were still able to run it without twitching and melting.
If you can live with that, I can promise you that in those games you will find absolutely fantastic plot and feeling of adventure. If you are a fan of Heroes of Might and Magic games, here you will find the same monsters and characters, which is super cool. At least it was for me.
Although, avoid part 9, because it was created entirely in 3D and it looks ugly. They had to sacrifice almost all the feeling of an open world because of that, so it even plays ugly. Back in the days I finished this game, found some good moments, but I won’t recommend it. It’s a good game, story-wise, but everything else is extremely wrong.
And also, you may try Might and Magic X, which is quite a new game, released in 2014 and powered by nostalgia, but it is more like old school dungeon crawler than a semi-open world game because it is based on those older Might & Magic games.
Dragon Age series
The same team designed these games at BioWare as the Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect games, so you can expect it to have a similar structure where you are just one member of your party. In Skyrim, we usually went to the dungeons alone or maybe took moded sexy elf companion together, more as a mascot than a real help, but here your party members are as strong as you are.
This might be a game that repulses many loners, but the setting of a fantasy world filled with dangers, dungeons and dragons looks similar to the Elder Scrolls games. The critical point of this is simple: I like Skyrim, and I like Dragon Age. So, probably you will too. Give it a try.
Currently three games are available to play, some are loved more than the others, but if you look from a perspective, they are all great and more or less interesting. Dragon Age 4 is in the making right now, but it won’t be available for masses at least until the late year of 2022.
Middle Earth Shadow of War and Shadow of Mordor
The best thing about playing Middle-earth games is that they make you feel overpowered without sacrificing the fear of defeat. Games have great free-flowing combat and a vast, epic-looking open world full of Lord of the Rings lore to find. But what makes it unique is what’s going on in the background: an intriguing hierarchy of enemies that gives every victory and defeat extra meaning.
I’m talking about unique Nemesis system that makes almost every encounter with a named enemy a memorable battle. Imagine, when next time you’ll make a potato salad, give a name to every single potato before cutting them down – the final result will definitely taste better.
Anyway, in-game you can use direct melee combat, ranged attacks, stealth-based moves and even turn enemies against each other. You can also convert orcs to your side and send them to battle enemy. Yes, just don’t get too attached to any of them, they tend to die a lot, even if their opponent is weaker. However, you can probably find a mod or two that fixes that.
Fallout New Vegas
This time it’s not a fantasy title, but I couldn’t just leave it aside. The possibility of you liking Skyrim and not liking Fallout New Vegas is very slim. The game was sandwiched in-between Fallout 3 and 4 and got overshadowed a bit by its younger and older brothers. Many people think that New Vegas is a simple DLC of Fallout 3, but it’s an entirely different and standalone game.
I should tell you that Fallout New Vegas Remake is in the works right now by a team of fans. It is being made using Fallout 4 engine and so far, looks good. But honestly, the works can take a long time, and projects like this usually die silently after a while, because it is hard to keep working without getting paid, no matter how passionate you are, especially when it’s not your own creation and you’re just remaking someone other’s epic work. Let’s hope I’m wrong.
Divinity II: Developer’s Cut
Here you can climb high and vaporize all that stands in your way as you strategically use both your human & dragon forms to defeat the enemy and become the ultimate Dragon Knight! Developer’s Cut includes the ultimate edition of Divinity II, good for more than 100 hours of gameplay, as well as the brand-new Developer Mode where you can play as any creature you like.
Yes, here you can play the original version, or experience the game like the designers did and fool around with console commands! Ever wanted to test your new skills on a hoard of a hundred goblins? Go for it! Ever wondered what it would be like to explore the game-world in the disguise of a troll or goblin? Well, there you go! Discover a whole range of spectacular developer commands and feel like a real wizard!
The game has very positive reviews on Steam, and despite the age, it is still very good looking. Not like you and me, my friend.
Crimson Desert
This is a beautiful open world game made in South Korea. It is not released yet, but I think it has to be on this list. In this game will travel through a vast realm destroyed by conflict, a cold and callous desert, and breathtaking cities. Game is an open world, but it’s also MMORPG. I know, it’s terrible, but hold your horses!
The game offers story-rich single-player campaign teeming with engaging quests. It seems that developers are trying to sit on two chairs at once and for that, you need quite a wide ass. Let’s hope they have it because the game looks gorgeous and I would definitely play the single-player campaign they offer.
Two Worlds 2
The world is ruled by a dark lord extremely fond of conducting experiments involving black magic. He drains his power from the soul of your sister. Being gradually deprived of her energy, she is getting weaker each day. Here you will explore many kinds of new environments, such as tropical jungles or hot savannas inhabited by various species of rhinos and ostriches.
The game also features reptiles and many other wild and familiar fauna. By the way, have you noticed that in every single fantasy game, there are a lot of weird creatures or mutated ones, like giant spiders and scorpions, but there are always ordinary wolves? Yeah, wolves are just like that in real life, and everything else is crazy shit ass creatures with no ties to reality.
So, in Two worlds, when you see just normal ostriches and rhinos and other typical real-life fauna, something feels way off. So, apart from exploring the game world on foot, you can also go by horse or a boat, and teleports can be used as well. Game is considered as okay-ish – like 6 or 7 out of 10. It has many issues, but none of them is game-breaking, so try it without fear, just don’t expect masterpiece material.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Of all Assassin’s Creed games Odyssey and maybe also Origins are the most Skyrim like. And by all means, these are very different games than Elder Scrolls. I considered not to include them at all, but later I decided to put them in because I can guarantee that if you like Skyrim, there is a huge chance that you will like Odyssey as well.
Keeping in mind that the Odyssey isn’t realistic and among your enemies are various monsters and mythological beasts from legends, like Medusa. It has some high fantasy vibes. Here you will also have weapons with supernatural abilities like increased strength or the ability to instantly knock out an opponent’s shield.
I don’t think I should tell you something more about Assassin’s Creed in general, there are plenty of them, and if you were not living under the rock in the bottom of the ocean, you know what Assassin’s Creed games are and how they work.
Bound by Flame
This is a heroic fantasy RPG that has you playing as a mercenary possessed by a demon. In the grasp of a demon, you must choose between the monster within you and your humanity. Should you choose the latter, you must repel the demon’s influence and develop truly heroic skills. As dangers and enemies close down on you, always more fearsome and terrifying, you will be tempted to yield a bit more of your soul to the demon in order to gain more power. As the demon gains more of your soul, your physical transformation becomes more obvious.
Depending on your choices and your relationship with a demon, the chapters offer different experiences, quests and scenarios. The real-time battles are both dynamic and quite impressive. If you start your adventure by mastering the basics of combat, assassination, and eventually fire magic, you can later specialize by unlocking and improving many skills that you will use in each of the three talent trees.
The title has some annoying bugs and quite terrible voice acting, but in general, it’s an OK game to try.
Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord
Explore, raid and conquer your way across the vast continent of Calradia, making friends and enemies along the way. Raise your own army and lead it into battle, commanding and fighting alongside your troops in the thick of the action. Remember the battles between Imperials and Stormcloaks? Here you will find a way another level of that.
So, slay your foes using the game’s deep and intuitive combat system that is easy to learn but difficult to master. Keep in mind that Bannerlord is in Early Access, so it can be buggy, glitchy and not finished. Despite that game is a proud owner of very positive reviews on Steam. One reviewer, named Masky said that “this game is like falling into a bottomless well. Once you fall in, you are never getting out.”
Final Words
And now I want to share with you most exciting thing about Skyrim I have found recently, DLC named Apotheosis. It’s a fan-made project, but don’t get fooled, real professionals are making it of their craft. Apotheosis is set across 16 wastes of Oblivion and the Dreamsleeve, home of the forgotten dead. Reawakened after years of slumber, you are tasked with reassembling the Heart of Lorkhan, survive eldritch horrors and discover stories untold.
Here you will encounter unique bosses with challenging mechanics, fully voiced quests with memorable characters and personal stories. You will also discover and assemble rare and powerful artifacts, armours, outfits, spells and weapons.
Mod is not released yet, and we may have to wait for a while for that, but it is obviously something tremendous and truly majestic. After making this list, I realized that I forgot to include Dragon’s Dogma. Ah, whatever, at least I have mentioned it. It’s a nice game, always on sale. And I hope that you already tried Morrowind and Oblivion because I haven’t included these in the list for being too obvious.
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