The top pick is Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. It delivers a dense, first-person medieval world with deep systems, a reactive story, and a sense of discovery that feels closer to Morrowind or Oblivion than most modern RPGs. Its grounded setting and simulation-style gameplay offer a fresh but familiar experience while you wait for the next Elder Scrolls.
What to Look For
When choosing an open world RPG to fill the Elder Scrolls void, focus on these criteria that actually matter:
- World Density Over Size: A smaller map with handcrafted locations, hidden caves, and meaningful exploration beats a giant procedurally generated expanse. Look for games where you can stumble into a quest by reading a note or following a rumor.
- Player Freedom: The ability to ignore the main quest, join factions, steal, murder, or become a merchant. The best Elder Scrolls games let you define your own story.
- First-Person or Immersive Perspective: While not mandatory, a first-person option or a strong third-person camera with detailed interiors makes the world feel more personal.
- Mod Support: A thriving mod community extends replayability and lets you tailor the game to your tastes, just like with Skyrim.
- Systems Depth: Skills, crafting, magic, and dialogue that interact with each other. Simple stat checks are fine, but emergent gameplay is what makes a world feel alive.
- Performance and Stability: A game that crashes or has game-breaking bugs will break immersion. Check recent patches and community feedback.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
Strengths: The most authentic medieval simulation in gaming. First-person combat, alchemy, blacksmithing, and a world that reacts to your reputation and choices. The main quest and side quests are all handcrafted, and the lack of fantasy elements makes the historical setting feel fresh.
Trade-offs: No magic, no non-human races, and the combat has a steep learning curve. The game demands patience and a willingness to engage with its systems.
Who it suits: Players who loved the exploration and skill progression of Morrowind, and who want a grounded, reactive world with no hand-holding.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Strengths: The gold standard for quest design and narrative. Every side quest has a story, and the world of Velen and Novigrad is dense with secrets. The Blood and Wine expansion adds a beautiful, sun-drenched region that rivals the base game. The combat is simple but satisfying.
Trade-offs: You play a predefined character (Geralt), not your own creation. The world is less interactive than Skyrim – you can’t pick up every object, and the open world is more of a backdrop for quests than a sandbox.
Who it suits: Players who prioritize story and quest quality over pure player freedom, and who enjoy a mature, morally grey narrative.
Dragon’s Dogma 2
Strengths: The best combat and monster climbing in any RPG. The pawn system lets you build a party of AI companions who learn from each other. The world is dangerous and encourages exploration, with hidden dungeons and a day/night cycle that actually matters.
Trade-offs: The story is thin, and fast travel is intentionally limited (though you can use oxcarts). The pawn chatter can get repetitive. The world is not as dense as Skyrim’s – it’s more about combat encounters than environmental storytelling.
Who it suits: Players who want thrilling action combat and a sense of adventure, and who are willing to forgive a weak narrative for excellent gameplay.
Cyberpunk 2077 (with Phantom Liberty)
Strengths: After years of patches, it’s a genuinely excellent open world RPG. Night City is the most detailed and atmospheric city ever built in a game. The writing, especially in the Phantom Liberty expansion, is superb. You can play as a netrunner, a gunslinger, or a cyberninja, and the skill trees allow for very different builds.
Trade-offs: It’s not a fantasy setting, and the world is a city, not a wilderness. The main story is more linear than Skyrim, and there’s no faction system in the traditional sense. The police system is still weak.
Who it suits: Players who want a cyberpunk setting with deep role-playing, a great story, and a world that feels alive with NPCs and lore.
Enderal: Forgotten Stories
Strengths: This is a total conversion mod for Skyrim that is free (if you own Skyrim). It features a completely new world, a darker and more mature story, and a revamped skill system. It’s a whole new game built on the engine you already love.
Trade-offs: It’s a mod, so it has occasional bugs and performance issues. The voice acting is inconsistent. The world is smaller than Skyrim’s and the main quest is more linear, but the side quests are excellent.
Who it suits: Players who want more Elder Scrolls-style gameplay but with a fresh story and setting, and who are willing to install a mod.
Avowed
Strengths: From Obsidian (the makers of Fallout: New Vegas), this is a first-person fantasy RPG set in the Pillars of Eternity universe. It focuses on player choice, faction politics, and deep lore. The combat is fast and magical, and the world is handcrafted.
Trade-offs: It’s a bit more linear than Skyrim – the world is divided into zones rather than one seamless map. The game is shorter than most Elder Scrolls titles. Some players have noted that the world feels a bit smaller and less interactive than Skyrim’s.
Who it suits: Players who love Obsidian’s writing and want a more focused, story-driven first-person RPG with great combat and magic.
How to Choose
Start with your budget. Enderal is free if you already own Skyrim. The Witcher 3 is often on sale for under $10 and includes all expansions. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is the newest and most expensive, but it’s the closest to the Elder Scrolls feel. Cyberpunk 2077 is also frequently discounted.
Then consider your preferred setting. If you want fantasy, pick Kingdom Come (historical), Dragon’s Dogma 2 (high fantasy), Avowed (fantasy), or Enderal (dark fantasy). If you’re open to sci-fi, Cyberpunk is excellent.
Finally, think about what you value most. For story and quests, choose The Witcher 3. For combat, choose Dragon’s Dogma 2. For immersion and simulation, choose Kingdom Come. For player choice and reactivity, choose Avowed or Enderal.
A common trade-off: The Witcher 3 has a better story but less freedom; Dragon’s Dogma 2 has better combat but a worse story; Kingdom Come has the best immersion but the hardest combat; Cyberpunk has the best city but no wilderness. There is no perfect game – pick the one that aligns with your top priority.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Will any of these games feel exactly like Skyrim?
A: No. Each has its own identity. The closest in terms of first-person exploration and skill-based progression is Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, but it lacks fantasy elements. Enderal is the most similar because it’s literally built on Skyrim’s engine.
Q: Are these games moddable?
A: The Witcher 3, Cyberpunk 2077, and Dragon’s Dogma 2 have official mod support on PC. Enderal is a mod itself and has its own mods. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has a modding community growing. Avowed is too new to have a large mod scene.
Q: Which game has the best magic system?
A: Avowed has a very flexible spellcasting system with grimoires. Dragon’s Dogma 2 has spectacular spell effects, but you can’t create custom spells. Enderal has a unique skill-based magic system.
Q: Can I play these on console?
A: All of them are available on current-gen consoles (PS5, Xbox Series X/S). Enderal is PC-only. The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 are also on last-gen consoles, but the others are current-gen only.
Q: Which game has the longest playtime?
A: The Witcher 3 with expansions can take 150+ hours. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is around 100 hours. Dragon’s Dogma 2 is about 80 hours. Cyberpunk 2077 with Phantom Liberty is around 100 hours. Avowed is shorter, around 40-60 hours.
Q: I’m not a fan of hard combat. Which is the most accessible?
A: The Witcher 3 has a story mode difficulty that makes combat easy. Cyberpunk 2077 also has a very easy difficulty. Dragon’s Dogma 2 and Kingdom Come have steeper learning curves.
Bottom Line
If you want the closest experience to an Elder Scrolls game while waiting for the next one, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is the top pick. It delivers the same sense of wonder, discovery, and player freedom, just without dragons. If you’re on a tight budget, Enderal is an incredible free option. If you prefer story over simulation, The Witcher 3 is the best value. Whichever you choose, these games will keep you busy until Tamriel calls again.
Related
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