The Ultimate Guide to Ranking Elder Scrolls Games

Highlights

The Elder Scrolls series has a rich lore and history that fans have been delving into while waiting for The Elder Scrolls 6.

Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim stand out as the series' most renowned titles, each possessing their own distinct merits and drawbacks.

Although the spin-off games and artistic endeavors, including Battlespire, Legends, and Blades, have yielded a mixed reception, they undeniably add to the franchise's enduring heritage.

The Elder Scrolls series has established itself as a prominent and influential gaming franchise since its start in 1994. Despite the absence of The Elder Scrolls 6, fans have been exploring the extensive history of Bethesda's largest franchise. Through numerous iconic entries and lesser-known spin-offs, the world of Tamriel has developed a deep lore, providing ample inspiration for the forthcoming game.

While several titles in the series are celebrated as some of the greatest RPGs of all time, The Elder Scrolls has faced its fair share of challenges. Skyrim, a widely recognized term even among casual gamers, often overshadows the accomplishments made along the way. The earlier and less popular Elder Scrolls: Arena predates the prominence of Oblivion, and Bethesda has been experimenting in recent years, with varying degrees of success.

S Tier

The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind (2002) - Widely recognized as the game that established the modern formula of The Elder Scrolls, Morrowind remains highly regarded despite its slower pace. While it may have flaws like challenging combat mechanics and irritating enemies such as Cliff Racers, Morrowind offers an incredibly immersive experience. Though it lacks certain quality of life features found in later games like Skyrim, its age allows for a multitude of mods to enhance gameplay. Complete with its Tribunal and Bloodmoon expansions, which set the stage for future installments in the franchise, Morrowind is the definitive Elder Scrolls game for those who value roleplaying.

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion (2006) - A legendary release in its time, Oblivion stands as one of the most memorable video games in history. It has left a lasting impact on both veteran players and younger audiences, who have come to recognize its NPCs through internet memes. Embracing a more traditional fantasy approach, the fourth mainline entry boasts exceptional questing throughout the vast world of Cyrodiil. With its Knights of the Nine and renowned Shivering Isles expansions, Oblivion attained a level of cultural significance that few titles have achieved. Having been around for almost two decades, Oblivion benefits from a wide range of available mods, allowing players to update and enhance the game in various modern ways.

A Tier

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim (2011) revolutionized its franchise and the gaming industry as a whole. It brought a more traditional RPG to the mainstream during the seventh generation of consoles and set trends for years to come. Despite facing criticism for its aging appearance in subsequent re-releases, Skyrim's influence remains undeniable.

The Dawnguard expansion introduced vampires and werewolves, while Dragonborn expanded the adventure even further. With the release of the Special Edition and Skyrim Anniversary Edition, the game received continued support and evolved into a monolith in the industry. Bethesda's official support for mod creators has led to an impressive amount of mod support, including projects like Skyblivion and Skywind that recapture the magic of previous titles.

B Tier

The Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall (1996) - The sequel to Arena enhanced key elements of the original game while also introducing the largest game world in the franchise, achieved through Bethesda's utilization of procedural generation. Despite being difficult to find and play due to its age, Daggerfall is highly regarded by those who have been fortunate enough to experience it. Although its presentation and user interface may be outdated compared to its successors, its vast amount of content is truly impressive for its time of release. Despite its somewhat primitive nature, Daggerfall has continued to receive support from the community, thanks to an updated Unity engine port that is much more accessible and compatible with mods, providing an opportunity for players who want to explore the series' origins.

The Elder Scrolls Online (2014) - The Elder Scrolls Online marks Bethesda's entrance into the world of MMOs, bringing forth a grand multiplayer experience set in the expansive universe of Tamriel. This ambitious endeavor, which continues to receive active support nearly a decade after its initial launch, has garnered praise for introducing regions that have yet to be featured in the modern mainline series.

Initially met with mixed reception upon its release, which required a subscription to play, ESO gained momentum the following year when it adopted a buy-to-play model with the Tamriel Unlimited update. With ongoing extensive content additions leading up to the present, The Elder Scrolls Online is thriving, especially with its recent expansion, Necrom.

An Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire (1997) - Originally intended as an expansion to Daggerfall, the first spin-off of the franchise failed to capture the same RPG depth that the series was known for. Despite staying true to many of the core elements established in the first two titles, Battlespire takes a more linear approach compared to the traditional open-world nature of The Elder Scrolls. It focuses on a story where the player, taking on the role of a Battlemage, escapes Oblivion and confronts Mehrunes Dagon.

C Tier

The Elder Scrolls: Legends (2017) - Released for mobile devices, Legends was Bethesda's attempt to enter the world of collectible card games, following in the footsteps of successful titles like Hearthstone. However, the game's development was cut short less than three years after its release, indicating that this experiment did not meet expectations.

The Elder Scrolls: Arena (1994) - Serving as the series' inaugural title, Arena introduced players to the vast world of Tamriel and the rich lore of The Elder Scrolls earlier than expected. This dungeon crawling game provided a solid experience, incorporating elements of role-playing and character development inspired by Dungeons and Dragons. However, its gameplay may not hold up as well by today's standards.

The Elder Scrolls Travels Series (2003-2006) - Largely forgotten by most players, the Travels spin-off games for mobile phones, including Stormhold, Dawnstar, and Shadowkey, now serve as relics of the past. Despite their basic appearance and difficult availability, these games hold little appeal for the majority of gamers. Nevertheless, the Travels series should be acknowledged as a bold period of experimentation when Elder Scrolls gaming was accessible on simple flip phones. The mobile version of Oblivion in 2006, with its disappointing and peculiar isometric perspective, marked the end of this experiment that has yet to be revisited.

The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard (1998) - Departing from the core RPG systems that define The Elder Scrolls franchise, Redguard took on a gameplay structure more similar to Tomb Raider, to its detriment. Failing to capture the enchantment of either style, Redguard is now perceived as a disappointingly mediocre game, finding some value in recent times within the video game speedrunning community. By removing the fundamental mechanic of creating a custom character, Bethesda's experimentation with Redguard stands out as one of their oddest endeavors in hindsight.

The Elder Scrolls: Blades (2020) - Released after Legends, Blades has been a highly controversial and criticized addition to the Elder Scrolls series. It is available on mobile devices and Nintendo Switch, offering a fully immersive experience similar to Skyrim and Oblivion. However, it is often criticized for its aggressive monetization through microtransactions. Despite the negative feedback, the game has proved to be a profitable venture and has achieved success among fans while they eagerly anticipate the release of the next mainline entry.

The Elder Scrolls 6 is currently being developed.