My Favorite Fantasy Games of All Time
As an author deeply immersed in fantasy worlds, I’m sure it comes as no surprise that I harbor an immense love for video games. Games have been a crucial building block for my love of storytelling, and have helped shape the way I think about characters, worldbuilding, and the impact a story can have on its readers (or players).
The video games industry has been on a bit of a hot streak the past few weeks, so I figured what better time than now to dive into my favorite games of all time. Today we’ll be looking at my favorite RPGs.
🛡️ Fable
Fable was my introduction to choice and consequence in a video game setting. The idea of your decisions shaping the story and affecting the world around you was mind-blowing at the time. How characters evolve based on the paths they choose is at the heart of every great story, and Fable allows you to craft your own heroic (or villainous) tale in a way that I’ve not seen replicated since.
⚔️ Divinity: Original Sin
Divinity: Original Sin remains one of the biggest surprise hits in my games catalogue. To this day I remember the exact moment it went from “just a nice tactical RPG” to the most reactive game I’ve ever played. The world takes note of every action, no matter how miniscule it may seem, and creates for some hilarious moments, especially in co-op.
🏰 The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Before Skyrim dominated the conversation, there was Oblivion. Coming shortly after I was introduced to the Lord of the Rings films, Cyrodiil felt almost like a version of Middle Earth I could truly inhabit, where anything seemed possible. I spent countless hours exploring the open world and getting lost in various dungeons (when I wasn’t putting a stop to the Mythic Dawn’s schemes), and revisiting the heart of the empire in the latest remaster has been a dream come true.
🐉 Dragon Age: Origins
Dragon Age: Origins takes everything I love about a fantasy RPG - choice and consequence, detailed worlds with rich lore - and adds to it complex party dynamics and world-shattering stakes. BioWare’s games have always had a unique approach to choice and consequence for me, while games like Fable give you binary good and evil options, Dragon Age (and by extension, Mass Effect) put you in the role of a hero who often has to make difficult choices, where the right answer may not ever be clear, and forces you to navigate tense relationships with allies.
🌕 Elden Ring
Few games capture the haunting atmosphere of a FromSoftware title. The cryptic lore, environmental storytelling, and dreamlike melancholy make for an experience unlike any other. You can’t go wrong with any of their games, but for me Elden Ring stands out as the best of them. The world is brutal and beautiful, and serves as a stark reminder of the importance of tone in story crafting.
Each of these games offered something unique for me that helped shape my views of fantasy, storytelling, and entertainment. As you come to read more stories from me, I have no doubt that you will see the influence of each one of these titles. If you haven’t tried a game on this list, I can’t recommend them enough. Not only for the countless hours of entertainment you will get out of them, but for the many lessons in writing, character, and worldbuilding they provide.