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However, in recent years, high fantasy Tolkienesque settings have become less commonplace with more developers preferring to use post-apocalyptic or even modern-day settings. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t an abundance of great games that use a high fantasy concept. Some of the greatest games of the last two generations are still happy to use worlds steeped in swords, sorcery, elves, and witchcraft.
Updated April 26, 2022 by Michael Llewellyn: The use of fantasy settings inspired by Lord of the Rings and Dungeons & Dragons will always be a mainstay in gaming. Whether it’s adapted to a dark fantasy or a pure fantasy in line with Tolkien’s vision.
The recent Elden Ring proves the use of fantasy is still capable of capturing the imaginations of gamers by transporting them into worlds full of mystery and intrigue. Fans of the genre love nothing more than to lose themselves in the game’s history and lore and get lost in a world that feels like their own. This list has been updated to include more great games with a high fantasy setting.
13 Elden Ring
Release: 2022 Developer: FromSoftware Entertainment Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S
As a game that’s already touted as being a major contender for Game of the Year in 2022, Elden Ring is an easy recommendation for high fantasy lovers that like their worlds dark and dangerous. Elden Ring was developed by the same studio that created and popularised the Souls-like sub-genre.
FromSoft’s new title will be familiar to fans of the Souls series except it’s taken the evolutionary step of setting it in a vast open-world landscape. For fantasy lovers, there are lots of dragons, trolls, dark knights, and many other creatures to tangle with.
12 Dragon’s Crown
Release: 2013 Developer: Vanillaware Platform: PS Vita, PS3, and PS4
Originally released as a Vita title, Vanillaware’s action RPG Dragon’s Crown didn’t get the audience it deserved upon its launch. However, thanks to the PS4 port which features stunning HD 2D visuals it can be experienced by more fans.
Dragon’s Crown has a lot in common with classic coin-op beat-em-ups like Dungeons’ & Dragons and the Golden Axe franchise. With a campaign set in a fantasy world and couch co-op gameplay, it’s one of the best local co-op games available.
11 Divinity 2: The Dragon Knight Saga
Release: 2009 Developer: Larian Studios Platform: PC and Xbox 360
Not to be confused with the more recent Divinity: Original Sin 2, Divinity 2 is based in the game universe and features very different gameplay. It’s a third-person action RPG set in a fully 3D world.
The game has a ton of depth, lore, and hours of gaming for fantasy fans to lose themselves in. The protagonist eventually gains the ability to transform into a dragon to traverse the huge landscape. The combat is a little janky, but the writing is superb with lots of humor and connections to the more popular Original Sin series.
10 The Dragon Age Series
Release: 2009 Developer: BioWare Platform: Android, iOS, Google Plus,
Dragon Age: Origins was the first entry in the series and was also BioWare’s first fantasy RPG since the incredible Baldur’s Gate series. Unlike Baldur’s Gate, the Dragon Age series wasn’t set in the already established Forgotten Realms - Dungeons & Dragons universe.
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BioWare had to create its universe from scratch. Thanks to their hard work, the franchise expanded into novels, board games, comics, and an anime movie. The universe is very Tolkienesque but has the dark tone and violence of the Game of Thrones novels.
9 Dragon Quest 11
Release: 2017 Developer: Square Enix Platform: 3DS, PC, PS4, Stadia, Switch, and the Xbox One
The Dragon Quest series is a Japanese RPG that made its first appearance on the Nintendo in 1986. The series is a colorful and whimsical fantasy that’s accessible to players of all ages. The most recent entry, Dragon Quest 11, may be the best entry in the series yet.
The game can last a player up to a hundred hours and has arguably the best story next to Dragon Quest 5, with enough twists to surprise even the most hardened of RPG fans. Dragon Quest 11 S isan updated ultimate edition of the game released on the Nintendo Switch, featuring new cutscenes, orchestral music, a classic 2D mode, and all the DLC that was released on the PS4.
8 The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
Release: 2017 Developer: Nintendo Platform: Switch and the Wii U
The Legend of Zelda series is a Nintendo exclusive action-adventure game that saw its first entry on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1986. Since then, nearly every game in the series has become one of the most influential fantasy games ever created.
Games like The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening inspired the classic RPG Alundra. More recently, Breath of the Wild has inspired the likes of Immortals: Fenix Rising and Elden Ring. Links latest adventureis one of the best fantasy adventure games in any generation. It has a beautiful world to explore and lore to keep fantasy fans gripped.
7 The Pillars Of Eternity Series
Release: 2015 Developer: Obsidian Entertainment Platform: Linux, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One
The Pillars of Eternity series was a crowd-funded RPG series designed to pay tribute to the old school computer RPGs like Baldur’s Gate. It was developed by Obsidian, who worked on games like Fallout: New Vegas, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2, and critically acclaimed The Outer Worlds.
Not only is Pillars of Eternity an incredible RPG experience, but it features some of the absolute best writing ever seen in a video game. Furthermore, despite being a game using an old-school isometric viewpoint, the art and high-resolution visuals are a treat for the eyes. Pillars of Eternity was originally a PC game, but it has been adapted beautifully to consoles.
6 The Dark Souls Trilogy
Release: 2011 Developer: FromSoftware Entertainment Platform: PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Xbox 360, and Xbox One
Even though the Dark Souls series is a trilogy, the first game was a spiritual successor to the original Demon’s Souls. All three games in the trilogy have now been released on current generation systems with the first two games getting remastered with improved visuals and frame rates. The Souls series, along with Bloodborne, have spawned their sub-genre of difficult but fair action RPGs.
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The game’s dark medieval fantasy setting is like nothing else, as the player is tasked to explore and fight through the post-apocalyptic lands of once-great kingdoms. Unlike most RPGs, the Souls series relies on indirect environmental storytelling, allowing the player to piece together the game’s lore by themselves.
5 The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
Release: 2011 Developer: Bethesda Platform: PC, PS3, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was originally released on the PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 in 2011. The game was later remastered and ported to many platforms at later dates. Despite its many iterations, the Skyrim’s quality and depth are as strong today as they were eight years ago.
The Elder Scrolls 5’s main story campaign is quite straightforward, but it can be deep as the one wants it to be. The world is scattered with lore that can be discovered and can be read in history books all over the land. The plentiful side-quests are praised by many fans as being better than the main quest for giving the player more layers to discover on their own.
4 The Suikoden Series
Release: 1995 Developer: Konami Platform:
The Suikoden series first began on the PlayStation in 1995. It has since become one of the most sought-after and expensive JPRG collections to own. However, the first few games can be purchased digitally on the PS3 store at a significantly reduced price.
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The games are a high fantasy adaptation of the Chinese novel Outlaws of the Marsh and play host to some of the deepest stories ever seen in a JRPG. The tragedies of war and loss are the series’ main themes and are delivered with the kind of maturity that would put most modern games to shame.
3 The Baldur’s Gate Series
Release: 1998 Developer: BioWare Platform: Android, GBA, GameCube, Linux, macOS, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One
The first game in the Baldur’s Gate series was developed by BioWare and released in 1998 with the sequel Baldur’s Gate 2: Shadows of Amn following in 2000 and being widely regarded as one of the greatest RPGs of all time. Both games have been bundled together and enhanced for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and the Nintendo Switch.
Baldur’s Gate is set in the Forgotten Realms universe using the Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition rules. The developers created a world with tons of flexibility for the player to enjoy it their way. Baldur’s Gate 2, in particular, is still praised for having one of the most in-depth and well-written character-driven narratives in gaming.
2 The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt
Release: 2015 Developer: CD Projekt Red Platform: PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One
The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt was released on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and more recently, the Nintendo Switch. It was based on the fantasy book series of the same name by Andrzej Sapkowski. Furthermore, thanks to the popularity of the video game, Netflix has The Witcher into a major television show starring Henry Cavill in the titular role, and with a third season on the way, fans have a lot to look forward to in its adaptation.
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The Witcher 3 is an incredible achievement. Not only does it possess one of the most detailed game worlds ever seen, but the story and the characters that inhabit it are as layered as the novels. Additionally, the side-quests aren’t just throwaway distractions; they present the player with several moral choices that can and will have an effect on the world around them. Gamers looking to get even further into the game’s lore and history should get their hands on The Witcher 2 on PC or Xbox via backward compatibility.
1 Divinity: Original Sin 2
Release: 2018 Developer: Larian Studios Platform: iPad, macOS, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One
Divinity: Original Sin 2 is available for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and the PC. It is already hailed as one of the most interactive RPGs ever released and one where every player’s choice makes a difference, with realistic outcomes.
Just like The Witcher 3, the game presents players with incredibly tough moral decisions throughout and they’ll encounter characters that very rarely fall into good and evil categories. Furthermore, players are given so much choice that it feels like a Dungeons & Dragons tabletop game offering even more freedom than the classic CRPGs that inspired it. It is fitting then that Larian, is currently working on Baldur’s Gate 3 which is available on Steam in Early Access with an official launch set for 2023.
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