Summary
It’s hard to talk about RPGs without mentioningThe Elder Scrollsfranchise. The way Bethesda has molded the RPG genre with their mainElder Scrollstitles cannot be overstated. Bethesda has always pushed to make immersive experiences, crafting beautiful worlds well before open-world design became the standard.
Despite having five main entries, many moreElder Scrollstitles are either spin-offs or entire series in their own right. While Bethesda has settled on making open-world RPGs ever sinceMorrowind, Zenimax Online Studios and others have madeElder Scrollsgameswith strange alterations to the franchise for better or worse.
Updated on July 28, 2025 by Mark Sammut:While still early days, Bethesda has just shadow-dropped one of the biggest projects of 2025:Oblivion Remastered. The original is comfortably among thebest Elder Scrolls gamesof all time, and so far, the remaster seems to maintain its predecessor’s standard of quality. For now, the title has been added as a special mention since it just came out.
Due toOblivion Remasteredjust coming out, it is way too early to properly rank the game. That said, the project is impressive and a must-play for anyone remotely into the franchise or even RPGs in general. Bethesda’s last few years have been a mixed bag, but this release seems to be a home run.
Well, this was a pleasant surprise. After the rumor mill spun its wheel for a couple of weeks, Bethesda dropped a remaster ofOblivion, one that is frankly very close to being a straight-up remake. Seriously,Oblivion Remasteredcomes with significant changes, beyond the vastly improved visuals that compare well to pretty much any RPG currently on the market. While not extremely far removed from the original version or the system inSkyrim, the combat has been tweaked and improved to provide a more enjoyable experience.The Elder Scrollshas never excelled in combat, butOblivion Remasteredmarks a new high point in this area. Combat changes are just the tip of the iceberg as well, as the remaster also overhauls progression, difficulty, stealth, and a lot more.
Oblivion Remasteredbuilds upon two decades of goodwill stemming from the original’s debut, one that has amassed an incredibly dedicated community that has played a significant role in keeping this title relevant. Although the classic version and its mods have not been set to pasture, the remaster will likely become the best introductory point to this entry in the franchise, especially since it is available on Game Pass. Going by initial impressions, the game manages to retain the original’s charm, all the while implementing modern touches that bringOblivioninto the 2020s.
Here are a couple of useful articles thatOblivion Remasteredplayers might wish to reference, particularly newcomers:
With the success ofMorrowindin 2002 and the growing popularity of different gaming consoles, it’s no surprise that Bethesda wanted to cash in on that portable gaming juice. As Nokia positioned the N-Gage as its attempt to create a gaming phone,The Elder Scrolls Travelswas Bethesda’s answer to calls clamouring foranElder Scrollsexperience on mobile platforms. Essentially released as “pocket” experiences set in minor regions of Tamriel, the initialStormhold, Dawnstar,andShadowkeytitles were full-fledged open-world experiences criticized with a lackluster combat system, basic controls, and short distance made even worse by the N-Gage’s technical limitations.
There was also a canceledTravels: Oblivionthat attempted to bring theOblivionexperience to the PlayStation Portable, as well as an actualOblivion Mobileavailable for Java-enabled phones that disappointed fans for its level-heavy, isometric experiences.
The game that started it all,The Elder Scrolls: Arenainitially started as a gladiator-style game set in “the Arena” where players can explore Tamriel in between fights, until the game started to breathe life into the very towns players could explore. Now, Tamriel is an “Arena” where players have to strive to survive - complete with 9.6-million km worth of towns as well as procedurally-generated dungeons to explore.
The game is among the first in the industry to feature a full-blown day and night cycle, where merchants appear in the day and hide at night while bandits and thieves roam about. Although infamous for its initial difficulty, players who get around the game’s rather finicky mouse swing-based swordfighting and leveling system,Arenabecomes quite the delightful early-90s RPG experience. While certainly not as forgiving and optimized as otherElder Scrollstitles,Arena’s ambition is evident at the onset.
The Elder Scrolls: Bladesis Bethesda’s most recent attempt in creating a portable experience forThe Elder Scrollstitles, this time developed for the iOS, Android, and Nintendo Switch. Taking place afterOblivionand hundreds of years beforeSkyrim, the story ofBladestakes place at a time where the player’s character is a surviving former member ofthe Bladesand is now tasked to protect their hometown from various threats.
Despite the technology available at the time, creating the full-fledged open world experience ofThe Elder Scrollstitles has yet to be achieved inBlades. Instead of exploring an open world, players explore levels with nigh-unavoidable combat encounters they have to fight using taps, swipes, and other touch-screen mechanics. The player’s town serves as a hub that they upgrade, with the heavy exploration taking place in select levels. With mechanics such as stealing and stealth absent, the apparent linearity ofBladesleft a bitter taste in the mouths of fans.
AfterArenastarted to have a niche following andDaggerfallprovingThe Elder Scrollsas a franchise with potential,An Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespireis positioned as more of a dungeon-crawler than the open world experience of its predecessors. Set in the battlemage training ground called the Battlespire, players are a mage apprentice who finds themselves fighting a Daedra invasion by Mehrunes Dagon and have to save their companion from the Daedric Prince.
Despite being technically a commercial failure,Battlespiretries to innovate theElder Scrollsformulaby introducing a team-based versus mode, a co-op mode, and a more intuitive character creation system that lets players create their unique playstyle. While its NPCs are absent, all enemies can be spoken to before combat, allowing players to even convince enemies to stand down. Sadly, the game does suffer from game-breaking bugs, inefficient spells, zone-based leveling, and rather difficult combat encounters.
Set just after the Third Empire had conquered Hammerfell,The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguardputs players in the shoes of the Redguard Cyrus as he goes to the island of Stros M’Kai in Hammerfell to find his missing sister, Iszara. Although technically open world with its option to free roam,Redguardis a surprising departure from the franchise with its action-adventure focus and third-person perspective. Unlike other games,Cyrus being a Redguardalso comes with specific skillsets, disallowing players to customize their “own” character.
Although developed during the popularity of thePrince of PersiaandTomb Raiderfranchises,Redguardfails to capture the interest of gamers not just with its stark departure fromElder Scrollsconventions but also its general limitations as a game itself - buggy and rather stiff gameplay, unremarkable voice-overs, and lack of technical depth.
The Elder Scrolls: CastlesistheElder Scrollstake onFallout Shelter, where this time players take on the role of the new emperor of Tamriel. Taking place in their castle, players are tasked to oversee their subjects, make vital decisions for the kingdom, send their warriors off to missions, and pass their throne to the next generation.
Gameplay inCastleshas players build their castle from the ground up. Player-assigned emperors get to make vital decisions that affect settler satisfaction, which in turn affects their overall performance. When emperors die of old age, they can be replaced by anyone of the player’s choosing. There is also a more complex party-based combat system, where players now have access to special attacks depending on the equipment their characters are wearing.
While released just two years afterArena, Bethesda’sThe Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfallis quite the ambitious sequel. Players are on a mission to help the ghost of King Lysandus and would have to track down the letter he’s sent to the former queen of Daggerfall. Although players are now limited to travelling between Hammerfell and High Rock, the game boasts almost twice the map size ofArena- covering 15,000 dungeons, villages, and towns - and is by farthe largest map of anyElder Scrollsgame.
There is a vast number of new features inDaggerfall, such as a robust spell-creation system when they join the Mages Guild, building reputation when joining other Guilds, and even the option to become a Vampire or a Werewolf.Daggerfallmaintains the more convoluted mouse swing-based combat system of its predecessor, but its difficulty added to the thrill of the overall title. Despite being unimpressive in terms of its presentation today,Daggerfallat the time of its release was Bethesda’s biggest success - having won many Best CRPG/RPG Awards and only being bested byDiabloin some competitions.
Bethesda finally answered the call to provide a multiplayerElder Scrollsexperience withThe Elder Scrolls Online. Released in 2014,The Elder Scrolls Onlineis technically a far-off prequel to the series, taking place around the time of the Second Era. This chaotic time has three factions fighting over the Ruby Throne to rule Tamriel. Although numerous customization options exist for characters,The Elder Scrolls Onlinenow features a class system with unique passives, spells, and attacks that encourage characters to stick to particular setups.
Although it received mixed reception upon its 2014 release, its subsequent re-release and annual content started to win players back due to its depth. The base game gives players access to specific areas of Tamriel, while its Chapters and Crown Store DLCs are positioned to offer access to different areas with their own stories. In 2025,The Elder Scrolls Onlinewill cancel its yearly chapter releases in favor of seasonal content consistent with other MMOs to guarantee the release of more frequent content for players.
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Release Date
June 15, 2025
Vampires and Werewolves remain an exciting part ofElder Scrollslore, andThe Elder Scrolls Online: Greymoortakes a crack at converting these mechanics into the MMO. Despite Greymoor being one of Skyrim’s more “boring” marshy regions, the 2020 update manages to showcase impressive graphics appropriate to the expansion’s brooding tone - especially with its story involving witches, vampires, werewolves, and a conspiracy to break the region from the inside. Much ofGreymoorseems like a celebration ofSkyrim’sDawnguardexpansion, complete with a vampire companion (Fennorian).
The DLC itself comes packed with content, such as Harrowstorms that turn inhabitants into either zombies or corpses, a new archaeology-focused Antiquities system, six soloable dungeons (Delves), six World Bosses, and a 20-hour raid (Trial). Despite the wealth of content, however,Greymoor’s lackluster storyline andgrindy Antiquitiesmake the new additions less interesting and more of a drag - appropriate for a lifetime as a vampire.
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June 15, 2025
Serving as a continuation of the “Shadow Over Morrowind” multi-year storyline,The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Roadtakes a surprising reveal at the end of Necrom and continues the story in the West Weald, bringing players back to a slice of Cyrodiil that will leave hardcoreOblivionfans enjoying the nostalgia trip. Playing under the premise of a higher-stakes story will leave players ofGold Roadfeeling like they’re in the middle of a crisis similar toMorrowind’s all over again, this time with the trappings of the high fantasy setup of Cyrodiil.
Gold Roadsatisfies players with a compelling story with equally interesting side quests, although a lot of filler might turn some off in between. This is the same sentiment toward scribing, the new gameplay mechanic allowing players to modify their skills in interesting ways. However, the tedious grind to unlocking Scribing’s many effects can turn the gameplay element into a less than satisfying part ofGold Road’s gameplay.
