For the past three decades, The Elder Scrolls has stood as one of the definitive fantasy sagas in Western gaming. From the days of having 2D, pixelated graphics in a 3D environment to the vast world of Skyrim, the series has evolved through several eras of gaming. Additionally, the games have expanded into mobile spinoffs and entire MMOs to explore Tamriel. As such, many fans wish to experience the series’ repertoire fully. Because of the age of many of the series’ games and the ever-changing gaming landscape, some titles are easier to play than others. Here is a breakdown of how Elder Scrolls fans can experience every adventure throughout Tamriel.
Arena and Daggerfall
In 1994, Bethesda Softworks released the first entry in the Elder Scrolls series, Arena. In the early days of PC gaming, the first game told the story of an adventurer going across an entire continent to rebuild a staff and defeat an evil sorcerer. Daggerfall would build upon the game’s lore and even introduce the iconic Daedric Princes. Playing the first two is fairly easy compared to other games.
On Steam and Bethesda’s site, they’ve made the games freely available to download without requiring any external software. Given the age of these games, their minuscule file size compared to later games, and their importance to the series’ preservation, this is a kind gesture on behalf of the developers. In today’s age of gaming, the preservation of old games has become a hot-button issue. Many franchises, such as the Shin Megami Tensei series, have had large portions of their libraries lost to the ages. Therefore, many gamers have sadly turned to the controversial practice of emulation. Again, this is a noble deed on behalf of Bethesda.
Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim
During the Aughts, Bethesda released two more mainline entries, Morrowind and Oblivion, for the sixth and seventh generation of consoles. Even if their respective console generations died off, that would not deter fans. Nowadays, both games can easily be purchased on Valve’s Steam. Furthermore, these games routinely receive sales and discounts during events.
However, neither rival Skyrim in terms of its re-releases. Like Ocarina of Time and The Last of Us, Bethesda has given Skyrim many ports, special editions, and remasters across generations. The game saw releases on seventh-gen and eighth consoles, PC, and even the Nintendo Switch. Skyrim’s broad popularity has ascended to the status of pop-culture touchstone.
The Elder Scrolls Online
Of all the projects in the series, few have reached the same magnitude as the MMO Elder Scrolls Online. With its massive player count and dozens of expansions, the MMO became one of the biggest ones on the market. The Elder Scrolls Online is available on PC, Xbox One, Series X|S, PlayStation 4, and 5, with servers established worldwide. Originally, the game operated on a subscription-based model that was derided by fans. However, the game later moved to “Tamriel Unlimited,” making the base game free to play with various levels of subscriptions and goods purchasable through microtransactions. This model was better received and helped fix the game’s brand image.
Spinoffs
Besides the mainline games and Online, Bethesda has created several spinoffs, predominantly mobile ones. The first of these was the card game Elder Scrolls Legends. Much like World of Warcraft’s Hearthstone, the game adapts the franchise’s icons into a collectible TCG. Fans can play the game on both mobile devices and PC.
The following two games were released: Blades and Castles. The Dungeon Crawler Blades was released in 2019 for mobile devices and the Nintendo Switch. However, the game was critically panned as an entry in the series and genre. The latest chapter in the Elder Scrolls saga was Castles for iOS. This base management game resembles Bethesda’s Fallout Shelter, where players manage and build their castle. To conclude, this iconic series’ library remains surprisingly accessible today.
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