HBOs House of the Dragon successfully revived the week-to-week Game of Thrones excitement, and there are several noteworthy games to play for fans who like to get their dark fantasy fix in more than one place. Shows like these have cemented the fantasy genre’s place in the mainstream, and role-playing video games are arguably the best place in the gaming medium to be immersed in these kinds of worlds.
Unsurprisingly, many of FromSoftware’s critically acclaimed action RPGs are easy-going recommendations, but there are certainly several other well-known franchises that offer rich fantasy, drama, and action.
Demon Souls (PS5 Remake)
While the original game was FromSoftware’s first venture into the Souls-esque subgenre, Bluepoint Games’ Demon Souls remake for the PlayStation 5 is a great modernized version. The game puts the players in the role of a customizable hero who is sent to the abandoned kingdom of Boletaria to kill its corrupt king and defeat the ancient demonic entity known as the Ancient to save the land from a suffocating deep fog.
This streamlined version of the game should feel right at home for House of the Dragon fans in tone and atmosphere. Like many Souls-esque games originally created by FromSoftware, the worldbuilding is filled with dark medieval influences and deep lore that fantasy enthusiasts will enjoy combing through.
The Witcher 2: Assassins Of Kings
While many newer fans understandably recognize CD Projekt Red’s games for The Witcher 3 largely, The Witcher 2 still holds up well for an action RPG from the Xbox 360 gaming era. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings follows Geralt of Rivia’s quests through the vast dark fantasy land of The Continent and opens the scene with the titular monster hunter imprisoned on suspicion of trying to assassinate King Foltest of Temeria.
The story unravels into a layered experience of complex and strategic real-time combat and a story that players can shape. With the help of some mods for The Witcher 2it is still a great role-playing game in the modern game era. House of the Dragon fans may want to check out Geralt’s stories if they want a more narrative cinematic RPG. A lot of The Witcherthe world depends on character drama, even as the political drama and warfare go by in the background. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is available for current hardware via PC.
dark souls
The spiritual successor of 2009 Demon Souls, dark souls pushed game director Hidetaka Miyazaki and the rest of FromSoftware into the gaming mainstream. It was the next step in the evolution of the Souls-esque sub-genre and received critical acclaim for its detailed level design, subtle yet gripping storytelling, and exciting, challenging combat.
It takes place in a new dark fantasy universe, dark souls sets the Chosen Undead protagonist on a quest to either revive the dying Age of Fire, eagerly begun by Lord Gwyn centuries ago, or let the Age of Dark take its turn. Given the setting of FromSoft’s RPGs and Miyazaki’s collaboration with George RR Martin on Elden Ring, dark souls will also be a natural fit for HotD fans. With this game spawning a series, the lore is even more extensive and the pretense of the story centered around a fallen dynasty should be reminiscent enough. Dark Souls: Remastered is available on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Received emphatic critical acclaim as one of the best modern fantasy RPGs, CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt may be best suited to fans coming from House of the Dragon and Game of Throne. Not because the two franchises are similar in story structure, because Geralt’s journeys are more intimate in scope, but because the vast, deeply layered dark fantasy open world and rich storytelling are so easy to get immersed in.
Geralt is on a rural mission to find his surrogate daughter Ciri before the prophetic Wild Hunt captures her for her hidden abilities, but in addition to the main quest there are numerous equally captivating side stories filled with top-notch character writing. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is available on PS4, XBO, Switch, and PC, and a current-gen remaster will be released in late 2022 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Dark Souls II
Although often referred to as the black sheep of the trilogy by some hardcore fanbases, Dark Souls II was still widely acclaimed in its own right. While the change in creative direction regarding level design and combat mechanics was considered shocking by some, praise was given to the wider scope of the overworld and creativity in character class/build customization.
Dark Souls II takes place centuries after the events of the first game, where the Bearer of the Curse travels through Drangleic and is tasked with defeating the four Ancients and obtaining their Great Souls. Like its predecessor and sequel, the remastered version, Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sinis available on PS4, XBO and PC.
It won’t come as much of a surprise to fans with at least a smattering of RPGs, but Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is one of the most enduring and replayable video game experiences to date – even nearly 11 years later. While it’s not set in a stark dark fantasy like HBO’s blockbuster TV shows, the more Tolkien-esque land of Skyrim has a lot of dense fantasy world build to satisfy genre faithful. Fans should have no problem immersing themselves in an equally dense fantasy world set against a backdrop of political turmoil and an imminent supernatural threat.
The free-flowing character progression system allows players to forge their Dragonborn protagonist in a variety of ways as they try to stop the legendary dragon Alduin from wreaking havoc on the world with a draconian rapture. Side quests are also an important part of this game and provide countless hours of substantive gameplay. Skyrim is available on PS4, PS5, XBO, XSX|S, Switch and PC.
Dark Souls III
In the FromSoft’s trilogy finale dark souls series, players take on the role of the Ashen One as they venture through the kingdom of Lothric. They seek to defeat the rebellious Lords of Cinder and regain their throne in yet another cyclical age of fire – with the overarching story climaxing in the Ashes of Ariandel and The Ringed City DLC expansions.
Dark Souls III refines the gameplay formula without sacrificing depth or challenge. Likewise, the world here is as familiarly dark as ever for fans of the A song of ice and fire universe in general. Lore is also expanded upon, exploring the rich and grim history of more fallen lords and kingdoms. Dark Souls III is available on PS4, XBO and Switch.
Elden Ring
Of course, the latest fantasy epic from FromSoft Elden Ring will be the most current recommendation for House of the Dragon fans longing for an immersive and expansive experience. It’s already FromSoftware’s highest-rated Souls-style game, while also being one of the developer’s most streamlined, accessible, and challenging games to date.
The Tarnished ventures into The Lands Between after being recalled by the Golden Order to restore its laws, echoing the reverberating effects of the Shattering. While the story is still subtle, the diverse lore surrounding the history of the world’s noble houses and how they shape the fantastic environment around them is very A song of ice and fire-ish. And that, of course, is partly due to the aforementioned dream team of Miyazaki and Martin who created this universe. Elden Ring is available on PS4, PS5, XBO, XSX|S, and PC.
Dragon Age: Origins
Dragon Age: Origins is a modern classic fantasy RPG from the golden days of developer BioWare. The game creatively combines elements of Tolkien’s high fantasy Under the spell of the Ring George RR Martin’s dark/low fantasy series from A song of ice and fire in his world to create something that stands proud of its own merits, while honoring its inspirations.
The battles were well received for being excitingly strategic, while the story and characters were also praised for investing and how players were able to shape the plot through meaningful choice-driven gameplay, similar to the character drama of House of the Dragon. For modern hardware, Dragon Age: Origins is available on PC.
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