It’s probably never been a better time to be a fantasy fan, with series from big names like Game of Thrones, Under the spell of the Ring, The Witcher, and more all in the spotlight in one form or another. This year was especially a huge year with House of the Dragon and The rings of power aired at the same time, but thanks to the video game medium, there are plenty of other ways for genre enthusiasts to vent.
Several talented developer studios have painstakingly crafted detailed fantasy worlds worth investing in, ranging from a diverse catalog of franchises where, unsurprisingly, the RPG genre lends itself best to these types of settings. And from the Middle Earth games to FromSoftware’s recent collaboration with George RR Martin, there is a shame of wealth for fans of both The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and House of the Dragon.
Elden Ring
It is without a doubt the most current recommendation for fantasy fanatics in the modern gaming era, and the latest RPG epic from FromSoftware Elden Ring will be a pleasure for sure House of the Dragon/A song of ice and fire fans. It’s partly due to the blockbuster duo of game director Hidetaka Miyazaki and series writer George RR Martin building this world. The Lands Between is set in a dark fantasy universe that will be familiar to both Game of Thrones fans and those of FromSoft’s earlier work (Demon Souls, dark soulsetc.), featuring the creative team’s signature understated yet compelling storytelling and world-building.
It follows the Tarnished protagonist who is recalled from exile to help rebuild the shattered Golden Order of the gods that had them banished in the first place. Elden Ring features have arguably set the second highest benchmark for open-world game design, with something exciting worth exploring in every possible direction. In terms of combat, it combines the action of Dark Souls III of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice to complement his highly rewarding character progression systems.
Elden Ring is now available for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor/War
It Would Be Impossible to Monolith Productions’ Middle Earth diehard duology of JRR Tolkien’s extensive fantasy work. Ironically, both Shadow of Mordor and War takes a dark fantasy twist on Tolkien’s usual work and is set in their own timeline, separated from the mainline continuity. mordor is an open-world action-adventure game that follows a Gondorian Ranger named Talion who feels allied with the Elf Wraith Celebrimbor as they both seek revenge for their murdered families, while War direct their blood feud against Sauron himself.
The gameplay is inspired by Rocksteady’s critically acclaimed Batman: Arkham series and combines it with its original and ingenious Nemesis system, allowing players to defeat and overtake interconnected Orc tribes that also affect the mutual hierarchy in the background.
Both Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor and War are available on modern hardware through PS4, XBO, and PC.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
While, narratively speaking, Martin’s A song of ice and fire and wider stories are structured differently from Andrzej Sapkowski The Witcher series, House of the Dragon fans should still feel at home in the grounded and rich dark fantasy world of the latter. It has been rightly acclaimed since its launch in 2015, as CD Projekt Red’s developer The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt still stands as one of today’s most immersive action RPGs.
The political turmoil and wars continue in the background as Geralt of Rivia’s quest takes him across the lands of The Continent in search of his surrogate daughter before the titular and prophetic Wild Hunt captures her for her latent powers. The plot is more intimate in scale, rewarding role-playing mechanics that shape the stories and with engaging character lyrics and a wealth of story content – including the equally acclaimed Hearts of stone and Blood and wine DLC expansions.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is available now for PS4, XBO, Nintendo Switch and PC – with a current-generation remaster for PS5, XSX|S and PC releasing in late 2022 at no additional cost to current owners.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
While it’s become a bit of a tired joke in the industry, Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is undoubtedly one of the most enduring games today. It has been re-released and ported several times, but the acclaim it has received is not without merit. The game was a milestone for open world design when it was released in 2011 during the PS3 and Xbox 360 console generation, as it featured a dynamic environment filled with unique interactions, items and stories to discover.
Similarly, The Elder Scrolls series as a whole carries its Tolkien inspiration on its sleeve in terms of atmosphere, art direction and storytelling conventions. Playing as the Dragonborn is highly customizable through a variety of free-flowing character builds, making journeys to defeat the draconian World Eater Alduin endlessly replayable.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is available on modern hardware via PS4, PS5, XBO, XSX|S, Switch and PC.
Dark Souls Trilogy
Even with Elden Ring take the game to the next level, the milestone of FromSoftware dark souls trilogy is still more than worth going back to. House of the Dragon fans should appreciate the stark, dark fantasy world of the series, as it essentially blends fantasy with a post-apocalyptic setting. The dark souls series begins centuries after Lord Gwyn, the first Lord of Cinder, committed the “original sin” of this universe by cursing it with a cyclical age of fire that leaves humans and monsters like undead husks.
Narration, story and world building are also expected to be subtle here, but it’s incredibly rewarding to learn about and collaborate for fantasy fans. Aside from the inventive level designs, the grueling challenge and spectacle of boss battles are major gameplay highlights.
Dark Souls: Remastered, Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sinand Dark Souls III are all available on modern hardware via PS4, XBO, Switch (Remastered) and pc.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda is one of Nintendo’s mainstays in the gaming industry, as well as an icon of the medium as a whole. From the start, the series was clearly inspired by Tolkien’s work on Under the spell of the Ring with its vibrant and diverse high fantasy land of Hyrule, tone and narrative style. Especially with the series that follows the generational struggle between Link and the Demon King Ganon and his penchant for detailed topography.
Breath of the Wild for the Nintendo Switch is perhaps the best summary of these features, as it has a stunning open world that invites limitless exploration and beautiful vistas. The game combines The Legend of Zeldathe usual action-adventure formula with that of the action-RPG sub-genre in an imaginative packaging that fans of The rings of power should be satisfied with.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is now available exclusively for the Switch, with an (yet) untitled sequel slated for release in the first half of 2023.
Divinity: Original Sin II
The CRPG subgenre is one of the more niches of the larger roleplaying genre, but they have seen a welcome resurgence in the modern gaming space. Developer Larian Studios (currently at the helm) Baldur’s Gate III) is largely responsible for this, such as: Divinity: Original Sin II was widely acclaimed as one of the best RPGs overall. The game built on every positive aspect of the original, creating an experience with an unbearable level of detail.
The player takes on the role of a protagonist and a supporting cast of characters as they attempt to fight back the invading legion of monsters that enter the main world from the Void. It is a colorful and expansive world with captivating adventures that Lord of the Rings fans should appreciate it, and it has some of the most satisfying and layered role-playing mechanics in a game. Strategic turn-based combat that rewards creativity and choice-driven storytelling combine to deliver an expansive imaginative experience.
Demon Souls (remake)
The “Souls-esque” subgenre precursor, FromSoftware’s Demon Souls on the PS3, was critically acclaimed and became a cult classic in 2009. It laid the foundation for the formula that would eventually become Elden ring; though the game can feel dated and cumbersome by today’s standards. Fortunately, in-house PlayStation studio Bluepoint Games has developed a revamped top-to-bottom remake that keeps the level and gameplay design of the original in mind.
The Demon Souls achieves this through tasteful improvements in gameplay quality of life and breathtaking graphics thanks to the PS5’s hardware. Tonally the same rules apply to fans of House of the Dragon looking for a similar dark experience. It has all the backstories and subtle environmental stories expected from a souls game, featuring the chosen hero protagonist who is summoned to the kingdom of Boletaria to defeat its fallen and corrupt king and the greater evil that has shrouded the world in the soul-eating Deep Fog.
Demon Souls is now available exclusively for PS5.
House of the Dragon is available to watch on HBO and HBO Max, while The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is available on Amazon Prime Video, with both series premiering new episodes weekly.
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