Every Elder Scrolls Game, Ranked By Story

One key reason The Elder Scrolls series stands out is its immersive, grandiose adventures that players get to explore within their fascinating universe.

Throughout each installment, Bethesda’s games offer a grand journey filled with an abundance of situations, stories, personalities, and moments that have left a lasting impression on every gaming era.

The Elder Scrolls” franchise stands out as one of the exceptional ones for depicting medieval-style fantasy. Its rich and captivating lore has given birth to some of the most intriguing role-playing game (RPG) narratives ever created.

With tales of deities, multiple dimensions, a multitude of guilds housing various species, and many other intriguing factors, it’s hard to resist getting captivated by each new edition just from the storyline alone.

As a gaming aficionado who’s traversed countless worlds, I’ve compiled a personal ranking of the Elder Scrolls games, focusing on their captivating narratives:

1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – A breathtaking odyssey that left an indelible mark on my gaming memory.
2. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind – An intricate tale of politics, mystery, and personal growth that still resonates with me today.
3. The Elder Scrolls VI (TBA) – While the full story is yet to unfold, the tantalizing glimpses I’ve seen promise another epic adventure.
4. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion – An immersive journey through a dark fantasy realm that held me captivated for many hours.
5. The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall – A sprawling, open-ended saga that set the standard for RPG storytelling in the series.

5. The Elder Scrolls: Arena

An Interesting First Attempt

The Elder Scrolls: Arena” sets numerous bases that the series later expands upon, encompassing the kinds of tales it intends to narrate in the coming installments.

Instead of being highly developed, the plot within this franchise is relatively simple, offering only minimal advancements beyond establishing the universe and showcasing some of its defining features.

The story revolves around the Septim dynasty, set in the grand realm of Tamriel, and weaves a tale of deceptions and different realms. Its straightforward yet captivating plot serves as a solid framework for the intellectual property.

For something as old as three decades and partly experimental in nature, it’s hard to expect a high level of complexity and depth beyond the familiar themes of its time.

While “The Elder Scrolls: Arena” isn’t a terribly great tale in itself, it offers some of its most valuable legacies to its subsequent installments – primarily the characters and game mechanics that have been refined and expanded upon throughout the series’ history.

4. The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall

Expanding The Universe

Stepping into the world of “The Elder Scrolls: Daggerfall,” I can’t help but appreciate the significant depth and intricacy it adds to its predecessor’s narrative. It truly elevates the storytelling experience.

Apart from some lingering ambiguity about the storyline progression, the studio made significant strides, particularly in creating an engaging experience that drew players into attempting to comprehend the situation.

The studio managed to make notable advancements, especially by making the game more captivating and immersive, encouraging players to grasp the narrative better.

In order to establish a distinct narrative voice while connecting its ancient folklore with contemporary events, it became essential for The Elder Scrolls to undergo this natural progression in storytelling.

In the context of its political conflicts and the heightened importance of each fresh endeavor, the experiences seemed unusually intense compared to those of its contemporaries.

If it had been more clearly presented, “Daggerfall” likely would have received a higher ranking, but this doesn’t diminish the significant worth it brought to the game series.

3. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Superb But Anticlimactic

Skyrim is often ranked as one of the greatest video games ever made, and remarkably, it met expectations even though it was one of the most eagerly awaited sequels.

This game stands out with its vastness, population, mysteries, and engrossment, offering an unforgettable and unique open-world adventure that embodies medieval fantasy unlike any other video game on the market.

Certainly, the narrative maintains an exceptionally rigorous quality, skillfully managing numerous factors and weaving them together beautifully in order to create a rich tapestry that incorporates the broader cosmos as it spins fresh tales.

Regrettably, the conclusion and the main adversary in this video game were rather underwhelming, significantly weakening the impact of the overall campaign experience.

Through conflicts, key moments in history, shifts in geographical landscapes, and other elements, the narrative unfolds at an intriguing speed. Regrettably, however, the ending falls short of meeting the expectations set by the build-up.

The story is exceptionally well-told, yet it doesn’t quite match the polished finish that subsequent entries on this list display.

2. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

From Zero to Hero

In its era, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion was both quirky and endearing, deserving recognition as one of the top RPGs from the 2000s.

In terms of captivating fantasy landscapes, this edition’s storyline stands out as exceptionally immersive, offering a series of unexpected turns and additional tasks that significantly enrich the overall campaign journey.

In the film Oblivion, the classic storytelling device of an outsider transforming into a hero is exceptionally well-executed, as it brims with memorable personalities that lend an engaging charm to the overall narrative.

Each objective is skillfully carried out, both individually and in terms of contributing to the overall narrative, making it hard not to label its campaign as exceptionally well-designed, despite the fact that it can sometimes be quite humorous.

Despite its flaws, these charmingly absurd moments are what give the story depth and character, making The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion a game that can rise above its shortcomings due to its strong sense of identity and the palpable enthusiasm it exudes.

1. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

A True Epic Fantasy

Among the various arguments for declaring The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind as the finest in the series, a key point lies in its exceptional world-building that creates an incredibly immersive role-playing game experience.

Despite being somewhat dated due to its mechanical and graphic aspects, this game compensates remarkably in the quality of its storytelling, visuals, and complexity. It offers a rich narrative experience that varies significantly based on the choices you make during your journey.

In contrast to later games in the series, Morrowind offers a complex interactivity shaped by numerous factors, resulting in every experience being truly distinct. Consequently, each journey within it feels like a fresh, never-before-told tale.

In the vast, intriguing landscape of Vvardenfell, with its rich backstory and thoughtfully paced gameplay, you truly experience a journey that few other games can replicate.

In my gaming world, nothing beats the epic tale spun by The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Its villains are unmatched, its role-playing environment is unparalleled, and the missions it offers are pure genius. Simply put, this game has the most captivating storyline among all Elder Scrolls games I’ve encountered.

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2025-04-17 18:09