Top five Games to revisit this Fantasy November.

Welcome to a fantastic, fantasy November. The first of our themed months tackling one of the biggest genres there is. This November we are focusing on medieval fantasy. So, grab your swords, shields and wands as we take a leap into the adventure-filled worlds of five medieval fantasy games that are sure to have you entertained this month. 

For this article, we have decided to limit ourselves by only selecting games released within the past decade. These are games that have left us feeling totally blown away by their scope, design and story. If you are looking to fill your month with nothing but gaming and good times, just one of these games will do the trick. We selected some of the best titles from across gaming to fill this list and with such a broad category we feel confident that these top tier games are worth your time to pick up and revisit this month.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011)

Nothing beats loading into this game for the first time, making your character and escaping Helgen from a dragon attack. I honestly cannot believe this game is 10 years old this month, making it the oldest game on this list. It may have some years and some more releases under its belt than others on this list, but it’s one we constantly compare open-world games to, even years later. It epitomises everything a good title should be and has provided us with hours of entertainment. 

What makes this game so good, is that it encourages you to be and do anything you want. The game is essentially a large, open-world sandbox for you to mess around in and have hours of fun. Even if you have already played this game a dozen times before, the modding community is one of the strongest for any games out there. This means hours of new content is being added by the community and supported on all platforms, making it highly replayable to this day.

This is the game we think about when we think of the open-world genre. We think of the Dragonborn, of Skyrim, and of all the sweet rolls stollen over the years. To say that this game is “good” would be like calling Elon Musk fairly wealthy. Even if you choose not to do any altering to the game, it still holds hours and hours of playtime, encourages replayability and exploration and is only really held back by an AI that makes you want to go on a rampage across Tamriel…which you can and should do at least once.  

If you are looking for a fun, tried and tested masterpiece. Look no further than The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. 

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015)

Based on the critically acclaimed book series by Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt shows us that not all adoptions from a novel to a game are bad. Even though the series of games is set after the events in the books, recurring characters, themes and locations are a familiar sight to those who were already fans of the novels. This was not only incredibly well-received, but I think it is fair to say that finding someone who has read the source material and played the first and second games is harder than finding a fan of Wild Hunt because of how global the hype surrounding this third game was. 

This game delivers in both story, character and exploration. This series has a fantastic story that is both compelling and interesting, mixing cool villains with high stakes. But make no mistake, this isn’t just a “save the world from the cool villain” kind of action-adventure title. It is a character-led story that is easy enough to buy into and will leave you with an empty pit in the bottom of your stomach when you finally complete the game. It makes you genuinely care about the characters you meet along the way and even the smallest NPCs can earn a big place in your heart. 

If all of this isn’t enough this story makes exploration a key element. You want to go out of your way to find different locations because they are so vivid and exciting to explore. 

This game comes with two, huge DLC that could act as separate games within their own right. Each expansion provides arguably a better experience than the main story. I think it is fair to say that if you complete a playthrough in under 60 hours then you still have way too much left to explore in this utterly huge game. 
If you are looking for a darker, more tactical fantasy game about fighting and killing monsters, look no further than The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Dark Souls 3 (2016)

We cannot talk about medieval fantasy video games without mentioning this titan in the genre. For some, the most frustrating game you will ever pick up, yet for many others an absolute creative masterpiece. We asked a friend of ours with well over 3000 hours in the series for their input on what made this game their absolute favourite. 

“Dark Souls set the foundation for it all, Dark Souls 2 tried something new and created its own universe around the games. But Dark Souls 3 took what made Dark Souls so good and Dark souls 2 so different and added them together to create an excellent finale. It pays homage to both previous games by adding lore such as item descriptions, returning characters, costume sets, returning to old places and making them feel new. The world-building itself is outstanding. Lots of exploration to do and to this day I am still finding hidden paths and items I have never found before.

The difficulty for your first playthrough is well balanced. The curve is planned out well with the bosses scaling in a way that feels justified. The game allows you to find your perfect class layout and get used to the controls as you establish your own playstyle. 

The story isn’t in your face throughout the game but you know what’s going on. NPCs that you find throughout the world tell you enough so you know what’s going on. Multiple playthroughs allow you to discover more and more each time. I can’t remember the last game I sunk this many hours into. Released back in 2016 and I’m still playing it. 

The online side of things can be harsh but it only adds to the fun of it all.  

Live. Die. Repeat.”

So, for a challenging game that is guaranteed to keep you hooked for hours and hold your attention through many playthroughs, keep your eyes fixed on Dark Souls 3.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance (2018)

The fourth spot on this list goes to a game that manages to be challenging and engaging on an entirely different level. Kingdom Come: Deliverance is set in the medieval era and puts players in the shoes of a medieval peasant. You literally start the game unable to read and have to learn to fight in a tactical combat system that takes time to master. This game is something truly different with an eye for detail rarely found in fantasy video games. 

What we have found this game does well is put you in a position where you have to make hard choices. You are no longer an unkillable knight or magic-wielding demigod. For the opening sections of this game, you are made to feel constantly in danger by enemy NPCs. Even after hours of gameplay, one extra bandit joining a fight against you can lead to you getting outnumbered and killed. This game encourages caution, strategy and skill which it nurtures over the course of the campaign. As you get better at the game and progress, so too does your character’s reputation. There is a genuine sense of achievement as you accomplish missions because you have literally built yourself up from nothing.

We found that it was refreshing to enter a world with so much depth and attention to detail. There is a severe lack of hyper-realistic fantasy games in the market that Kingdom Come tries to fill. In addition, small things like your appearance and hygiene can influence how other characters perceive you and react to you, leading you to spend time doing the little things, such as bathing. This in turn means we felt invested in this game by the end of its main story because of all the time we spent living in its world. 

If you like realism in your video games, history and strong characters, then Kingdom Come: Deliverance is the game for you.

A Plague Tale: Innocence (2019)

What we have no doubt will soon become a much-loved series all started with A Plague Tale: Innocence. Not quite as hyper-realistic as our previous game, A Plague Tale is still based on historic events with elements of puzzles, combat and magic that feel refreshing to the genre. Once again we are thrust into the role of a character who is anything other than a strong, highly trained killer. Straight up combat can be deadly and being impatient can lead to a quick death. 

What made us choose this game for this list was how brutal the world felt and yet how close we ended up feeling to its protagonist and her family. This is a game that does not shy away from brutality and yet draws you in with very human characters in a plot that we couldn’t get enough of. On top of that, there are very satisfying game mechanics, such as watching hordes of ravenous rats devour armed soldiers. 

This game filled us with inspiration as it quickly became one that we could not put down. Although the story is less open world and more railroad than we are typically used to, it just goes to show that a strong, character-focused story and interesting game environments lead to great games. 

So, if you think ravenous rats and black plagues are your thing, then give A Plague Tale: Innocence a revisit.