Buy 6 Games Like Oblivion

Buy 6 Games Like Oblivion

By  Damien Mason - 19th May 2025

Explore games like Oblivion with vast open-world RPGs containing deep lore, branching dialog, and epic quests in immersive high-concept fantasy worlds.

Buy 6 Games Like Oblivion

There is something timeless about The Elder Scrolls series. Whether it’s wandering the misty roads of Vvardenfell, engaging in guild politics in Cyrodiil, or shouting dragons from the sky in Skyrim, Bethesda's open-world epics have set the gold standard for immersive, sandbox-style RPGs. Oblivion in particular holds a special place in fans' hearts, not just for its balance of Morrowind’s weirdness and the accessibility that Skyrim later perfected, but for how Oblivion Remastered has brought the fiery gates roaring into 2025 with one of the best visual overhauls we’ve seen in recent memory.

As the years roll by and The Elder Scrolls VI remains firmly over the horizon, many players find themselves craving something similar to fill the void. Fortunately, the RPG genre is alive and well, with plenty of games capturing various shades of that classic Bethesda magic. Some wear their inspiration on their sleeves, while others forge their own path through unique worlds and mechanics.

This list is not about finding one-to-one replacements, as few match Bethesda’s broken-by-design charm, but rather highlighting games that channel the spirit of exploration, character-building, and narrative agency. You will find a mix of familiar faces and fresh contenders, each offering their own take on the Elder Scrolls formula, be it through combat, world-building, or freedom of choice.

Whether you’ve been bitten by the explorer bug, fancy diving into complex lore, or simply spend hours lost in a living, breathing world, here are six games that can help scratch that ever-present Elder Scrolls itch.

Fallout 4

Wanderer explores the Fallout 4 wasteland.

From the same developers that brought us Oblivion and Skyrim, Fallout 4 drops players into a post-apocalyptic Boston where survival, scavenging, and storytelling go hand in hand. You emerge from a cryogenic slumber into a broken world of raiders, synths, and shifting alliances, armed with nothing but a pistol and a power armour-sized chip on your shoulder. As with previous Fallout entries, it blends open-ended exploration with branching questlines and a deep crafting system, all seasoned with a distinct retro-futuristic charm.

What makes Fallout 4 a natural fit for Elder Scrolls fans is its familiar DNA. The moment you step out of Vault 111 and see the ruined cityscape stretching into the distance, that same sense of awe you felt leaving the Imperial Sewers comes rushing back. The VATS-assisted gunplay replaces sword-swinging, but the game's core remains a sandbox built around player freedom and narrative choice. If you have ever thought "Skyrim with guns," Fallout 4 is quite literally that.

You’ll need to strap yourself in for an entirely different tone and setting, though. Fallout's world is bleaker, morally greyer, and laced with dark humour rather than high fantasy. Magic is swapped for power armour, dragons for Deathclaws, and instead of Daedric Princes, you are dealing with factions like the Brotherhood of Steel. It is not nearly as mystical, but it treads much of the same ground in a uniquely radioactive way.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

Player fights with swords in Kingdom Come: Deliverance II.

Building on the historical foundations of its predecessor, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II takes you back to medieval Bohemia, doubling down on realism, historical accuracy, and grounded storytelling. Gone are the fireballs and frost spells; in their place are mud-caked roads, political intrigue, and a combat system that prioritises skill over spectacle.

Like The Elder Scrolls, the game thrives on immersion. You are not the Dragonborn or Nerevarine here, you are Henry, a blacksmith's son, navigating the bloody consequences of war and class. Much like Oblivion’s Cyrodiil, the world feels lived-in, and its attention to detail in dialogue, economy, and character interactions echoes Bethesda's design ethos. There is even a touch of Bethesda’s infamous jank, which somehow adds to the charm.

Being more grounded. Kingdom Come: Deliverance has no monsters, no magic, and no dragons. What it offers instead is a deeper sense of place, a story rooted in history rather than mythology. It is slower, more methodical, and arguably less fantastical, but if you loved the slower-paced guild quests or the political side of The Elder Scrolls, it offers an absorbing alternative.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Geralt rides a horse past a burning building in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

CD Projekt Red's magnum opus is often spoken of in the same breath as Skyrim, and for good reason. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a dark fantasy RPG that follows Geralt of Rivia, a professional monster hunter, through war-torn lands thick with folklore, corruption, and consequence. With an expansive world, morally complex characters, and arguably the best quest design in the genre, it is a towering achievement.

Where it channels The Elder Scrolls most effectively is in its sense of scale and atmosphere. From the windswept plains of Velen to the cobbled streets of Novigrad, every location feels meticulously crafted and worth exploring. Side quests are rich in story and meaning, often outshining main narratives in other games. And while you play a set character, your choices still shape the world around you in profound ways.

That said, Witcher 3 is more story-driven and less sandbox than Oblivion or Skyrim. You are playing Geralt, not your own creation, and the game's RPG systems are more streamlined. You will not be joining a dozen guilds or building your own house, but you will experience some of the best fantasy storytelling ever put to screen.

The Outer Worlds

Player dives with sword swung high at an enemy in The Outer Worlds.

Obsidian Entertainment's The Outer Worlds takes the studio's RPG sensibilities to the stars. Set in a retro-futuristic colony ruled by greedy corporations, it is a satirical blend of Fallout-style humour and space-age aesthetics. You wake from cryo-sleep (again) and find yourself thrust into a web of lies, loyalties, and lethal decisions across several distinct planets.

What makes The Outer Worlds resonate with Elder Scrolls fans is its emphasis on freedom. Dialogue choices matter, characters react to your actions, and your build decisions genuinely affect gameplay. Whether you are a silver-tongued diplomat, a stealthy sniper, or a hammer-wielding brute, the game accommodates a variety of playstyles in much the same way Oblivion and Skyrim do.

It’s tough to match Bethesda’s scale, making The Outer Worlds feel more contained, split into smaller hubs rather than one massive map, but that simply makes it more focused. It also leans into humour and absurdity more than Elder Scrolls' often sombre tone. Think of it as an interstellar Oblivion with a corporate twist, smaller in scope but still rich in choice and charm.

Gothic

Monster attacking the player in Gothic.

A cult classic from German studio Piranha Bytes, Gothic is an early-2000s RPG that predates even Morrowind, known for its punishing difficulty and deep interactivity. Set within a penal colony surrounded by a magical barrier, the game throws you into a harsh world of rival factions, rigid hierarchies, and gritty survivalism. You are not a hero by birthright, you are an outsider clawing your way up from nothing.

The parallels to Elder Scrolls are clearest in Gothic's open-ended design. The world is reactive, NPCs have daily routines, and your choices shape your path through the game. Much like Oblivion, you can pick sides, join factions, and influence the world, though Gothic's execution is more uncompromising. It does not hold your hand, but that sense of earning your progress is part of its appeal.

Where Gothic stands apart is in its rough edges and difficulty curve. The interface is archaic, the combat can be brutal, and the world is less about empowerment and more about survival. It lacks the polish of Skyrim but makes up for it with sheer atmosphere and a sense of danger that few games replicate. If you want something that feels like Elder Scrolls but is not afraid to punish you, Gothic is a must.

Avowed

Avowed party casting spells.

Also from Obsidian Entertainment, Avowed is a first-person fantasy RPG set in the world of Eora, known from the Pillars of Eternity series. Players take on the role of an envoy from the Aedyr Empire, sent to investigate a deadly plague in the Living Lands. The game combines magic-infused combat, faction dynamics, and a richly detailed setting to deliver an RPG steeped in both action and lore.

The comparisons to Skyrim are inevitable. Avowed borrows heavily from that same immersive sim blueprint, with real-time combat, dual-wielding magic and melee, and factions that react to your choices. Obsidian's pedigree in nuanced narratives only adds to the appeal, promising a level of reactivity and consequence that could rival or even surpass Bethesda's offerings.

Where Avowed stands apart is in its philosophical underpinnings and structured world design. While The Elder Scrolls favours sprawling, player-driven exploration, Avowed delivers a more focused narrative experience rooted in the morally complex world of Eora. It may not offer quite the same level of sandbox freedom, but it compensates with sharp writing and a deeply atmospheric setting.

Oblivion Remastered exploration.


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