Games To Play If You Love Medieval Fantasy

Highlights

• The medieval fantasy genre in video games is extremely popular among gamers, with iconic series like The Witcher and Dark Souls gaining a dedicated following.
• Pillars of Eternity and Divinity: Original Sin 2 are highly regarded CRPGs that offer immersive gameplay and captivating quests for fans of medieval fantasy.
• The Fire Emblem series, particularly Three Houses, combines RPG and tactical elements, allowing players to control their armies and make choices that impact the storyline.

Gamers tend to be fans of medieval fantasy, and those who love medieval fantasy tend to love video games. Due to this, a lot of the most well-known and popular game series are in the medieval fantasy genre. The genre is known for its swords, dragons, monarchies, and knights.

The root of the medieval fantasy genre got its start in literature. It blends magic and folklore with the culture, economics, government structure, and sometimes the history of medieval Europe. Some of the most famous book series are in this genre, such as Lord of the Rings, A Song of Ice and Fire, and The Chronicles of Narnia.

Updated on January 28, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: The medieval fantasy genre has seen many entrants across various forms of entertainment, and video games are no exception here. There’s something oddly tantalizing about a game that adheres to certain perceptions of what a period in history should be like while also infusing fantastical elements that make the world stand out even more. While most people may feel like the medieval fantasy genre has been done to death, there are still many ways that this genre can surprise players with how engaging it can get. Here are some of the best medieval fantasy games to date.

20 Tyranny

An Intriguing Look At The Very Concept Of Evil In A Video Game That Thrives In The Medieval Fantasy Genre

Tyranny is one of the most underrated CRPGs ever made. If the game had managed to achieve its full vision, then it’s not a stretch to say that this game could’ve reached the same heights as other legendary games in the genre like Divinity: Original Sin 2 and Disco Elysium.

The exploration of evil in Tyranny is nuanced and engaging, with the medieval fantasy setting adding to the allure of this title. Fans of amazing story-heavy games that don’t portray morality in a done-to-death binary form will love what Tyranny brings to the table.

19 Gothic 2

A Dark Fantasy Title With A Unique Gameplay Loop And Tasteful Medieval Inspirations

Piranha Bytes is a studio that has garnered a small but loyal fanbase, with most people attributing Gothic 2 to be the game that got them into their titles. This title is a massive improvement over its predecessor in every department.

The story is more engaging than before and combat is tweaked to make it easier to get into. Gothic 2 rewards patience and is rife with immersive design that leads to players getting completely lost in this one-of-a-kind action RPG.

18 Pillars Of Eternity

A Lovable Ode To The CRPGs Of The Past With A Heavy Dose Of Medieval Fantasy

Obsidian Entertainment has made some of the greatest RPGs of all time, and fans should thank Pillars of Eternity for helping this company stay afloat. This Kickstarter game served as a desperate attempt from the company to avoid bankruptcy, and the success of this title helped it remain a major player in the industry.

Pillars of Eternity is an excellent CRPG that is a blast to play through and perfect for beginners to get into if they aren’t familiar with this classic genre. The role-playing is great, and both the main and side quests are pretty riveting despite a few problems cropping up here and there.

17 Divinity: Original Sin 2

Combines Establishes Fantasy Tropes With Inspirations From The Medieval Period

Divinity: Original Sin 2 is hailed by many as one of the greatest CRPGs ever made, and it’s easy to see why this is the case. The game is grander in scope than its predecessor in every way, which is a massive achievement in its own right, given just how massive the first Original Sin game was.

Featuring a wealth of amazing characters, tactical gameplay, and an excellent story that will keep players hooked till the very end, Original Sin 2 is an incredible medieval fantasy game that fans of the genre owe it to themselves to check out. The game can take a while to get a hold of, but patient players will be rewarded with an immensely deep and satisfying gameplay experience that doesn’t have any equal.

16 The Octopath Traveler Series

An Amazing Modern JRPG Set In Ancient Times With Many Tried-And-Tested Fantasy Elements

The HD-2D art style has become incredibly popular for a whole host of reasons, and many people attribute Octopath Traveler as the game that made this design so popular in the first place. Despite featuring its fair share of issues, Octopath Traveler was a great first attempt for a series that wanted to harken back to the classic era of JRPGs while also featuring some unique additions of its own.

Any complaints that players had for the first Octopath Traveler title were promptly addressed in the second game, which is considered to be a vastly better experience by many. The main party now actively engages in each story instead of being relegated to the sidelines, which is a simple yet much-needed change that helped players get even more invested in the overarching narrative.

15 A Plague Tale Series

Set During The Black Plague With A Fantasy Twist

While the fantasy aspect of A Plague Tale is pretty muted, it’s still quite prominent and plays a huge role in making the Black Plague setting of the game feel all the more popular and relevant. The first game was an admirable title that focused on stealth and had several nerve-wracking encounters that could be quite a pain to deal with at times.

However, it’s the second game that flexed its budget with larger areas and an epic story. While some people felt like the charm of Innocence was lost in Requiem, there’s no denying that this title is infinitely more polished and engaging than its predecessor in many ways. The main story is also quite riveting in its own right, featuring an ending that will shock players to their very core.

14 The Witcher Series

One Of The Best Medieval Fantasy Games Fans Can Check Out

With medieval fantasy having its roots in literature, it makes sense that some medieval fantasy games are based on book series. The Witcher is one of those games. While the series has three titles, it is the third title that won gamers over for its open-world map and many quests.

Even non-gamers or book fans are now familiar with The Witcher as well, ever since the Netflix series came out. For fans of the Netflix series, the game is worth a look. It does take place after the events of the show though, so there will be spoilers for the fate of Ciri, Dandelion, and Yennefer.

13 Fire Emblem: Three Houses

A Fire Emblem Game That Leanes Heavily Into The Medieval Fantasy Genre

Lately, the Fire Emblem series has leaned more and more into the medieval fantasy genre. One such recent title is Fire Emblem: Three Houses. The game is both an RPG and tactical, with the player controlling their army versus others. The game also incorporates some social simulation elements, such as getting certain characters to warm up to each other and giving out favorite gifts.

The biggest RPG element is choosing between the three houses. Each has a different set of characters and storyline later in the game. The game was released in 2019 for the Nintendo Switch.

12 The Dark Souls Series

The Quintessential Medieval Fantasy Game, With Its Armor And Weapons Speaking For Themselves

This series is famous for its difficulty. Despite the learning curve though, it has gotten quite popular. Due to that, it influenced many games after it. It fits the definition of medieval fantasy in its weapons, armor, and creatures. There are classic medieval fantasy creatures like dragons as well as more original monsters.

Unlike Fable and Dragon Age, players shouldn’t expect much dialogue, choices, and other characters. Dark Souls is more about combat, exploration, and its own gloomy and sinister lore.

11 The MediEvil Series

A Cartoonish Take On Medieval Fantasy

As its title describes, MediEvil is a game set in medieval times. It certainly has fantasy elements as well because players play an undead knight. The hack and slash series has three titles and a 2019 remake/remaster.

The protagonist is Dan, also known as Sir Daniel Fortesque. He is brought back to life as an undead skeleton by an evil sorcerer along with an undead army. However, Dan is not loyal to the evil sorcerer and plans to defeat him to earn his place as a true hero that he could not be in life.

A Legendary Open World RPG Franchise That Combines Medieval Tropes With Fantasy Elements

Of course, the Elder Scrolls games are not to be missed. They are very much part of the medieval fantasy genre, complete with monarchs, dragons, and magic. Its latest huge title, Skyrim, has been the talk of the town since its 2011 release and constant remasters since. Even before Skyrim, though, there are still major fans of the older titles like Morrowind and Oblivion. The game has classic medieval races like elves and dwarves but also gets a little creative with cat and lizard people.

The series has mastered open-world gameplay in the sense that there is always something new to discover, but that does have its sacrifices, such as having deep characters and narrative. Still, many gamers have put over a thousand hours into this game.

9 Shovel Knight

Control A Knight In A Fantasy Realm Across Several Platforming Challenges

Shovel Knight was first released in 2014 and has spread to many platforms. It won many awards and critical acclaim among players and critics, winning Best Independent Game, 3DS eShop Game of the Year, Wii U eShop Game of the Year, Best 3DS Game, Best Music, and Best Platformer.

The game is a 2D side-scrolling platformer that has players fight enemies as they go through dungeons and collect as much treasure as possible. There is both a single and multiplayer mode as well as DLC.

8 The Baldur’s Gate Series

A Legendary CRPG Franchise Steeped In Medieval Fantasy That’s Still Going Strong To This Day

Baldur’s Gate is basically if Dungeons and Dragons was a single-player video game (though it does have multiplayer capabilities). The third title of this series is currently in beta, and fans are very excited about its release. It has come a long way since its first game in 1998.

Due to its use of choices and role-playing, the games are worth playing more than just once. Those who have early access to the most recent title have said a lot of positive things so far, such as the graphics, story, and sound. However, they are still working on the bugs and kinks, so the earlier Baldur’s Gate games may be a better pick for now.

7 The Fable Series

An Action RPG Set In A Fantasy World With Shades From Medieval Times

Fable has several games, with its first coming out in 2004. In every title, players get to explore and make choices in a medieval world. Choices are a little more cut and dry in terms of good and evil than in the Dragon Age games. While the graphics did get better with each game, most fans have agreed that the first title does have the best story.

Not only do choices influence the world, but they can change the look of the main protagonist. The story also has its share of memorable characters.

6 The Legend Of Zelda Series

A Lighter And More Wholesome Take On What The Medieval Fantasy Series Is All About

Everyone has heard of The Legend of Zelda, as it has existed since the 80s and has only gotten more popular with time. What makes the series so inviting to new players is that most titles have stand-alone stories that do not require the player to play the other games to understand what is going on.

Some titles fit more into medieval fantasy than others. For medieval fantasy fans, Twilight Princess and/or Ocarina of Time are good places to start. While Breath of the Wild is their more recent game, it has fewer medieval fantasy elements because Link is mostly exploring nature rather than towns.

5 Dragon’s Dogma

An Excellent Action RPG With Realistic Medieval Equipment And A Lot Of Fantasy Elements

Dragon’s Dogma takes players from small fishing villages to massive castles and gives them plenty of opportunities to enjoy intricate medieval scenery. On top of that, quests will have players hunting on the side and seeking audiences with nobility.

The game also has one of the most memorable dragon characters out there. The game is available for many consoles, such as the PS3, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox 360. For computer-based players, it is also available for Windows. For those who enjoy MMOs, Dragon’s Dogma Online has also existed since 2015.

4 The Dragon Age Series

A Medieval Fantasy Series Full Of Politics, Religion, And Deep Conflicts

Dragon Age is a series with a lot of compelling characters and choices. It is an original story with familiar creatures like dragons but also has built rich and unique lore for itself. The game has three major titles, such as Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, and Dragon Age: Inquisition, but it also has its fair share of books and comics.

For those who like to make their character and make in-game decisions with lasting effects, this is a great series. Dragon Age 2 let down a lot of players because they could only play a human character, but the other games have options like elf, dwarf, and qunari. The class the player picks can also influence the story as well, particularly in Origins.

3 Darkest Dungeon

A Lovecraftian RPG That’s Tough As Nails And Employs Its Medieval Fantasy Elements To Great Effect

In Darkest Dungeon, players take on the role of a variety of medieval to Victorian-themed characters while fighting their way through Eldritch horrors, dungeons, and ruins. It is not the most medieval game out there, as there are guns, but one of the characters people can control is literally a crusader, and there is also a jester.

The game is unique for its mix of medieval, Victorian, and Lovecraftian themes. It also has a unique 2D visual style.

2 The Castlevania Series

A Gothic Fantasy Series That Spawned A Whole New Genre And Features Some Influences From Medieval Times

This series started in 1986 and had its most recent release in 2014. With a Netflix series based on the games being a huge success, there will likely be more to the games on the horizon. Not only are these titles medieval fantasy, but they also feature elements of gothic horror with plenty of spooky creatures and dark rooms.

Much of the medieval fantasy elements come from folkloric and mythological inspirations with enemies to fight, such as Medusa, vampires, and imps. The weapons are quite medieval as well, with enemies and protagonists often wielding swords, shields, and spears.

1 Middle Earth: Shadow Of Mordor/War

A Lord Of The Rings Video Game With Brutal Combat That Employs The Medieval Fantasy Setting Brilliantly

While this story is original, it is in the setting of Middle Earth from The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. Due to this, players can get into the game already knowing a lot about the world and its lore.

However, players do not have to be die-hard fans to get enjoyment from these titles. The game uses a host of original characters who require little understanding of Middle-earth lore to enjoy, and the characters who are based on deep lore are given simple introductions so that most information can be obtained through cutscenes or context clues.