THIS MODERN CLASSIC HAS ECLIPSED SKYRIM AS THE DE FACTO FANTASY RPG

It became apparent shortly after it was released that Skyrim was a one-of-a-kind game that would set the standard for fantasy RPGs for years to come. Providing countless hours of gameplay, Skyrim sat mainly untouched as the mainstream and go-to title. While other games that excelled at different aspects came along, many were still much more niche than Skyrim's accessibility and approachability. Only recently has it been dethroned by a title that challenged the standards in a variety of ways.

Baldur’s Gate 3 was released to universal praise from critics and the public and quickly showed that it was not only a great fantasy RPG, but one of the best games ever made. The quality on almost every level was unmatched and officially raised the bar for games going forward. Baldur’s Gate 3 not only caused fans to raise their standards for future games, but also made many wonder why another game has not come close to that level in the past. While Skyrim still has many appealing features, Baldur’s Gate 3 has eclipsed it as the new standard for fantasy RPGs.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Has Almost Everything

The Game Rarely Tells the Player “No”

Like all good dungeon masters, Baldur’s Gate 3 is almost only limited by the imagination of the player. Want to stack 50 boxes on top of each other and crash to the ground while shapeshifting as an Owlbear? Not a problem, slam away. Whenever a player questions if they are able to do something in the game, the answer is almost always yes. This doesn’t just apply to combat either, players are still finding new interactions to this day of completely unique scenarios that can only be found under a specific set of circumstances.

This gives Baldur’s Gate 3 an enormous amount of replayability, requiring multiple playthroughs to see so many different options. Baldur’s Gate 3 also excels at being a character-driven game, with an incredible story. Characters are often one of the most important aspects of creating a game that players care about. For example, Mass Effect 2 is often cited as one of the best games ever made, and this hinges strictly on the characters of the game.

While the gameplay is passable, and even outdated at this point, what has given it the lasting power it does is the focus on the compelling crew of the Normandy. Baldur’s Gate 3 is similar in that the main cast of characters are some of the best in all gaming. Each has their own character arc that ties nicely into the overall plot, and this gives players a reason to care about their companions, as well as stay invested in the main narrative.

While Baldur’s Gate 3 can stay fresh by giving players different builds to try, new choices to make, and different party makeups, the base game does stay the same for the most part. After exploring the world for the first time, many of the secrets lose their magic upon repeated playthroughs. While the game is not designed for endless exploration, it is one aspect that Skyrim excels more at.

Skyrim Still Has a Great Foundation

Many Parts of Skyrim Can Still Hold Up to This Day

In many ways, Skyrim and Baldur’s Gate 3 are at opposite ends of the spectrum. While Baldur’s Gate raises the bar over Skyrim in many ways, the Bethesda title still has one aspect that has allowed it to be timeless. Most of the replayability from Skyrim comes from exploring the open world and finding the different secrets that there are to uncover. To this day it is still a magical experience finding a random cave that leads to something unexpected.

While Baldur’s Gate certainly has these kinds of moments, on replays the magic is lost, while Skyrim can allow for these kinds of moments all the time. However, many different parts of Skyrim fall short of the quality of Baldur’s Gate 3. While the story in Skyrim is fine, it doesn’t have the same kinds of twists and turns and investment that Baldur’s Gate does. The same goes for the characters in Skyrim.

There are certainly memorable characters, but none on the level of an Astarion or Karlach, or really any character from Baldur’s Gate 3. The same can be said about Skyrim’s gameplay. There are many different builds that players can choose to make, and it can be very fun, but the creativity of Baldur’s Gate’s gameplay surpasses it in almost every way. It is clear that Baldur’s Gate 3 is the new standard for fantasy RPGs going forward, and any game released in the future has the pressure of being compared to one of the best games of all time.

However, while it may excel in almost every area, there are still a few aspects that Skyrim is unmatched in. The next big fantasy RPG may be a game that combines the best aspects of both games. With The Elder Scrolls VI on the distant horizon as the next big fantasy RPG, Bethesda will need to step up its game if it wants to reclaim its throne.

2025-02-03T12:29:24Z