5 Best Fantasy Games Of All Time, Ranked

Fantasy games hold a special place in the video game medium, often featuring adventures built around European medieval folklore. These genre aesthetics, full of spells and monsters, have been prevalent in the gaming industry for decades, from early hits like "Gauntlet" and 1980's "Adventure" to modern fantasy games like "Monster Hunter" and "God of War," which have consistently proven to be hits with gamers and critics alike. It feels like as long as there have been video games, there have been titles firmly entrenched within the fantasy genre, redefining storytelling with these familiar elements.

This malleability also reflects the different kinds of gameplay mechanics that can be used to explore the fantasy genre. Whether it's action and turn-based RPGs or MMOs and strategy games, fantasy is alive and well within the gaming medium. And as tough as it was to narrow down our favorite fantasy games ever, we managed to do it, but not without cutting some absolute gems. Here are the five best fantasy games of all time ranked, each depicting worlds of myths and magic in their own captivating ways.

"Baldur's Gate" has been a staple in fantasy RPGs since the original 1998 game, seamlessly translating the tabletop gameplay mechanics of "Dungeons and Dragons" into the video game medium. After years of development, Larian Studios released the standalone sequel "Baldur's Gate 3" in 2023 to universal acclaim. The game has players create their own character and join a party of adventurers infected by mind-flayer tadpoles. Escaping a mind-flayer ship, the ensemble journeys through the Forgotten Realms to purge themselves of their parasites.

Fantasy RPGs like "Dragon Age" often claim that they present an experience where individual choices matter in the grander scheme, and that's usually true to a degree. "Baldur's Gate 3" makes that sensibility clear every step of the way, right down to variances in the experience starting with the character creation choices. This provides players with an incredible amount of depth, both narratively and in terms of the overall gameplay, with no playthrough ever feeling exactly the same. "Baldur's Gate 3" offers "Dungeons and Dragons" action in an accessible and engrossing way, fantastically suited for both casual players and meticulous tacticians planning every step of the way.

Many fans were introduced to the world of Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski's "The Witcher" through CD Projekt's acclaimed video game series, starting in 2007. 2015's "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt" has monster-hunting protagonist Geralt of Rivia (Doug Cockle) reunite with his long-lost love Yennefer of Vengerberg (Denise Gough). Together, they search for their adopted daughter Ciri (Jo Wyatt), who is hunted for her elven heritage and the formidable powers that it grants her. DLC expansions give Geralt's adventures an epilogue, most notably 2016's "Blood and Wine," with Geralt investigating the murder of several knights attributed to a rampaging monster.

A crucial piece in understanding the story of "The Witcher" games, "Wild Hunt" is the ultimate realization of the Geralt-led trilogy. The gameplay is much more fluid and intuitive, both in terms of the game's combat and exploration mechanics. But more than improving the gameplay, "The Witcher 3" offers a sweeping fantasy story where every major decision carries palpable consequences, encouraging players to revisit the game differently each time. The greatest adaptation of Sapkowski's fantasy world to date, "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt" perfectly captures what its source material and the games are all about.

The massively multiplayer online game that revolutionized the genre, 2004's "World of Warcraft" let players explore the fantasy world of Azeroth like never before. Creating a player character either fighting for the Alliance or the Horde, players leveled up and gained new gear as they completed quests around the two continents. Since the game's launch, Activision Blizzard has steadily produced new expansions and updates that have added to its scope, from new playable classes to additional story-based quests. In addition to fighting environmental NPCs, players can also duke it out with rival factions in battlegrounds and by launching raids on various targeted locations.

Over 20 years after its launch, millions of people still play "World of Warcraft" as a testament to its enduring appeal. Players can create more than one character as part of their base subscription, giving them access to more variety in gameplay and perspective. For purists who prefer the game in its earliest years, Blizzard has also put out the ridiculously popular "World of Warcraft Classic," providing players with the title's original charm. MMO games of every genre took note of the ongoing success of "World of Warcraft," but none could match the high bar it has in terms of longevity and revenue.

Ever since 2002's "The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind," a new "Elder Scrolls" game feels like an event whenever it comes out. This is particularly true of 2011's "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim," which takes players to the northern regions of the franchise's fantasy realm of Tamriel. The player character is a Dragonborn, someone who can absorb the souls of recently slain dragons to augment their own powers. The player finds themselves in the middle of a brutal civil war raging in the region of Skyrim, with different factions vying for their support in the conflict.

With its sweeping vista of Skyrim and the sheer amount of things players can do across the game, "The Elder Scrolls V" is the franchise's magnum opus. A true epic, even just sticking to the main questline in "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim" takes a long time to beat due to its impressive breadth. The game's combat also feels more refined than its predecessor, giving players a first-person fantasy adventure that provides an incredibly immersive experience. There's a reason why developer Bethesda Softworks has put out new editions and ports of the title for years, and it's because "Skyrim" set a high-water mark for fantasy games.

Any of the top-ranked mainline "The Legend of Zelda" games can go on this list, but we'll always have a soft spot for "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time." Originally released in 1998 for the Nintendo 64, the game has Link embark on a quest to meet Princess Zelda and prevent darkness from overtaking the kingdom of Hyrule. After confronting the evil Ganondorf, Link and Zelda accidentally trigger an alternate future where Ganondorf has successfully conquered much of Hyrule. Link sets out to overthrow Ganondorf, occasionally jumping back in time to explore and slightly alter history.

"The Legend of Zelda" has always been something of a fairy tale, with a classic hero out to rescue a princess from a monstrous evil wizard. "Ocarina of Time" expands that story to apocalyptic proportions, with a healthy dose of time travel to mix things up further. The game also provides players with an immersive depiction of Hyrule, easy to navigate and more forgiving than the higher difficulty of "Breath of the Wild" and "Tears of the Kingdom." Decades later, "Ocarina of Time" still sets the standard for the "Legend of Zelda" franchise for a good reason.