Which Elder Scroll Game Should I Play First?
For newcomers to the acclaimed Elder Scrolls RPG series, Skyrim is clearly the best game to start your adventuring career with.
As an avid gamer and content creator, I have played and analyzed every major entry in the franchise. Across countless re-releases and 30+ million lifetime sales, Skyrim remains widely regarded as the most accessible and impactful Elder Scrolls game ever created.
Why is Skyrim the Best Intro to Elder Scrolls
Back in 2011, Skyrim built upon past Elder Scrolls strengths while also refining gameplay to appeal to wider audiences beyond hardcore RPG fans.
Specific reasons why Skyrim excels as on-ramp for Elder Scrolls novices:
- Flexible character building with streamlined skills
- Intuitive combat, healing, and magic systems
- Jaw-dropping open world begging to be explored
- Epic fantasy storyline stands alone from earlier games
- Mod support extends replayability for years
Skyrim opened people‘s eyes to the thrill of first-person open world RPGs where you control your own destiny.
As Todd Howard of Bethesda said:
"Skyrim was a turning point, where I think the general audience and gamers met each other. And the general audience walked away loving things gamers loved, and at the same time gamers walked away having their Aunt Gladys play this game and understand why they love games."
Over a decade after launch, Skyrim still draws over 10,000 concurrent players a day on Steam alone – an absurd engagement level rivaling many of today‘s live service hits.
Skyrim By the Numbers:
| Stat | Number |
|---|---|
| Lifetime Sales | 30+ million |
| Average Playtime | Over 100 hours |
| Current Daily Players (Steam) | 10,000+ |
| Game Editions | 8 |
Simply put, Skyrim brings the perfect blend of gameplay and worldbuilding to introduce players to Tamriel in style.
As an Elder Scrolls expert, I believe Skryim deserves its status not just as the franchise‘s commercial peak, but also its most inviting jumping on point for new heroes ready for adventure.
Where to Go After Skyrim
Once you have enjoyed all Skryim has to offer, the next logical question becomes: where to go from here?
While I always advocate playing whichever Elder Scrolls game interests you the most, most fans move onto Oblivion and Morrowind after Skyrim to see how the series has evolved over time.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Serving as the follow-up to Morrowind, Oblivion brought the Elder Scrolls franchise into the next generation with cutting edge graphics and voice acting. It also delivered epic questlines you truly felt like the chosen hero tackling.
In my opinion, Oblivion features the strongest writing and worldbuilding outside Skyrim – making even common fetch quests memorable through dark humor and subversive twists. Sneaking around while closing literal gates to demonic planes never gets dull!
While clunkier than Skyrim, Oblivion still plays well today especially with mods. Its character creator and spellcrafting systems also offer more customization options for seasoned RPG fans.
Notable Awards:
- Best RPG (2006 VGAs, G4, Spike Awards)
- Game of the Year (2006 Spike, G4 Awards)
"If Skyrim was the turning point to bring mass audiences into the series, Oblivion laid the groundwork and remains a beloved fan favorite"
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Morrowind transports players to the alien world of Vvardenfell – an island dominated by giant mushrooms and labyrinthian valleys. Out of all Elder Scrolls games, Morrowind truly allows the most freedom thanks to how little handholding there is.
Hardcore fans praise Morrowind most for:
- Truly exotic, one-of-a-kind open world
- Greatest sense of discovery without quest markers
- Deep RPG mechanics and roleplaying opportunities
However, Morrowind‘s graphics, UI, and dice roll-driven combat have admittedly aged poorly. This makes modding almost essential. For this reason, I still suggest playing Oblivion or Skyrim first before tackling Morrowind‘s steep learning curve.
But for fantasy fans yearning for memorable adventures, Morrowind delivers wonders beyond imagination. Levitation magic and the imaginative cities of Vivec and Balmora etched themselves into my memory.
Awards:
- Game of the Year 2003 (Multiple Publications)
- Inducted into Hall of Fame (2016)
So in summary – after Skyrim I recommend Oblivion followed by Morrowind to see how Elder Scrolls has progressed and also where the magic started!
I hope this guide from my years of Elder Scrolls passion helps newer players decide which game to dive into first and chart their journey through Tamriel afterwards! Let me know if you have any other questions in the comments.
