The Elder Scrollsis one of the most beloved fantasy RPG franchises in gaming. The settings of theElder Scrollsgames are undoubtedly a large part of the magic. When a franchise’s lore can fill hundreds of volumes of written material, players know that there issomething interesting to be found.
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As fans are well aware, there are currently five mainline entries in the series, with a highly anticipated sixth in development. The settings of these games have run a diverse gamut. Although fans surely have their favorite one of the bunch, some settings were depicted better than others, due in no small measure to the technical limitations of the earlier entries.
5Tamriel
Released in 1994,The Elder Scrolls Arenawas Bethesda’s first entry in the franchise. It also proved to be one of the most ambitious in terms of setting. Rather than focusing on a single province as the later entries,Arenacovered the entire continent of Tamriel. Bethesda certainly came out of the gate swinging in this regard.
However, as fans can probably guess, this gargantuan setting sounds better than it actually proves. The vast Wilderness that exists between the major cities and towns is procedurally generated in a random fashion. The main quest dungeons are fixed, but the rest are randomized. Players can visit many of the key locations spread across the provinces of Black Marsh, Elsweyr, Morrowind, Skyrim, Hammerfell, High Rock, Valenwood, the Summerset Isle, and the Imperial City in Cyrodiil. Nevertheless, the lack of diversity and uniqueness in the presentation of these locations quickly becomes underwhelming.
AlthoughArena’s setting was impressive in 1994, gamers today used to the modern sensibilities of an RPG, unsurprisingly, won’t be impressed.Players interested in exploring Tamrielin more detail are better served byThe Elder Scrolls Online.
4Hammerfell/High Rock
Bethesda’s sequel toArena,The Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall, didn’t attempt to cover the entire continent of Tamriel, though its scale was still quite grand.Daggerfallfocuses on two provinces, Hammerfell and High Rock, the home of the Redguards and Bretons, respectively. Collectively, it’s known as the Iliac Bay region. Even though the game only revolves around two provinces, the size of the map is massive.
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Interestingly, the exact dimensions of the Iliac Bay is the subject of some debate, more of whichcan be found here. The locations inDaggerfall, of which there are thousands, are more unique compared toArena. Still, the graphical and technical limitations of 1996 hardware are plain to see. However, the increased level of detail that makes certain locations more unique to witness and explore is a step aboveArena.
3Cyrodiil
Inevitably, this is where the conversation becomes a bit more subjective, considering the latter threeElder Scrollstitles made use of more modern technological capabilities that allowed their settings to be realized with finer details.The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivionis an excellent game, but its setting can be seen as rather dull by franchise stalwarts.
Cyrodiil lacks a lot of geographical diversity, with much of the map consisting of flat, green plains and forests. By comparison, the cities are the settings' greatest strength. Even the Plains of Oblivion become a little boring after a while, as players can only take so much volcanic rock and lava. Cyrodiil is certainly pretty, but itscharm and beauty tend to fadesince much of it appears the same.
2Morrowind
For manyElder Scrollsfans,Morrowindstill remains theirfavorite entry of the bunch. The game’s setting has a lot to do with those favorable assessments. It takes place on the island of Vvardenfell, a region of the larger province of Morrowind. The Dark Elves, or Dunmer, make this Tamrielic province their home.
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Morrowind is arguably the most exotic setting of the mainlineElder Scrollsgames. The landscape consists of features such as gigantic mushrooms, volcanic hinterlands, and even swamps. The game’s lack of quest markers makes exploring these detailed locales necessary and, potentially, more immersive. AlthoughMorrowind’s map isn’t the largest, it’s perhaps the most unique in terms of aesthetics and variety.
1Skyrim
The setting ofThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimis tough to beat. As the latest mainline entry in the series,Skyrimis also the most advanced in terms of technology. Although later RPGs have since surpassedSkyrim’s map size, players still don’t run out of things to see very quickly in the fifthElder Scrollsgame.
Skyrim’s geography is varied, though it leans heavily in the direction of snowy and mountainous. Nevertheless, individual locations are presented as much more unique, especially in cities and the landscape’s various dungeons and caves. The sense of history that permeatesthe land of the Nordsis palpable and contributes extensively to the immersion factor. Players are constantly reminded that they are traveling throughout an ancient land of legend and myth, which doesn’t get old very quickly.
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