7 Open-World RPGs Better Than Skyrim
Lucas Kloberdanz-Dyck is a writer for Collider. He grew up creating lists, stories, and worlds, which led to his love of anime and video games. He attended Sheridan College where he earned an Honours Bachelor of Game Design. Lucas and his group won 1st place for technical innovation at LevelUp Toronto 2023, and he was also an intern for the Oakville Film Festival of Arts.
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Every so often, a new trend comes along that reinvents the video game scene, including battle Royale titles like Fortnite and gacha games. Sometimes, these are just fads, but other times they influence the industry and remain an innovative sensation. One such revelation was open-world video games, which allowed players to explore a massive land, with the only thing holding them back being their curiosity.
Open-world games are especially paired nicely with the RPG genre, allowing gamers to embody the role they choose and making the adventure more immersive. When it comes to this mashup, there aren’t many games better and more influential than The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, which essentially popularized the genre. Since its release, however, many titles have arguably surpassed it in terms of quality and execution. This list will feature seven open-world RPGs that are better than Skyrim based on gameplay, design, visuals, narrative, originality, fan opinion, critical acclaim, and overall quality.
7 ‘Cyberpunk 2077’ (2020)
Fans probably expected a lot of fantasy open-world RPGs since those are easily compared to Skyrim. While there will be more, there are also plenty of great sci-fi titles, like Cyberpunk 2077. Night City is a relentless machine of capitalism that uses anyone it can as fuel, including the protagonist, V. After a job goes wrong and V’s brain gets implanted with a cyber chip by a terrorist, they need to find a cure or risk being fully taken over by the consciousness of Johnny Silverhand, who is voiced by Keanu Reeves.
Skyrim and Cyberpunk 2077 are completely different games, and while the latter did have a rocky start, it ironed out the flaws to create one of the most impressive modern-day RPGs. As opposed to the massively spread-out world of Skyrim, this game opted for a densely packed city where the lore, history, and themes can be felt in every crevice. The cinematic presentation of Cyberpunk 2077 is unmatched, building a stunning, corrupt world that is hard to look away from. More than that, a variety of builds allows players to tackle missions as anything they want, from cyber-ninjas to netrunners. Cyberpunk 2077 is an intelligently written and designed game that highlights all the greatest strengths of modern open-world games.
6 ‘The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’ (2015)
Skyrim was the most recent Elder Scrolls game even after 15 years, and fans have gotten plenty of versions and updates since then. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is in a similar situation, but with a free remastered version, a new expansion, and a sequel coming out soon, it's in much better shape. Great if Rivia is a Witcher who must put his monster-hunting on the side for a bit after learning that his adoptive daughter is on the run from the titular spectral army that wishes to use her powers for evil.
Instead of creating a new character, gamers are put into Geralt’s position, needing to journey across the land while fighting against monsters, men, and everything in between. The Witcher 3 is a pure masterclass of writing and quest design, specifically because of its side missions. An initially mundane side quest can turn into a grand adventure ripe with lore, worldbuilding, preparation, and an epic boss battle. The narrative seeps into every facet of the design and world, creating an engaging and immersive experience that many fans say is better than Skyrim.
5 ‘Fallout: New Vegas’ (2010)
Skyrim is arguably Bethesda’s greatest video game of all time, but if they had a title better than it, it would probably be Fallout: New Vegas, which was primarily made by Obsidian Entertainment. The Mojave Wasteland is an unforgiving area, and as a courier in this post-apocalyptic world, players lose a valuable piece of cargo. On a quest for revenge and to get the platinum chip back, gamers are dragged into a war between multiple factions fighting for control over the Hoover Dam.
If fans like Skyrim, then they will enjoy a lot of the aspects and core design of New Vegas. This game certainly isn’t lacking in originality, putting aside the typical fantasy setting for the genre in favor of a fascinating apocalyptic era. Hard choices are in store for players in New Vegas, which allows for interesting conflicts and dialogue that determine your standing in guilds and factions. The agency and importance of decisions make every choice valuable, aspects that not only make New Vegas a video game masterpiece, but also one of the few titles better than Skyrim.
Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Survival Quiz Which Sci-Fi World Would You Survive? The Matrix · Mad Max · Blade Runner · Dune · Star Wars
Five universes. Five completely different ways the future went wrong — or sideways, or up in flames. Only one of them is the world your instincts were built for. Eight questions will figure out which dystopia, galaxy, or desert wasteland you'd actually make it out of alive.
💊The Matrix
🔥Mad Max
🌧️Blade Runner
🏜️Dune
🚀Star Wars
01
You sense something is deeply wrong with the world around you. What do you do? The first instinct is often the truest one.
02
In a world of scarcity, what resource do you guard most fiercely? What we protect reveals what we believe survival actually requires.
03
What kind of threat keeps you up at night? Fear is useful data — if you're honest about what you're actually afraid of.
04
How do you deal with authority you don't trust? Every dystopia has a power structure. Your approach to it determines everything.
05
Which environment could you actually endure long-term? Survival isn't just tactical — it's physical, psychological, and very much about where you are.
06
Who do you want in your corner when things fall apart? The company you keep is the clearest signal of who you actually are.
07
Where do you draw the line — if you draw one at all? Every survivor eventually faces a moment that tests what they're actually made of.
08
What would actually make survival worth it? Staying alive is one thing. Having a reason to is another.
Your Fate Has Been Calculated You'd Survive In…
Your answers point to the world your instincts were built for. This is the universe your temperament, your survival instincts, and your particular brand of stubbornness were made for.
The Matrix
You took the red pill a long time ago — probably before anyone offered it to you. You're a systems thinker who can't help but notice the seams in things.
- You're drawn to understanding how the system works before figuring out how to break it.
- You'd find the Resistance, or it would find you — your instinct for spotting constructed realities is the machines' worst nightmare.
- You function best when you have access to information and the freedom to act on it.
- The Matrix built an airtight prison. You'd be the one probing the walls for the door.
Mad Max
The wasteland doesn't reward the clever or the well-connected — it rewards those who are hard to kill and harder to break. That's you.
- You don't need comfort, community, or a cause larger than the next horizon.
- You need a vehicle, a clear threat, and enough fuel to outrun it — and you're good at all three.
- You are unsentimental enough to survive that world, and decent enough — just barely — to be something more than another raider.
- In the wasteland, that distinction is everything.
Blade Runner
You'd survive here because you know how to exist in moral grey areas without losing yourself completely.
- You read people accurately, keep your circle small, and ask the questions others prefer not to answer.
- In a city where humanity is a legal designation rather than a feeling, you hold onto something that keeps you functional.
- You're not a hero. But you're not lost, either.
- In Blade Runner's world, that distinction is everything.
Dune
Arrakis is the most hostile environment in the known universe — and you are precisely the kind of person it rewards.
- Patience, discipline, and political awareness are your core strengths — and on Arrakis, they're survival tools.
- You understand that the long game matters more than any single victory.
- Others come to Dune and are consumed by it. You'd learn its logic and earn its respect.
- In time, you wouldn't just survive Arrakis — you'd begin to reshape it.
Star Wars
The galaxy far, far away is vast, loud, and in a constant state of violent political upheaval — and you wouldn't have it any other way.
- You find meaning in being part of something larger than yourself — a cause, a crew, a rebellion.
- You'd gravitate toward the Rebellion, or the fringes, or whatever pocket of the galaxy still believes the Empire's grip can be broken.
- You fight — not because you have to, but because standing aside isn't something you're capable of.
- In Star Wars, that willingness is what makes all the difference.
4 ‘Kenshi’ (2018)
Since Skyrim is one of the most popular video games of all time, titles better than it will also likely be well-known. However, the least-known video game on this list is Kenshi, an underrated RPG that deserves more love. Unlike most titles on this list, this game doesn’t have an overarching story; instead, gamers are dropped into a post-apocalyptic world. Lost in the wasteland with no abilities or map, the only thing for players to do is explore, survive, and define their goals, whether that be building an empire, becoming a warlord, ending slavery, or simply fighting everything in sight.
It may be hard to say an obscure open-world RPG with no story is better than Skyrim, but Kenshi is an open-world sandbox in the purest sense, and it does this better than any other game. In Skyrim, players have a destiny and a goal, but in this game, there is no direction besides what players want to do, an aspect that more open-world games should adopt. The emergent possibilities are endless, spawning out of any interaction. Players can be sold into slavery and need to escape, or build a city that can play an integral role in the internal politics. In Kenshi, the world is truly your oyster, offering unmatched agency that defines what open-world games should be.
3 ‘The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’ (2017)
When fans think of open-world RPGs, they mostly imagine dark or realistic worlds, but one game that changed everything was The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. 100 years after Ganon was sealed, Link wakes up to a Hyrule taken over by nature and the remnants of the ancient war. Needing to defeat the dungeons and activate the Divine Beasts in order to take down Ganon once and for all, Link's quest will be one of the most important and daring adventures in his life.
Skyrim has a massive influence on Breath of the Wild, which helped make it a bigger and better version, establishing itself as one of the most innovative open-world games. The open-air format it adopted was a fresh, innovative take that redefined how traversal works in video games, giving players unlimited openness and freedom to explore wherever they want. This, paired with the compelling physics system and runes, made experimenting with the world a treat. Breath of the Wild is one of Nintendo’s best video games, and the freedom of movement, creative abilities, and creative design make it a much better game than Skyrim.
2 ‘Red Dead Redemption 2’ (2018)
Rockstar Games is a legendary studio with some of the best games, including the most anticipated title perhaps ever, Grand Theft Auto VI. But before that comes out, their best game is still Red Dead Redemption 2. Set during the dying age of the Wild West era, Arthur Morgan is a cowboy on the last leg of his journey. After his tuberculosis diagnosis, Arthur sets out on one last journey to find peace, forgiveness, and redemption in a cruel world that has all but forgotten him. But to do this, he will have to make more enemies to fight and kill.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is an interesting game because it leans on the line between action-adventure, life simulator, and RPG. Whatever it is, it is phenomenal. It boasts one of the most immersive video game worlds that is realistic, grounded, and doesn’t feel like it was made for the player. Gamers must manage everything about their life from hygiene to hunger. This may seem unnecessary, but it only adds to the immersion. Red Dead Redemption 2 is best known for its narrative, specifically the stellar character arc of Arthur and everything he went through, proving why it is among the best video game narratives.
1 ‘Elden Ring’ (2022)
Open-world RPGs are still popular, but soulslike games are all the rage nowadays, and that is all thanks to FromSoftware and their magnum opus, Elden Ring. After the titular Ring shatters, the demigod children of Marika claim all the pieces. However, as the Tarnished, players venture across the Lands Between to defeat the demigods, collect all the shards, and restore the Ring to become the Elden Lord.
Skyrim could be said to be the founder of open-world RPGs, but after over 15 years on the market, other masterpieces have evolved past it, including the greatest modern video game masterpiece, Elden Ring. As opposed to a casual sandbox experience, this game delivers high-stakes combat with magnificent environmental storytelling. The combat is challenging yet rewarding, and exploration is encouraged through fascinating ways. Altogether, Elden Ring is one of the best video games of all time, making it an open-world RPG that has improved on almost everything in Skyrim and then some.
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