The 10 Greatest Fantasy Video Games for Beginners
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Fantasy is a genre that has really taken off in recent years. It was previously seen as something only "for nerds," but it's become so mainstream now that it's no longer a source of derision. It has expanded across all forms of media, from literature to movies, and even into video games. The latter present a unique take on fantasy, as they can actually provide interactive worlds for players that other forms of media simply cannot.
Fantasy is attracting millions of new fans, so if you happen to be interested in the genre, you might want to check out this list of games. Not only are they easy to learn, but they're also of the utmost quality, providing players with a strong sense of expectation when it comes to expanding their horizons. In essence, these games really showcase what fantasy is all about, which will only make you love it even more.
'Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons' (2013)
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is a co-op puzzle adventure directed by Swedish filmmaker Josef Fares. The protagonists are two brothers named Naia and Naie. Or at least, that's what their names are presumed to be, anyway (everyone in the game speaks a made-up language). The two boys have already lost their mother and are about to lose their father due to an unspecified illness. Desperate, they set off to the Tree of Life, intending to use its sap to revive their father.
Each brother has unique abilities. For example, the younger brother can fit into tight spaces, whilst the older brother is stronger. The game is a little bit clunky if you're in single-player, as each thumbstick moves one brother, so it can be tricky to master. However, the remake added a co-op mode, meaning you can play with someone else and only control one sibling if you're having trouble. Short and sweet, the game can be finished in only a few hours, so it's not hard to get into. Yet, it's a masterclass in worldbuilding for the fantasy genre, which endlessly fascinates and horrifies.
'Shadow of the Colossus' (2005)
Shadow of the Colossus is a PlayStation classic that originally came out for PS2 before being remade for the PS4 in 2018. The story follows Wander, a young man who travels to the Forbidden Land to seek the help of the sleeping god, Dormin. Wander's girlfriend, the Princess, has died, and Wander wants Dormin to bring her back from the dead. Dormin agrees to do it, but only if Wander kills the 16 colossi roaming the Forbidden Land.
The open world is shockingly empty. There are no common enemies to defeat, and no NPCs, yet each piece of the environment is meticulously detailed. The game is empty by design, emphasizing that players are truly alone on this journey. The only adversaries are the colossi, which function as puzzle-based boss fights. The reason this game is so accessible for beginners is that there really isn't that much to it. You have one goal, and there aren't many mechanics to worry about. It's a very basic yet highly addictive game that introduces players to tropes of fantasy boss fights and open worlds.
'Dishonored' (2012)
Dishonored is an urban fantasy stealth game that places players in the shoes of Corvo Attano, previously the Empress of Dunwall's personal guard, with the two secretly having a relationship. One afternoon, assassins slay the Empress and abduct her and Corvo's daughter, throwing Corvo in prison and framing him for the murder. After breaking out of prison, Corvo embarks on a quest to clear his name and rescue his child. Dreaming of a spectral being called the Outsider, Corvo finds himself able to utilize magic against his enemies.
This game is awesome in every way, but it's especially good for newcomers. It's comprised of levels and is not an open world, though each level does have a rather open layout. Players can choose how to approach each level, as well as whether or not they want to complete the side objectives. It gives players enough choice to not feel constrained, but not so much choice as to feel overwhelming. It's perfectly middle-of-the-road in this regard, making it a great entry point to the genre.
'Anodyne' (2013)
Anodyne is a top-down RPG that satirizes similar games from the 1990s. Its pixelated aesthetic is charming and nostalgic, and is supplemented by ironic humour and dry wit. The game feels like a cobbled-together Frankenstein's monster of assets, often borrowing certain elements or environments from other games. Since it's a pretty meta video game, though, it's less about laziness and more about intentional design.
Players control a nameless protagonist who is supposed to be the chosen one, yet who is a rather unremarkable hero. Instead of a magic sword, the character wields a dusty broom as a weapon, parodying classic fantasy tropes. What's more, the game is actually fairly easy, super in-depth, and lovable. Since it includes many of the most captivating traits of the fantasy and RPG genres, it's a natural entry point for new fans that shows them what to expect.
'Darksiders II' (2012)
Darksiders II is the second entry in the Darksiders series. Each entry features one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse on their quest to bring balance to the ruined world. The first game starred War, while this one stars Death. The second one is by far the best in the series. The world is much more open and has actual side quests, but there aren't many, so it never becomes life-consuming or overwhelming.
Most of the quests can be completed at your own pace and are pretty simple by design, usually involving delving into dungeons or collecting certain items scattered across the world. Gameplay is a high-octane hack-and-slash, with bits of parkour mixed in. It's such an awesome game, beautifully constructed, and absolutely awe-inspiring. You don't even really need to play the first game to fully understand it. It's a great place to start if you're new to RPGs, or to fantasy in general.
Collider Exclusive · 8 Questions · 2 Minutes What Fantasy World Do You Belong To? Middle-earth · Grand Line · The Continent · Camp Half-Blood
Pick your magic, your crew, where you want to wake up and who you would rather be fighting, and we will tell you which world you actually belong in. Four are open to you: an ancient kingdom living through its last good age, an endless sea full of pirates, a continent that pays people to kill monsters, and a summer camp where the Greek gods are extremely real and mostly a nuisance.
💍Middle-earth(Rings of Power)
👒Grand Line(One Piece)
🐺The Continent(The Witcher)
🔱Camp Half-Blood(Percy Jackson)
01
What kind of power do you want? Every one of these worlds runs on a completely different sort of magic.
02
Who is travelling with you? Nobody gets through any of these stories entirely on their own.
03
Where do you want to wake up tomorrow? The best fantasy is usually just somewhere you would genuinely like to live.
04
How are you making a living out there? Even in fantasy somebody has to pay for the horse.
05
There is something in the woods. What do you do about it? All four of these worlds keep something unpleasant out there in the dark.
06
Who is the villain of your story? The enemy tells you far more about a world than the hero ever does.
07
What do you actually believe in out there? Every world hands its heroes one rule and asks them to hold onto it.
08
A thousand years from now, how are you remembered? Eight questions in, this is the one that decides your world.
The Map Is Drawn Your World Is…
Four worlds and four completely different ideas of what a good life looks like. This is where you belong, what it would ask of you, and what you would get back in return.
Middle-earth
You belong somewhere old enough that the mountains have names and somebody can still tell you who gave them. Middle-earth is for people who think the right thing is worth doing even when it will not be finished in their lifetime.
- This is the only world on the list where doing good is understood as a very long defeat, fought anyway, by people who will never see how it ends.
- You are drawn to grandeur, to white cities and deep forges and the sense that almost everything you touch is older than your entire family line.
- The Rings of Power is set in the last good age before it all goes wrong, which gives every quiet scene in it a slightly unbearable weight.
- You would take the hard road, and you would take it on foot.
The Grand Line
You want the sea, a crew, and absolutely nobody telling you where you are allowed to go. The Grand Line is the world for people whose main ambition in life is finding out what is over there.
- One Piece has run for decades on one very simple engine, which is a group of people who each want something impossible and have decided to go and get it together.
- You collect people. Your ideal crew is a set of misfits who were each written off somewhere else before you turned up and offered them a better idea.
- The world is enormous and deliberately ridiculous, and the emotional gut punches land harder because of that rather than in spite of it.
- You would set sail knowing the map runs out, which is more or less the entire point of it.
The Continent
You would rather be feared and useful than liked and useless. The Continent is a world where the monsters are the straightforward part of the job and the people are where it all gets complicated.
- Witchers get paid to do what nobody else will and resented for existing at all, which is a trade most people would refuse and you would probably accept.
- You have no real illusions about which side is the good one, largely because on the Continent that question tends to have a disappointing answer.
- The best of these stories are not about the fighting. They are about somebody with a rigid code being repeatedly cornered into caring about people.
- You would take the coin, finish the job properly, and be out of town before the story got told wrong.
Camp Half-Blood
You want the myths to be real and loose in the actual world, and you want to find out at about thirteen that you were never anywhere near as ordinary as everybody kept telling you.
- Percy Jackson takes the oldest stories we have and drops them into car parks and diners, which makes the gods considerably funnier and a great deal worse.
- You would be the kid every school gave up on, who turns out to have been built for something nobody thought to test for.
- The series is genuinely about friendship rather than destiny, and it says so out loud every time a prophecy tries to get in the way.
- Camp Half-Blood is the real fantasy here: a place where the thing that made you difficult everywhere else is the thing that makes you belong.
'The Witcher III: Wild Hunt' (2015)
The Witcher series of video games is a sequel to the novels written by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, which has also been turned into a Netflix TV show in recent years. The series features a professional monster hunter, known as a Witcher, named Geralt of Rivia, as he accepts various contracts from across the sprawling continent. Most of the monsters are pulled straight from folklore and mythology from around the world, making many of the beasts all too familiar.
Still, this particular game is better than the previous two entries. The combat system is much better, there is more content, and it's totally timeless. People are still playing this game over ten years later, and since it's so enthralling, it's not hard to get rapt up in its extensive world. There's loads to discover, and it's far less complicated than some other RPGs. Many newcomers to the genre have made this game their entry point, and it's likely that many others will continue to follow suit.
'Diablo III' (2012)
Diablo III is one of those RPGs where you can honestly shut your brain off for a while, if you really wanted to. This game is not that complicated. It's a top-down dungeon crawler featuring a high fantasy world mixed in with demons and angels from Biblical tales. Despite being simple by design, it is unbelievably addicting. Players can choose from a variety of classes as they create their character, and travel across four acts (five with the DLC) to put a stop to the rising demon, Diablo.
Combat is easy to get the grasp of, as it's basically just button-mashing without a whole lot of strategic thinking. There aren't even really any side quests; there are short events, not longer than a couple of minutes. Despite its simplicity, Diablo III was designed for ease of access and entertainment. Whether you play solo or in coop, it's effortless to jump right into it and find yourself enthralled, which helps a lot of beginners dip their toes into fantasy RPGs.
'Hogwarts Legacy' (2023)
Hogwarts Legacy is set in the same universe as the beloved Harry Potter series of books and movies, though its canonicity remains up for debate. The story is set 100 years prior to the main series, where players create a custom student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The story follows a goblin rebellion and the discovery of an ancient form of magic, which players can use to their advantage.
The open world is vast and expands far beyond the confines of Hogwarts. There are creatures to tame, friends to make, tombs to explore, and favors to complete all across the Hogwarts Valley. There's quite a lot of content here, but it never feels oppressive or demanding. The game encourages exploration, but it very much allows players to set their own pace and discover things on their own time. Moreover, the combat is so much fun to learn and master. While it is a somewhat complex RPG, it doesn't feel complex, and it's appropriate for a variety of age groups.
'The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time' (1998)
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was actually designed for kids, which means it had to be made easy to understand and even easier to master. In spite of its young target audience, the game has found resounding success amongst all age groups, with some outlets even labelling it the greatest game ever made. The story stars a boy named Link as he tries to save Zelda, a princess kidnapped by the evil Ganondorf.
There are dungeons to conquer, bosses to defeat, and songs to learn and play on the titular ocarina. The world is open and sports a ton of interesting and varied environments, as well as fascinating groups of NPCs to interact with. There are plenty of side activities, too, but they don't feel forced and are a natural part of progression. Even if you choose not to engage in the side quests, the game is perfectly beatable. Because of its endearing, timeless gameplay, RPG mechanics, and availability for all audiences, Ocarina is probably the single best game to introduce someone to RPGs or fantasy, if not the video game medium as a whole.
Previous The Elder Scrolls games are notorious for being complex, often refusing to hold your hand in crucial quests. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is quite different. There is a clear progress tracker and even a handy compass to point out exactly where you're supposed to go. Some might say it spoon-feeds players too often, but on the other hand, it's been the most successful entry in the series for a reason.
Players take on the role of the Dragonborn, a chosen one who is destined to prevent the World-Eater, a dragon called Alduin, from destroying the land. There are no real classes in this game, so you can pretty much play however you want. There is an insane amount of freedom, and it contains all the best beats of classic RPGs. Skyrim encourages exploration and provides players with hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of content to tackle. It's so great that even non-RPG/non-fantasy fans can't help but love it, which means newcomers probably will, too.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Released
- November 11, 2011
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Bethesda Game Studios
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