We are closing in on developer Monolith Productions’ hotly anticipated Middle-earth: Shadow of War for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. The post-Hobbit and pre-Lord of the Rings based open world adventure game is a sequel to 2014’s Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor where the player controls the ranger, Talion, bonded with the wraith of the Elf Lord Celebrimbor after being killed by the Black Hand of Sauron.
Famed for its use of the sophisticated Nemesis System, which allows the in-game NPC’s to remember events and react accordingly to them in future, Shadow of Mordor was a whole new adventure game like no other…
…or was it? Here at Set The Tape, we think we have found five other fantasy games that you should check out whilst waiting for the release of Shadow of War.
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Platform: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Windows, Nintendo Switch
One of the best fantasy games available on the market, and possibly one of the best video games ever made, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim allows incredible freedom of choice, so much so that no two gameplay experiences will be the same.
Set in the huge land of Skyrim, you are dropped into the middle of an epic fantasy story. Able to choose your race, gender, and class, you can choose to fight to save the world, or simply wander the land picking flowers and hunting deer. The game offers so much choice and variety in a world packed full of side quests and missions that you can keep playing for years.
With the game available on almost every console, and soon to be handheld on the Nintendo Switch, it’s easy to find a version for your system.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, Windows
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is an incredibly beautiful and well made game, set in a fantasy world that feels real and dynamic. Playing as Geralt of Riva, a monster hunter known as a Witcher, you are able to journey through the world of The Witcher, either pursuing the main story or taking on side missions to hunt various creatures.
The game’s day and night cycle can go on to have an effect on the world around you, making some creatures more deadly at certain times, letting the player choose not just how, but when to approach certain situations.
With an in depth story, branching dialogue options, and a competent combat mechanic, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a vast and varied gaming experience.
Dragon’s Dogma
Platform: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Windows
Dragon’s Dogma mixes open world fantasy exploration with epic hack and slash combat against huge monstrous enemies. The game lets you choose your character’s gender and class, allowing for a level of personalisation to create your own version of the story.
After having your heart torn out by a dragon, who names you the ‘chosen one’, you are revived as an ‘Arisen’, and must go on a quest to kill the dragon and regain your heart. Along the way you’ll meet other characters, and will have to fight against monsters so massive that they take up most of the screen.
Whilst a lot of games with giant boss monsters have you attack the legs and lower extremities of the creature, in Dragon’s Dogma you can climb on top of the monsters and attack them from above, creating some of the most visually impressive action moments in any fantasy game.
Horizon: Zero Dawn
Platform: PS4
Possibly something of a cheat on this list, as Horizon: Zero Dawn is more of a science-fiction game than a fantasy one; however, the gameplay is such a unique mixture of fantasy and science fiction that it deserves to be included on this list.
Set around a thousand years in the future where humanity has regressed into a primitive tribal society, Horizon: Zero Dawn sees players take on the role of Aloy. Aloy is a hunter, who can explore the vast future landscape with her bow and spear, fighting against huge robotic foes.
Fusing the traditional fantasy elements of primitive societies, weapons such as bows and spears, with a future setting, and replacing creatures like dragons with robotic dinosaurs makes Horizon: Zero Dawn one of the most unique fantasy games around.
Dragon Age: Inquisition
Platform: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Windows
Dragon Age: Inquisition has less of a focus on action than other games on this list, but is set in an incredibly detailed and well-crafted fantasy world. Able to craft a character of your own creation, in what is still one of the best character creation systems, you’re quickly drawn into a supernatural mystery that sees your character travelling across the world of Thedas, searching for allies in your battle against other worldly forces.
Despite a simpler combat system, the character interactions and dialogue options available in Dragon Age: Inquisition are a real draw, with dozens of options available for players to personalise their own stories. Able to forge alliances with your responses, to romance party members in nuanced relationships, to shape the world with how you deploy and grow your troops, Dragon Age: Inquisition is a game with massive depth and weight.
What are you most looking forward to from Middle-earth: Shadow of War? Let us know!