Best Fantasy Games Of The 2000s, Ranked

The fantasy genre has always had a big presence in the video game industry, particularly through the 80s and 90s. However, the flip of the millennium noticed an enormous rise within the reputation of fantasy video video games, primarily due to the evolution of 3D graphics and the arrival of recent online game programs with top-of-the-line know-how.

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Excessive fantasy video video games actually make the case why gaming is artwork. With well-written tales and worlds stuffed with swords and sorcery, listed here are one of the best.

These circumstances allowed builders from all around the globe to create among the finest and most detailed fantasy worlds in gaming historical past, with distinctive settings, deep mythologies, memorable characters, fascinating creatures, and extra. In fact, fantasy can incorporate many different genres into it, however among the finest video video games that got here out from 2000 to 2010 had been 100% fantasy experiences, and the next eight are the very best examples from that decade.

8

Demon’s Souls

A Revolutionary Darkish Fantasy Journey

Darkish Souls, the legendary recreation that cemented the “Soulslike” style, wouldn’t come out till 2011. However, FromSoftware cut its teeth on this type of game within the late 2000s, when it launched Demon’s Souls, a PlayStation 3 unique that left an enormous and essential mark on the worldwide gaming business.

Demon’s Souls is known for its subdued method to storytelling, with little-to-no cutscenes or character interactions, the place the participant has to slowly uncover how the fantastical world of Boletaria ended up feeling so gloomy and desolate on their very own. On prime of that, this influential motion RPG options thrilling however difficult boss fights towards terrifying fantasy creatures, like dragons, demons, big spiders, and extra. Whereas Demon’s Souls might not be as polished as its non secular successors, it’s nonetheless a mainstay of the darkish fantasy style that’s appreciated by followers, even to today.

7

Dragon Quest 8: Journey Of The Cursed King

One Of The Greatest Entries In One Of The Most Vital Fantasy Franchises

There’s no denying that Dragon Quest is likely one of the most essential and most iconic fantasy franchises within the business. For sure, the discharge of Dragon Quest 8: Journey Of The Cursed King on PlayStation 2 was a monumental event for this sequence, as a result of this was not solely the primary new mainline entry for the sixth-generation console, but in addition the primary one which Sq. Enix printed after the merger between Enix and Squaresoft.

Luckily, it employed the proficient builders of Degree-5 to deal with this undertaking, and it was undoubtedly value it, as a result of Dragon Quest 8 remains to be thought of one of the best and most accessible titles in the entire Dragon Quest franchise. As was custom, the proficient Akira Toriyama used his distinct artwork type to create a classy and colourful fantasy world and, in consequence, this recreation options lovely environments, lovable characters, and peculiar however distinctive creatures, like Imps, Skeletons, Demons, and the always-iconic Slimes.

6

Golden Solar

Nintendo’s Glorious Foray Into The Fantasy RPG Style

In 2001, Camelot Software program and Nintendo launched Golden Sun, an incredible fantasy RPG that was exclusive to the brand-new Game Boy Advance. This was fairly essential for Nintendo, as this was one among its first forays into the fantasy RPG style in a long time, particularly when contemplating that the Hearth Emblem sequence was nonetheless unique to Japan at that time. Moreover, Camelot had beforehand labored on Sega’s Shining Pressure sequence, so it undoubtedly had a variety of expertise creating all these video games.

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Golden Solar takes place in some of the distinctive fantasy settings ever created for a online game, because the world of Weyard is surprisingly expansive and has some wealthy lore and historical past, to not point out that it’s additionally the house to a number of fantastical creatures that take the position of enemies, bosses, and summons. Moreover, the implementation of the 4 classical parts as a serious theme for each the story and the gameplay made this journey extra accessible, whereas additionally reminding passionate followers of the style of old-school Closing Fantasy titles.

5

Dragon Age: Origins

A New Western IP That Helped Redefine The Style

As widespread because the fantasy style was within the east, it was additionally an enormous a part of western tradition and, as such, many North American builders had been additionally making an attempt to make fantastical adventures of their very own through the 2000s. One of the biggest examples was Dragon Age: Origins, a brand new IP made by BioWare and printed by Digital Arts, that rapidly turned a important and industrial success.

This RPG has all of the mainstays of a traditional western fantasy journey, like a number of coexisting races (people, dwarves, elves, and so forth.) and an enormous assortment of creatures that tackle the position of both enemies or bosses, like golems, ogres, and, after all, the titular dragons. On prime of that, the dominion of Ferelden seemed big and spectacular for its time, due to the revolutionary know-how and progressive graphical capabilities of the brand new HD online game consoles of the late 2000s.

4

Closing Fantasy 9

The Most Influential Fantasy Franchise Lastly Returned To Its Roots

Closing Fantasy is an iconic and influential franchise that slowly left its fantastical roots behind through the 90s, with the discharge of Closing Fantasy 7 and Closing Fantasy 8, two large RPGs that befell in fascinating worlds that mixed fantasy with science fiction and steampunk. Luckily, on the very starting of the brand new millennium, Squaresoft went in a special route that was extra paying homage to traditional entries, as a result of Closing Fantasy 9 was way more rooted in fantasy, and followers actually appreciated this return to kind.

The world of Gaia is way more fantastical in nature, and it’s a lovely and colourful place that, in contrast to its two predecessors, options little-to-no superior know-how and never a single big skyscraper in sight. Even the main cast is made up of characters that embody classic fantasy tropes, like Zidane (thief), Vivi (black mage) or Adelbert (knight). However, regardless of its traditional but simplistic theme, Closing Fantasy 9 nonetheless featured an formidable character-driven plot that cemented it as some of the beloved entries in the complete franchise.

3

World Of Warcraft

A Large Fantasy World That 1000’s Of Folks May Discover At The Identical Time

Blizzard’s traditional Warcraft sequence was already an ideal fantasy franchise by itself, however there’s no denying that its 2004 spin-off, World of Warcraft, was so revolutionary that it successfully changed both gaming and the genre forever. This was not the primary massively multiplayer on-line recreation (MMORPG) ever made, but it surely was the one which broadly popularized all these experiences, particularly through the normalization of the web that befell within the 2000s.

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The Warcraft IP was all the time outlined by its fantasy setting, and World of Warcraft efficiently expanded it even additional. Gamers from all around the globe might join with one another, create their very own customizable character (by selecting from a mess of races, outfits, lessons, and so forth.) and discover the huge world of Azeroth, raiding dungeons and dealing with bosses collectively. This was really a one-of-its-kind expertise that was elevated by its wealthy fantasy setting, and one of the best half is that Blizzard remains to be increasing the world and lore of Azeroth to today, with a number of expansions which have added new options, places, and mechanics.

2

The Legend Of Zelda: Majora’s Masks

A Melancholic Fantasy Journey With A Distinctive Gameplay Hook

The Legend of Zelda is arguably some of the essential and influential fantasy franchises within the business, one thing that was made particularly evident in 1998, when Nintendo launched Ocarina of Time, and it rapidly turned one of many best-reviewed video video games of all time. In simply two years, Nintendo was in a position to make a wild sequel constructed from the identical scaffolding as Ocarina, but it played and felt a lot different.

The Legend Of Zelda: Majora’s Masks is known for that includes a darker and extra depressive world than any of its predecessors, because it takes place in a area that’s about to be destroyed by the Moon, to not point out that a lot of its characters have surprisingly tragic backstories. Majora’s Masks was additionally fairly revolutionary due to its distinctive gameplay cycle: the complete recreation takes place in a three-day interval, and the complete world ends on the finish of the third day, which means that the participant should journey again in time to restart the cycle and relive these days again and again with a purpose to save everybody. Due to this inventive mechanic and its melancholic setting, many followers nonetheless take into account Majora’s Masks among the finest entries in the complete sequence, and for superb purpose.

An Expansive Open-World RPG That Modified Gaming Perpetually

These days, 2011’s The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is commonly cited as among the finest open-world fantasy video video games ever made. However, it undoubtedly owes its existence and success to its predecessor, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, which many fans believe still hasn’t been surpassed by any of its sequels. This isn’t a lot of a shock, nonetheless, contemplating how formidable and addictive this recreation has all the time been, particularly for its time.

Oblivion’s most important strengths are its expansive open world and its revolutionary open-ended gameplay, which signifies that gamers can discover Cyrodiil nonetheless they need, at their very own tempo and with their very own play type of alternative. This fantastical world options so many alternative however distinctive races, factions, places, and creatures that exploring each single inch of it’s a worthwhile expertise that may lead to hundreds of hours of playtime. Oblivion is likely one of the most beloved fantasy video video games ever made, which explains why the current rumors of its remake rapidly turned one of many largest and most fun gaming information of 2025.

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