The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall

Daggerfall is the single most ambitious RPG from the 20th century. Period. It also could be among one of the most ambitious RPGs ever made. This game took what worked in Arena and threw in a boatload of features that allow the player to experience the game world. You can own a house, a ship, a horse. You can join factions with dedicated questlines. You have loads of skills, some that are entirely useless except in specific cases, such as language skills that let you talk to different sorts of creatures. You can create your character to mesh better with the nobility at the cost of having a low reputation among the beggars (and vice versa or somewhere in between). The possibilities are, at risk of dipping into a cliche, completely limitless. All of this happens in a truly gargantuan game world that surpasses almost every other game. Its game space is reportedly 209,331 square kilometers in a 1.1 scale. You CAN walk from one end of the world to the other but the amount of time it'd take would be so long that you literally HAVE to fast travel if you don't plan to play this game for the rest of your life. The downside is that there aren't many hand-crafted areas, thus the detail isn't as high as later games. However, it does give a sense of phenomenal scale. Add to that the fact that this game has a much better plot than Arena and it makes for one of the most epic adventures you'll have. Arena was incredibly ambitious for its time but lacked features and refinements. Daggerfall took the ambition to the next level, refined many of the rough edges and created a game that, in some ways, better represents the promise of this series: to live another life in another world. It has its issues, though: many bugs, lack of world detail, a rough combat system. However, none of those detract from what is otherwise one of the greatest RPGs ever made. PS: As others have mentioned, I recommend Daggerfall Unity. In addition to its fixes, it opens the game up to modding which is great.

The guys behind Unity made a fantastic job. Kudos! Added a few mods, I had a blast from the past, even despite the size of the dungeons. Now I am playing OpenMW (with my physical copy of Morrowind from back then) and it's better than I remember! Long live the community and keep up the good work, modders!

This game was groundbreaking in its day and is refreshing to play today. Its world is enthralling, its mechanics are complex, and its dungeons are a real challenge to crawl. The gameplay and combat are dated but stay true to classic role-playing. Making one's own class from scratch is fun and surprisingly balanced. The world is huge, host to many details and interesting locales. The dungeons are an entire dimension more involved than every other TES game, and they are often rewarding to complete. The copious amount of loot, opportunities to cast fun spells, and quest progress from exploring dungeons all make it well worth the tribulations. The guilds and reputation system are also great. Glitches remain amok in the DOS version, but they never seriously hindered my experience. Graphics and art design are much more consistent than in TES: Arena. The outdoor environments are immersive, enemies now look more menacing, and the design of the final quest area is unique and memorable. There still remain some textures that are a little ugly or were overused, but the game remains a pleasant visual experience. The music in Daggerfall is great. It carries over several medieval melodies from Arena with reinstrumentation and extra touches that lead to a great atmosphere for the game. Much of the daytime town themes are wonderful and catchy. There are a few tracks that are repetitious, such as the inn music or a dungeon theme or two. The story and lore serve as the true foundation for the rest of the franchise. While the letter-based storytelling and pacing can get confusing, the story itself is very interesting and allows many chances to role-play and make impactful decisions. Daggerfall is a truly special RPG, helping me gain a greater understanding and appreciation of TES's roots in tabletop role-playing. Modern games of this genre must take better note of the concepts demonstrated here. I recommend Daggerfall to anyone interested in playing an engrossing, classic RPG.

I've played Daggerfall on and off for many years now and there is something about the game that still makes it beloved today. Don't expect a grand questline besides the main one, as while the game offers a myriad of guilds and quests, most experiences are shallowly spread across a wide area. Yet that wide area is what attracts people to this game. I see daggerfall more as a toy than a contemporary game, you are nod led through it, but you are given the tools to make your own fun in this massive world. The complex character/class builder only fascilitates such a mindset, especially when paired with a myriad of guilds, temples, factions and enemies to test your kit at. And need I say the fashion is the only true endgame in this title? While it is true that you will be jumping in a shallow puddle, you'll be having the time of your life!