The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall

About

"The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall" is an open-world fantasy RPG set in the city of Daggerfall and its surrounding areas. You are tasked by the emperor to investigate the king's death, but the story is open-ended and allows for many choices in character classes and regions to explore. The game features a shipwreck opening sequence and numerous options for problem-solving and multiple endings.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall screenshot

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,801 reviews

story64 positive mentions

stability55 negative mentions

Daggerfall offers an unparalleled level of freedom and immersion with its massive open world and dynamic quest system.
The character creation system is incredibly deep and customizable, allowing for diverse playstyles and countless character builds.
The game features a rich lore and story, with engaging political intrigue and multiple endings based on player choices.

The controls are clunky and unintuitive, making combat and navigation frustrating for new players.
Many quests are poorly explained or have time limits, leading to potential soft locks and confusion.
The dungeons can be excessively large and repetitive, often resulting in tedious exploration and navigation challenges.

story
455 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
81%
5%
The story in "Daggerfall" is characterized by its intricate political intrigue and expansive lore, offering players a rich narrative experience that can be both engaging and convoluted. While the main quest presents a captivating tale of mystery and investigation, its non-linear structure and reliance on procedural generation can lead to confusion and frustration, often requiring players to consult guides to avoid missing critical elements. Overall, the game allows for a high degree of player agency, enabling individuals to craft their own stories within a vast, immersive world, though the execution of quests can feel repetitive and tedious at times.
- “The main quest is a captivating story of magic and political intrigue with a wide array of characters, but is also a slow burn.”
- “The focus of Daggerfall is not on telling a tailored, handcrafted story, but rather presenting the player with an interesting but open-ended political mission and allowing them to freely develop their character through a veritable simulation of medieval life in Tamriel.”
- “The story of the game tells both the player's own goals and the fate of Tamriel.”
- “The quests for the main story are only given to the player by mail invitations, with one exception, and that exception is both vital to the progression of the story, and hidden enough that most players would probably miss it until the very late invitation comes 4 months later.”
- “The main quest is pretty bare bones, and the last third is awful.”
- “The main story is extremely hard to follow, so keep a real journal by your computer to comprehend the events of the story, make sure to play this game like it's a tabletop RPG, since that's what the devs intended.”
graphics
165 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
72%
13%
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as outdated, reminiscent of early 2000s pixel art and 90s aesthetics, which may deter some modern players. However, many fans appreciate the nostalgic charm and immersive atmosphere that these visuals create, especially when enhanced through mods like Daggerfall Unity, which significantly improve graphical fidelity and gameplay mechanics. Overall, while the visuals may not meet contemporary standards, they contribute to the game's unique character and depth, making it a worthwhile experience for those willing to overlook its graphical limitations.
- “The pixel art paperdolls aren't for everyone, but as a fan of that art style, I find it suits the high fantasy D&D feel the game has. I can't sing the praises of this one enough with the infinite replayability and the immersiveness of the game and its atmosphere; easily the best in the series if you ask me. Definitely play it and don't overlook it because of its age.”
- “Despite its age, Daggerfall's graphics still possess a certain charm. Sure, they may not compare to the latest graphical powerhouses, but the game's detailed sprites and atmospheric lighting still manage to create an immersive atmosphere.”
- “The graphics are quite sharp. The music is excellent, and the devs made great use of beautiful artwork for the limited graphics capabilities.”
- “Visuals and controls are very outdated and do not hold well today at any sorts.”
- “It's old and graphically challenged by today's standards (though the Unity version of the game helps out a bit), but the story, customization options, crafting systems, and more were way ahead of their time in 1996.”
- “Outdated graphics and UI: the graphics are very much a product of their time, and the user interface can feel clunky by modern standards.”
gameplay
161 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
76%
6%
The gameplay of Daggerfall is characterized by its deep RPG mechanics and vast procedural generation, offering a complex and immersive experience that can be both rewarding and frustrating. While the game features unique elements like climbing and a rich character creation system, many players find the controls clunky and the mechanics outdated, leading to a steep learning curve and repetitive gameplay loops. Overall, those willing to navigate its intricacies and embrace its quirks may find a rewarding adventure, especially with enhancements from the Daggerfall Unity version.
- “The gameplay is much more fun and has way more options to explore than Arena.”
- “Daggerfall gives you truly an immersive experience for any playstyle, combining both total freedom in terms of mechanics with the most developed class and skill system of any Elder Scrolls game.”
- “The gameplay loop of Daggerfall is an interesting one.”
- “Getting stuck on things, glitching through walls, stuck on enemies, secret encumbrance mechanics, strange button layouts for floating, constant drowning.”
- “You see, the dungeons and quests, aka the main parts of the gameplay, are horrendously boring and repetitive.”
- “Every single mechanic in this game is poorly designed, poorly explained, and absolutely frustrating to manage.”
stability
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
98%
The game is widely criticized for its numerous bugs and glitches, particularly affecting climbing mechanics, quest progression, and overall stability. While fan patches and the "Daggerfall Unity" remake have improved the experience, many players still encounter game-breaking issues and crashes, making it feel unpolished and frustrating at times. Despite these technical flaws, some players find the game enjoyable and worth the effort to navigate its challenges.
- “It's buggy at times (ok, a lot to be honest) but seriously, it is a fun game.”
- “Buggy and unpolished: the game was known for its bugs upon release, and while fan patches have improved stability, Daggerfall can still be prone to glitches and crashes.”
- “Game-breaking glitches that impede progress constantly and totally screw your game.”
music
51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
45%
6%
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric and nostalgic qualities, with many reviewers highlighting its charm and ability to enhance the gaming experience. While the soundtrack is considered one of the best in the series, some players note that it can become repetitive and is occasionally overshadowed by loud sound effects. Overall, the music is described as beautiful and fitting, contributing significantly to the game's immersive medieval fantasy setting.
- “An iconic, atmospheric soundtrack that holds up surprisingly well.”
- “The soundtrack is simply amazing; I spent a lot of my time searching for some of the tracks because some are incredible.”
- “The music and sound effects are memorable and classic, albeit a tad annoying sometimes.”
- “Sound effects and music are outdated.”
- “Not bad of a game; the Steam version's sound and music bugs out and gets stuck on one note. Besides that, it was so fun worth the time at least to pick up and see where most of the lore started.”
- “My only gripes, of course, are the music, graphics, and combat.”
grinding
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
7%
89%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a double-edged sword; while it offers a sense of immersion and character development, it often leads to tedious and frustrating gameplay due to clunky navigation and repetitive tasks. Many reviews highlight the need for significant time investment, with some suggesting that only dedicated fans of the series may appreciate the grind, as it can detract from the overall experience. Despite its challenges, some players enjoy the grinding for character progression and the unique rewards it can yield.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll spend most of your time opening up the world map, clicking on a region and typing in the names of places to go to based on what your recent quest givers told you, which is kind of boring and tedious, but the quests you'll get randomly are interesting.”
- “There is absolutely no incentive to explore the world, but rather to tediously navigate yourself through absurdly large cities to hopefully find a quest which is actually able to be completed, as there are numerous occasions (even on the unity version) where quest markers are bugged out of the worldspace.”
- “Overall, I cannot recommend this game to anybody unless they are (as myself) one of the most extreme fans of the Elder Scrolls, as the player must be willing to put themselves through quite a load of frustration and tediousness starting even from just the beginning of this unnecessarily complicated story.”
replayability
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
62%
13%
The game offers significant replayability, particularly for fans of its pixel art style and high fantasy setting, with features like procedurally generated quests, diverse playstyles, and extensive mod support enhancing the experience. While some players find the original version's replay value low without mods, the Daggerfall Unity port is highly recommended for its improved playability and added content, making it one of the most replayable RPGs available. Overall, the game's complexity and non-linear quest structure contribute to its enduring appeal for those willing to invest time in exploration and character development.
- “Infinite replayability thanks to the massive world, procedurally generated quests, Nexus mods, and multiple factions.”
- “It leaves a lot of replayability (that's if you ever finish this game) because the towns, dungeons, and quests will be different every time you play.”
- “If you don't mind doing quite a lot of reading and filling in gaps with your imagination, this game has complexity, depth, and replay value not since equaled by any game that I've ever played.”
- “I don’t understand how people spend so much time in Skyrim when there isn't much replay value outside of mods.”
- “- [b]Replayability:[/b] the replayability of the game is also very low.”
- “This game has a lot of replayability if you're the kind of person who doesn't mind repeating content and long grinds in older titles.”
atmosphere
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
79%
5%
16%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive qualities, combining detailed pixel art, atmospheric lighting, and an iconic soundtrack that enhances the high fantasy experience. Players feel deeply connected to the expansive world, with many noting the rich storytelling and diverse environments that contribute to a captivating ambiance. Despite some criticisms regarding controls, the overall atmosphere is considered one of the game's standout features, making it a memorable experience.
- “Despite this, the game creates a unique atmosphere in which the player feels like a part of a huge world living his life.”
- “Nearly every facet of this game has a very thick atmosphere making it easy to get so immersed you lose track of time and play for hours.”
- “The atmosphere is beautiful and despite the graphics, absolutely pulls you into the universe.”
- “Controls spoil the atmosphere and fluency of the game.”
- “Even the music changed with the weather and atmosphere.”
- “Eric Heberling's music here makes easily one of the greatest game soundtracks of all time, and the way it meshes with the moody graphical atmosphere is just *chef's kiss*.”
humor
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
93%
7%
The humor in the game is highlighted as both fitting and entertaining, with players finding joy in the absurdity of character interactions and gameplay mechanics. The dialogue often veers into hilarity, particularly when characters resort to comically offensive remarks, while the various classes—mages, warriors, and rogues—provide their own brand of humor through their ineptitude in combat. Overall, the game's charm lies in its quirky glitches and nostalgic references, making it a source of laughter rather than frustration.
- “Hilarious”
- “Mages are hilarious because literally anything stronger than the first rat will save against your spell and take no damage.”
- “Warriors are hilarious because you're flailing around until you run out of fatigue and die from that.”
- “And not funny, just cool glitches.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The optimization of the game is significantly enhanced through the use of the fan-made "Daggerfall Unity" port, which allows for improved performance, graphical upgrades, and bug fixes. While the original game requires specific settings in DOSBox for smooth cutscenes, the Unity version offers a more stable and enriched experience, making it the preferred choice for modern players. Overall, the fan modifications provide a substantial upgrade while maintaining the essence of the original game.
- “It is a fan-made 'port' of sorts that makes the game run in Unity, which allows for greatly expanded features, graphical optimizations, bug fixes, mods, and more.”
- “Most people playing Daggerfall nowadays use a fan version for Unity, which has many adjustments and modifications made to improve performance and fix some of the game's flaws.”
- “It has all the official and unofficial patches required to have the best experience while staying true to the original game, but with better performance, fewer bugs, text fixes, language translations, etc.”
- “Which makes it the perfect version for the HD conversion mod; Daggerfall Unity. The graphical and performance enhancements are very much a night and day difference, and also unintentionally makes the 2D sprites quaintly blend in.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a deep emotional connection to the game world, highlighting the immersive experience of embodying various characters and roles within the Elder Scrolls universe. However, frustrations with certain mechanics, such as the difficulty in managing poisons and the limitations on potion availability, can lead to feelings of helplessness and annoyance, detracting from the overall emotional engagement. Despite these challenges, the desire for a more authentic and relatable experience remains strong among players.
- “Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim have never made me feel like an actual person who could exist in the Elder Scrolls world, without breaking many worldbuilding/lore rules.”
- “Actually, the only game that has made me feel nauseated, even with Daggerfall Unity and hundreds of mods.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization model of the game is not perceived as exploitative, as it is considered a quality title from the peak of CRPG production rather than a cash grab. Players appreciate its value, especially in light of new enhancements like the Open Morrowind source port that expands modding possibilities.
- “It is not a cash grab free-to-play game; this used to be a top-shelf product back in the days when the glorious CRPG peaked in production.”

89%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews

The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall review
This is real life. (If you're a sword-wielding dwarf hailing from the northern reaches of Skyrim, that is.)
Pcgamer.com
89%

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The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall
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8h Median play time

54h Average play time

31h Main story

292h Completionist

6-50h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 7 analyzed playthroughs

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