6 Perfect Fantasy Video Games That Nobody Remembers

Fantasy movies and TV shows are great, but the genre truly thrives in video games. The real fun comes in when players actually get to step into expansive worlds and fight off mythical beasts themselves. That level of immersion really is the key to the genre’s success, and the reason why video games have produced some of the greatest fantasy stories over the years.

Of course, everyone knows the big players like World of Warcraft, The Elder Scrolls, and The Witcher 3. However, there are plenty of overlooked fantasy video games that failed to garner the attention they truly deserve. This is a list of six such perfect fantasy titles that somehow slipped through the cracks, but are absolutely worth rediscovering today.

1

‘Arx Fatalis’ (2002)

Image via Windows/ JoWooD Productions

Arx Fatalis is one of the most underrated fantasy RPGs. The game, developed by Arkane Studios before Dishonored and Prey, takes place in a world where the sun has mysteriously disappeared. This forces humanity and every other race to abandon the surface and build a sprawling underground kingdom known as Arx. However, this uneasy coexistence among humans, goblins, trolls, dwarves, and snake women won’t last long. The game begins with the player waking up inside a goblin prison with no memory of who they are, and after escaping, they begin piecing together their forgotten past. That journey slowly expands into a bigger conflict as an ancient force known as Akbaa threatens to emerge and destroy the underground world.

Arx Fatalis stays true to the rules of its genre and gives its players freedom. Every obstacle in the gameplay can be approached in multiple ways, thanks to Arx Fatalis’s brilliant rune-based magic system, where spells are cast by drawing combinations of magical symbols instead of simply selecting them from a menu. All of this feels remarkably interactive for a game released in 2002. Players can take a break from the central conflict to bake bread, fish for food, and solve plenty of side quests rather than following a single, predictable path. This makes for an immersive, rewarding experience that players can’t help but keep coming back to.

2

‘Dark Messiah of Might and Magic’ (2006)

Image via Ubisoft

Dark Messiah of Might and Magic deserves to be mentioned alongside the genre’s biggest first-person fantasy classics, and it’s a shame that it isn’t. The game, developed by Arkane Studios, follows a young warrior and apprentice to the wizard Phenrig Sareth, as he is sent to the city of Stonehelm to recover the legendary Skull of Shadows. The retrieval mission isn’t as simple as it seems, though, because soon enough, Phenrig embarks on a continent-spanning adventure involving necromancers, orc armies, ancient prophecies, and a growing demonic influence. Along the way, the protagonist discovers that he is far more connected to the conflict than he ever imagined and is forced to choose between embracing the darkness within him or fighting to prevent it from consuming the world.

Dark Messiah of Might and Magic really shines in its combat, which still feels pretty modern almost two decades later. The game constantly rewards creativity and encourages players to think out of the box rather than just trade blows with enemies. Players actually have the freedom to develop Sareth as a warrior, rogue, or mage, with each approach offering a completely different way to tackle encounters. Few fantasy games make every fight feel this dynamic, and that’s exactly why Dark Messiah of Might and Magic needs way more appreciation than it gets.

3

‘Folklore’ (2007)

Image via Sony Computer Entertainment

Folklore is a PlayStation 3 exclusive that has to be on everyone’s radar. The fantasy action RPG follows two strangers who are mysteriously drawn to the quiet Irish village of Doolin. There’s Ellen, a young woman searching for the truth about her late mother, and Keats, a journalist who investigates paranormal phenomena. After arriving, the pair discover that the village serves as a gateway to the Netherworld, a mystical realm inhabited by spirits and creatures from Celtic folklore. Ellen and Keats travel between the two worlds as they investigate murders and speak with the dead. However, this adventure leads them to a mystery that might just define the fate of both the living and the dead.

Now, the clever part of the game is that each protagonist experiences different sides of the same story, which means the full picture only comes into focus once both campaigns are complete. This helps Folklore feel more exciting than any other typical RPG fantasy game. Folklore makes brilliant use of its Celtic mythology to create a Netherworld that feels mysterious, melancholic, and unlike anything else in the genre. It also lets players build a growing arsenal of supernatural abilities that can be mixed and matched in combat. The game creates an imaginative world that draws people in and immerses them in this rich fantasy until the very end.

4

‘Black Book’ (2020)

Image via HypeTrain Digital

Black Book is a truly unique fantasy game that draws from Slavic myths, rural superstitions, and centuries-old folklore to create one of the genre’s most distinctive worlds. The game is set in 19th-century rural Russia and follows Vasilisa, a young woman who abandons a normal life to become a witch after her fiancé dies. Now, Vasilisa believes that the legendary Black Book has the power to grant any wish, so she sets out to break its seven seals and bring him back to life. Her journey takes her across haunted forests and isolated villages, where she helps ordinary people plagued by curses, bargains with demons known as chorts, and slowly uncovers the dangerous price of tampering with forces beyond human understanding.

Black Book meticulously weaves its cultural mythology into every aspect of the game. Even the comeback revolves around an addictive deck-building system where players combine spells and demonic abilities, while the choices they make throughout the story shape Vasilisa’s relationships and ultimately her fate. Every quest in Black Book feels rooted in something real rather than relying on familiar fantasy tropes. The game builds an unforgettable world from stories that many players will never have experienced before, and that alone makes it one of the greats.

5

‘Drakan: Order of the Flame’ (1999)

Image via Psygnosis/ Surreal Software

Drakan: Order of the Flame delivered one of the greatest dragon-riding fantasies in gaming years before everyone else started doing it. The action-adventure game follows young warrior Rynn, whose peaceful village is destroyed by the evil sorcerer Navaros and his army of Wartoks. After her younger brother Delon is kidnapped, Rynn sets out on a rescue mission that leads her to the legendary dragon Arokh, the last surviving member of an ancient order of dragon riders. The two are bound together by a magical ritual and travel across the kingdom battling orcs, undead creatures, and powerful sorcerers, only to discover that what happened to Delon is part of a much larger plan to resurrect an ancient evil.

Through all this chaos, the dynamic between Rynn and Arokh remains the most compelling part of the game. Drakan: Order of the Flame constantly switches between grounded sword-and-shield combat inside sprawling dungeons and grand aerial battles where players soar across massive landscapes, breathing fire on enemy armies and rival dragons. However, this blend of exploration, dragon flight, and action feels absolutely seamless in a way that even most modern games have failed to achieve. That probably explains why the game has such a cult following despite not being the most mainstream title out there.

6

‘Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom’ (2010)

Image via Namco Bandai Games

Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom is a positively charming game that one just can’t get enough of. The story is set in a once-prosperous kingdom consumed by a mysterious Darkness and follows a young thief named Tepeu, who discovers and frees the legendary Majin Teotl, a mythical beast believed to be the only one capable of restoring the land. Together, the unlikely pair set out to defeat the four Dark Generals, reclaim the Majin’s lost powers, and stop the Darkness before it completely consumes the kingdom. Along the way, Tepeu and Teotl explore forgotten ruins, solve ancient puzzles, and gradually uncover the tragic history of this world that has been decaying for years.

The heart of the game is the friendship between Tepeu and the gentle giant Teotl, whose growing bond is reflected in both the story and the gameplay. The two work together to solve environmental puzzles, unlock new elemental abilities, and combine their strengths to overcome obstacles neither could face alone. It may not be the most intense game on this list, but that’s exactly what makes it so refreshing. Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom proves that a heartfelt adventure built around friendship can be just as memorable as one built around nonstop action.