Oblivion Remastered was a warm reminder of the magic that Bethesda's open-world RPGs can inspire, yet The Elder Scrolls 6 is still a faint speck on the horizon. Worry not, however, as dark fantasy tale Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon is here to answer the call. A sprawling first-person RPG that feels very much a love letter to the Skyrim style, but inspired by the tales of Arthurian legend, it's finally stepped out of early access after more than two years, and a demo means you can try it for free on Steam before you buy.
open-world game that feels closer to the likes of The Elder Scrolls.
The world of Avalon is trapped in everlasting autumn; 600 years after the fall of King Arthur, and you're a mere nobody in a land being slowly consumed by chaos. But perhaps, amid the plague of Red Death and the threat of Wyrdness (a primordial force that transforms reality itself into a deadly battleground as night falls), you could be the one to bring change to the land. Explore, find treasure, make friends, and engage in everything from blacksmithing, fishing, and mining, to alchemy, cooking, and even owning a house.
With an estimated 40-70 hours of activities across three regions, including a branching main story and hundreds of side quests to discover, this is certainly a very meaty offering. You're free to build your character however you see fit; the combat system offers everything from melee weapons and shields to bows, magic, and craftable concoctions. Juice yourself up and become a supercharged, berserking alchemist; summon undead hordes to lead into battle, or, in true Skyrim fashion, slip through the shadows as a classic stealth archer.
Since its early-access launch in March 2023, Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon has earned itself an impressive 86% Steam rating. In fact, if you take scores solely from the past 30 days, it climbs up to 95%, earning the coveted 'overwhelmingly positive' tag for that period. With the leap to 1.0, Questline has also introduced the ability to play via a third-person camera, although it emphasizes that it's "playable but far from perfect" and that the game "was created with first-person" in mind.
Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon has hit version 1.0 and is out now on Steam, GOG. Expect to pay $44.99 / £37.99. There's also a demo that you can for free, letting you try before you buy.
Need even more to scratch that Elder Scrolls itch? Here are the best fantasy games we recommend in 2025.
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