Summary
Thefantasygenre has always had a big presence in the video game industry, especially during the 80s and 90s. But, the turn of the millennium saw a massive rise in the popularity of fantasy video games, mainly thanks to the evolution of 3D graphics and the arrival of new video game systems with top-of-the-line technology.
These circumstances allowed developers from all around the world to create some of the best and most detailed fantasy worlds in gaming history, with unique settings, deep mythologies, memorable characters, fascinating creatures, and more. Of course, fantasy can incorporate many other genres into it, but some of the best video games that came out from 2000 to 2010 were 100% fantasy experiences, and the following eight are the absolute best examples from that decade.
Dark Souls, the legendary game that cemented the “Soulslike” genre, wouldn’t come out until 2011. But,FromSoftware cut its teeth on this type of gamein the late 2000s, when it releasedDemon’s Souls, a PlayStation 3 exclusive that left a huge and important mark on the global gaming industry.
Demon’s Soulsis famous for its subdued approach to storytelling, with little-to-no cutscenes or character interactions, where the player has to slowly discover how the fantastical world of Boletaria ended up feeling so gloomy and desolate on their own. On top of that, this influential action RPG features exciting but challenging boss fights against terrifying fantasy creatures, like dragons, demons, giant spiders, and more. WhileDemon’s Soulsmay not be as polished as its spiritual successors, it is still a mainstay of the dark fantasy genre that’s appreciated by fans, even to this day.
There’s no denying thatDragon Questis one of the most important and most iconic fantasy franchises in the industry. Needless to say, the release ofDragon Quest 8: Journey Of The Cursed Kingon PlayStation 2 was a monumental occasion for this series, because this was not only the first new mainline entry for the sixth-generation console, but also the first one that Square Enix published after the merger between Enix and Squaresoft.
Fortunately, it hired the talented developers of Level-5 to take care of this project, and it was definitely worth it, becauseDragon Quest 8is still consideredone of the best and most accessible titles in the entireDragon Questfranchise. As was tradition, the talented Akira Toriyama used his distinct art style to create a stylish and colorful fantasy world and, as a result, this game features beautiful environments, lovable characters, and weird but unique creatures, like Imps, Skeletons, Demons, and the always-iconic Slimes.
In 2001, Camelot Software and Nintendo releasedGolden Sun, an incredible fantasy RPG that was exclusive to the brand-new Game Boy Advance. This was quite important for Nintendo, as this was one of its first forays into the fantasy RPG genre in decades, especially when considering that theFire Emblemseries was still exclusive to Japan at that point. Furthermore, Camelot had previously worked on Sega’sShining Forceseries, so it definitely had a lot of experience developing these types of games.
Golden Suntakes place in one of the most distinctive fantasy settings ever created for a video game, since the world of Weyard is surprisingly expansive and has some rich lore and history, not to mention that it’s also the home to multiple fantastical creatures that take the role of enemies, bosses, and summons. Additionally, the implementation of the four classical elements as a major theme for both the story and the gameplay made this adventure more accessible, while also reminding passionate fans of the genre of old-schoolFinal Fantasytitles.
As popular as the fantasy genre was in the east, it was also a huge part of western culture and, as such, many North American developers were also trying to make fantastical adventures of their own during the 2000s.One of the biggest examples wasDragon Age: Origins, a new IP made by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts, that quickly became a critical and commercial success.
This RPG has all the mainstays of a classic western fantasy adventure, like multiple coexisting races (humans, dwarves, elves, etc.) and a huge collection of creatures that take on the role of either enemies or bosses, like golems, ogres, and, of course, the titular dragons. On top of that, the kingdom of Ferelden looked huge and impressive for its time, thanks to the revolutionary technology and innovative graphical capabilities of the new HD video game consoles of the late 2000s.
Final Fantasyis an iconic and influential franchise that slowly left its fantastical roots behind during the 90s, with the release ofFinal Fantasy 7andFinal Fantasy 8, two massive RPGs that took place in fascinating worlds that combined fantasy with science fiction and steampunk. Fortunately, at the very beginning of the new millennium, Squaresoft went in a different direction that was more reminiscent of classic entries, becauseFinal Fantasy 9was much more rooted in fantasy, and fans really appreciated this return to form.
The world of Gaia is much more fantastical in nature, and it’s a beautiful and colorful place that, unlike its two predecessors, features little-to-no advanced technology and not a single giant skyscraper in sight. Eventhe main cast is made up of characters that embody classic fantasy tropes, like Zidane (thief), Vivi (black mage) or Adelbert (knight). But, despite its classic yet simplistic theme,Final Fantasy 9still featured an ambitious character-driven plot that cemented it as one of the most beloved entries in the entire franchise.
Blizzard’s classicWarcraftseries was already a great fantasy franchise on its own, but 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 first massively multiplayer online game (MMORPG) ever made, but it was the one that widely popularized these types of experiences, especially during the normalization of the internet that took place in the 2000s.
TheWarcraftIP was always defined by its fantasy setting, andWorld of Warcraftsuccessfully expanded it even further. Players from all around the world could connect with each other, create their own customizable character (by choosing from a multitude of races, outfits, classes, etc.) and explore the vast world of Azeroth, raiding dungeons and facing bosses together. This was truly a one-of-its-kind experience that was elevated by its rich fantasy setting, and the best part is that Blizzard is still expanding the world and lore of Azeroth to this day, with multiple expansions that have added new features, locations, and mechanics.
The Legend of Zeldais arguably one of the most important and influential fantasy franchises in the industry, something that was made especially evident in 1998, when Nintendo releasedOcarina of Time, andit quickly became one of the best-reviewed video games of all time. In just two years, Nintendo was able to make a wild sequel built from the same scaffolding asOcarina,but it played and felt a lot different.
The Legend Of Zelda: Majora’s Maskis famous for featuring a darker and more depressive world than any of its predecessors, since it takes place in a region that’s about to be destroyed by the Moon, not to mention that many of its characters have surprisingly tragic backstories.Majora’s Maskwas also quite revolutionary because of its unique gameplay cycle: the entire game takes place in a three-day period, and the entire world ends at the end of the third day, meaning that the player must travel back in time to restart the cycle and relive those days over and over in order to save everyone. Thanks to this creative mechanic and its melancholic setting, many fans still considerMajora’s Maskone of the best entries in the entire series, and for very good reason.
Nowadays, 2011’sThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrimis often cited as one of the best open-world fantasy video games ever made. But, 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 much of a surprise, however, considering how ambitious and addictive this game has always been, especially for its time.
Oblivion’s main strengths are its expansive open world and its revolutionary open-ended gameplay, which means that players can explore Cyrodiil however they want, at their own pace and with their own play style of choice. This fantastical world features so many different but unique races, factions, locations, and creatures that exploring every single inch of it is a worthwhile experience that will result in thousands of hours of playtime.Oblivionis one of the most beloved fantasy video games ever made, which explains why the recent rumors of its remake quickly became one of the biggest and most exciting gaming news of 2025.
