Bethesda is a studio that is known for creating epic and lengthy RPGs that take eons to complete, with the sheer amount of content in these games being truly mindblowing. After achieving an unprecedented level of success following the launch of The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind, the studio's trajectory was on the rise and didn't stop, helping Bethesda quickly become one of the most popular gaming companies of all time.
The studio has published its fair share of titles as well, amassing a wealth of great games that are all pretty engaging in their own right. However, the length of these titles doesn't even compare to the parent company, which is in a class of its own entirely.
All stats are courtesy of HowLongToBeat.com
6 Fallout 3: Game Of The Year Edition (60 Hours)
Fallout 3 marks one of the biggest transitions any video game series has ever gone through. The two isometric RPGs that preceded this series were pretty great in their own right, but it was clear that Fallout needed to evolve with the times if it wished to remain relevant. Thankfully, with Bethesda's acquisition of this IP, it was clear that the studio would make some major changes to the formula.
The end result is Fallout 3, one of the greatest post-apocalyptic RPGs of all time that wows players from the very moment they leave the vault to seek out their father. The Game of the Year Edition includes all the DLC for the game, allowing for hours upon hours of playtime. In fact, players who want to optimize this game even further can download a wealth of mods, which is a downright necessity given how dated this title feels by modern standards.
5 The Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall (84 Hours)
Daggerfall is a pretty interesting open-world RPG that fans of The Elder Scrolls should check out, even if the gameplay is ancient compared to modern titles. The landscape of Daggerfall may be impressive in its size, but players will soon be bored of exploring the world after realizing that the procedural generation leads to some soulless and barred-looking landscapes.
However, most players at the time found Daggerfall to be groundbreaking despite its flaws. The game set the foundation for The Elder Scrolls series that are still being applied to this day. The game may be pretty overwhelming, but players who focus on the task at hand and don't get overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the regions present in the game will have a great time.
4 The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion - Game Of The Year Edition (87 Hours)
While Morrowind was a great title in its own right, there are many people who feel that the game can be a bit too complex for its own good. As a result, many potential fans found it daunting to get into a title with intense RPG elements and unforgiving difficulty early on when players had no idea how to progress in the game.
Thankfully, during the development of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion, Bethesda realized that making their games huge wasn't the only way to draw fans in — they had to make certain systems less complicated to not scare away their target audience. The result is a beautiful title that allowed players to explore the glorious landscape of Cyrodiil while trying to thwart a mysterious cult that wishes to open the gates to Oblivion and allow demonic forces to take over the world!
3 The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind - Game Of The Year Edition (101 Hours)
Morrowind is one of the greatest open-world RPGs ever made, launching Bethesda's popularity to the stratosphere and hordes of people bought this game and got lost in the swamps and mushroom-infested landscapes of Vvardenfell. The Nerevarine is a great protagonist who has to eliminate the threat of Corprus and fight Dagoth Ur in the process.
The world of Morrowind is truly its saving grace, with players exploring a wealth of interesting locales for hours on end as they discover everything the game has to show them. The fact that players had to access Silt Striders and boats instead of fast traveling without a care in the world made the act of exploration pretty immersive and enraptured players for hours.
2 The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim - Special Edition (118 Hours)
A game that needs no introduction, there's no denying that Skyrim is easily the most popular and beloved title Bethesda has ever developed. The title is filled with gorgeous vistas, unique enemy encounters, and a wealth of quests that will compel the player to explore the world and accomplish everything they can possibly do in the game.
The Special Edition is the best way to play the game, featuring updated graphics and all the DLC. What makes this game even better is the wealth of mods that players can download to enhance their enjoyment of the game, potentially increasing the time they spend with it.
1 Fallout 4: Game Of The Year Edition (124 Hours)
Fallout 4 is a game that generated a ton of hype before release, but both Fallout and Bethesda fans found their fair share of issues with a game that should've ideally been the next step for this title. However, despite its issues, Fallout 4 is still an absolute gem of a game that fans of Bethesda's titles should have a great time with.
Any deficiency that this game may have can be easily cleared up with mods, with everything from the dreaded dialogue system to the dated visuals being improved considerably courtesy of fans and their hard work. The GOTY edition is the way to go if players want to explore the Commonwealth and also interact with the DLC.
Starfield releases on September 6, 2023 for PC and Xbox Series X/S.