Yes—if you enjoy setting your own goals, building a character over time, and exploring a sprawling 1990s RPG. Daggerfall’s freedom and breadth remain its strongest draw; its slow pace, dated presentation, and open-ended structure can make it a poor fit for players who want a tightly guided adventure.
What kind of game is Daggerfall?
Developed and published by Bethesda Softworks, The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall released on September 20, 1996. You play the Emperor’s champion, sent to High Rock after the King of Daggerfall is murdered and the ancient golem Numidium is discovered in Iliac Bay. Steam currently lists the PC game as free to play, with PC/MS-DOS 6.0 as its minimum operating system. Steam store listing
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At its core, Daggerfall is a first-person role-playing game built around character creation, skills, equipment, quests, guilds, and exploration. It gives you room to pursue the main story or turn your attention elsewhere, rather than insisting on one tightly directed route.
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What makes it good?
Freedom to choose your own direction
Daggerfall’s world and activities give players room to decide what matters to them. GameSpot’s Trent Ward praised the freedom to leave the central story, join guilds, and pursue other adventures. That flexibility can make the world feel like a place to inhabit rather than a sequence of missions.
#1 Best Overall
Character growth and breadth
PC Gamer’s James Flynn highlighted the breadth of the world, the variety of goals, and the rewards of character advancement. Its skills and equipment give role-playing decisions weight, while exploration and quests provide ways to put a character build into practice. Flynn also praised its directional mouse combat as responsive.
A rewarding sense of discovery
The game’s openness asks you to pay attention to instructions and timings—or to let go of a fixed plan and see what turns up. Ward captured that choice in his 1996 review: “To play Daggerfall successfully requires one of two mind-sets: to remain ever-vigilant, taking notes and going exactly when and where you’re told; or to relax and let life take you where it will.” GameSpot review
What might make it hard to enjoy?
It can be slow and difficult to navigate
PC Gamer described Daggerfall as rewarding but slow, and criticized its presentation. The game’s freedom can also become a burden: if you prefer clear objectives and a brisk, guided story, its many possible directions may feel frustrating rather than liberating.
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GameSpot’s 1996 review reported crashes and situations where a character could get stuck. Those are historical comments about the original release, not evidence of how the game performs on a particular modern computer today. Steam lists a minimum operating system, but that alone does not establish what to expect on every current setup.
Is Daggerfall a good fit for you?
| If you want… | Daggerfall’s fit |
|---|---|
| Room to set your own goals and leave the main story | Strong: freedom and varied activities are among the qualities praised in the contemporary reviews. |
| Character development through skills and equipment | Strong: character advancement was a highlight for PC Gamer. |
| A tightly scripted story with clear, steady direction | Weak: GameSpot warned that players seeking a straightforward, guided story may find its freedom frustrating. |
| Modern presentation and a frictionless technical experience | Uncertain fit: contemporary criticism focused on presentation and original-release technical problems; those reviews do not establish present-day performance. |
If you enjoy setting your own agenda and can accept a slower, older RPG, Daggerfall has a strong case. If you mainly want a focused story that keeps you moving from one clear objective to the next, its defining freedom may be the very thing that gets in your way.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What did reviewers and players think?
PC Gamer’s James Flynn awarded Daggerfall 89 in a review first published in the September 1996 issue of PC Gamer UK and later republished in the magazine’s anniversary archive. He summed up his verdict: “So is it any good? Yes. Very.” PC Gamer review GameSpot’s Trent Ward gave it 8.4 in a review dated September 26, 1996. Both scores reflect contemporary reviews of the original game, not modern reassessments.
Rank #4
- ADORABLE & ACCESSIBLE RPG: Dungeons & Kittens is a charming tabletop roleplaying game where brave kittens and powerful meowgic explore a whimsical fantasy world filled with adventure and discovery.
- COMPLETE CORE RULEBOOK: This 288-page hardcover includes everything needed to play—core rules, world lore, character creation, magic systems, and guidance for both new and experienced players.
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- MASTER THE ART OF MEOWGIC: Learn intuitive spellcasting rules and expert advice that make magic easy to understand, creative to use, and delightful at the table.
- READY-TO-PLAY CONTENT INCLUDED: Comes with pre-generated characters and four complete adventures, perfectly designed to help storytellers and players jump straight into their first epic tales.
Steam showed 85% positive from 2,326 English-language reviews when accessed on October 7, 2026. That is a changing storefront snapshot, not an independently sampled study; the current percentage and review count may differ. Steam store listing
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