The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has accompanied MeinMMO author Johanna since its release in 2011. After countless playthroughs and years of playing, she has finally found a new, fresh alternative.
When The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was released in 2011, I was immediately captivated. The game offers countless ways to play, which I used again and again.
I always returned to using the bow – it’s simply my favorite weapon – but I experimented with many of the options for my character. Almost every two years, I had at least one month where I played Skyrim excessively.
But eventually, the excitement fades. I have seen a lot in the game: just enough to no longer really feel like going through too many playthroughs.
I had long been looking for a replacement for the void left by the medieval action RPG. I tried many games, including Oblivion, but no game has triggered the same feeling in me as Skyrim. Until MeinMMO editor Jasmin Beverungen casually mentioned to me: “Tainted Grail is supposed to be similar to Skyrim.”
The Replacement: Tainted Grail: Fall of Avalon
I looked at some pictures and the trailer on Steam and realized: This could definitely be something. In terms of presentation, it looked like a “better” Skyrim, exactly what I was looking for.
Tainted Grail: Fall of Avalon had its release back in May 2025, but it completely passed me by since then; otherwise, I would have tried it much earlier.
The story of the RPG is roughly a dark reinterpretation of the Arthur legend and takes place on the island of Avalon. Before the events of the game, Arthur and his followers arrive on the island of Avalon to find a new home. However, on the island, there is the Wyrdness, the corruption that drives people insane and turns them into monsters.
In the game, King Arthur has long been dead, and I begin my journey as a prisoner escaping from the dungeon in Cuanacht. In the process, I come across fragments of King Arthur’s soul, which I carry with me in the future.
The goal is to find all the fragments of the soul and restore the soul to wholeness. Only this way can King Arthur remember the past and return.
In my travels, I roam through 3 large areas, can complete over 100 side quests, and must also make decisions in the main quest.
What fascinates me particularly: There is no black or white in the story. When making decisions, I can’t choose between good or evil, but between “Oh no” and a worse “Oh no”.
For example, there is a point in the main story where I learn something, let’s say, “dark” about Arthur. An NPC then presents me with a choice to either help him with his conspiracy plan or to oppose him.
Both options were bad for me: I didn’t want to trust the NPC, but I also didn’t want him to be against me. Otherwise, his people would attack me at every opportunity.
The game put me in the difficult position of choosing the lesser evil for myself. I appreciate that, as the game challenges my thinking and moral decisions.
If I get stuck in a quest because I have to collect something painstakingly, I simply explore the map and come across some buildings or dungeons that I can investigate. Here I notice that even without major quests, a place can tell a story.
Remains of a ship with corpses and monsters around it tell me, for example, that the crew of this ship was stranded here and was attacked by monsters.
One of the best mechanics in the game is also the dodging. Even if I almost break my finger out of panic by pressing the Alt key, I am glad to have this option. In Skyrim, this was not possible; only mindless running away if you didn’t want to block with the shield.
Overall, Tainted Grail fills the medieval action RPG void for me, but it also expands it at the same time. The dark RPG simply offers so much more and completely captivates me with its story. Something that Skyrim never truly managed to do.
I am definitely not alone with my opinion. On Steam, reviews speak of the “spiritual successor to Skyrim” and the 91% positive ratings on Steam underline the fun that I am also experiencing.
If anyone is still skeptical after my review, they can also download the demo on Steam to try it out.
I’m not through with the main game yet, but even if I was, I wouldn’t be too sad. After all, there is still a story DLC that I can play next: Dark RPG on Steam plays like a spiritual successor to Skyrim, impresses with new story DLC: “Completed in one sitting”
