Summary
As open-world games continue to grow as a genre, players are beginning to see them broaden into a host of sub-genres, from faithfully articulated historical titles likeGhost of Tsushimato the neon flares and dystopic charm ofCyberpunk 2077. Asthe size and scope of the open-world genrecontinues to broaden, players are finding more than ever ways to find freedom not just in their exploration of the setting, but in the exploration of their character as well.
Themost immersive open-world titlesaren’t just the ones that use graphics and mechanics to win players over, but also let them build characters in a way that suits the setting. For many fantasy titles, the presence of necromancy as a magical discipline represents an alluring, confronting means of gaining mastery over life and death.
While some of the following games don’t all have an explicit ‘necromancer’ class, they all allow players to wield these dark arts to their fullest extent.
Elden Ringis a game known for the colossal amount of variety it affords players building their characters. Almost any avenue of stat specialization, if planned carefully, can lead to some incredibly satisfying (or incredibly overpowered) builds. Part of this design philosophy is howElden Ringrewards investment in intelligence and faith. Minor investment in these stats will still allow players to synergize their melee builds with incantations and sorceries, while heavier investment leads to the overwhelming power seen in schools of magic like death sorceries.
Between skeletal ash summons and the death sorcery branch of magic, there’s plenty of necromancer material inElden Ring.Tibia’s summons, explosive ghostflame, or mass of putrescence are all examples of powerful necromantic spells - though players should be prepared to invest heavily in both faith and intelligence to cast these spells at all.
Battle Brothersis an exemplar amongopen-world roguelikes, known for its difficulty but also its immersive nature and an incredibly rewarding combat system that feels tactical and technical without being overwhelming. The iterative and progressive storytelling in this game is a marvel to behold, and players will very quickly find themselves attached to their mercenaries as they gain skills and battle scars in equal measure, exploring a brutal world of beasts and bandits waiting to inflict death around every corner.
The Obsidian Dagger is a rare artifact given to the mercenary company after they complete the quest in a location known as the Witch Hut. This ominous black dagger will raise any humans slain with it back from the dead as Weirdergangers ready to fight for the company. Undead are unaffected by morale in this game, so these shambling brothers will be twice as loyal as those mercenaries with pesky things like “hearts” and “brains”.
FromDaggerfalltoSkyrim, players can track an utterly, some might say depressingly, linear decline in magic quality.Morrowindsaid goodbye to Thaumaturgy.Oblivionsaid goodbye to levitation.Skyrimsaid goodbye to Mysticism, custom spell-making, touch spells, and hands-free casting. But, for the first time in the series, Necromancy wasn’t just a skill reserved for enemy cultists hiding away in caverns, but an entire branch of the Conjuration school, complete with Necromancy-specific skills and enchantments.
Forgive the bold statement, but being able to turn slain enemies into shambling, groaning thralls who put their strength to use against their former allies is so delightfully sinister it almost,almostmakes up for the lack of spell crafting inSkyrim. For the first time in the series, players can properly join thepantheon of necromancerswho have held Tamriel under their sway.
While the other games on this list so far have let players specialize in the dark arts of a necromancer through classless means,Tales of Maj’Eyalhas a bona fide Necromancer class - and it is ridiculously overpowered.TOMEis a game known for the variety it offers players through classes, and whether they’re dragon-worshiping knights orfaithful sun paladins, there’s always a new playstyle to engage with.
TheTales of Maj’EyalNecromancer can defy death (literally, their HP bar can go into the negatives) and summon all manner of undead creatures. The game does an excellent job through worldbuilding of making players know how strong - and dangerous - necromancers are.
The Necromancer class was added toElder Scrolls Onlinewith theElsweyrexpansion, mostly due to fan demand. It’s an incredibly thematic, grim class that lets players stitch their comrades back together again with dark magic, or deal sustained damage with skeletal summons and persistent effects.
There are a host ofgood builds and loadoutsfor the Necromancer that make them worthwhile to play, especially as a DPS class. Just ensure the spells being cast aren’t happening in public areas, as many regressive, luddite NPCs in major towns see necromancy as a “major desecration of the dead” and will call the guards if the player is spotted using this dark school of magic.
