Biggest Dungeons In Elder Scrolls Games

Key Takeaways

Labyrinthian in Skyrim is a maze of Nordic ruins with fiends to battle and treasures to find.
Sundercliff Watch in Oblivion has 23 zones with cultists and Daedric architecture.
Blackreach in Skyrim is a massive cavern filled with bioluminescent plants and enemies like Falmer.

As someone who’s spent countless hours delving into the depths of Tamriel, I can confidently say that the labyrinthine dungeons in The Elder Scrolls series are nothing short of legendary. Amongst these subterranean wonders, one stands out as the epitome of the genre: Blackreach from Skyrim.

Discovering a confined area filled with villains, beasts, and valuable treasures is a key element of enjoyment in the Elder Scrolls series. Unfortunately, just as the player prepares for some intense dungeon exploration, the path usually ends, requiring them to retrace their steps (or, in Skyrim’s case, being unceremoniously returned to the entrance through a hidden door).

It’s fortunate that throughout the series, there are numerous vast dungeons available for brave adventurers to navigate at their leisure, either getting lost or meeting their end. These can range from labyrinthine and intricate, to twisted and complex, and some players might find it challenging to escape, possibly taking eons to figure out their way back to the surface.

7 Labyrinthian – Skyrim

As Long-Winded And Confusing As Its Name Might Suggest

The name Labyrinthian hints at it being a vast network of Nordic ruins, which can be thoroughly traversed exclusively via the College of Winterhold questline in Skyrim. Inside, you’ll find common adversaries such as draugr, trolls, and skeletons, but also some more intriguing enemies to vanquish, like wisps, dragon priests, and even an undead skeletal dragon.

In its five vast areas – exterior, Labyrinthine, Chasm, Thoroughfare, and Tribune – you’ll find remnants of a once-great city along with treasure hidden in chests, urns, and fallen comrades. A potent shout that temporarily slows enemy progression but not your own time spent clearing the dungeon is also concealed here, which is quite beneficial!

6 Sundercliff Watch – Oblivion, Mehrune’s Razor DLC

Not Exactly A Quick Cut To The End

In this sprawling dungeon, expanded by the Mehrune’s Razor Downloadable Content for Oblivion, there are so many inhabitants that it feels like a skyscraper teeming with people. The formidable Daedric artifact, previously absent from the game, is hidden deep within, guarded by 23 challenging zones inhabited by followers of Mehrune Dagon’s cult.

Initially, Sundercliff Watch appears to be just another rundown watchtower common in Cyrodiil. But upon closer inspection, it conceals an entire village, a forge, mine complex, Ayleid ruins, and more, hidden beneath its surface. As you venture deeper, you’ll find a network of caves leading to remnants of Daedric architecture and the fabled razor itself.

5 Bthardamz – Skyrim

A Healthy Jaunt Through A Sizable Dwarven Settlement

Any dungeon boasting an area named “upper district” is likely to be extensive. The Bthardamz, situated in The Reach, the far-western region of Skyrim, is a decaying Dwemer metropolis (or perhaps more suitably, a ruined Dwemer city) teeming with inhabitants who refer to themselves as “the Afflicted.

In the adventure titled “The Only Cure,” the focus is on those who are suffering. This quest offers the player a chance to acquire the Daedric artifact known as Spellbreaker. However, throughout Bthardamz, both its upper and lower districts, workshop areas, residential sectors, library, and vaults, there are dwarven robots, traps, and steam vents hidden, making it significantly more challenging to eliminate the Afflicted boss, who is also the target of this quest.

4 Darkfall Cave, Darkfall Passage, & The Forgotten Vale – Skyrim, Dawnguard DLC

A Gauntlet Of Nightmares And Dark Winding Passages

A significant aspect that contributes to the overwhelming sense of size in this Skyrim dungeon is its pitch-black darkness, challenging navigation, and the presence of frightening creatures roaming about. This dungeon can be divided into two (or perhaps three) ominous, treacherous areas: Darkfall Cave and Darkfall Passage.

If a dungeon explorer classifies an open area as a ‘dungeon’, then the concluding part of this series of locations, the Forgotten Vale, would significantly expand the dimensions of Darkfall Cave, particularly when you factor in the labor involved to get to the shrines, the temple, and one of Skyrim’s strongest long-range weapons, Auriel’s Bow, which is located there.

3 The Soulcairn – Skyrim, Dawnguard DLC

The Ultimate Dungeon Space For The Torture Of Eternal Souls

In the expansion pack “Dawnguard” for Skyrim, there’s a place known as the Soul Cairn – a sort of labyrinth existing beyond the boundary of life and death. Delving into this mysterious realm offers soul gems, hidden riches, and opportunities to discover forgotten wisdom. However, navigating your way back out might prove more difficult than initially getting in.

In the gloomy underworld of Oblivion, hidden deep within Castle Volkihar – a place that serves as a dungeon based on one’s allegiance – resides an area filled with lost spirits wandering aimlessly, formidable undead adversaries, and the constant, unsettling radiance of the Ideal Masters. These mysterious beings guard their collection of dark souls for purposes yet unclear.

2 Scourg Barrow – Daggerfall

A Labyrinthine Nightmare Befitting The God Of Necromancy

In Daggerfall, although some locations might appear common due to the game’s extensive use of procedural generation, the narrative could resonate with players who know about its notorious dungeon and its most renowned resident, Mannimarco, also known as the King of Worms. This necromancer who transformed into a god (or a version of him) resurfaces in the Mages Guild questline in Oblivion.

Exploring Scourg Barrow calls for great patience and determination. The labyrinthine structure of this dungeon is vast, with its 22 in-game blocks of intertwining corridors and rooms that seem intentionally designed to confuse. Due to the low resolution of the dungeon textures, the corridors of Scourg Barrow can appear repetitive from one end to another. Even the 3D map can be hard to decipher, adding significantly to the length of your journey through it.

1 Blackreach – Skyrim

Welcome To Deepest Darkest Dungeon City

Among the colossal dungeons found in Skyrim, it’s Blackreach that seems to linger most vividly in the minds of Elder Scrolls enthusiasts due to its vast expanse. This sprawling underground labyrinth can be entered through various Dwemer ruins like Alftand or Mzinchaleft, and is a bewildering mix of bioluminescent flora, intriguing Dwemer architecture, Frost Atronachs, and mechanical dwarven constructs.

Venturing into Blackreach gives off an impression of uncovering a forgotten realm instead of a conventional dungeon. Its luminescent fungi, eerie atmosphere, and vast layout evoke both awe and exasperation. It feels less like a prison’s cell and more like a colossal city. Yet, despite its grandeur, it is filled with decaying enemies (including a deceased elf who was once known) and offers unique rewards such as the crimson nirnroots.

2024-11-18 03:35