Few gaming moments can compare to the sheer epicness of facing mighty dragons head-on. Colossal, majestic, winged creatures can be of various sizes, shapes, and forms, from fire-breathing to much more exotic species, typically serving as the inevitable highlight of the fantasy genre. However, despite their popularity, dragons aren’t as common opponents in gaming as one would expect, and games where players can hunt them and fight repeatedly, outside of a single epic dragon fight in the end, are even rarer.
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Nevertheless, some great games let players become true dragon hunters, tracking dragons down, preparing for a fight, and then rushing towards the uneven odds. These encounters are always as epic and unforgettable as they are tough and demanding, requiring high-level characters and some of the best gear in the game to succeed. Still, even when such fights are optional, they are usually totally worth it, rewarding the players with precious treasures and loot. Let’s take a look at some of the best modern games where players fight various dragons repeatedly, and would hardly forget the rush of blood when doing so.
The games below are sorted only by release date.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
“But There Is One They Fear. In Their Tongue, He’s Dovahkiin”
Skyrim is unsurprisingly among the most well-known games primarily associated with dragons. After all, players take the role of the chosen one, Dragonborn (Dovahkiin), a unique individual with the blood and soul of a dragon, as a result capable of absorbing the power of their slain kin. Over the course of the game, Skyrim players will face over a dozen unique, named dragons, and can hunt and defeat countless more, as dragons in the game can respawn. Unlike many other titles, where dragons are typically endgame foes, the very first fight against the dragon in Skyrim happens during the game’s opening hours, delivering the epic scope right out of the gate.
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Despite the huge number of unique and common dragons there are to hunt in Skyrim, players are only required to kill three to four of them to finish the game: Mirmulnir, Sahloknir, an unnamed Karthspire dragon, and, of course, the final boss Alduin. The epicness of the fights can also vary quite notably in Skyrim, and, given that the original game released almost 15 years ago, some modern players will hardly be blown away by the game’s combat, yet for countless fans, Skyrim will be forever special and synonymous with dragons in gaming.
Dragon Age: Inquisition
“Dragons Are the Embodiment of Raw Power. But It’s All Uncontrolled, Savage… So They Need to Be Destroyed”
As evident from the series name, every Dragon Age game offers dragons to fight, yet Dragon Age: Inquisition is still the series’ peak in this regard, outpacing even The Veilguard. While the latest entry has delivered some truly standout dragon boss battles, there are too few of them, and they’re mostly concentrated later in the game. Inquisition, on the other hand, delivers spectacular high dragon battles throughout the entire runtime, as there are over a dozen dragon encounters, with some being so epic and memorable that they can easily be regarded as one of the medium’s best.
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Every high dragon in Inquisition is a unique, formidable, named foe, with its own size, age, and abilities. One of the best features of the game is that the dragons feel reactive and alive, changing their positioning throughout the fight, summoning minions, and even having several distinct combat phases. There’s also an admirable variety, as players will face fire-, frost-, thunder-breathing dragons, as well as unique corrupted dragons such as the Red Lyrium dragon, who is even mistaken by many for yet another awakened Archdemon. The majority of Dragon Age: Inquisition’s dragon hunts are optional, but most players wouldn’t want to miss out on any of them, as they’re distinct, spectacular, and rewarding, with some of the most powerful items looted from fallen dragons.
Monster Hunter: World
“So We Have Elder Dragons Eating Other Elder Dragons. Wonderful”
The entire Monster Hunter series is definitely among the most suitable for any fantasy fan looking for a sprawling dragon-like hunting aspect. Each game’s creature roster includes a variety of winged lizards of various classes, be it dragons, wyverns, serpents, wyrms, and every other scaly beast one could imagine. When looking to take on dragons in all their glory, players can’t go wrong with Monster Hunter: World. Aside from all the listed variants, there are also the most powerful and ancient monsters known as Elder Dragons, delivering some of the most thrilling encounters in the game.
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Fighting Elder Dragons in Monster Hunter: World is like facing a god. From Safi’jiiva or Zorah Magdaros, to Shara Ishvalda, Nergigante, or Velkhana (presuming players get the Iceborne expansion that expands the list of Elder Dragons to over 15), Monster Hunter: World is a true paradise for dragon seekers, embracing the entire “hunting” aspect more deeply than any other title here. Naturally, even outside of Elder Dragons’ encounters, Monster Hunter: World players will get tons of fun from chasing and fighting other creatures, be it dragon-like wyverns and wyrms or any other fantastic exotic creature like sea Leviathans that won’t go down without a fight.
Elden Ring
“Mighty Dragon, Thou’Rt a Trueborn Heir. Lend Me Thy Strength, O Kindred”
Ever since the original Demon’s Souls, FromSoftware’s Soulsborne games have featured exciting dragon bosses, easily belonging to some of the most challenging and memorable in the entire action-RPG genre. Dragon bosses from the Dark Souls series, like Seath the Scaleless, Black Dragon Kalameet, Sinh, the Slumbering Dragon, and Darkeater Midir, are already well-known and iconic, but Elden Ring easily outshines everything that came before. The game not only features the largest dragon number in the studio’s history, but several dragon encounters so epic that few other games can even hope to come close.
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Three dragon boss fights stand out especially, and that’s Lichdragon Fortissax, Dragonlord Placidusax, and the true menace of the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, Bayle the Dread. Each of the fights is as majestic and epic as representing the ultimate challenge for players’ skills. These dragons boast unique attacks and abilities, attacking relentlessly and flying over the battlefield, delivering a spectacle worthy of the best big-budget fantasy blockbusters. Outside of legendary dragon bosses, there are also over a dozen more that Elden Ring has to offer: from sudden dragons coming from the sky when players least expect them to huge magma wyrms, and even the colossal, barely moving Elder Dragon Greyoll. Elden Ring is easily up there with the best dragon-hunting games ever made.
God of War Ragnarök
“Once We Approach the Dragon, We Will Kill or Be Killed”
Dragon enemies and bosses are still relatively rare for the God of War series, given its ties to Greek mythology, where there are plenty of no less menacing creatures of its own. Following the series’ soft reboot with 2018’s game, though, God of War embraced dragons more thoroughly, featuring a spectacular boss fight against Hræzlyr, an ancient dragon who lives at the highest peak in Midgard, as well as several optional dragon encounters, where players mostly have to free dragons rather than fight them. In God of War Ragnarök, things are a bit more classy, but hardly any fan would mind searching and hunting for optional dragon bosses to claim legendary loot after defeating them.
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God of War Ragnarök features five unique, named, optional winged dragons to face, like Crimson Dread and Ash Tyrant, mostly available later in the game. There are also plenty of menacing lesser drakes and crocodile-like drekis. The dragons in the game are scattered across various realms, so players have to put quite some effort into finding and defeating them. Fortunately, God of War Ragnarök’s combat is a blast, so each optional boss is just another chance to stretch Kratos’ muscles. Not to mention that defeating every dragon will allow the players to get and fully upgrade the powerful Dragon Scaled armor set — the perfect trophy for a multi-realm dragon hunter.
Dragon’s Dogma 2
“From This Moment Forth, You Are Arisen, Charge and All”
Like the Dragon Age series, Dragon’s Dogma 2 establishes itself as a perfectly suitable game for dragon-fighting lovers right from its naming and the beginning of the story. Like in the original, the game starts with players facing a mighty, fierce Great Dragon, who defeats them and steals their hearts. Now, on a quest to return it, Arisen must face relentless odds and, among other things, conquer the wilderness, facing mythical creatures of all kinds, including the final boss for an ultimate endgame challenge. Aside from the Great Dragon, there are plenty of field bosses like fire-breathing drakes and lesser dragons to hunt and slay for valuable loot like Wyrmslife Crystals or Dragon Scales.
The series has long made a name for itself for its spectacular, exhilarating boss battles, where players face truly massive creatures and can climb them to reach weak spots and deal huge damage. In this regard, Dragon’s Dogma 2 won’t disappoint. All dragon-like creatures in the game are highly dynamic and aggressive, featuring special attacks like devastating fire breath, grab attacks, and they can instantly float mid-air during the fight. Players can clip their wings or hit other weak spots for cinematic, reactive battles, where Pawn companions only add to the chaotic, memorable nature of each boss encounter.
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