With The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim being one of the most influential games of all time, it makes sense why other developers would want to follow in its footsteps. Its expansive open-world RPG design, deep player freedom, and lasting cultural impact helped define and popularize the modern fantasy open-world genre, inspired countless games, and remained relevant years after its release. Even when developers don't directly admit to being inspired by Skyrimit's often hard to believe that there isn't at least some influence there, especially when the similarities are obvious. Paraglacial and THQ Nordics Painter of destiny is one of the latest cases of that phenomenon, with many observers already comparing it to Bethesda's token RPG.
Painter of destiny is an upcoming first-person action RPG that throws players into a hand-crafted fantasy world filled with ruins, caves, forests, and ancient shrines to explore. In it, they'll use a mix of sword and sorcery combat, engage in reactive melee combat against various enemies, and develop a customizable character built through meaningful progression choices across combat styles and schools of spells. Painter of destiny is currently slated for PC Early Access 2026, and while it hasn't been positioned as one Skyrim successor directly, its central design pillar naturally invites comparison.
Why people are comparing Fatekeeper to Skyrim
To be fair, it's easy to see why Painter of destiny becomes so relentless compared to Skyrimas its fantasy visuals alone seem to channel the same feel and tone as Bethesda's prized possession. That's actually how it resonates in the first place Skyrimthough its gameplay and exploration also subtly contribute to these comparisons. Some fans have suggested the action RPG features Dark Messiah of power and magic vibes in its atmosphere and world-building even more, but at first glance, Painter of destiny still looks like Skyrim if it aimed to launch in 2026.
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Fatekeeper's Skyrim-like features
- FIRST PERSON FANTASY — It's a first-person fantasy RPG in the same subgenre as Skyrim helped define, including swords, spells, and exploration.
- ENVIRONMENTAL MOTIF — Its detailed ruined landscapes, forests and ancient premises resemble the aesthetics of Skyrims world.
- FIGHT WITH SWORD AND MAGIC — The mix of melee and magic evokes the fighting style many associate with Skyrim.
- RPG PROGRESSION SYSTEM — Rich character development and build options give players depth of customization similar to classic role-playing games Skyrims vein.
- EXPLORATION-ORIENTED DESIGN — While not fully open-world, the emphasis on exploration through hand-crafted areas draws comparisons to open-world fantasy adventures such as Skyrim.
Skyrim helped define the first-person fantasy RPG subgenre with its expansive world, mission flexibility, and exploration mechanics. Painter of destiny may not replicate all of this to a tee, but it “invites exploration” into its “handcrafted world,” according to its Steam description. “From ancient battlefields, vast underground caverns, and peaceful forests,” it mentions, “to crumbling sanctuaries forgotten by time, each area rewards curiosity with hidden lore, forgotten relics, and unexpected encounters.” That kind of world design paired with Painter of destinys pictures make it feel like something straight out of something Skyrims playbook, but again, there is some nuance.
To be fair, it's easy to see why Painter of destiny becomes so relentless compared to Skyrimas its fantasy visuals alone seem to channel the same feel and tone as Bethesda's prized possession.
The combination of swords and magic in its combat also reinforces that notion, especially with its progression system that allows players to develop their own playstyles rather than locking them into a rigid class. About like Skyrim, Painter of destiny encourages players to experiment with different builds, whether that means prioritizing raw melee power, investing in spell-focused damage, or finding a hybrid balance between the two. Equipment choices, stat upgrades, and combat specialization all contribute to that sense of ownership over a character's identity, which is a cornerstone of Bethesda's RPG philosophy. Even if Painter of destinys structure is more curated than Skyrims sprawling sandbox, its emphasis on player-driven customization and build variety makes the comparison feel less of a stretch.
What Fatekeeper does differently
Anytime a game as monumental as Skyrim drops, it sets a new standard for the industry and all games that follow are naturally compared. That may be the case with Painter of destinyconsidering it looks a lot Skyrimand yet it's hard not to notice the differences once you get a good handle on the game. Every swing of the sword, line of dialogue and corner of the world explored does Painter of destiny feels like a more modern action RPG than Skyrim. Moreover, although it is easy to say that it is so Skyrim would be playable if it was released today instead of 15 years ago, Painter of destiny distinctly different from Bethesda's signature style that the developer has even recently written and said it intends to bring in The Elder Scrolls 6.
How Fatekeeper differs from Skyrim
- NON-OPEN WORLD DESIGN – Unlike Skyrims huge open world, Painter of destiny uses focused, hand-crafted levels with exploration built into select courses rather than full sandbox roaming.
- TACTICAL MELEE COMBAT — Combat emphasizes reactive and strategic sword strikes, dodges, and enemy patterns, giving a more skill-based feel than Skyrims simpler targeting system.
- VISUAL IMPACT AND BRUTALITY — Battles are designed to be internal impactful and gritty, with Painter of destiny leans towards a darker, more intense fantasy tone than Skyrims wider fantasy palette.
- RICH PROGRESSION SYSTEM — Character progression supports distinct build choices and deeper specialization rather than Skyrims more generic skill leveling.
- STORY DRIVEN ROADS — The game leans towards story focus and linear narrative beats, contrasting Skyrims freeform questing and open narrative structure.
Although they are similar Skyrim in its world design, Painter of destiny is not fully open world like its cousin in Bethesda. Specifically, it “follows a focused narrative path,” though there are still plenty of reasons to explore off the beaten path. With that in mind Skyrim is primarily known for its groundbreaking open-world design and curiosity-driven exploration, Painter of destiny differs here significantly. In fact, based on what's been revealed about its exploration and level design so far, it's probably more comparable to something like a first-person Dark souls than anything else.
Every swing of the sword, line of dialogue and corner of the world explored does Painter of destiny feels like a more modern action RPG than Skyrim.
Another way Painter of destiny differs significantly from Skyrim is in its struggle and development. Not only is its combat darker, grittier and even bloodier than Skyrims, it also emphasizes evasion and skill-based mechanics in a way that almost echoes something like Avoweds battle even more. Painter of destinys combat also relies on a skill and progression system that stands in stark contrast Skyrims more open skill trees. While it aims to offer players opportunities to create unique builds, it's not quite as generic as Skyrims freeform smoothing, as it requires more specialization.
In the end, comparisons to Skyrim are understandable, but they only tell part of the story. Painter of destiny may borrow familiar fantasy aesthetics and RPG pillars, but its curated world design, skill-driven combat, and more conscious specialization system suggest a different set of priorities. Instead of chasing the scale and sandbox freedom that defined Bethesda's timeless classics, it seems focused on tighter encounters and more deliberate progression. Whether that approach ultimately resonates depends on how well these systems come together in Early Access, but what's already clear is that Painter of destiny is carving out its own path within a subgenre that Skyrim helped popularize.
