The Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset Image
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83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 12 Critic Reviews What's this?

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6.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 139 Ratings

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  • Summary: The Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset is the next Chapter of ZeniMax Online Studios' award-winning online RPG, The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO). This new adventure in the ESO saga will send adventurers and their friends to the Summerset Isle, to visit and explore the ancestral home of the highThe Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset is the next Chapter of ZeniMax Online Studios' award-winning online RPG, The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO). This new adventure in the ESO saga will send adventurers and their friends to the Summerset Isle, to visit and explore the ancestral home of the high elves for the first time since 1994's The Elder Scrolls: Arena. Players will also be able to explore the island of Artaeum, home to the mysterious Psijic Order, a group of sages that predate the Mages Guild. Tamriel's fate hangs in the balance and the heroes of ESO are called upon to save the world once more.

    This year's Chapter introduces an enormous and stunning new zone unlike any other, a fresh skill line with new magical powers to master, an expanded crafting system to forge powerful gear, and the continuation of the epic and award-winning ESO story. With more than 30 hours of new story content to experience, The Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset expands The Elder Scrolls Online in exciting and innovative ways, offering incredible adventures for both ESO veterans and those new to the game.
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Elder Scrolls Online: Elsweyr Trailer | Bethesda Press Conference E3 2019
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 12
  3. Negative: 0 out of 12
  1. Jun 6, 2018
    90
    Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset is an exciting new chapter for the MMO. It offers an engaging narrative that kept this progression driven gamer distracted which is saying a lot. Although the expansion didn’t offer a new class we were introduced to a pretty fun new skill tree and despite the grind to unlock it, it offers some great new approaches to combat. With a beautiful new zone, intriguing story and only a few minor grievances, I highly recommend picking up Summerset.
  2. Jun 5, 2018
    90
    When Morrowind was released last year, it was what I’d call Peak ESO. Now that Summerset is here, it’s raised that bar even more. Where Zenimax takes the game next is anyone’s guess, but I know I’ll be there to find out.
  3. Jun 4, 2018
    88
    Summerset has a tough challenge to follow in the footsteps of Morrowind. But the expansion delivers with an exciting storyline, an interesting new order to join, loads of new content and a beautiful island. We only hoped the island would be bigger.
  4. Jun 7, 2018
    80
    The generically beautiful Summerset is on the smaller side in terms of overall new additions to The Elder Scrolls Online, but even after completing the majority of the side quests and all of the main storyline I feel compelled to go back.
  5. 80
    Summerset is a great second chapter for Elder Scrolls Online (ESO), allowing players to explore, challenge themselves with new and dangerous enemies, and learn about the Psijic Order that had disappeared over 300 years earlier.
  6. Jun 11, 2018
    80
    The Elder Scrolls Online will never feel like a proper Elder Scrolls game for many people who flock to it, but while we wait for whatever comes after Skyrim, it’s a damn fine way of passing the time.
  7. Jun 25, 2018
    75
    The Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset is a good add-on, with a new realm, main quest and characters, but still not up to the Morrowind standard.

See all 13 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 31
  2. Negative: 15 out of 31
  1. Jun 6, 2018
    10
    This blew me away, was not expecting the game to have come so far since release. The new chapter adds a lot more and 100% would recommend. SodThis blew me away, was not expecting the game to have come so far since release. The new chapter adds a lot more and 100% would recommend. Sod waiting for the next TES chapter when this exists now. Expand
  2. Jul 18, 2020
    10
    I was surprised and happy at the quality of the story and gameplay in this expansion. Summerset is truly beautiful to play in. The artist didI was surprised and happy at the quality of the story and gameplay in this expansion. Summerset is truly beautiful to play in. The artist did a really great job. Expand
  3. Jun 12, 2018
    9
    Good storyline. The game has definately impressed me and hooked me in. The game was seriously lacking on launch and has definately improvedGood storyline. The game has definately impressed me and hooked me in. The game was seriously lacking on launch and has definately improved since then. The one thing I can complain about still which was only a minor thing for me was the amount of skills available to use but only being able to use a minute amount of them but otherwise the game is quite fun. Expand
  4. Nov 16, 2018
    5
    it is a fun game with lots and lots of content. but there are 2 things why i already quit playing the game 2 times. its the combat system andit is a fun game with lots and lots of content. but there are 2 things why i already quit playing the game 2 times. its the combat system and the awefull progression system when levleing a new charackter,

    the combat system is a mix of tab target and action combat. if your crosshair is on your enemy target while you cast a spell or skill, its locked on him and cant miss. it basically creates the illusion of action conbat while its lock on "tab target" in reality. and thats not all negative, the combat is super clunky and slow. sometimes you have to press a button multiple times untill the skill goes off and to makes things worse, the skill and attack animations often times cancle or delaying your barswap by 0.5-1 second. i often times find myself in situation barswaping and pressing a button to use skill x, but the game didnt even barswaped because i pressed too fast. this especially is critical in pvp.

    the overall clunkyness and the delay of actions because of animations makes this combat the worse i have seen in a mmo so far. the combat also has no weigt behind it. other aspects behind of the combat system makes it even worse. things like no cooldown on skills or the tri stat progression system of health, stamina and magicka. so its not only the combat system itself which is unoptimized and not fully thought through, its also its pillars which are not fully thought through.

    the combat system is what makes or break a mmo for me because you have to "work" with it the whole time while you play. and while ESO is a great game content wise, its combat and technical state are a complete mess.
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  5. Jul 22, 2018
    4
    The newest ESO expansion. While not founded in as great of an experience as Morrowind, the expansion does bring to life a land hardly scene inThe newest ESO expansion. While not founded in as great of an experience as Morrowind, the expansion does bring to life a land hardly scene in TES universe. While set as the same price as Morrowind, the new expansion lacks a new class to play. Something desperately needed for this game.

    Still uses with the game. Long load times, mediocre graphics, and awful combat system, and a sluggish feel to all the characters.
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  6. Apr 19, 2021
    2
    I've thought about whether to give this game a good review or not. I almost did, but it would be unfair to the gaming community as a whole, asI've thought about whether to give this game a good review or not. I almost did, but it would be unfair to the gaming community as a whole, as I would be advocating online gambling and loot boxes essentially saying that it is OK to include that in games. The most painful issue I have with this game is the in-game shop and the way that this game has been monetized. ZOS claim to only sell cosmetics and conveniences, however both of these things clash with the core gameplay of ESO.

    There are a number of rewards which are only obtainable through purchasing crowns with money, and with extremely expensive costs too. The game is objectively worse off by the existence of these things. I can count on one hand the number of mounts you can collect in game, but the number of mounts you can buy or obtain through ZOS's loot boxes is closer to 100. This gives players less things to actually play for, less things to collect and fewer targets to set for themselves.

    In addition, you can buy time-savers which grant you ability points (if you've collected them on other characters), experience scrolls, mount training and the research scrolls for professions. The issue I take with the existence of these items is indicative of the fact that ZOS are aware that these grinds are a slug. They are literally time-gated; you can learn one mount training skill every 24 hours, of which there are 180 skills to spend. That is half a year of spending points to max out your mount training. This grind must be done on each character. The research scrolls speed up the rate at which you research a trait in a weapon. When researching a trait, you must wait an increasing amount of actual time before unlocking it and researching another. My main character has gotten to the point that she must wait 20+ days to learn a new trait in some professions. Or I can throw my wallet at ZOS and get it done instantly. ZOS, I want to enjoy your game, but you're making it so hard. This game has become a chore for people who cannot afford pay-to-win "cosmetics", but has become a breeze for new players who have the money to spend in the Crown store.

    The largest houses you can buy typically sell for around 14,000 crowns (a whopping $140 JUST FOR A digital HOUSE!) and are unobtainable otherwise... - just stop and think about that. On the other hand the housing system in the game is alright. However, it suffers when considering how expensive furnishings actually are, especially when compared to how little gold you actually get for just playing the game. While players can obtain some furniture pieces through playing the game, these are extremely few and far between when considering just how many furniture pieces there actually are in the game (majority of which are sold in store - because "cosmetics". The nicer furniture pieces are often priced at 10,000 gold, up to 100,000 for the fanciest pieces. When you only get 300 gold for completing a quest, as a player, you must look to get money through other systems if you want to engage fully with housing and furnishing. ZOS, PLEASE increase the amount of gold you get from quests. This leads me to the auction house in-game, and ESO plus.

    The best way to obtain money in this game, is by engaging in the auction house. I love the auction house system in the game, and the way it forces players to be a part of a guild(s). One thing to help you make gold is the use of the extra bank storage and (literally infinite) crafting bag you get when subscribing to ESO plus. If you plan to sell any crafting materials and you don't have the crafting bag, be prepared to have a full inventory every 10 minutes. It's like ZOS are aware that not playing with the crafting bag is a handicap, and so they move it to a pay-wall. There are other ways to make money in the game, such as farming for rare item drops for hours on end, hoping that one will eventually drop which you can sell for a lottery cash out

    ZOS are masters at creating problems and selling you the solution - if there is a way to make money, ZOS will find it. The in-game store and the monetization is in direct conflict with the soul of this game, and I never feel satisfied playing this game. I want to engage in the housing, but the rate at which I can actually buy furniture, if I just do quests is extraordinarily slow. The crowns I get with the ESO plus subscription make it a bit better, as they allow me to buy furniture and housing with crowns instead of gold, but I can't help but feel like this doesn't have to be a problem at all.

    ZOS, fix... no improve your monetization such that the game still has a soul, that it still offers players many more chances to obtain amazing loot by just playing the game, reward players - stop putting every damn thing in the Crown Store! I paid for this game and like many/every other PERSON that has also paid, we keep paying for every new chapter as well, let us play it without locking features behind time-gates and pay-walls.
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  7. Feb 20, 2021
    0
    A quite enjoyable game, but the progression for new players feels bad. Being kicked out of dungeons, just because your level isnt high enoughA quite enjoyable game, but the progression for new players feels bad. Being kicked out of dungeons, just because your level isnt high enough in the eyes of some players is plain bad behaviour - which doesnt get punished. As a new player this really takes a lot of fun out of the game. The amount of content and the quests are good (the voiceacting is great) but the amount of bugs (many of them related to quests and breaking them) is terrible. In the bugged out state with its "elitist" community elder scrolls online is a game not worth to be played. EDIT: Well after a few days more of punishing myself to play the game i can say, that the game has the poorest balancing I have seen in any mmo up to this date. Really just keep your fingers away from it. If you planed on getting a subscription better pay for FF14 or WoW - you will get far more quality content for your money. Expand

See all 31 User Reviews

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