The Elder Scrolls Online

 PC
Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 64 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 64
  2. Mixed: 36 out of 64
  3. Negative: 1 out of 64
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  1. VideoGamer
    Apr 29, 2014
    40
    Apparently existing only to serve as a strawman for future arguments against the whole genre, Elder Scrolls Online is a game of exposed weaknesses and failed potential. If you’re hankering for Scrolls, I recommend modded Skyrim. If you’re after an MMO, I recommend any other.

Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Most Discussed PC Game of 2014
14
#14 Most Shared PC Game of 2014

User Reviews

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User Score
5.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 2703 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,210 out of 2703
  2. Mixed: 447 out of 2703
  3. Negative: 1,046 out of 2703
  1. SteinOnkel
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    Did you ever play WoW and wished it wouldn't be so boring levelling up? Welcome to the Elder Scrolls Online. It plays very differently fromDid you ever play WoW and wished it wouldn't be so boring levelling up? Welcome to the Elder Scrolls Online. It plays very differently from traditional MMOs in the sense that there are not quest hubs. This means that it is up to you to find and explore and by doing so level up. The combat is fantastic, there are no cool down timers. It is up to you to dodge, block, interrupt, cast, heal. It's very hectic and very fun, but also true to the Elder Scrolls Combat formula. Being able to play in first person adds immersion. The graphics are fantastic. All quest texts are voiced. The list goes on and on, in short I couldn't be happier with this game.… Full Review »
  2. CoreDave
    Apr 4, 2014
    4
    Its not terrible, its just very disappointing coming from the heritage of a game series that dared to be different from the crowd and defineIts not terrible, its just very disappointing coming from the heritage of a game series that dared to be different from the crowd and define its own genre of open sandbox rpg gaming. Elderscrolls online just leaves me feeling like the makers really just wanted to make a new RvR game in the same mould as DAoC or WAR. Its so standard MMO, so been there done that, so uninspired it just hurts. Where there is an attempt to incorporate some of the elements of the single player games it feels clunky or doesn't quite work because the fundamental starting point was your bog standard MMO the like of which we've seen time and again for the last 10 years. Take questing. full voice, lots of effort put into back story you say? Well yes, but because the questing and character advancement model is essentially the same as most MMOs (That being you advance by completing quests which give you xp to spend on level ups), the world is necessarily packed with quest givers, most of whom give 5 min quests which we've all done a million of before, kill 5 bears, pick 10 flowers, blah blah blah. The end result is all the fancy voice acting and back story just wastes your time because the fundamental activity is so mindless. I could go on and on about the disappointments in ESO, but it all boils down to one thing. Its nothing new, its not in the spirit of the single player games, its just another near enough carbon copy of a gameplay model that doesn't fit with the IP that's been forced into it. Come on Devs, can't you be a bit braver than this. If Bethesda had just copied the successful model of the time then Arena would of been a scripted on rails experience like Final Fantasy. The MMORPG world is crying out for something new, something different. Enough with the era of the WoW-a-like.… Full Review »
  3. CptFlippy
    Apr 11, 2014
    2
    Re-reviewing this game after a week of normal play and it is still disappointing.

    As to be expected with the release of games these days    Re-reviewing this game after a week of normal play and it is still disappointing.

    As to be expected with the release of games these days there are a ton of bugs, some that are seriously crippling, like everything in your bank disappearing or that really cool epic armor on your head just disappearing. Quests are broken and it seems that the higher level you get the less testing seems to have been done, which makes sense as they had a limited beta.

    It doesn't even have the feel of a normal MMO because they gave it the base Elder Scrolls GUI but then cut back on its functionality. You have 7 slots attached to keyboard keys, 1-5, Q, R, 1 special R which is really lame as the power builds up while you fight and drops when you are not which means you rarely use it in PvE. The 7 slot Q is attached to a quick slot which means you can have several items on that, but can only use them one at a time and there is a cool-down timer on them. So that epic battle in Skyrim where you clicked through 30 potions, not going to happen in ESO.

    The limited key functionality and simplicity that they have is clearly been done to make the titles transition to consoles easier. The greatness of the Elder Scrolls series is the graphics and how fantastic the game looks. ESO misses this mark completely, the graphics just are not there and seem like they maybe that way for console release.

    The interesting thing about player and bank inventory space is that you can see where they could put a F2P or P2W system in place immediately without having to adjust game mechanics. It is almost like the expect this game to go F2P at some point.

    With that in mind, there is no ground breaking systems here that are just the best thing ever, there are gold farmers, bots and spammers in the chat. With nothing really holding people other than the PvP which again is not ground breaking, and the hope of future releases of new lands I do not see a financial sustainability in the 15 dollars a month plan. I suspect before the one year mark either an announcement or the actually change to a F2P model. I hope that Bethesda sees this not as a title to build off of, but as a third part release for the MMO market.    … Full Review »
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