The Elder Scrolls Online

 PC
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
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  1. salamalajk
    Dec 29, 2014
    10
    Best MMORPG ever created. I understand some reviews at launch, however Elder Scrolls Online was never a bad game to begin with. It's launch was one of the smoothest ever, when you look at Warlords of Draenor and their struggles for 2 weeks, ESO launched in a perfect state. Also not to mention WoD is just a "small" expansion and not a full game like ESO.

    So what is there to be said that    Best MMORPG ever created. I understand some reviews at launch, however Elder Scrolls Online was never a bad game to begin with. It's launch was one of the smoothest ever, when you look at Warlords of Draenor and their struggles for 2 weeks, ESO launched in a perfect state. Also not to mention WoD is just a "small" expansion and not a full game like ESO.

    So what is there to be said that you don't know yet?

    Graphics -> Best in the genre by a big stretch
    Story -> Tie with The Secret World
    Lore -> Best in the genre, Lotro following close, others far behind
    Combat -> Tie with Tera
    PvP -> Best in the genre, close behind DAoC, and then GW2, others far behind
    Crafting -> Best in the genre by a big stretch
    Immersion -> Best in the genre, nobody even close
    Exploration -> Best in the genre, nobody even close
    Dungeons -> Definitively looking the best, with inovative mechanics, and hard skill cap
    Raids -> Lacking at the moment, however the last trial is atm the hardest group content in the genre
    Costumer Support -> Best in the genre
    Community -> One of the best ever, TSW tops it though

    Overally the game is just by far the best MMORPG currently on the market. Be advised though, this game is not for children, it was clearly made for adults and mature people. Expect realism even though it's a fantasy world. There won't be flying unicorn, 10m chickens etc.

    If you just came out of kindergarten though, then I recommend WoW.    … Expand
  2. Swordguy
    May 29, 2014
    7
    I originally gave this game a better score, but after playing for 2 months, I can say without a doubt that the game at launch is missing a lot of elder scrolls features, but then new features like fishing, which have no reward beside the activity itself, instead of things like crime, thieves guild, dark brotherhood, etc..

    This game needs another year of development, or at the very least    I originally gave this game a better score, but after playing for 2 months, I can say without a doubt that the game at launch is missing a lot of elder scrolls features, but then new features like fishing, which have no reward beside the activity itself, instead of things like crime, thieves guild, dark brotherhood, etc..

    This game needs another year of development, or at the very least 6 months, but at the rate they are developing the game, I'm leaning toward a year.    … Expand
  3. DarkJinks
    Apr 18, 2014
    3
    As a single player experience, it's good but still falls very short of Skyrim quality. As a multiplayer experience, it's practically not there! There is absolutely no teamwork involved in the quests, even if you're in a group, you have to finish quests separately. This means that the only thing other players are good for is getting in your way and stealing your resources. Just play Skyrim!
  4. Nataraja
    May 11, 2014
    6
    This is a revised review given time to play this large MMO more fully and therefore give it a more apt review.

    I am a confessed Elder Scrolls junky - well RPG junky really and a sucker for good lore and story - which is present in this game. The score should be 6.5, but half points are not provided on Metacritic. To fairly review this game one must recognize that THIS IS AN MMO and is    This is a revised review given time to play this large MMO more fully and therefore give it a more apt review.

    I am a confessed Elder Scrolls junky - well RPG junky really and a sucker for good lore and story - which is present in this game. The score should be 6.5, but half points are not provided on Metacritic. To fairly review this game one must recognize that THIS IS AN MMO and is only tangentially related to its single player predecessors. However, the standard of the impressive Elder Scrolls games cannot and should not be set aside.
    -
    Be warned - THIS IS NOT A SOLO EXPERIENCE EXCLUSSIVELY. In that way it is not fair to compare it to Skyrim or Oblivion, for example. Its an MMO and with that is a big sacrifice to the Elder Scrolls experience. Gone is opportunity for quiet reflection looking over a vista (ala Skyrim...) or that feeling of being the one true hero, despite the moments it provides in the main quest line. So if you are looking for Elder Scrolls VI - its not here. This is definitely an Online Massive Multiplayer version and needs to be viewed and reviewed as such.
    -
    With that said the game is mediocre and suffers from an identity crisis. It had a very smooth launch with the megaserver technology, acceptable graphics for an MMO, lots of quests and events, tons of things to do with crafting and fighter, mage and undaunted guilds. PVP is well done and deep (better than GW2 in my book) and as s solo experience its decent EXCEPT it is NOT solo and the solo parts are ruined by the introduction of MASSIVE people doing the same things CONSTANTLY. That is its biggest drawback - it wants to give in depth personal experiences of Elder Scrolls but is unable to deliver. The phasing makes it impossible to group and play with friends in any consistent way as they will never appear to you if you are in separate stages of a quest. Sharing of quests is pointless as if you have done step one but your friend has not gotten the quest yet you are forever separated and unable to play together.
    -
    The issues are Zenimax/Bethesda's occasional technical hiccup and the lack of communication and application of standard IT best practices that hampered the early access experience. The boards were afire during the early access and communication with players was not good. Hopefully that will change.
    -
    My initial thoughts were that ESO would be measured in years of play - not minutes, hours, days or weeks - but the phasing and how the game is structured completely destroyed that possibility.

    Crafting: There is not a good balance there for those who like to craft between materials access and storage. Also absent is a general auction house - instead you must join a guild to be able to sell your wares to other guild members. Quite annoying. Crafting is the only way to get the best gear and that makes craftsmen valuable and crafting valuable (but they really need an auction house - although there are already pure commerce guilds forming).
    -
    Combat is decent and the dungeons require skill when they work. First person is horribly hampered by the very narrow and claustrophobic field of view and third person is just awkward.
    -
    If you want some pleasant but not entirely fresh MMO air this could be it. It is different but is no different enough to justify a subscription. The multiplayer aspects are very poorly implemented, quest breaking bugs have been present since launch and some are a horrible mess. The best part of the game is the PvP but its too vast with underpopulated campaigns which leaves huge open areas and nothing new to offer nor any better than Guild Wars 2 that has NO SUBSCRIPTION.

    This is game had a lot of promise but like Star Wars the Old Republic it simply fails as a multiplayer experience. For one of the first times ever I really have to agree with Angry Joe - skip it or wait for it to go to buy to play and if you miss it entirely you won't miss much. Far better to stay in Skyrim and enjoy the free mods from the vast community that has formed around that game. Or better yet, anticipate the next installment of Fallout or perhaps Elder Scrolls 6 as I hope they will return to what they do best - free roaming player driven narrative games and not this poorly designed MMO.    … Expand
  5. gcd872000
    Apr 17, 2014
    2
    I can't take it anymore. At first I gave this game a positive review after like 2 days of play. I realize the error in my ways because it only took one week for the game to become completely boring. The combat is like dragon age 2 where you just button mash and use random abilities. Ranged combat is pretty much useless(no more sneak attacks from 50 meters away like skyrim) to use the bowI can't take it anymore. At first I gave this game a positive review after like 2 days of play. I realize the error in my ways because it only took one week for the game to become completely boring. The combat is like dragon age 2 where you just button mash and use random abilities. Ranged combat is pretty much useless(no more sneak attacks from 50 meters away like skyrim) to use the bow you have to be pretty much right ontop of the enemy which defeats the point of using a bow. The world they created is beautiful and has plenty of diverse creatures too bad the only thing to do in it is run around and kill random creatures, you can only interact with certain objects like herbs and ore deposits. The quests are mostly all kill and fetch quests. The leveling and skill system makes no sense at all, the game randomly increases skills that you have equipped on your action bar, even if you don't use them. They totally ruined the simple crafting system that skyrim had implemented. Now you have to find schematics to make certain things and of course they and the materials are really rare, of course you can buy them from other players but why would you they'd probably charge you 10 thousand gold. Its like the developers all sat down an said "Lets take all the positive improvements skyrim implemented and just throw em away. This game is not worth $14.99 a month this game is not worth the $59.99 initial price.… Expand
  6. SBM
    Apr 5, 2014
    5
    Anyone waiting for the next great MMO will likely be disappointed. I had high hopes for ESO, I quite liked Skyrim and Morrowind before it, and the idea of a multiplayer installment was very appealing. However ESO doesn't break free of the MMO mold at all, in a lot of ways it's a step backwards. WoW is still better, heck The Old Republic is better. This game will not survive with aAnyone waiting for the next great MMO will likely be disappointed. I had high hopes for ESO, I quite liked Skyrim and Morrowind before it, and the idea of a multiplayer installment was very appealing. However ESO doesn't break free of the MMO mold at all, in a lot of ways it's a step backwards. WoW is still better, heck The Old Republic is better. This game will not survive with a subscription fee, I highly doubt I'll even use my free month of play time. I'll try and breakdown what's wrong with it, along with what they did right.

    The bad:

    Gameplay - Levelling solo was very boring for me, a friend or two may have helped, but I digress. It was admirable of the devs to try and break away from the kill X enemies or collect X of Y, but the quests still end up boring and samey. Combat, which has never been great in Elder Scrolls, is actually a step back from Skyrim. The combat feels floaty and requires you to aim in the general direction of an enemy when attacking. For an MMO with lots of enemies and chaos, this is just annoying. Levelling feels way too slow, and there's no good reason to even want to get to the end game. Dungeons are just a harder variation of the same boring crap you'd be doing solo. The Cyrodill PvP could be fun, but it usually ends up as one faction dominating the other two.

    Some essential features are also missing or just plain done wrong. There is no auction house, nor is there even a dedicated trade chat. You are stuck either trying to peddle your goods in the main chat channel, or to your guildmates. Speaking of which, you can join 5 guilds. Who wants 5 different guild chats spamming their screen at once? One guild has been standard for MMOs and for good reason. If WoW has too many features then ESO has far too few.

    Another note: The animations and lip syncing are fairly awful, of all the things to carry over from Elder Scrolls, why bring the terrible animations?

    The game economy - They took an interesting route with crafting, but it seems unbalanced. Also resources are very scarce, making levelling your crafting skill slow and expensive. Certain things like mounts cost far too much, it really seems like Zenimax wants you to shell out real cash for the imperial edition horse or the palomino. It's just too hard to earn enough money, I wouldn't be surprised to see gold available in the cash shop soon.

    The not terrible:

    Graphics - Pretty decent, not amazing, but about what you'd expect for a modern MMO.

    Sound - Probably my favorite thing about this game is the soundtrack. There are a lot of familiar tunes along with some new ones, I enjoyed the music. Voice acting was a mixed bag, certain voices were way overused, remember that guy who voiced half the Nords in Skyrim? He's back voicing half the Nords in this game.

    In Conclusion:

    This game is not horrible, clearly a lot of work did go into designing the game, but it went in the wrong direction. A lot of the Elder Scrolls features they stuck in this game were the wrong ones. Of the paid MMOs, this is the weakest by far. Even the free to plays like SWTOR and Neverwinter are better in my opinion. If you are like me and looking for a fun new MMO, you won't find it here. Save your money.    … Expand
  7. nefariousfiend
    Apr 23, 2014
    3
    It's very disappointing spending 80 dollars on a game plus a 15 dollar subscription per month I expected a lot more out of this game. It's about half the speed of wow and twice as dull if you ask me. The caster classes are underpowered and mana starved. you only get 5 abilities at a time unless you switch weapons then you get another 5 but lose the previous 5. The options are very limitedIt's very disappointing spending 80 dollars on a game plus a 15 dollar subscription per month I expected a lot more out of this game. It's about half the speed of wow and twice as dull if you ask me. The caster classes are underpowered and mana starved. you only get 5 abilities at a time unless you switch weapons then you get another 5 but lose the previous 5. The options are very limited as to what you can do. Bag space fills very quickly and you have to do a lot of crafting and grinding mats yourself to better your gear etc. It's much more of a grind than I expected. Lets not even get started on the bugs and downtime you will experience. The PVE really isn't social based in any way. It's more like playing a console game with a few random people running around with you. The quilds are a joke and not necessary in any way people just start one up and invite as many people as they can. Helpfulness for questions is pretty much non existent from my experience, your better off google searching. The chat in the game for Zones is pretty much bots spamming to sell gold power level and immature kids. Think of the crossroads in wow add 3/4 spam then the zone chat and you have a good idea of what to expect. The group dungeons etc is picking up random people and running through a quick 10 minute dungeon with little to sometimes no reward unless you count a little xp. Gear drops... what gear drops? It's make your own and improve it or run around in greens and maybe a few blues that you don't really want since they don't really help with your whole whopping 5 abilities. With the lack of abilities, the lack of social play, bugs and slow leveling, grinding and constant annoyance of running back and forth to clear bag space, and immature nature of chat and spam, I rate this game a 3. I feel it was a complete waste of money and time. Unfortunately, what's done is done. I just hope to save the next person 80 dollars or 60 depending on what version you buy.… Expand
  8. archanjo
    Mar 4, 2016
    3
    god this game is terrible.. where should i start with...ok lets see hmmm oh got it
    pros: has uninstall button
    cons : the rest

    so so so bad....i died a little inside
  9. mastershakez
    May 7, 2014
    2
    If you're a big fan of Elder Scrolls, you will more definitely hate this game. If however you're just a fan of MMORPGs, well you'll likely think this is below par at best...who was this game targeted to again? On the plus side, you can play as an Imperial for the low low price of $95 for your first month!

    Final score: TotallyNotACashGrab/10
  10. Isca
    Apr 5, 2014
    4
    EXTREMELY disappointing. This game does still have huge potential to be worth playing, but at launch there are some major issues spoiling it:

    - For an MMO, it feels BARREN. There is little interactivity with other players due to the nature of the chat set up. It is very confusing to see who sent a message, and all you see is 'shells' of other players darting around. You are mostly    EXTREMELY disappointing. This game does still have huge potential to be worth playing, but at launch there are some major issues spoiling it:

    - For an MMO, it feels BARREN. There is little interactivity with other players due to the nature of the chat set up. It is very confusing to see who sent a message, and all you see is 'shells' of other players darting around. You are mostly ignored if you try to interact with them. Sure, you can join guilds and clubs, but unless you know the person, every other player is an annoying distraction that can't or won't interact with you.
    - For an RPG - the character development is linear and confusing. You feel like you are controlling something that already has its path laid out ahead, rather than having control of its destiny.
    - The quests are EXTREMELY BUGGED, at least 1/3 quests have NPCs missing, or they are doing something so that you can't forward the quest. The quests themselves are mostly childish 'put this here' 'take that there' kind of affairs. Even Runescape has more engaging and challenging quests.
    - The enemies and bosses are virtually impossible to beat without dying several times over each time, which makes continuity impossible. It's like water torture trying to kill some of them (doing the same routine 20 times over, until you feel like punching your PC monitor). Mudcrabs level up along side you?? Really? All of a sudden the mudcrabs that were lvl 2 when you were lvl 2 are suddenly lvl 20 ... just as you hit lvl 20. This is the same for all PVM - There's no advantage in leveling combat skills.
    - There's little interactivity with the game world. You ask why your character can't pick up the countless weapons, armor and supplies that are just sitting around for the taking, while you struggle to find the right stuff to make a lvl 2 iron knife. Ridiculous.
    - Lag spikes are common. The servers seem to like them
    - There are too many items than you can pick up, store or bank, without any indication as to whether they are useful. The tooltips are pathetic. This will be OK for seasoned players, but for newbies it is very testing.

    On the plus side, the graphics are gorgeous, the soundtrack/ sound effects are amazing, and there is plenty of scope for personalizing your character.

    I was wishing for so much better. It really is a shame.    … Expand
  11. 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 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.Its 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.… Expand
  12. InsidiaGaming
    Apr 9, 2014
    3
    First of all if you are going to compare this to WoW you are going to have a bad time. WoW has had nearly a decade to get things right, tweak things here and there to find out what works and what doesn't work.

    If you played the ESO beta you'll remember bugs in it (as you do in beta) and some of those bugs are still there. Several times now I've logged out in frustration because of quest    First of all if you are going to compare this to WoW you are going to have a bad time. WoW has had nearly a decade to get things right, tweak things here and there to find out what works and what doesn't work.

    If you played the ESO beta you'll remember bugs in it (as you do in beta) and some of those bugs are still there. Several times now I've logged out in frustration because of quest bugs (such as the boss is supposed to jump down from a balcony to fight you, and ends up getting stuck and floating in mid air). The game is riddled with bugs here and there, putting it simply you'll run into some form of bug probably every 10-15 minutes whether it be a graphics bug, npcs half fallen into the floor, npcs that are "stuck" in combat, audio bugs you name it. This is the main reason why i'm giving it a low score, harsh possibly for bugs but there are that many bugs and at the moment Elder Scrolls Online is flawed and is heading in the same direction as other MMO's. At this rate it'll be free to play in around 8-10 months just in time for everyone to stop playing anyway and play the next WoW expansion when it's released at the end of the year.

    People should not be paying 39.99 for a game, then 8.99 on top of that for a monthly subscription for a bug riddled game from what is meant to be a top studio.

    The graphics are nice, but I've failed to see anything that captures you like that of Skyrim.

    The combat system is buggy, at times I've had to re-position myself because my blade just kept going through the mob and not hitting it (although naturally it could hit me). Even as a caster it just doesn't feel right.

    Character Creation, nothing more than average. Not bad, but nothing special either with a load of wasted templates you'd never use.

    Conclusion: You are not missing anything and chances are you won't gain anything at present only a forever burning hole in your wallet. Big let down from Bethesda who should know better than this, they had the betas, they had the players for it, they had the feedback and it's still ****    … Expand
  13. bugnguts
    Apr 5, 2014
    10
    First I will get two important points out of the way.
    1. ESO is an MMO. This means if you don't like MMOs you will likely not like this game. If your haven't tried MMOs but are fans of the ES universe then you just might like it.
    2. Pay model is monthly subscription. You may or may not like it but rating a game up or down several points based on this alone is ridiculous. Rating    First I will get two important points out of the way.
    1. ESO is an MMO. This means if you don't like MMOs you will likely not like this game. If your haven't tried MMOs but are fans of the ES universe then you just might like it.
    2. Pay model is monthly subscription. You may or may not like it but rating a game up or down several points based on this alone is ridiculous.

    Rating scale: (++++I stand in awe, +++ Excellent, ++Great, +Good, ~So-so, -Poor, --Bad, ---Terrible and ----Pure crap)

    Visuals
    Graphics +++ Compared to other MMOs ESO has perhaps the best.
    Art ++++ The detail and variety of art work is amazing. The artist quality of this game is 2nd to none.
    View Distance +++ The large VD makes the areas feel big. Hi/Lo texture transitions blended smoothly.
    User Interface+++ Clean and efficient. I especially like how the compass is used. For +or- there is no mini map.
    Graphics scaling +++ If your computer runs 21/2 year old Skyrim well, it will run ESO well.
    Graphic Options+++ ESO allows considerable tweaking including options like "Depth of Field".

    Sound
    Voice acting++The voice acting is quite good. Occasional audio glitches mutes the voice over.
    Music+++ ESO music like other ES games is top notch and implemented nicely.
    Ambient Sounds +++ Be it footsteps, NPCs, casting or etc ESO's soundscape it immersive.

    Controls
    Accessibility+++Hot keys and shortcut keys are straight forward. Just remember the "E" key is affirmative and is used a lot.
    Combat++For an MMO, ESO has great combat controls. It is not overly complex yet there is a rewarding learning curve. I do feel a few changes and or tweaking could make this go from great to excellent.

    RPG and Character Development
    Skill trees++++I feel Zenimax nailed this. Race, class, armor, weapon and misc skill trees distinctly affect your character but no single set defines your play style or role.
    Leveling+++You gain experience and skills through exploring, questing and using skills/equipment.
    Customization++ There are quite a lot of choices at character creation to customize your face/body. Though each race has a different style of armors and weapons there are no color schemes you can customize them with.

    Misc
    Game world+++ ESO's Tamriel is large and open. Lootable containers bookshelves etc are everywhere. There are many nooks and crannies that can be explored.
    PVE+++I think I might be playing a different game them those that complain about boring quests. This game's quest are creative, varied and entertaining. ESO uses phasing quite well to make you feel your actions matter. Will you still have to complete 100s of quest to level to 50 yes.
    PVP+++ I would like to experience more PVP, but the siege battles are epic and the three faction dynamic really adds depth to the PVP. The PVP in ESO is shaping up to be the best since Dark Age of Camelot. Though I need more time to tell and Zenimax will need to continue to evolve ESO's PVP.

    Most importantly
    Life draining+++ My wife and really enjoy playing ESO. We've played in beta and early access. We've spent way to many hours playing various MMO's. We like both PVE and PVP. We haven't been pulled into an MMO like this since Burning Crusade came out for WoW.

    There are many other fun and refreshing aspects of the game like lock picking. I will not cover them all.
    If you like MMOs and the Elder Scrolls universe this game is intoxicating. If you want a single player romp like Skyrim wait for TES VI. There is nothing earth shattering new or different about ESO compared to other MMOs. Yet small unique things like a very lootable world, 3 faction PVP, locking picking along with the other refined elements makes ESO a joy to play.

    I rank ESO at a 9.4. Overall its an excellent game. It used to be Metacritic was a great place to see gamers opinions. Now too many axe grinding trolls found the site and flippantly give a 0 with little to no reasoning why. That leaves users users that actually care the choice to rank the game higher to offset the trolls or give what they honestly feel is a reasonable score.    … Expand
  14. Mastershank
    Apr 4, 2014
    5
    Here we go again...another generic MMO grind fest. Just watch the streams on twitch of people playing this game and you will see how boring it is. Sure you will like this game at first. You'll be excited to try out your new skills and you may even try to follow some of the story. But before long you get the skills you need to have a complete character and you start skipping the questHere we go again...another generic MMO grind fest. Just watch the streams on twitch of people playing this game and you will see how boring it is. Sure you will like this game at first. You'll be excited to try out your new skills and you may even try to follow some of the story. But before long you get the skills you need to have a complete character and you start skipping the quest dialog, because none of it has any bearing on anything, then on to begin the long grind to 50. Once you reach 50 you'll have 10 veteran levels to grind out also.

    At some point you'll be asking yourself why you're doing this boring grind. Is it for the great loot you'l get later? No..this loot is more boring than Diablo 3 loot. Is it for story? No..the story is forgettable and makes no difference in this game. Is it to explore new and interesting areas? No..the areas are a little varied but nothing to gawk at. Then what? Well I don't know. I was hoping ESO wouldn't be a cookie cutter MMO but it is and that's that. Perhaps pvp can save this game, I'm not sure because I don't get into that.

    So you have a $60 game that costs $15 a month that is not innovative in the least. I predict the new game excitement will wear off within 3 months and this game will start having trouble keeping people.Too bad too, I was hoping Zenimax learned all the lessons of past failed MMO's but I guess not.    … Expand
  15. Acidosis
    Apr 10, 2014
    4
    I followed this game way from early January 2013 till now...and I am heavily disappointed. The things they promise such as impact-full quest, smooth active combat/game-play, elder scroll's feel, adventuring, player significance in the world and other player feedback during early alpha was not taken into full consideration. The quest in this game is lackluster and doesn't impact theI followed this game way from early January 2013 till now...and I am heavily disappointed. The things they promise such as impact-full quest, smooth active combat/game-play, elder scroll's feel, adventuring, player significance in the world and other player feedback during early alpha was not taken into full consideration. The quest in this game is lackluster and doesn't impact the game/npc in anyway, the combat still feels floating and animations are terrible for a 2014 game, elder scroll's feel aspect of it only comes from environment and music and adventuring is heavily controlled not to mention the dungeons mechanics are one of the worst I had seen. Players would rush to loot chest in dungeons and get all the loots instead of helping the group to make it through the dungeon. Even if you were to kick the player, the player will still exist in the same instance of dungeon and will continue to troll you and your group. It is a very terrible experience and it has been happening more frequently now.

    I will justify why I only give this game a 4/10

    One point is for their soundtrack/in game music.
    Second point is for their immense voice acting, which always make an mmorpg more lively.
    Third point is for recreating previous ESO game locations and make it look awesome
    Fourth point for me fan-boying till now. I really wish the game is more polish, solid and better but it isn't

    I can't give it another 6 points because I didn't enjoy any of the beta testing, broken promises which i stated above and the game isn't polished enough. The persistent in-game bugs are one of the worst I had encountered in all the mmorpgs i had played. They even beat GW2 in bugs award. SWTOR, Neverwinter and FFXIVARR were almost bug free even during the beta testing.

    I had a group of friends who were hyped up for the game as me but everything just fall flat. It may not be much but 11 of us including me will not be playing this game anymore. Five of us bought it and all of them regretted it.    … Expand
  16. Uxz
    Apr 11, 2014
    6
    The game starts out nicely, but once you start reaching higher Levels bugs upon bugs will ruin you game experience, at this moment in this you cannot Reach max Level (You will get about half ways there). Veteran Ranks are being blocked by a main story quest that is not possible to do, this has been bugged for 7 days now and there is no fix in sight. Several thousands of players are campingThe game starts out nicely, but once you start reaching higher Levels bugs upon bugs will ruin you game experience, at this moment in this you cannot Reach max Level (You will get about half ways there). Veteran Ranks are being blocked by a main story quest that is not possible to do, this has been bugged for 7 days now and there is no fix in sight. Several thousands of players are camping the zone without any content to do as they are blocked. The customer service offers little to no information and no solutions. This is not just a bug affecting one player, but all -early rushers and levelers managed to get past before the quest bugged out.… Expand
  17. game_over
    Jan 31, 2019
    8
    Poor inventory management, bad pings unless you happen to be close to their _one_ server location in the US, slow zoning, crates(gambling), slow loads (even with an SSD), and sometimes unforgiving group play.

    v.s. Great graphics, compelling quests, lush and diverse zones, and (generally) large amounts of content. This was one of the last AAA mmorpg(s) to be made before companies    Poor inventory management, bad pings unless you happen to be close to their _one_ server location in the US, slow zoning, crates(gambling), slow loads (even with an SSD), and sometimes unforgiving group play.

    v.s.

    Great graphics, compelling quests, lush and diverse zones, and (generally) large amounts of content.

    This was one of the last AAA mmorpg(s) to be made before companies decided they could make a crapload more money from mobile gaming at a fraction of the upfront/maintenance costs.

    ****The game is better now than it was at release. You can group with any friend, in any alliance, and any level in PvE. You can port to any zone, in any alliance and do quests there. The horrid grind after 50 isn't really that much of a grind anymore.

    If you are a subscriber the inventory management hell is somewhat mitigated.    … Expand
  18. 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 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    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.    … Expand
  19. Zenzukai
    Jun 20, 2014
    7
    Played since launch. Good, but incomplete. Game crashes frequently, and has so many hair pulling bugs.

    Many core mechanics are inspired and fun, but the game built on top of those mechanics isn't complete. Another game rushed to retail unfinished. PROS: Good core combat mechanics, great pvp mechanics, very fun group play in Cyrodiil. Pretty graphics. CONS: -No balancing, two    Played since launch. Good, but incomplete. Game crashes frequently, and has so many hair pulling bugs.

    Many core mechanics are inspired and fun, but the game built on top of those mechanics isn't complete. Another game rushed to retail unfinished.

    PROS:
    Good core combat mechanics, great pvp mechanics, very fun group play in Cyrodiil. Pretty graphics.

    CONS:
    -No balancing, two classes that are good, two classes that are very bad.

    -BUGS, so many quests will go unfinished, even main ones. Expect this a lot.

    -Closed world. Feels less open than every mmo and every Elder Scrolls game I have ever played. Big zones with invisible walls everywhere, don't expect immersion that comes from other Elder scrolls games or other MMOS.

    -Cheaters, with so many bugs running in the game it's no surprise some of those bugs got abused by players to get a head. Many first guilds used exploits to max characters day one, no punishment for any of those. This is because they lost so many subscribers early on if they kicked the cheaters they would probably cut down player base by half.    … Expand
  20. Enigma_Syrus
    Apr 4, 2014
    8
    I've played Daggerfall, Redguard, Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim. Elder Scrolls Online bears little in common with them aside from art and lore. With that said, it is still a unique game in its own right. I've seen people claim the leveling system is similar to other games, but it does allow a good amount of customization at the cost of grinding. It is very unlikely you'll find twoI've played Daggerfall, Redguard, Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim. Elder Scrolls Online bears little in common with them aside from art and lore. With that said, it is still a unique game in its own right. I've seen people claim the leveling system is similar to other games, but it does allow a good amount of customization at the cost of grinding. It is very unlikely you'll find two characters with the same build unless they're running a cookie cutter spec from a forum post. Quests are usually close together and generally have a story tied to them. Sure, there are fetch quests, etc. but there the story sets it apart from the elephant in the room (WoW). The quest/story concept has more in common SWTOR.

    A criticism and a boon (depending on the side of the fence you're on) is the phasing system. If you make a choice during a quest, your instance of that quest will differ from others. You may receive NPC help, or be fighting a different mob. It also allows you to have quest affect the area around you. If you're into solo play or you group before you begin quest and make the same choices, this is great. If you've already started a quest, others will have to catch up to join you. If you've already completed a quest, you're out of luck...

    This is a shame as you're not able to join up with friends in some instances. Sure, there are other places to go, etc. but it would be nice to be able to repeat quests at reduced xp / no xp.

    ESO is a good game, but know what you're getting into. Don't believe the hype and safely ignore the whiny "it isn't what I wanted" group. Taken as its own game, it is an above average MMO and will consume a good deal of your time. Even if you don't plan on sticking around, it will hold you over until another game comes along. I don't believe the subscription model is obsolete, I believe commitment to a specific game is.    … Expand
  21. thedirtyrussian
    Apr 10, 2014
    1
    Had to make an account to say.... this game is bad. It has surprisingly boring combat for an elder scrolls game, not to mention repetitive quests. There are many quests throughout the game, and the voice acting for them is very good, but you're so bored with the game you don't even care about the quests. The graphics are good too, but $60 for the box then $15 a month after? You won't beHad to make an account to say.... this game is bad. It has surprisingly boring combat for an elder scrolls game, not to mention repetitive quests. There are many quests throughout the game, and the voice acting for them is very good, but you're so bored with the game you don't even care about the quests. The graphics are good too, but $60 for the box then $15 a month after? You won't be getting $15 from me.… Expand
  22. Musta
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    If you are going to play this like an MMO, you may not enjoy it. There is not a huge hotbar, the combat takes actual skill, there's no grinding, classes aren't that dedicated to a certain role etc. If you want an in-depth review, this is it. I've played about 50-60 hours in the game and am level 24 right now.

    Questing: Quests are pretty much exactly like an Elder Scrolls game. Fully    If you are going to play this like an MMO, you may not enjoy it. There is not a huge hotbar, the combat takes actual skill, there's no grinding, classes aren't that dedicated to a certain role etc. If you want an in-depth review, this is it. I've played about 50-60 hours in the game and am level 24 right now.

    Questing: Quests are pretty much exactly like an Elder Scrolls game. Fully voice-acted with interesting stories. This is the only MMO I have ever played where I didn't just skip through the quest descriptions, so you remember what your character is actually fighting for. There are also three different factions with their own exclusive areas, meaning that even if you do every quest on your faction, you can make other characters in the other factions and do a ton of different quests as well. The story is actually good and gets you into the quests and the people you meet. It makes you actually care about the world. Rare for MMOs, I know.

    Combat: You pick a class which offers different skill trees. These skill trees are unique to your class. However, any class can use any armor and any weapon, and these weapons/armors have their own skills and passives. If you wanted to, you could fill your skill bar completely with Weapon and Guild skills (Skills that are from the Fighters/Mages guild, soon Dark Brotherhood and Thieves guilds too). At this point, your class wouldn't even matter. Want to roll Sorcerer to buff your dual-swords with extra fire damage while wearing full plate armor? Go ahead, being a Sorcerer doesn't limit use. Want to play a Nightblade but be a caster? The Siphoning skill tree allows you to use magic are a range, couple that with Mages Guild abilities, weapon abilities and others, and you can be a Nightblade Caster. There's also Werewolves and Vampires which you can turn into after getting infected (You can reverse the effect in a quest or keep it), unlocked a whole nothing slew of skills.

    Combat: Combat is very skill-based in this game. Gear matters, of course, but not like in other MMOs where everything is stats. If your enemy is charging a heavy attack, you can block it and stun them. While stunned, if you hit them with a heavy attack, they will be knocked down. If they are charging an unblockable attack, you can shield-bash (All weapon types can do this though) your opponent to stun them. You can block, dodge roll, do light/heavy attack etc. You have 6 skills per weapon, and can have two weapons that you can swap between, giving you a total of 12 skills to use. Two of these will be an Ultimate, bound to the R key, which are very deadly attacks that use their own resource pool. There are no cool-downs on any abilities, everything is based on resource management. You'll run out of mana in 6 casts or so, so you need to watch your resource costs carefully. Sneaking is in the game, and every class gets it. It even works in PvP. If you are behind a person and are sneaking, they will not see you, even if they are in third person mode. Bonus damage is dealt upon hitting from sneak. Combat uses a soft-lock system, meaning you have to actually aim at your enemies to hit them. Spells and arrows will still home-in, per balance (and latency) reasons, so there is no boredom to be found, even if doing a quest that you may not find too interesting, the combat is always there to enjoy immensely.

    Graphics: Quite beautiful. Alongside this, it runs very well. I run at 80-90 frames, and in an area with lots of fighting and 50 others players, I stayed at a constant 80FPS. Large battles in Cyrodill run surprisingly well, as opposed to GW2 where everyone would drop down to 20FPS.

    Crafting: Very extensive. You have different levels requiring different materials. You can make different "Styles", which are how your equipment you make looks. It's based on race, and each race starts with their own (You can learn the others later through rare lore-books you find as drops/in cupboards/dressers etc). Not only this, but the rarity (Green, Blue, Purple, Gold) affects how the items look! You can have the exact same item, but improving it to the next level can drastically change the appearance of the item. This allows huge re-playability.

    Cyrodiil: Cyrodiill is the Alliance vs. Alliance vs. Alliance mode, reminiscent of Dark Age of Camelot. I don't have much experience right now as it's incredibly unbalanced due to most people just PvEing, but it seems fun.

    If you are tired of the run-of-the-mill MMOs and are ready for a revolution in MMO games, this is the game. Elder Scrolls Online is the change the industry needed. I recently hit max level in WoW... again, and I realized that even at Endgame, it just was not fun at all. The journey to endgame is worse than the endgame. But ESO, it's actually a fun journey. It's basically an Elder Scrolls game (Specifically Skyrim), but online. I've played around 60 MMOs, and I have played nothing like this. It is truly worth the subscription fee and base price.    … Expand
  23. Taruine
    Apr 4, 2014
    0
    If you buy you this game you continue to support the degradation of not only MMO's, but games in general. This is the most shallow cash grab attempt to come out of an AAA developer in some time.

    The game tries horribly to combine the SP game and MMO together. Unfortunately since the developers already had a vision of the MMO they wanted to create, which had nothing to do with Elder    If you buy you this game you continue to support the degradation of not only MMO's, but games in general. This is the most shallow cash grab attempt to come out of an AAA developer in some time.

    The game tries horribly to combine the SP game and MMO together. Unfortunately since the developers already had a vision of the MMO they wanted to create, which had nothing to do with Elder Scrolls gameplay, they managed to take the worst possible elements of each to come up with this garbage.

    The game is linear, without an open world, no real exploration, with bad MMO elements to boot. Everything is forced so the developers could create their PvP game with an ES skin. The PvP isn’t even that good. The game is completely on rails, and doesn’t try to hide it. Level 50 mudcrabs? I mean come on, you just took the same level 1, level 4, level 10, level 16....ect mudcrab skin and put it in a zone and level scaled it to the area. Lazy. This is the way it is with all the mobs though, if you’re in x area, everything is x level. Trash mobs are facerollable without even thinking. Skills are limited, there is no real magic. Classes are forced, and designed poorly. No utility spells, skills or anything like that to give depth to the game. Garbage game, don't contribute to this crappiness.

    The marketing and customer service is even worse, just go to the official forums if you want to see what I mean. What is up with the cash shop? It’s stupid on top of a sub game, and they charge 15 bucks for a horse? I smell desperation to try to turn a profit on this game before free to play.    … Expand
  24. SamuelJJ
    Apr 16, 2014
    8
    I've been playing this game now since the launch date and it's an incredible experience, the amount of content involved in this game is phenomenal. However, the game does have its downfalls but they are minor, specially considering how bad people review this game. The game is being slated for such stupid reasons, therefore I am writing this review.
    Bad stuff first:
    Price you pay.. they    I've been playing this game now since the launch date and it's an incredible experience, the amount of content involved in this game is phenomenal. However, the game does have its downfalls but they are minor, specially considering how bad people review this game. The game is being slated for such stupid reasons, therefore I am writing this review.
    Bad stuff first:
    Price you pay.. they could at least make the game itself £30 or F2P after purchasing. Generally I do not like spending more than £20 for a game, though I made Elder Scrolls an accept ion and was pretty surprised. Yeah, it's good fun; but you should not buy this game if you're going in for "a new WoW MMO". You will be disappointed.
    I personally prefer playing this game alone and questing. The multiplayer is somewhat irrelevant, boring and frustrating at times, specially when players are doing the quests you are playing.

    World bosses are scattered around the lands and they are easy, boring and give very little satisfaction.
    PvP is good, but it's basically a world vs world cut from GW2. Hopefully Zenimax will apply world PvP or some unique hack and slash arena content later to this game to make PvP more exhilarating.
    Good Stuff:
    Combat mechanics are really good and it's a new implement to an MMO, I like not using a cursor to click and attack, its a major bonus to the game.
    I have only stumbled across one bug and people say "the game is very buggy". This is Bollo****. It doesn't make the game bad at all, the developers will obviously fix these minor issues so stop typing nonsense. The bug I encountered was a quest NPC who instead of speaking English, spoke German; it was quite funny tbh.
    The landscapes are beautiful and you can tell they put a lot of time in to creating this.
    So many quests are on the menu to choose from which are voiced and have decent story lines to them. Some of the quests include single player boss fights which separate you from other players and I really enjoyed this as there is tactical fights which are fairly hard.

    All in all, I have had a really good experience in this game and I would recommend this to anyone who likes fantasy adventure. Do not enter this game expecting an amazing MMORPG, because in all fairness; for the price you pay, it's really not.    … Expand
  25. uizueite
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    Would give a 10 if it the game wasn't shush a money grab fest. However ill pay the monthly fee cause its worth it more then wow that i played for 4 years. I'm actually reading all the quests texts from NPCs cause they are imersive. Game is what i expected and more. I know even there are a few bugs and the end game isn't still perfect i trust Bethesda to know that they will solve gameWould give a 10 if it the game wasn't shush a money grab fest. However ill pay the monthly fee cause its worth it more then wow that i played for 4 years. I'm actually reading all the quests texts from NPCs cause they are imersive. Game is what i expected and more. I know even there are a few bugs and the end game isn't still perfect i trust Bethesda to know that they will solve game issues. They worked hard to get the game at an acceptable level at the release and hearing the community was they banner.… Expand
  26. Alcapwn
    Apr 5, 2014
    9
    After reading through the negative reviews I can tell the majority of them are due to either the subscription model, pre-purchase incentives, or the reviewer played for 10 minutes and didn't get immediately hooked. I'm not going to talk about the preorder stuff even though I don't agree with what they did. The gameplay is what's important and it's fantastic. The quests have the greatAfter reading through the negative reviews I can tell the majority of them are due to either the subscription model, pre-purchase incentives, or the reviewer played for 10 minutes and didn't get immediately hooked. I'm not going to talk about the preorder stuff even though I don't agree with what they did. The gameplay is what's important and it's fantastic. The quests have the great writing and backstory that is familiar to elder scrolls fans and they are varied enough to keep things interesting. The problem is the weak beginning. The game didn't really hook me until level 15 or so which is disappointing since that is several hours into the game. The amount of content is crazy and couple that with one of the best crafting and pvp systems I've seen in a long time and I think this will be a very popular game with a hardcore following.… Expand
  27. Heeko
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    Best PVE I ever seen on a MMORPG, if you like elder scroll games you will love it. Best RVR since Dark Age of Camelot. Intelligent mix between old school and "new school" mechanics. Seriously, if you like elder scroll games, mmorpg, and real RVR, you have to try it.
  28. putzler88
    Apr 5, 2014
    9
    Is it Skyrim II? No. If you are expecting an online version of Skyrim, you will be disappointed.

    Is it an MMO? Yes. If you enjoy playing MMOs and like/love The Elder Scrolls series, this game is a good bridge until TES VI. The graphics are great and the gameplay is good. It is still version 1.xx so it won't be as polished as other MMOs that have been around for years. it's    Is it Skyrim II? No. If you are expecting an online version of Skyrim, you will be disappointed.

    Is it an MMO? Yes. If you enjoy playing MMOs and like/love The Elder Scrolls series, this game is a good bridge until TES VI. The graphics are great and the gameplay is good. It is still version 1.xx so it won't be as polished as other MMOs that have been around for years. it's inevitable that any new MMO will be compared to WoW right? ESO has has promise if given time to bloom.

    I haven't reached max level yet so my opinion may change when I hit end game but I like what I've been playing during the past week (in early access through launch). Btw, smoothest launch of a major MMO ever?    … Expand
  29. Anoners
    Apr 4, 2014
    6
    Totally addicted already. I'm not sure why people are so angry about the sub. If that's a problem, don't buy the game? Not fair to give it a low score based on that. I play pretty much all the MMOs that are out there, and this one is def. one of the best.
  30. anMMOplayer
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    The Good:

    It's one of the best AAA MMO's currently available. Large scale PvP is best in class. PvE is quite good, lots of variety, very high quality execution, and there are substantial PvE challenges available for solo and group play. The game looks beautiful. The games crafting system is excellent. It supports extremely varied character customization via its character creator.    The Good:

    It's one of the best AAA MMO's currently available. Large scale PvP is best in class. PvE is quite good, lots of variety, very high quality execution, and there are substantial PvE challenges available for solo and group play. The game looks beautiful. The games crafting system is excellent. It supports extremely varied character customization via its character creator. Lore and storytelling are strong points. For a game with themepark features it does a good job of supporting exploration, esp. once you get past the starter zones. The combat gameplay is very active, situationally driven, and rewards skillful play in many ways. The gameworld evolves substantially as you quest due to phasing. Solid in game LFG function. The level 15+ zones and the PvP zone are massive.

    The not so good:

    The games richness comes with substantial complexity. Grouping can be awkward for solo PvE content where phasing is involved. Minimalist UI will not appeal to many competitive gamers that want more information access. 1st person is immersive, but largely impractical for PvP and harder PvE content (the forthcoming addition of a PoV slider should change this for the better). The starter islands (currently optional) provide a decent introduction to gameplay, but are more guided and simplistic in their content presentation than the later zones (basically the gameplay opens up with each subsequent zone).

    The Meh:

    There is a lot of Elderscrolls in it, but it is an MMO. There are many confused reviewers that insist on reviewing it as a single player title (hint, it's not). It has a subscription. On the plus side, this means the developers should be focused on keeping players subscribed rather than being focused on thinking of gimmicks to get players to spend cash in an item shop, on the minus side, well, you need to pay a subscription fee.    … Expand
  31. GivenToFly
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    Amazing atmosphere, wonderful leveling experience, public dungeons, RvR. A solid, well performing MMO that is true to the Elder Scrolls name. It runs extremely well, encourages exploration due to finding some really neat quests and other items when out in the world, and has a well written story.

    I've been waiting for an Elder Scrolls game for a very long time and I am not dissapointed.
  32. cafebabe
    Apr 4, 2014
    4
    I'm very disappointed by this MMO. PvE is so badly unbalanced. Its just frustrating. In some key quests, you fight mobs alone easily, but when you touch a boss, you need a group or be 10 levels ahead. That's just so frustrating. The fighting is just bad. You cannot really focus on one enemy. The server often lag too much so blocking or evading attacks is just a roll of dice. The weaponryI'm very disappointed by this MMO. PvE is so badly unbalanced. Its just frustrating. In some key quests, you fight mobs alone easily, but when you touch a boss, you need a group or be 10 levels ahead. That's just so frustrating. The fighting is just bad. You cannot really focus on one enemy. The server often lag too much so blocking or evading attacks is just a roll of dice. The weaponry and armor is boring and the _very good_ voice overs cannot compensate the repetitiveness of the quests. I will not go further than the 30 days included with the high price for the game, unless there are a lot of bugfixes and balancings.… Expand
  33. RecoveryRx
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    Easily the best mmo I've played in many a year and definitely the most immersive one I've ever played period. Would give this game a 9 but I'm knocking off a point for somewhat questionable business practices in the fact that they locked a race behind the collector's edition and have a cash shop like a f2p game when they said they wouldn't do that.

    Game itself though - incredible.
  34. guinevere2
    Apr 19, 2014
    4
    Gameplay is very good, itemization is one of the best I have seen in games....but it all goes down the drain when you take all the exploits, hacks, mass boting in every public dungeon, not working skills into consideration. The communication from Zenimax side is almost non existent limited to generic one-two sentence post on their forum. The economy of the game was utterly broken 2 weeksGameplay is very good, itemization is one of the best I have seen in games....but it all goes down the drain when you take all the exploits, hacks, mass boting in every public dungeon, not working skills into consideration. The communication from Zenimax side is almost non existent limited to generic one-two sentence post on their forum. The economy of the game was utterly broken 2 weeks after the release because exploiters were duplicating items making a tons of cash. Zenimax did absolutely nothing to counter that, they just banned the exploiters leaving the broken economy to the players. A clear sign to me they are not here to stay, just grab as much money as fast they can. It is a fine game for a month or so, just for solid pve experience, and that is all. Unless it does not bother you that you will have to grind your ass off to get that legendery items when the guys next to you have all of that, millions of golds and they crafting skills maxed out thanks to an exploit. Well, it does bother me.… Expand
  35. cooper76
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    Special game here. ESO has the best combat the genre has seen, and pvp the genre has not seen on a AAA level in many many years. There are so many things from Lore books to ruins the need discovery. Real exploration here, not the mark on the map garbage.
  36. Raidriar
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    The Elder Scrolls Online is a Fantastic game. The game is very immersive with a great world to enjoy. The game feels like a great hybrid between single player RPG's and MMORPG's. If you're a hardcore Elder Scrolls fan you may not like some of the compromises that were made in order to make the game an MMO, but by an large it doesn't in any way pull the game down. The game gives a greatThe Elder Scrolls Online is a Fantastic game. The game is very immersive with a great world to enjoy. The game feels like a great hybrid between single player RPG's and MMORPG's. If you're a hardcore Elder Scrolls fan you may not like some of the compromises that were made in order to make the game an MMO, but by an large it doesn't in any way pull the game down. The game gives a great sense of character progression that very much feels like you would be playing a single player game. Although it doesn't do to much to innovate the mmo genre it doesn't feel generic. So if you're tire of the same old Warcraft style MMO's, ESO may feel a bit more fresh. The main selling point of this game though is it's absolutely fantastic PvP.

    The PvP in ESO is probably the best in any MMO to date. To describe it, it's very much seems to be a spiritual successor to the MMO "Dark Age of Camelot". Think of it as a medevil Planetside 2. The battles are absolutely "Epic" in the truest sense of the word. Imagine three different factions, each with at least two hundred to four hundred people all battling for a single keep. It's honestly something that hast to be experienced. The harsh death penalty and long walks between keeps prevent's zerging and makes every kill matter that much more. What really adds to the PvP though is the skill system and combat. In ESO you have a LOT of freedom when it comes to customizing you're character skills. With three different skill trees for each class plus passives, and weapon skills, racial passives, and armor passives, all of which can be morphed into one of two separate skills. make the possibilities almost endless. It's very intuitive to choose you're class and make YOUR build based around the weapon's armor's that you choose and try and create a synergy! That diversity get's rid of cookie cutter builds and adds for a deep meta-game. There is no best build! Sure some builds will be stronger than other's, but with the amount of choice if someone where to make an overpowered build someone would simply create a counter build thus causing a change in the meta. That system will greatly increase the longevity of this game. Many people would like to bring up that due to the lack of fifty-billion skills you end up "spamming" a lot. I'm happy to report that this is far from what I have persevered. Every skill has a situational use to it and with the addition of having to manage you're manna and stamina, you have to think about what skill you are going to use and how you are going to use it which adds a whole new layer of depth to the already deep skill system. Even with the large battles in ESO you can still feel like you're greatly contributing with you're individual actions. And even if you don't want to always be in these huge epic battles, Cyrodiil which is the huge, massive map that PvP takes place in, is so large that you will often run into solo enemy player's, isolated small groups and isolated combat. There is so SO much to do in Cyrodiil, with not only a large amount of PvP battles but a large amount of PvE content, quests and caves to look for and explore. Another thing that add's to the PvP is the amazing crafting system. Crafting in this game is very meaning full and is truly a step up from past mmo's. Instead of crafting fifty grey copper boot's that you sell to a vendor much of what you make is very useful. It's actually important to have expert crafter's in you're build in order to provide proper gear for everyone. And in fact some of the best gear in the entire game is craftable. Crafter's will have to work to look for locations that add special enchant's to gear and work to get the best ingredients. And all this hard work goes to helping provide good gear to you and you're faction.

    In conclusion, The Elder Scrolls Online is a fantastic MMORPG that is worth the buy. Do not get on board the despicable anti-hype train of ignorant people bashing the game, they either haven't played it or only played a little bit off the beta. It's aimless hate that holds no ground. So pick up The Elder Scrolls Online for the best PvP experience every and an all around great MMO!    … Expand
  37. JonathanE
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    First, let me just say this is not an Elder Scrolls single player game, it just isn't. For one that would make for a terrible MMO. Could you imagine walking into a building and nothing is in it because you are allowed to pretty much steal everything? That sounds great on paper but once you make something an MMO in general you have to reduce a lot of the features in order to implement otherFirst, let me just say this is not an Elder Scrolls single player game, it just isn't. For one that would make for a terrible MMO. Could you imagine walking into a building and nothing is in it because you are allowed to pretty much steal everything? That sounds great on paper but once you make something an MMO in general you have to reduce a lot of the features in order to implement other features.

    Anyway, now because I clarified that let me say that I have personally had a blast thus far. I think it's different enough with the story telling, combat, and other features to keep you interested. The quests are fun, and the voice acting is top notched. So far the story is quite satisfying and makes you actually fill like you are on an epic adventure; however most MMOs now seem to either have a sandbox setting OR a good story line. Very few games seem to have an epic narrative story line but a sandbox world where you are restricted to separate instances.

    This of course leads into instances however where there is serious overcrowding and dozens of people in an area working on the same quest, this can definitely reduce the feel of impact you are making in the world, yet this I believe is a minor thing compared to the atmosphere of the world. So far the villages sometimes change for you when quest happens, and town people might interact with you slightly different based on the quest you have done (not a big change but big enough that it adds flair).

    The graphics and the music help immensely with the atmosphere and causes the world to really come alive.

    I would give it a ten however there are still some issues, the chat box is hectic, the graphics can sometimes be a little glitchy, and the UI is a bit confusing at first (because it feels a lot different then other mmos).

    These of course are just minor things in an overall great game. Hope it will keep my attention for a while.    … Expand
  38. chegsfd
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    this game is not for everyone.

    if you like the elder scrolls series and MMORPGs, and would like to play a game that combine those two, then you are in for a treat. The game is basically skyrim with a different leveling system. Personally, I loved the classes and weapons, and they give a great margin for experimentation. Most combinations work, and thats very impressive. Quests are    this game is not for everyone.

    if you like the elder scrolls series and MMORPGs, and would like to play a game that combine those two, then you are in for a treat.

    The game is basically skyrim with a different leveling system. Personally, I loved the classes and weapons, and they give a great margin for experimentation. Most combinations work, and thats very impressive.

    Quests are a little confusing at times, but overall they are different from other mmorpgs, with lots of story and awesome voice acting.

    If you play this expecting it to be elder scrolls 6, you're gonna have a bad time. This is a very unique game, if you go far enough to see for yourself, and I hadn't been so hooked up on a game for a long time.

    (best launch i've seen on any mmo. most crucial bugs were fixed 2 days after the server opened, and now you can play silky smooth)    … Expand
  39. doublemints
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    There is a genuine efforts in creating a TES universe in a template of MMO. This game is visually appealing, with interesting storyline/quests presented by NPC with unique personality. The combat is fast-paced and action-packed. The world is rich with lore and details. Plus the add-on to customized your experience, this game offers something for causal and hardcore gamers alike. This gameThere is a genuine efforts in creating a TES universe in a template of MMO. This game is visually appealing, with interesting storyline/quests presented by NPC with unique personality. The combat is fast-paced and action-packed. The world is rich with lore and details. Plus the add-on to customized your experience, this game offers something for causal and hardcore gamers alike. This game provide the atmosphere to be an immersive single player game with social function to be a fully-fledged MMO. If the developers can keep delivering meaningful expansion as they promised, I can see this game easily justified its price tag. The game will offer player with lots of entertainment for a long time to come.… Expand
  40. kellan
    Apr 7, 2014
    10
    Good game. Great for MMO, and I believe worth the sub. Just don't go in expcting Skyrim Online. Very good combat, massively improved since beta. Storyline is great. and the lore is the most detailed and expansive in MMO genre.
  41. Ogr
    Apr 4, 2014
    8
    If you want to enjoy TESO, please do not compare it to the usual Elder Scrolls Games and don't compare it to an MMO like WoW etc.

    The game looks nice and made for adults, fantasy like it was before WoW etc. The Story is sometimes really great and exploring the world is interesting and full of content. Quests are as usual, but with a nice story etc. I don't really like the combat    If you want to enjoy TESO, please do not compare it to the usual Elder Scrolls Games and don't compare it to an MMO like WoW etc.

    The game looks nice and made for adults, fantasy like it was before WoW etc.
    The Story is sometimes really great and exploring the world is interesting and full of content. Quests are as usual, but with a nice story etc.
    I don't really like the combat system, it's okay and sometimes fun, but I would prefere more skills to use etc.
    Some things are too old fashioned and made too complicated for 2014, but it is a good game if you play PVE. Not a great game. I would give 7/10 points for the PVE part.

    If you liked RvR, this is your game. I've had massive battles with the other fractions and they were so much fun, it really reminds me of DAoC.

    So for the PvP part I would give 9/10 (maybe it could go up to 10/10, I'm just lvl 20 right now)

    All in all: 8/10    … Expand
  42. Spacecraft
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    About as good as an Elder Scrolls MMO can be. The crafting is deep and rewarding, the world is large and very alive, the quests are well written and well voice acted, and the combat is fun. For the most part you really can make your own build and play however you want. I'm a melee templar wearing a mix of cloth and plate (think of the vigilants of stendarr in the elder scrolls lore) and itAbout as good as an Elder Scrolls MMO can be. The crafting is deep and rewarding, the world is large and very alive, the quests are well written and well voice acted, and the combat is fun. For the most part you really can make your own build and play however you want. I'm a melee templar wearing a mix of cloth and plate (think of the vigilants of stendarr in the elder scrolls lore) and it works very well.

    I started out hating this game from my experiences in the early beta but the developers listened and really pulled it together in the end. I love this game.    … Expand
  43. elderrealm
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    Zenimax has NAILED IT! Best MMO to date. Hands down. Don't buy into the negative comments- Most of them are complaints about paying a sub fee. $15 a month isn't that big of a deal. You spend that at lunch every day I bet. I will gladly pay as this game has proven itself. And if the additional content lives up, then it will be a game for life for me.
  44. Jason312
    Apr 7, 2014
    10
    I have reviewed the game on April 5th but I have now played it some more and it's better than I initially thought. I have played World of Warcraft but I got a bit fed up of the cartoon style visuals in the game and graphically The Elder Scrolls Online is a big improvement over the visuals in World of Warcraft.

    So if you enjoy the single player Elder Scrolls games and also have or still    I have reviewed the game on April 5th but I have now played it some more and it's better than I initially thought. I have played World of Warcraft but I got a bit fed up of the cartoon style visuals in the game and graphically The Elder Scrolls Online is a big improvement over the visuals in World of Warcraft.

    So if you enjoy the single player Elder Scrolls games and also have or still enjoy massively multiplayer online player role playing games then I do suggest you give The Elder Scrolls Online a go...    … Expand
  45. mrsensa
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    Go into this game expecting Skyrim, expect to be hugely unsatisfied. However, if you come to ESO with a love for Elder Scrolls elements in an MMO setting, expect to be blown away. I'm only at level 17 so there's a lot more to discover. I feel the monthly fee has already been justified as i've clocked in almost 40 hours already. Granted, I'm not going to be able to put that much time in onGo into this game expecting Skyrim, expect to be hugely unsatisfied. However, if you come to ESO with a love for Elder Scrolls elements in an MMO setting, expect to be blown away. I'm only at level 17 so there's a lot more to discover. I feel the monthly fee has already been justified as i've clocked in almost 40 hours already. Granted, I'm not going to be able to put that much time in on an average week but if I can put that many hours in on a monthly basis, i'll be very happy. Best MMO on the market. Beautiful graphics for an MMO, but yes Skyrim does look a lot better even unmodded, but Skyrim doesn't have to render a whole world, it only renders what's around you so that's totally understandable. Anyway, can't give much of a review, need to get back to it.

    In a nutshell, if you want an MMO that trys and succeeds at new things (interesting quests, brilliant crafting etc) set in a beautiful looking world with Elder Scrolls elements, then definitely pick this one up.    … Expand
  46. ajpearman
    Apr 4, 2014
    8
    Going into the beta almost a year ago, I did not have much hope for this game. I felt that it was clunky, looked rather dull, and the slew of bugs and issues had me pretty disappointed. But over time, I kept hopping back on to the betas when I felt bored, and the game grew on me. They started to improve responsiveness, fixed many bugs, and added in the pretty great voice acting in all ofGoing into the beta almost a year ago, I did not have much hope for this game. I felt that it was clunky, looked rather dull, and the slew of bugs and issues had me pretty disappointed. But over time, I kept hopping back on to the betas when I felt bored, and the game grew on me. They started to improve responsiveness, fixed many bugs, and added in the pretty great voice acting in all of the quests.

    The beta weekends convinced me that the game was worth at least a $60 purchase. ESO is fun, unique in many aspects to the MMO market, and has an absolutely staggering amount of quality story quest content. Whether I continue to pay monthly for the game is up to how Zenimax does with their release of the upcoming endgame Adventure Zone- Craglorn, and their Trials 12-man PvE content. As of now, the game is still having some growing pains; there are a few quest bugs, leveling needs to be worked on since grinding is the fastest path to level 50, and overall combat responsiveness could use a bit more work.

    All in all, the game is having a pretty strong start, and it is more than clear that Zenimax is capable of handling issues and fixing bugs in a timely manner. Let's hope their content generation teams are up to the task!    … Expand
  47. DaveMo
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    After playing the first two beta weekends I had access to, I swore I would never buy this game. After the final two, I was in love. This is a truly amazing game. The combat is wonderful. This is impressive considering how I didn't care for it in the first beta. Modifications made it a keeper. There is a lot of timing and smart attack sequencing involved.

    The quests are typical elder    After playing the first two beta weekends I had access to, I swore I would never buy this game. After the final two, I was in love. This is a truly amazing game. The combat is wonderful. This is impressive considering how I didn't care for it in the first beta. Modifications made it a keeper. There is a lot of timing and smart attack sequencing involved.

    The quests are typical elder scrolls. Usually quests are part of 3 or 4 part stories. The character development is interesting. Your class, race, weapons, armor types (light/medium/heavy), and guilds all have their own skill lines, apart from many other skill lines. This allows you a lot of customization where any race and class combination can be any play style.

    Playing with others is also great. I have done a few dungeons with guildmates and traded them a lot of items. This is my first MMO experience, and I am finding it very enjoyable.

    This doesn't include the PvP which is also wonderful.    … Expand
  48. TrueGamer81
    Apr 5, 2014
    10
    This game is amazing. The graphics are not quite at Skyrim quality, but the scope is far bigger. Everything is out in the open, it seems. There are massive corridors with excellent architecture, and the lands are varied and massive. The game world is incredibly big, and there are tons, and tons, and tons of quest in every single region. The gameplay is excellent, too. The combat isThis game is amazing. The graphics are not quite at Skyrim quality, but the scope is far bigger. Everything is out in the open, it seems. There are massive corridors with excellent architecture, and the lands are varied and massive. The game world is incredibly big, and there are tons, and tons, and tons of quest in every single region. The gameplay is excellent, too. The combat is surprisingly deep for an MMO and Elder Scrolls game, and the possible builds are truly endless. While you start off with a race and one of four classes (which may not seem like much to choose from at first), it soon becomes apparent that those are just basic templates that can be molded at will. The amount of variation and customization available as you build your character is impressive. The crafting system is deep, as well.

    Overall, this is an excellent game with a lot more content on the way. Highly recommended.    … Expand
  49. titmo71
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    Here's a quick breakdown of the game...
    Take the basic gameplay principles of The Elder Scrolls single player games and add it to a MMORPG game world foundation and you have The Elder Scrolls Online. If that premise interest you, go buy it now
  50. Jason8705
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    Prepare to have your mind blown. I was skeptical of this game, just like I am of any MMORPG that isn't WoW, and I can tell you that it is 110% better than anything out on the market. I have been playing for the 5 days of early access and my social life has taken a severe hit. GET IT, it is VERY worth the monthly fee (allows them to provide better quality addon content, customer service,Prepare to have your mind blown. I was skeptical of this game, just like I am of any MMORPG that isn't WoW, and I can tell you that it is 110% better than anything out on the market. I have been playing for the 5 days of early access and my social life has taken a severe hit. GET IT, it is VERY worth the monthly fee (allows them to provide better quality addon content, customer service, etc) ... I am also a fan of the Elder Scrolls games (especially Skyrim and Oblivion) so if you loved the lore or world of those games you will not be disappointed. Why are you still reading this? Go download it.… Expand
  51. xnexus
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    A fantastic game for those that love The Elder Scrolls AND MMO's. Please understand this is an MMO and if you have only played TES games you opinion might vary.

    IMO one of the best MMO's in the last 10 years. Quests are fun, exploring is entertaining, and the story is great. Finally, PVP is all you could ask for in an MMO. I highly recommend this title.
  52. mrbeavis19
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    First off, all the hate coming at this game is totally undeserved. I played the betas and loved it, so I pre-ordered and have been happy with it thusfar. No MMO has ever launched without bugs and after Oblivion and Skyrim's shaky launches, you'd be an idiot to expect this game to ship in perfect condition. The gameworld is simply too big to catch every conceivable issue before theFirst off, all the hate coming at this game is totally undeserved. I played the betas and loved it, so I pre-ordered and have been happy with it thusfar. No MMO has ever launched without bugs and after Oblivion and Skyrim's shaky launches, you'd be an idiot to expect this game to ship in perfect condition. The gameworld is simply too big to catch every conceivable issue before the deadline. That said, I've encountered no game-breaking bugs in the 15 or so hours that I've played in early access, so I have no idea what everyone is whining about.

    Gameplay-wise, it feels far more like previous Elder Scrolls games than I had thought an MMO could. It's much like playing Oblivion or Skyrim. The environments are breath-taking, like seriously I stopped and stared and admired the detail of the sun rays cast through the pink tree canopy in the Dominion starting area for like 10 minutes, it's easily the prettiest MMO I've ever played. The combat is just as engaging, but more skill-based than the hack-and-slash approach taken in its single-player predecessors. The NPCs and storylines for each faction are interesting and pull you in to the gameworld.

    The crafting is just as fantastic as it was in Skyrim. I love that off the bat, with a new character, I can run out of the city limits, gather materials, and craft myself some nice equipment before carrying on with quests.

    Speaking of quests, I've seen "Wah, questing is the same as every other mmo" too much. **** This game is even better voice-acted than Skyrim, first off, each quest-giver delivering a convincing and interesting performance. That said, all the quests feel much more engaging and important than the WoW or GW quest systems this has been compared to. The instancing is also done fantastically. Showing you the devastation of a battle in an encampment that you chose not to defend and saw in fine condition minutes ago was a particularly poignant part of one quest. The experience system is one we've seen before, but too bad, it's a good system, why fix something that's not broken? It's a pillar of RPGs.

    In short, because of the Elder Scrolls' storied legacy, people expected far too much from this game and are now bashing on it for being a fun and well-designed MMO instead of some crazy new format of multiplayer gaming that no one has ever seen before. It's like hating on a Ferrari because it doesn't fly and give blow jobs.    … Expand
  53. Vlad86
    Apr 4, 2014
    5
    As an elder scrolls fan, I'm very disappointed. Just another random MMO with elder scrolls overlay. A very poor and disappointing design choice from Bethesda.
  54. terrible_lizard
    Apr 10, 2014
    4
    I was in on the Mac beta and was able to play this for a couple weekends before the official release. So, full disclosure, I have not played the official release. The reason why I have not played the official release is that based on my time with the beta, this is a bad game. No way I would pay for this game after playing the late-stage beta. I am big fan of Skyrim and Oblivion, and I haveI was in on the Mac beta and was able to play this for a couple weekends before the official release. So, full disclosure, I have not played the official release. The reason why I have not played the official release is that based on my time with the beta, this is a bad game. No way I would pay for this game after playing the late-stage beta. I am big fan of Skyrim and Oblivion, and I have played many of the MMOs that are out there (if only the free versions, in some cases). This game is a laughably average and dull MMO with a coat of Elder Scrolls paint. If you must play an MMO, grab a copy of GW2 which is a better game in every respect and has no subscription fee. ESO feels like a cynical ploy to milk fanboy cash. Having said all this, I will be keeping an eye on ESO because I know the devs can make it better if they keep working at it. If FF13 A Realm Reborn can be salvaged, then perhaps so can ESO.… Expand
  55. Tinz
    Apr 12, 2014
    1
    I am a huge Skyrim and Oblivion fan and was expecting something so much better. I played the beta for a while and found that it didn't measure up in any shape or form to my expectations. The graphics are poor and I just can't stand playing in a world littered with people doing things that make no sense whatsoever. It would have been so much better if they had released another Skyrim andI am a huge Skyrim and Oblivion fan and was expecting something so much better. I played the beta for a while and found that it didn't measure up in any shape or form to my expectations. The graphics are poor and I just can't stand playing in a world littered with people doing things that make no sense whatsoever. It would have been so much better if they had released another Skyrim and given it co-op capability so you could adventure with your friends against a computer. Epic fail for me and so surprising for such a talented company. Did they sack all their cool people and outsource or something?… Expand
  56. Frenk-the-Vile
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    Great questing, gorgeous graphics, slow but deep combat, RvR that is huge and polished and with a clear purpose: give it a try...it will capture you...
  57. HenryDane
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    I was absolutely floored by Elder Scrolls Online for one reason: it made me feel so much immersion I literally forgot where I was for hours at a time, to an extent no other MMO has done for me since Wrath of the Lich King. It has its flaws, glitches, its generic MMOness but this game has definitely done one thing right: it is thoroughly an Elder Scrolls game! I am a veteran of Oblivion andI was absolutely floored by Elder Scrolls Online for one reason: it made me feel so much immersion I literally forgot where I was for hours at a time, to an extent no other MMO has done for me since Wrath of the Lich King. It has its flaws, glitches, its generic MMOness but this game has definitely done one thing right: it is thoroughly an Elder Scrolls game! I am a veteran of Oblivion and Skyrim and after spending long hours of my youth slaying mudcrabs and reading about Lusty Argonian Maids, I had very high hopes for ESO. I can tell you this: if you are a Lore nazi, you will hate this game. It has a few glaring holes in its Lore consistency. However, if you can live with the explanation that maybe Sheogorath just wiped the memory of every historian living in the era because he felt like it, (which I hope most of you can, that Sheiogorath is a tricky fellow), then jump in and join a living, breathing Tamriel on the scope we have all dreamed of since those dark nights in our parents' basements, wiping cheeto dust from our fingers and staring at our screens in wonder thinking, "This would be so awesome if my friends could join me in Elder Scrolls!"… Expand
  58. spencerknight
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    It is by far the best MMO available right now. But it's not only an MMO, it's a true Elder Scrolls game. If you played Skyrim, Oblivion or Morrowind, you will feel right at home with this game. Combat system is amazing, much more evolved than in other games, the graphics are top notch and yet the game runs perfectly even on lower laptops. There are over 10000 NPCs in the games and allIt is by far the best MMO available right now. But it's not only an MMO, it's a true Elder Scrolls game. If you played Skyrim, Oblivion or Morrowind, you will feel right at home with this game. Combat system is amazing, much more evolved than in other games, the graphics are top notch and yet the game runs perfectly even on lower laptops. There are over 10000 NPCs in the games and all dialogs are spoken! Make no mistake, this is a very high quality MMO, with an amazing quest system. I can honestly say this is the PERFECT MMO!… Expand
  59. SadiusHunter
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    I honestly made an account just to say, it's really good game, I'm not much of a fan of MMO's, nor do I often enjoy them, However this is one of the few that really makes it really special, the world is beautiful, the combat is great, PvP has been awesome so far, it has quests that aren't always find or kill, it does vary, Character Creation is great, story plays out well and even theI honestly made an account just to say, it's really good game, I'm not much of a fan of MMO's, nor do I often enjoy them, However this is one of the few that really makes it really special, the world is beautiful, the combat is great, PvP has been awesome so far, it has quests that aren't always find or kill, it does vary, Character Creation is great, story plays out well and even the community is mature, the subscription fee does put people off but it's still great, I'd almost give it a 10 if it wasn't for the sub fee, I truly believe this is the MMO that Elder Scrolls deserve, that's coming from a fan who has been playing since Daggerfall… Expand
  60. krammerlock
    Apr 6, 2014
    3
    It is a huge disappointment. They changed what worked in Skyrim and did not change what did not work. The game is unbalanced, graphics are average at best, combat is boring, stealth is meaningless, and skills are limited. I am playing as a high elf sorcerer and it is a weak character. No good AOE and no meaningful control spells at all. Early in the game any 2 enemies can take you down.It is a huge disappointment. They changed what worked in Skyrim and did not change what did not work. The game is unbalanced, graphics are average at best, combat is boring, stealth is meaningless, and skills are limited. I am playing as a high elf sorcerer and it is a weak character. No good AOE and no meaningful control spells at all. Early in the game any 2 enemies can take you down. Don't bother joining the fighters guild as the first quest line is not possible with a sorcerer. In Skyrim stealth was a real advantage and one can argue the most powerful combat tactic in the game. In ESO it is meaningless. In Skyrim I could learn any spell but in ESO I am constrained to the ones they assign my character. This makes Sorcerer both boring and needlessly hard to play. In Skyrim you could sell almost anything for some gold, but in ESO many things are set to 0 value, even though they may be valuable. In Skyrim you have a much larger inventory than ESO, which is very small especially considering the wide range and number of things you need to collect. The skill tree in Skyrim was the best feature of the game, but in ESO it is gone. Groups do not work like those in any other MMORPG and not for the better. Some quests are so crowded with participants that you can complete them just by standing around. ESO go play a good game like Neverwitner on-line and make some major changes please.… Expand
  61. koh
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    Very fun so far, can't wait to see all of tamriel. Best MMO I have ever played, well worth the money..............................................................
  62. TDK1984
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    Best MMO experience since the early days of SWG, EQ and WoW. I really am enjoying almost every part of this game. I hope that things get better from here and this game gets really popular.
  63. Sensus
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    Been having a lot of fun. Really love the elder scrolls feel. Amazing voice acting and great questing. And the graphics are incredible too. One of the most fun leveling experiences I've ever had. 10/10 from me.
  64. Respen
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    I am pleasantly surprised in this game. I'm an adventurer by heart, yes, I enjoy a bit of endgame, but grinding the same few instances over and over for loot only to be used on those same instances has lost it's appeal to me. This is exactly why ESO shines for me. This is the most entertaining story and environment rich MMO I've played in a decade. The tutorial area and starter islandI am pleasantly surprised in this game. I'm an adventurer by heart, yes, I enjoy a bit of endgame, but grinding the same few instances over and over for loot only to be used on those same instances has lost it's appeal to me. This is exactly why ESO shines for me. This is the most entertaining story and environment rich MMO I've played in a decade. The tutorial area and starter island do not do the final product justice, once you get to level 10+ you will see what I mean. The PVP seems great, but most of my time is spent just exploring and collecting. I'd give this an honest 9, but because of all of the ridiculous 0's... I have to get a little political and throw it a 10.… Expand
  65. The_Ommadawn
    Apr 7, 2014
    9
    Good : Huge game, tons of content, action packed, varied locations, interesting skill trees, 1st and 3rd person play styles, simple interface, Elder Scrolls!, dodging and blocking matter, good storyline, intuitive menus, fully voice acted, colourful, high standard graphics, time vampire, perfect rescue from the real world, _________ Bad : Seen this style of game before, can beGood : Huge game, tons of content, action packed, varied locations, interesting skill trees, 1st and 3rd person play styles, simple interface, Elder Scrolls!, dodging and blocking matter, good storyline, intuitive menus, fully voice acted, colourful, high standard graphics, time vampire, perfect rescue from the real world, _________ Bad : Seen this style of game before, can be overwhelming, need MMO experience to get the most out of it, the usual people moan all the time, no auction house, gold sellers already, melee collision detection isn't the best, not enough gold to buy stuff, toon animation disappointing, quest bugs, server downtime, still not as good as WoW,… Expand
  66. unreal1212
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    Believe the hype. Finally an MMO that can stand up to WoW. Everyone is burned out on that game and ESO is going to give them a run for their money. This is by far the best MMO I have ever played. The world is stunning, the game play is fun and very different from your traditional MMO (and it's about time someone thought outside the box). There is a real sense of community within theBelieve the hype. Finally an MMO that can stand up to WoW. Everyone is burned out on that game and ESO is going to give them a run for their money. This is by far the best MMO I have ever played. The world is stunning, the game play is fun and very different from your traditional MMO (and it's about time someone thought outside the box). There is a real sense of community within the game. Well done Zenimax. Way to prove the nay-sayers dead wrong!!… Expand
  67. jlbenne4
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    The Elder Scrolls Online is great, modern MMORPG. The posts about people maxing their characters are lies. There is more to do in ESO while you're leveling than the majority of MMOs and it is more involved than any WoW quest.

    In addition to the great quest system are public dungeons, skyshards, and elite monsters that reward exploration.
  68. wasimkhan77
    Apr 8, 2014
    10
    I have loved the elder scrolls series and was not really a supporter of them making an MMO, mainly because of the fact that the MMOs currently on the market are mostly about requiring us as the supposed "RPG" player getting cookie cutter specs from websites to them mindlessly push the buttons for that supposed "DPS" glory, well i'm not into that .... when I go for an RPG MMO then I expectI have loved the elder scrolls series and was not really a supporter of them making an MMO, mainly because of the fact that the MMOs currently on the market are mostly about requiring us as the supposed "RPG" player getting cookie cutter specs from websites to them mindlessly push the buttons for that supposed "DPS" glory, well i'm not into that .... when I go for an RPG MMO then I expect the RPG element to be at the forefront of the experience. Grinding certain combos of keys to get good DPS is not my idea of a good MMO. What we see in the MMO market today is the established concept of just grinding through the levels with no connection to the story and absolutely no interaction with the environment.

    ESO is far from that and it is surprisingly really very good. It is to a great extent what I want an elder scrolls MMO to be! I love the environments, the characters are memorable, the graphics are top notch and the environment is open and INTERACTIVE. This for me is what I always wanted RPG MMOs to be. I'm so glad that my favorite gaming series did not disappoint.    … Expand
  69. Vasco
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    I have been playing this game for several days already, and I can say with no doubt: this is an MMO that I have always dreamed to play. The quests are really very interesting and different, and the main storyline is as epic as the storyline in Skyrim. The game is fully voiced, the music is fantastic. TESO is so atmospheric! But what I like most of all is exploration.
    The game is awesome,    I have been playing this game for several days already, and I can say with no doubt: this is an MMO that I have always dreamed to play. The quests are really very interesting and different, and the main storyline is as epic as the storyline in Skyrim. The game is fully voiced, the music is fantastic. TESO is so atmospheric! But what I like most of all is exploration.
    The game is awesome, If you really like good MMOs then jus try it!    … Expand
  70. Morphix
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    We can finally say, a TRUE WoW KILLER! ;) I had tons of doubts leading up to the release and during the betas of TESO, and I honestly didn't plan on purchasing it, but I gave it a shot at the last second; and I am so happy I did! I have played just about every MMO out there since back in the early and good days of WoW, and all of them had me bored within a few hours. I don't know what itWe can finally say, a TRUE WoW KILLER! ;) I had tons of doubts leading up to the release and during the betas of TESO, and I honestly didn't plan on purchasing it, but I gave it a shot at the last second; and I am so happy I did! I have played just about every MMO out there since back in the early and good days of WoW, and all of them had me bored within a few hours. I don't know what it was, but I just couldn't stand them. Up until this day, I just continued to play WoW off and on. But I can 100% positively say, WoW no more! I don't know what it is about TESO, but it is just.. amazing! It is finally bringing the challenge, RPG elements, and a beautiful world back into the MMORPG genre. The world is gorgeous and massive, the community is thriving, the first person view is perfect, and the game is very immersing. I haven't been able to get immersed into an MMORPG since TBC in WoW, but this game will get you immersed in no time! Of course the game isn't perfect, but it is by far just about the best if not the best MMORPG on the market. It does have a different feel than other MMOs, but it's a good one. The combat system for instance; people say it is clunky and not good. But I am enjoying it! It has a real, and awesome feel to it. It's basically just like Skyrim's Combat System which I loved. But.. I'm still very new to the game, so I can't speak for tons of the content/dungeons/pvp just yet, but just from questing for a couple of days; surprisingly.. I am LOVING THIS GAME! =)… Expand
  71. dukelunar
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    There will always be haters for every game, old elder scrolls fans refusing to accept that Bethesda decided to publish a mmo break their hearts.. either way this game is very fun to play with friends, soloable if you are intrested in that too. I do really recommend you to buy this game.
  72. azz1810
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    This game is absolutely amazing! The quests are probably the best I have ever experienced in an MMO and they are on par with quests in both Oblivion and Skyrim.

    Well worth a try, you will not be disappointed!
  73. drogon1
    Aug 14, 2014
    9
    I have been playing ESO since launch. ESO had made some poor design decisions (essentially no XP in dungeons among others) that made the game unplayable for me (I do not play MMOs to primarily solo quest in). I gave the game essentially a big fat Zero.

    Now, after a couple of updates, I am thrilled with the direction the game is going in. It is now a 9/10 for me as far as MMOs go. I    I have been playing ESO since launch. ESO had made some poor design decisions (essentially no XP in dungeons among others) that made the game unplayable for me (I do not play MMOs to primarily solo quest in). I gave the game essentially a big fat Zero.

    Now, after a couple of updates, I am thrilled with the direction the game is going in. It is now a 9/10 for me as far as MMOs go. I honestly haven't had this much fun in an MMO since DAOC. If you're an MMO fan, I encourage you to try the game yourself and ignore the negative comments.    … Expand
  74. armyranger173
    Apr 5, 2014
    7
    I am loving this game so far. It is a great marriage of Elder Scrolls and MMO's, that being said if you are looking for the next chapter in Elder Scrolls this is NOT it, it is a completely different genre. I have played through several BETA's and Early Access. This is the most graphically stunning MMORPG I have been apart of. The leveling and progression system is innovative. CraftingI am loving this game so far. It is a great marriage of Elder Scrolls and MMO's, that being said if you are looking for the next chapter in Elder Scrolls this is NOT it, it is a completely different genre. I have played through several BETA's and Early Access. This is the most graphically stunning MMORPG I have been apart of. The leveling and progression system is innovative. Crafting is complex and engaging. I have enjoyed exploring using treasure maps, searching for skyshards, and going through dungeons. The battle system is dynamic blocking, dodging, counter attacks, and really focusing and the abilities you use. PvP is the best I have ever seen, giant war, so much fun.

    This is a MMORPG so again if you are looking for the next Skyrim or Morrowind this isn't for you. If you enjoy social gaming of MMORPG and are a fan of Elder Scroll Lore this is amazing.

    It is a brand new release so don't be surprised that there are some bugs, it is a lot smoother than the release WoW, SWTOR, LoTR. And I have not seen end game yet. Because of those to I am giving 8/10. To be revised in a month or so! :)    … Expand
  75. TarrinRos
    Jun 27, 2014
    10
    Good game with nice atmosphere, beautiful sound and sfx. Interesting quests. Yes, it haven`t same liberty as in single TES, but in lore it`s the same. Unusual combat and crafting system.

    Bugs are fixable. And we want more content, but it will be in future.
  76. OzShinDig
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    This game is amazing. Don't listen to all the people complaining about a sub fee. It's better to pay a small amount and not have to buy an item here and an item there, which ends up costing more in the long run anyway. People are just too dumb to realise that. A perfect mix of MMO and TES. Don't expect Skyrim or Oblivion online, because that wouldn't be possible in an MMO. But this is theThis game is amazing. Don't listen to all the people complaining about a sub fee. It's better to pay a small amount and not have to buy an item here and an item there, which ends up costing more in the long run anyway. People are just too dumb to realise that. A perfect mix of MMO and TES. Don't expect Skyrim or Oblivion online, because that wouldn't be possible in an MMO. But this is the best MMO I have played since WoW (played thousands of hours), and the only one worth paying for. The graphics are amazing, the art design is fantastic. A few bugs here and there but they are getting fixed. So much of this game has changed over the past year of development and it's changed for the better because the developers listened to the players. The low average score isn't because it's a bad game, because it truly is fantastic! It's because people are happy to pay $4 a day for a coffee or $15 for a movie ticket for a movie that only goes for 90 minutes, but they go psycho about paying 50c a day for something that provides potentially hundreds or even thousands of hours of fun. Those people aren't the types we want playing anyway.… Expand
  77. cjwilke
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    Is this game for everyone? Apparently not, but it would be for a lot more people if they actually gave it a chance. People seem to be turning it away for minute issues such as the box fee, the sub fee, the cash shop, the Imperial Edition "locking away" a race, initial bugs in Beta, etc. I can see their points but this should not detract from them actually trying the game itself. This is byIs this game for everyone? Apparently not, but it would be for a lot more people if they actually gave it a chance. People seem to be turning it away for minute issues such as the box fee, the sub fee, the cash shop, the Imperial Edition "locking away" a race, initial bugs in Beta, etc. I can see their points but this should not detract from them actually trying the game itself. This is by far the best MMORPG I have played.

    Why?

    1) Story/Questing. There are hundreds of quests in this game and almost every one of them is comprised of multiple steps, each one a little mini adventure, and then many of them tying into the larger plot and lore of the region. I do not understand at all why people keep calling it a "WOW clone". Quests in WOW comprise of "go kill 10 of these" or "collect 15 of those". These quests are much more like what you would expect from a single player RPG, including Elder Scrolls games. Many involve multiple locations, multiple NPC's, investigating locations, etc. All of these stories are told with top notch voice acting. It doesn't have the cut scene approach of SWTOR but the quests are more involved and much less WOW like than SWTOR.

    2) Graphics. The textures are not as good as a recent RPG like Skyrim, but the world is much more varied and just appears for "magical". I got bored with Skyrim after a while with the constant drab colors and repetitive environments. The art design in my eyes is much more interesting than previous Elder Scrolls games and obviously the locales are much more diverse, from island towns to deserts to swamps to volcanoes to the old Skyrim environment. The lighting and shadows I think are even better than Skyrim and the character models, including NPC's and creatures, are incredibly beautiful and detailed. The armor can look "painted on" sometimes, especially lower level armor but there is a huge variety.

    3) PVP. Even the "haters" of this game admit that the PVP in this game is some of the best ever seen in a MMORPG. It is based on DAOC, which most gamers see as the epitome of PVP. Cyrodiil is huge, just as big as Oblivion, and not only offers RVR style PVP with siege weapons and keeps, but the zone offers PVE elements including crafting nodes, treasure maps, chests, dungeons, towns with quests, etc.

    4) Crafting. I've never seen such an interesting questing system in an MMORPG. There are 6 different crafting categories in this game, all with their own skill lines, something for everyone. Many other games involve picking a profession or two and as you level them by crafting, you can craft higher tier items...brainless. Provisioning involves finding recipes and then cooking at a fire. Alchemy involves experimenting with ingredients by tasting and combining to create potions. Enchanting involves discovering/translating runes and placing them into items. Woodworking/clothing/blacksmithing is the most involved, with multiple steps: Finding racial style books, researching traits from other items, using different materials, and upgrading the item, either quality or tier.

    5) Combat. Combo of real time, like Skyrim, and hotbars like traditional MMORPG's. You can block, roll, interrupt, hit hard, hit light, or use special ability skills from numerous skill lines (class, weapon, armor, guild, PVP, etc.). This makes for a very dynamic system that never gets boring. Combat is often not easy either...not just 1 button mashing.

    6) Character development. The game has a very involved character creation system with 10 different races and 4 different classes, with sliders for everything to add a unique look. You then gain XP which gains levels and grants a skill point and an attribute point. There are numerous skill lines including one for each class of armor and each weapon type, each guild (with more to come), PVP, each profession, and unique skill lines for if you become a vampire or werewolf. Any class can use any armor or weapon and can fill the role of DPS, tank, or healer depending on your decisions.

    7) Little touches and diverse content. There is so much to do in this world including dark anchors and fissures for group combat, solo dungeons, public group dungeons, instanced group dungeons, world bosses. There is fishing, lore books, notes/journals, small items to pick up, sky shards for extra skill points, locked treasure chests with its own lockpicking minigame, hidden treasure chests with their own treasure maps pointing to them, and small items to pick up like bottles and carrots.

    8) The future. ESO is against "raiding" which I love. ESO is going to offer "adventure zones" which are large outdoor areas for small to large groups offering more detailed quests, caves, dungeons, world bosses, etc., for end game, that can be repeated. The developers thus far offer "DLC caliber content release" every 4-6 weeks as well so it will continue to grow. It has its bugs and is not perfect, but like all MMORPG's at launch, it is in its infancy and will continue to improve/grow.    … Expand
  78. Evulsive
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    I personally enjoy the game a lot. I understand there are flaws to be fixed but I don't think I have ever played a game that has reached perfection. The lore is to die for :)
  79. Ixnatifual
    Apr 22, 2014
    5
    You begin to wonder why MMO developers insist on moving further and further away from the persistent world concepts so fundamental to the roots of the genre. Ultimately, the fragmented world of The Elder Scrolls Online is in stark contrast to the open structure of previous Elder Scrolls titles. The game's engine runs smoothly and presents a beautiful art style and convincing voiceovers.You begin to wonder why MMO developers insist on moving further and further away from the persistent world concepts so fundamental to the roots of the genre. Ultimately, the fragmented world of The Elder Scrolls Online is in stark contrast to the open structure of previous Elder Scrolls titles. The game's engine runs smoothly and presents a beautiful art style and convincing voiceovers. But it feels wasted on what is essentially a lackluster theme park MMORPG experience with a Skyrim skin. The design feels like a compromise where the developers couldn't agree on the direction of the game and ended up with halfway solutions.

    The end result is mediocre.    … Expand
  80. Neness
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    Simply a great game !
    Goode PVE !
    Good lore !
    Good combat mecanics !
    Giant map !
    Good PVP !
    Giant PVP MAP !
    And it's Elder Scrolls, lore is so great !
  81. hellsaint111
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    It has been years since an MMO released that pushed the genre forwards and did something new, that is what ESO has done. The way that they have created an MMO while staying true to the Elder Scrolls series is just perfect, any true fan of the series will see it straight away. The release went pretty much flawlessly, which is quite rare. I look forward to many years of ESO's many years ofIt has been years since an MMO released that pushed the genre forwards and did something new, that is what ESO has done. The way that they have created an MMO while staying true to the Elder Scrolls series is just perfect, any true fan of the series will see it straight away. The release went pretty much flawlessly, which is quite rare. I look forward to many years of ESO's many years of success and development, I've been playing MMOs for years and have never been as amazed with any game as I was when I first stepped into the world of ESO. Finally the MMO genre is moving forward and doing something new, proving that all the generic MMOs before it don't have to be that way and hopefully ESO will inspire other MMOs to try something different, because clearly it works.… Expand
  82. froggiestone
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    During beta i was left unimpressed, but i decided to get the game anyway. Best decision I've made in a long time, the more you play the more awesome the game becomes, and i don't even like tes games.

    I feel they shouldn't had done the beta, because you really need to get up over lvl 15 or even 20 before the game really comes into it's own. I was pretty vocal about the game being bad    During beta i was left unimpressed, but i decided to get the game anyway. Best decision I've made in a long time, the more you play the more awesome the game becomes, and i don't even like tes games.

    I feel they shouldn't had done the beta, because you really need to get up over lvl 15 or even 20 before the game really comes into it's own.

    I was pretty vocal about the game being bad from beta experience, but every man can have a standpoint til he takes a new, and i'm glad i decided to get it anyway.

    i'm not a TES player although i did play through Skyrim, but i've played almost all (larger) mmorrpg on the marked, and not only is eso an awesome tes game but it is the best mmo i've experienced to date. whether or not this holds true many months from now i can't say, but it's definitely worth the box price.    … Expand
  83. covolin
    Apr 6, 2014
    10
    I won't drone on and on with a comprehensive review because i know many of you do not read the entire review. In short, I have been playing since closed beta and have a fair grasp of most of the game as a whole and I can say that so far I really love it and I have high hopes for the games future. It brings real story and depth to the mmo scene while providing fun and addictive gameplay.I won't drone on and on with a comprehensive review because i know many of you do not read the entire review. In short, I have been playing since closed beta and have a fair grasp of most of the game as a whole and I can say that so far I really love it and I have high hopes for the games future. It brings real story and depth to the mmo scene while providing fun and addictive gameplay. Fans of the Elder Scrolls should DEFINITELY play this game.… Expand
  84. Kraf
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    Everything I wanted in an MMO... to me it feels like it takes good things from several other MMO's and combines them into one great game. Non-Tab targeting system (like Tera's system), full voice acting (like SWTOR), great character class customization (like Rift but TESO is its own). It also has great questing that doesn't feel like the normal go here and kill 7 rabbits.
    I am addicted...    Everything I wanted in an MMO... to me it feels like it takes good things from several other MMO's and combines them into one great game. Non-Tab targeting system (like Tera's system), full voice acting (like SWTOR), great character class customization (like Rift but TESO is its own). It also has great questing that doesn't feel like the normal go here and kill 7 rabbits.
    I am addicted... Nuff said!    … Expand
  85. TheHoboMan
    Apr 4, 2014
    3
    Bugged quests, clunky combat, bland environments, bland spell effects, clunky looking animations, bad voice acting, cookie cutter classes...the list of bad things in this game go on and on.

    I will give Bethesda a nod for making an attempt, but the game does not feel immersive at all. But I am disappointed that they would put out such a crap product. Some series are just not meant to    Bugged quests, clunky combat, bland environments, bland spell effects, clunky looking animations, bad voice acting, cookie cutter classes...the list of bad things in this game go on and on.

    I will give Bethesda a nod for making an attempt, but the game does not feel immersive at all. But I am disappointed that they would put out such a crap product.

    Some series are just not meant to be made into an MMO..    … Expand
  86. hamod1981
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    Outstanding, wonderful, magnificent game I love the quest system like skyrim . Nice Personal story, best pvp same as Dark age of Camelot .beautiful graphics .If you like mmos this is one of the best. Really great game Best MMORPG since Wow, don’t let a few negative reviews change your mind, those are mostly people who can't stand a bad launch, and the game itself is awesome. Best gamingOutstanding, wonderful, magnificent game I love the quest system like skyrim . Nice Personal story, best pvp same as Dark age of Camelot .beautiful graphics .If you like mmos this is one of the best. Really great game Best MMORPG since Wow, don’t let a few negative reviews change your mind, those are mostly people who can't stand a bad launch, and the game itself is awesome. Best gaming experience I had since the start of wow in 2004. I mean all the other competitors on the mmo market. Age of Conan, Warhammer, LotR ,Rift, Guild war 2, Swtor. A solid game that is absolutely worth playing and worth . A few launch glitches but all that will be fix soon , but for a new MMO launch it's really pretty amazing that it went as smoothly as it did. If you love mmo this game for you and if you love elder scroll series also this game for you. Finally this game ESO does things a lot different than the standard mmo. Anything from class building, how you go about your crafting, to stat implementation (which takes a little to understand). Just exploring everywhere and trying different builds alone is incredible, questing is a little different and stay somewhat true to Elder Scrolls style since you can and actually have to find certain quests..i recommend to buy this game was very fun .… Expand
  87. Anthony20
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    The game is great so far. I give it a 10/10. It's way better then I was expecting. Can't wait to see what else they put out in the future. I definitely recommend picking it up.
  88. 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 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.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 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.… Expand
  89. RootAbyss
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    The game is amazing.

    Both for MMO and Elder Scrolls players. Zenimax has found a perfect balance of a mix of The Elder Scrolls and the MMO genre. The quests vary from several activities and the dialogues are sublime! Also worth mentioning: the voice acting. The voice acting is amazing and definetely worth listening to, and it's definetely not cheap. If you're bored of PVE then    The game is amazing.

    Both for MMO and Elder Scrolls players.
    Zenimax has found a perfect balance of a mix of The Elder Scrolls and the MMO genre.
    The quests vary from several activities and the dialogues are sublime!
    Also worth mentioning: the voice acting.
    The voice acting is amazing and definetely worth listening to, and it's definetely not cheap.

    If you're bored of PVE then just go to Cyrodiil for some PvP.
    The massive battles with trebuchetes and catapults deliver a great fight for keeps.
    And then you can also capture the keeps around the Imperial City, which let's you crown an emperor.    … Expand
  90. worsel66
    Apr 5, 2014
    10
    the game is great I just wish people stop compering it to skyrim and try to see it as an mmo and give it a change . yeah you may not like the game but is not fair trashing the hard work of so many people.
  91. busa27
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    The game for me is PERFECT. I only hope continue support from Zenimax and some quest fixes. I really love AvA, crafting, PvE, dungeons and LORE. Good work Zenimax.
  92. springsteen
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    This game is incredible. I really think the negative feedback is coming from people who haven't played past beta, or haters who just want this game to be skyrim. Get over it... this is an MMO people! Seriously, give this game a real chance. Definitely the most fun I have had in a long time. Not your cookie cutter MMO and in every good way imaginable.
  93. Kellborn
    Apr 7, 2014
    10
    If you dive into this game expecting "Skyrim 2", or an MMO with revolutionary combat that's brand new to MMO's, you'll find yourself somewhat disappointed.

    That being said, dive into this game and enjoy it for what it is - an Elder Scrolls game, and chances are you'll be having a blast. The game feels and looks like the three last ES games. The world, the lore, and the quests are all    If you dive into this game expecting "Skyrim 2", or an MMO with revolutionary combat that's brand new to MMO's, you'll find yourself somewhat disappointed.

    That being said, dive into this game and enjoy it for what it is - an Elder Scrolls game, and chances are you'll be having a blast. The game feels and looks like the three last ES games. The world, the lore, and the quests are all the best in any MMO I have played so far. Naturally, ES has a lot of lore, but Zenimax has done a grand job of implementing this into their game, and even putting a few of MK's obscure lore bits in there too.

    The questing is the best in any MMO I have played thus far. All of the quest givers are fully voiced with voice actors who for the most part does a fantastic job. The NPCs you meet has character, personalities, and it immerses you into the quests like no other MMO.

    Questing isn't the only way to level in this game, you can explore the world too, which you're rewarded heavily for. The world is dotted with chests to find, crafting materials and ingredients, skyshards (which gives you a skill point) and quests you may not have found otherwise. All the areas are huge, and are properly fleshed out to provide a great experience.

    In terms of combat - initially, chances are that it won't impress you. As you start out the game, you won't have all manner of skills, and you won't yet understand just how many you can unlock, and there are a lot. Once you hit around level 10, when you unlock a majority of skills for your class/weapon, you will truly appreciate just how deep the skillsystem is in this game, and the amount of variety it has.

    Crafting. Ahhh crafting. They have really hit the nail on the head with this one. There are 6 lot of professions (Clothing, blacksmithing, woodworking, alchemy, enchanting, provisioning) in the game, who are all incredibly usefull. Crafting plays a big part in the game, as you can actually craft set items, and also create extremly powerful gear that can match that of which you find in dungeons or otherwise. The crafting system is deep, fleshed out, and fun.

    In the end, I think it's fair to say that ESO is a pretty damn good MMO. Though it does have some bugs at this writing moment, the amount of potential and effort in this game is quite baffling. The game, is absolutely, definitely, a great game.    … Expand
  94. mijxero
    Jun 16, 2016
    9
    I played this game on release day and I really didn't like it. I have returned recently and I have to say that it is really fun. As a buy-to-play MMO the microtransactions are not pay to win and are not shoved in your face. The DLCs are worth it, but you can still enjoy the game without them. All I have to say is that the combat is fun, the character building is unique, the quests areI played this game on release day and I really didn't like it. I have returned recently and I have to say that it is really fun. As a buy-to-play MMO the microtransactions are not pay to win and are not shoved in your face. The DLCs are worth it, but you can still enjoy the game without them. All I have to say is that the combat is fun, the character building is unique, the quests are actually very engaging, the dungeons are fun, and the community isn't terrible. I am sad to see so many negative reviews because I haven't had this much fun in an MMO since the original Everquest.… Expand
  95. Username12368
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    I'm a huge Elder Scrolls fan. I've played Arena, Daggerfall, Redguard, that really bad one with the online battles, Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim with all DLC and expansions. I've created several mods for the last 3, the most popular of which has received over 14,000 downloads. I'm a casual MMO player. I've played World of Warcraft, Guild Wars, The Old Republic and Dark Ages of Camelot. II'm a huge Elder Scrolls fan. I've played Arena, Daggerfall, Redguard, that really bad one with the online battles, Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim with all DLC and expansions. I've created several mods for the last 3, the most popular of which has received over 14,000 downloads. I'm a casual MMO player. I've played World of Warcraft, Guild Wars, The Old Republic and Dark Ages of Camelot. I stopped played MMOs completely about a year ago. I don't know what happened, but I've come to despise MMORPGs. I swore to myself that I'd never do another fetch quest, or get instantly kicked out of a dungeon due to the class I choose (Ok, so maybe I do know why I dislike them now). I had come to prefer adventuring on my own, and the Elder Scrolls filled the gap when I quit MMOs. I spent countless hours exploring, questing, flighting and crafting in the world of Tamirel, as well as countless more tweaking and redesigning parts of the game to my liking, all without having to deal with some of the most rude and immature I met during my time playing online. Not everyone was like that, and I did meet some really friendly people, but finding them was like finding a needle in a haystack. So when the Elder Scrolls Online was announced back in May 2012, I didn't know how to react. One part of me was happy that another TES game was being released so soon after Skyrim and that I would be able to play with friends. The other half, however, dreaded the thought of having to return to MMOs. Elder Scrolls helped me escape from virtual worlds, and now it was pulling me back. Fast-forward to Janurary 2013. A beta sign up page appeared on the game's official website. I quickly rushed to sign up as fast as I could. The site told me that my chances of being invited were very high, due to my high system specs and experience with the series. So I waited. And waited. And waited. My beta invite never came. So I signed up under a different email. It never came. Almost one year later I was invited to a weekend long stress test in the fifth batch of invites. I was overjoyed, I couldn't believe that I was going to be playing the next TES game so soon! That Friday I sat at my computer all day refreshing the 'New' tab of the Elder Scrolls Online subreddit. 2 hours ahead of schedule, the servers went up. I instantly got in, made my character, and waited to be amazed, my earlier fears about the game simply forgotten. And it sucked. The first area, Coldharbour, was poorly written and lacked the most important feature a video game can have, fun. This was not a TES game, it was bland TES-branded shovelware. But for some reason, I kept playing. Around level 7 I started to warm up to the game, pleased with its lack of fetch quests. When I reached level 10, I could enter Cyrodill and fight for my faction in PVP battles. And it was amazing. Working together with 100+ people to capture a keep, defending it and capturing it again using siege weapons is so fun it cannot be described using words.… Expand
  96. DrLuigi
    Apr 4, 2014
    8
    Pros:
    -It has the story of SWTOR but doesn't handcuff you into being a prisoner of having to actually sit through nothing but story if you don't want to.
    -Finally an MMO with next-gen graphics -There are not multiple servers, one giant NA server (or one EU) that gets phased as you work your way through the story mode or join others. -Distinct character customization, it has been a long    Pros:
    -It has the story of SWTOR but doesn't handcuff you into being a prisoner of having to actually sit through nothing but story if you don't want to.
    -Finally an MMO with next-gen graphics
    -There are not multiple servers, one giant NA server (or one EU) that gets phased as you work your way through the story mode or join others.
    -Distinct character customization, it has been a long time since an MMO has given the player this much freedom to create a character how they want.
    -Easily one of the smoothest pre-launch/launches in MMO recent memories
    -You have to work for rewards you really feel like you accomplish something as you level up, complete parts of the story, and get your next item

    Cons:
    -Many times it feels like it may as well be a single player game
    -The fighting is lest action like and much more 1,2,repeat like
    -Itemization needs work, it feels like there is almost a requirement to craft due to lack of AH (no guild markets aren't even close to the same thing)
    -Item store, already seeing as you can buy a horse and the cheapest horse you can get in the game is 17k gold I can see how they will have to be really careful not to sway the store towards the P2W aspect.
    -You have to work for rewards, some of us can't devote hours of our day to a video game any longer.

    Yes having to work for rewards can be both a Pro/Con depending where you are in life/year/month    … Expand
  97. Dethstar
    Sep 27, 2014
    1
    I got this during beta and kept hoping something would change. Just about every mistake of previous MMO's was made and few of the lessons learned.

    The best you can say is that the graphics are ok. The gameplay is boring. The combat dull. The character progression dumbed down to the point they may as well not have bothered and options for customisation and individuality are about    I got this during beta and kept hoping something would change. Just about every mistake of previous MMO's was made and few of the lessons learned.

    The best you can say is that the graphics are ok.

    The gameplay is boring. The combat dull. The character progression dumbed down to the point they may as well not have bothered and options for customisation and individuality are about as limited as the individuality of the game itself.

    A mish mash of ideas taken from other games but done in a very lacklustre way.

    PVP is a disaster. What was meant to be open world PvP amounts to a zone/battleground approach centred around a very very large battle zone. So it isn't open world at all really.

    Overall, not as buggy as some but not as playable as many others either. EQ, WoW, Rift are all far better games.

    When is there going to be an MMO that does something new, that includes the flexibility of Rift with the class balancing of WoW. The depth and longevity of EQ and the open world combat of Warhammer.

    We will have cold fusion before we have a company invest in a new MMO rather than cynically trying to copy, clone or write a game on an unrealistic budget. .    … Expand
  98. Athol
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    First of all, this game is not like regular MMOs. If what you like in an MMO is raiding and farming gear this game is probably not for you, on the other hand if you like exploring, questing, crafting this game is for you! The quests are varied, well scripted, you have choices to make who will impact other quests later. You can craft everything, potions, armors, weapons and customize them.First of all, this game is not like regular MMOs. If what you like in an MMO is raiding and farming gear this game is probably not for you, on the other hand if you like exploring, questing, crafting this game is for you! The quests are varied, well scripted, you have choices to make who will impact other quests later. You can craft everything, potions, armors, weapons and customize them. Exploring is rewarding you can find treasure chests, hidden quests,...… Expand
  99. Not_Me
    Apr 5, 2014
    10
    MUST HAVE! The game is the best and most addicting MMO i've played in years! And i've played all triple A MMOs that have come out. Great story, impressive graphics, unique combat and crafting system, awesome questing that will not make you get bored at all.

    All those zero scores are ether coming from WoW/Wildstar fanboys trying to burn the score of the game, or from people that thought    MUST HAVE! The game is the best and most addicting MMO i've played in years! And i've played all triple A MMOs that have come out. Great story, impressive graphics, unique combat and crafting system, awesome questing that will not make you get bored at all.

    All those zero scores are ether coming from WoW/Wildstar fanboys trying to burn the score of the game, or from people that thought this would be a "single player" game...    … Expand
  100. Sensin
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    Incredible experience. Great graphics and voice acting. Definitely feels like an elder scrolls game. Everyone who's say it's a "disappointment" have obviously played the game for little more than a few minutes. It's amazing how people even say that a few days after early access started when obviously they haven't played the game much. 10/10 from me.
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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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
  1. CD-Action
    Jul 23, 2014
    60
    Eight years of development, a team consisting of even 250 people at some points, budget reaching hundreds of millions of dollars. It’s a pity that this ‘Skyrim Online’ disappoints both fans of previous Bethesda games and MMORPG veterans who expected some fresh air in the stale genre. [06/2014, p.44]
  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jul 8, 2014
    60
    A well done MMO that can lure players not familiar with the genre. But if you've played MMOs before, this one doesn't offer anything new, nor anything exciting.
  3. DarkStation
    Jun 16, 2014
    50
    60 days was more then enough time for me to determine that I would rather spend my time elsewhere.
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