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. capthavic
    Apr 13, 2014
    4
    As much as I loved Oblivion and Skyrim I could only play the beta for about an hour before getting so bored I quit and uninstalled the game right then and there. It's just so...average. Not bad but not great either, doing nothing mechanically or visually outstanding in a genre littered with the corpses of countless "me too" fantasy games. It's everything you would expect from a genericAs much as I loved Oblivion and Skyrim I could only play the beta for about an hour before getting so bored I quit and uninstalled the game right then and there. It's just so...average. Not bad but not great either, doing nothing mechanically or visually outstanding in a genre littered with the corpses of countless "me too" fantasy games. It's everything you would expect from a generic fantasy mmo and nothing more. There is just no reason for it to exist as it brings nothing to the table that hasn't been done so many times before.… Expand
  2. johann1978
    Apr 7, 2014
    4
    What can i say? The Game is no Singleplayer Elder Scrolls, because its a MMORPG. And the Game is not really a good MMROPG because Bethesda will make the Singleplayer Fans happy.
    And so the Game is not really a MMO and not really am Elder Srolls....
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 23skidoo
    Apr 5, 2014
    4
    I just could not get past the aesthetic feeling that I was playing Age of Conan again. The colors, or lack thereof, create a dreary atmosphere. I also found the quests to be an uninspired rehash of all the previous MMO's that I have played. After playing both the ESO and Wildstar Betas I found it easy to choose Wildstar as my next MMO. I know, some of you will say that Wildstar hasI just could not get past the aesthetic feeling that I was playing Age of Conan again. The colors, or lack thereof, create a dreary atmosphere. I also found the quests to be an uninspired rehash of all the previous MMO's that I have played. After playing both the ESO and Wildstar Betas I found it easy to choose Wildstar as my next MMO. I know, some of you will say that Wildstar has cartoony graphics, but I prefer my games to feel colorful and vibrant, unlike the bleak Goya-esque atmosphere of ESO.… Expand
  8. 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
  9. Garloz911
    Apr 16, 2014
    4
    Honest to god I do not understand why this is an MMO. It plays as a console game that got ported to PC and has a few adventures. Yes the quests are pretty neat so that's nice. But in all honesty here it does nothing new. I hate being "that guy" but the PvP is copy paste of guild wars. All arguments aside if you compare the two they really have the same PvP. PvE in ESO is neat because youHonest to god I do not understand why this is an MMO. It plays as a console game that got ported to PC and has a few adventures. Yes the quests are pretty neat so that's nice. But in all honesty here it does nothing new. I hate being "that guy" but the PvP is copy paste of guild wars. All arguments aside if you compare the two they really have the same PvP. PvE in ESO is neat because you have long adventures.... alone... by yourself... in an mmo... (cough cough SWTOR). But the dungeons actually are really well done. Besides the console UI that should never have happened and the PvP which is copy paste it is an Elder Scrolls game and feels like one. When they slapped MMO on it though it really is a huge let down that brings nothing new into the universe.… Expand
  10. bombrero
    Apr 24, 2014
    4
    I was in the beta for a long time until right before it was launched, and all I have to say is that it must not be considered an Elder Scrolls game (It degrades the ES lore for it's own fitting sake), but it fails as an MMORPG too. As an MMORPG, and having played World of Warcreft, Tera and Guild Wars 2 (I played more than these, but these here are the better templates to compare TESO'sI was in the beta for a long time until right before it was launched, and all I have to say is that it must not be considered an Elder Scrolls game (It degrades the ES lore for it's own fitting sake), but it fails as an MMORPG too. As an MMORPG, and having played World of Warcreft, Tera and Guild Wars 2 (I played more than these, but these here are the better templates to compare TESO's aspects) I couldnt find anything new or revolutionary in this game, or even any aspects with a better or refreshing execution than in the previous games i had played. First time I played, I noticed the combat felt floaty and shallow, since I had the expectations that this would be the strong aspect of the game. The combat was slightly tuned throughout the following beta sessions, but it ended being a mix of Guild Wars 2 and Tera systems that ended up feeling inferior than its counterparts. The quest had no appealing, and the rewards were discouraging, something we beta testers complained about several times during all of the beta sessions, but was never fixed, just like much other things, like race mixing, trade systems, ability approach and development, npc's placement and presence on important areas, broken quest that were never fixed, and for god sake, the party system! You cant share a quest with your friends. Well, you can, but they still will have to do them by themselves, so it doesnt matter that you shared a mission it will be the same as going alone, since you will have to perform the same actions, but with two or more people, meaning less loot , and more time to complete, since there are more people gathering objectives. We complained about those things, we filled the surveys in each beta session, and we got ignored. You looked up in forums just to see hundreds of people complaining about the same problems, which never got fixed.

    In the end, it ended up being a mediocre to average MMORPG that made you constantly think: "This was so much better in Tera/GW2/WoW depending on the aspect you were analyzing".    … Expand
  11. Rsharp254
    Sep 28, 2019
    4
    I have played from the very beginning, all the way back to Beta when the game looked horrendous. While the overall game and gameplay has improved 1000% - the combat still sucks the life out of me every single time I try to play again. It's...simplistic and borderline stupid! At level 5 you spam 3 basic attacks, at level 30 you spam almost the same type of attacks and even at max levelI have played from the very beginning, all the way back to Beta when the game looked horrendous. While the overall game and gameplay has improved 1000% - the combat still sucks the life out of me every single time I try to play again. It's...simplistic and borderline stupid! At level 5 you spam 3 basic attacks, at level 30 you spam almost the same type of attacks and even at max level / max champion level - you are still spamming the same damn 3 type of attacks you were when you were level 5. Sure those attacks morphed and got better...but the simplicity of the combat is just the worst combat I have ever seen, in any MMO!!!
    Now the other parts of the game, stealing/sneaking/chest hunting - I could almost play this entire game for that and nothing else. That is until I am forced to fight and I quickly remember why I quit very shortly after coming back.

    Not considering the combat - this game could easily be 9/10
    But...since the combat is something you'll be doing 100,000 times over and over, it's a 4/10.    … Expand
  12. Demonik420
    Apr 8, 2014
    4
    this game is the worst thing to EVER happen to The Elder Scrolls series.. Lets hope they can sweep this under the rug FAST and start work on the next SINGLE PLAYER entry to the series!.

    honestly I'd rather play TES:Arena, a 20 year old game than this lame excuse for a TES MMO
  13. WhiteTalpa
    Apr 11, 2014
    4
    awful controls i mean like sometimes it doesnt even work, the lagg is awful considering it doesnt even look that great and i mean my pc can handle better looking games, the quests are boring... the npc look like actual players so thats really confusing and it meant ive died a couple of times...because i have to put it in low graphic setting some of the quest npc wont even load into theawful controls i mean like sometimes it doesnt even work, the lagg is awful considering it doesnt even look that great and i mean my pc can handle better looking games, the quests are boring... the npc look like actual players so thats really confusing and it meant ive died a couple of times...because i have to put it in low graphic setting some of the quest npc wont even load into the game right away i have to stand there and wait for it to load there are so many more reasons why this is an awful MMORPG if you're a fan on elder scrolls you're gonna be disappointed and if you're a fan on MMORPGS you're gonna be disappointed.… Expand
  14. SickSigma
    Aug 10, 2014
    4
    This was the worst possible way to adapt TES to the MMO category.
    They've essentially added network capability to a really bad Elder Scrolls game, sucked out all the flavor and atmosphere, made everything generic, and made everything into a gold grind.

    I am embarrassed for Bethesda.
  15. Rekia
    Apr 27, 2014
    4
    As a single player experience, it's obviously lacking, as most MMOs are. The thing that really ruins it for me is that it doesn't do the multi player experience well either. I gave it 4 because it is fun for about 10 hours, by yourself, but then you start to want more out of an MMO.

    The idea of this game is great, but the actual implementation of it is severely lacking. The Elder    As a single player experience, it's obviously lacking, as most MMOs are. The thing that really ruins it for me is that it doesn't do the multi player experience well either. I gave it 4 because it is fun for about 10 hours, by yourself, but then you start to want more out of an MMO.

    The idea of this game is great, but the actual implementation of it is severely lacking. The Elder Scrolls IP is really the only thing that makes this game playable.

    Pros:

    - I've always wanted to explore more of Tamriel and this game allows you to explore a lot of different cultures and environments in the Elder Scroll's lore.

    - Action based combat similar to Guild Wars 2

    - A lot of the quests actually have very interesting stories

    Cons:

    - Imagine an Elder Scrolls game where you couldn't run around collecting all the Daedric artifacts, hoarding random stuff you find in people's homes, or decorating your own home - basically there's a lot of limitations in this game that make me feel very "homesick" for a real Elder Scroll's title.

    - The action based combat is very unresponsive and basically a watered down version of GW2's very successful combat system . You only get 5 skills and an ultimate on your bar at any time, and only skills that are on your bar gain experience and level up. It ends up being that everyone has to choose the same five skills because you don't really have room for situational skills.

    - And by unresponsive, I mean sometimes you want to switch your weapon in combat to pull out that bow, but it takes 2+ seconds after hitting the hotkey before it registers. Sometimes enemies will appear to be several feet away, or facing the other direction, and yet still hitting you. Which makes the dodge mechanic pointless since the red ground indicator is not always in the correct spot. Also, dodging doesn't always work, even with full stamina.

    - Dodging takes stamina. Blocking takes stamina. Weapon skills take stamina, so if you used all your stamina using your weapon skills (there is no auto attack, so you probably did) then you don't get to dodge or block that huge attack that may or may not one shot you. I hope you like caster classes because they're just 100 times better than any melee weapon or bow based build.

    - Some classes and weapon types are just better than everything else, the combat is not at all balanced, not even remotely.

    - Many progression halting bugs. All of the quests are part of a quest chain. Each icon on the map is one quest chain area that you must complete in order to get enough experience to continue on to the next area. There are MANY bugs that prevent a quest from being done, which prevents the quest chain from being continued, which means your character might be super underleveled for the next area.

    - Dungeons and killing monsters barely rewards any exp, only quests are worth decent exp.

    - The end game content consists of doing all the quests in the other faction's areas with absolutely no role play or story reason for doing it. I started out as a a loyal member of the Daggerfall Covenant helping the King against the Aldmeri Dominion and the Ebonheart pact, but now I'm helping the Aldermi queen for some reason. Basically, the reason is because it's the only thing to do at level 50+ and rather than have new content for end game, they recycled the other quest areas, basically eliminating any desire to make an alt of these other factions.

    - More bugs. There's a bug that basically makes it so that you can no longer attack or do anything in combat until you die. Certain weapon skills cause it, so it happens often. There's a bug where everything in your entire bank disappears and all the bank upgrades you bought are gone. There's a bug where your helmet randomly disappears while you craft. A lot of skills are bugged too.

    - Phasing. All the quests are phased, so you're in a different "phase" or instance of the game after completing a quest. You know how in World of Warcraft, when you're in a different phase from your group member, it asks "Your friend is in a different phase, would you like to join them?" This game does not do that. There is NO way to join your friend in their phase, and ALL the quests are phased, so the only way to level with a friend is to never do anything without them. You'll never be able to help a guildy or a random person with their quests.

    - Many instances are solo. Some quest lines can only be done solo and you can't help or be helped during them. Really hope you chose a caster based build because the game gets impossibly hard for melee characters later on.

    So in conclusion, this game is pretty fun at first, then disappointing. I'd put it in the "borrow from a friend, but don't spend $60 on it" category.    … Expand
  16. Yalingo
    Apr 19, 2014
    4
    Very disappointing game. The launch was a mess and the customer support is even worse. The gameplay is slow and clunky, the questing is 10 year old wow style and the servers are rife with gold spammers, bugs and stability issues.

    Avoid.
  17. Molec_man
    Jul 9, 2014
    4
    At first glance, I thought this game was great. I loved the combat flexibility and ease of switching my builds. Unfortunately, as I progressed that ease and limited combat variation became boring. Upon reaching Veteran rank, I lost all motivation to continue on. The bots were everywhere and the landscape was dull and drab. The dungeons didn't draw me in, there was no reason to do themAt first glance, I thought this game was great. I loved the combat flexibility and ease of switching my builds. Unfortunately, as I progressed that ease and limited combat variation became boring. Upon reaching Veteran rank, I lost all motivation to continue on. The bots were everywhere and the landscape was dull and drab. The dungeons didn't draw me in, there was no reason to do them multiple times as you leveled and the questing seemed like the same old same old. It reminds me of what happened with the build up of SWTOR. In the end, they should have just made a KOTOR 3. Same here. In the end, they should have just made a new single player Elder Scrolls game like the previous installments (Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim). Wasted effort Zenimax.… Expand
  18. ISB5223CDN
    Jun 26, 2014
    4
    Started with hope, ended with failure. Everyone who has ever played an elder scrolls game, wanted this to succeed. I knew it was in trouble when the community board had an official poll regarding "would you still play if eso went f2p". That was after one month of it being live. Shortly after that, they announced it would be delayed for consoles. This game had promise and made promises andStarted with hope, ended with failure. Everyone who has ever played an elder scrolls game, wanted this to succeed. I knew it was in trouble when the community board had an official poll regarding "would you still play if eso went f2p". That was after one month of it being live. Shortly after that, they announced it would be delayed for consoles. This game had promise and made promises and both were broken repeatedly. The group system is farce. This is the first MMO that doesn't have shared progress. I play with my son, and through the hundreds of quests, I believe we found 2 or 3 that had shared progress. The veteran system is not solo-friendly. As opposed to the 1-50 which is very solo-friendly. It feels like they actually designed the game to force soloists to conform to group play after 50. It's not impossible to level solo, just hard and be prepared to grind creature kills. There is another way though, the pvp daily quests, but your faction better control the majority of the map for that. The pvp is a game of capture the flag akin to any fps title out there, only here, gear and levels matter. Also pvp has a huge flaw with the mage aoe groups. They run in packs, and I mean run, so they are hard to target with siege machines and ground aoe. I could go on about veteran, but I'll end it by saying, get in a pvp guild if you want to war in Cyrodil and level like you did pre-veteran. The scenery is nice, but it's not skyrim quality. So I end this (cause I could go on) by saying "A lot of expectations, very few of them met."… Expand
  19. AeonAmadi
    Apr 9, 2014
    4
    I really wanted to like the game but it just turned out being what you expect.

    The fun part about Skyrim was exploring the world, opening treasure chests and collecting loot - and you can TOTALLY do that in TESO.... Only with the added stipulation of thousands of other players beating you to it. The crafting system is amusing at first but eventually just turns into a chore as even if    I really wanted to like the game but it just turned out being what you expect.

    The fun part about Skyrim was exploring the world, opening treasure chests and collecting loot - and you can TOTALLY do that in TESO.... Only with the added stipulation of thousands of other players beating you to it. The crafting system is amusing at first but eventually just turns into a chore as even if you became the best blacksmith you can be, you can't use the gear you create without being a certain level.

    PVP in Cyrodil seems promising at first but then you realize the subtle nuances of how aggravating it can really be. Going in at level 10, you're automatically doomed to lose any solo PVP you encounter as level 50+ (veteran ranks) can solo three or more level 10s and a level 27 can ace you; even with HP and Damage ratings all being balanced out to level 50 regardless of level. It even gives you a cheeky little warning saying that you'll be at a "slight disadvantage" because you haven't maxxed out your skills but it doesn't really matter because the PvP is practically designed around being level 50. Which is interesting because you don't gain XP from participating in PVP.

    Beyond that, PVP also has another annoying aspect in the form of logistics. In order to get close to the battlefield, you often times need to spawn at a Home Base (an area for your alliance to spawn at) which is more annoying/frustrating to use than necessary. You have to find a flat piece of ground which can't be anywhere near a graveyard, keep or other landmark - presenting you with the problem of: "Holy ****, why did level design make Cyrodil a giant ****ing hill that I can place this thing on". Assuming you manage to get past that irritating aspect, there's the factor of it costing the same amount as SIX TREBUCHETS and only having enough spawns for 20 people. Which wouldn't be so bad if you could rez people with any sense of ease but good luck with that considering that in order to rez people you need a filled Grand Soul Gem, regardless of their level. Healers have no way of rezzing people, and all this adds up to one big Walking Simulator with intermittent, frustrating combat that isn't at all enjoyable unless you've gone through every quest in the rest of the game to get to level 50.

    Questing is about as annoying as one might expect from an MMO. "Fight 6 of these" and "Go here to get the next part of the quest just to walk back" are rampant with dungeons having absolutely no loot (at least as far as I saw). There are a few that are really interesting and captivating as the Elder Scrolls usually has, but the rest are bland, boring and uninspired. To exacerbate this irritating factor, the regions seem needlessly open and spread out, being as there's usually nothing of interest that doesn't revolve around questing and if it is of interest, there won't be anything of value in it.

    These sort of things wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the fact that you can't access the forums without invitation and sending in suggestions to the developers is done through a website which has a non-functional 'send' button. For $60 + $15/month subscription, it's a terrible buy.    … Expand
  20. wawekar
    Nov 21, 2014
    4
    Update. Can't explain it much, tired of using the same old skills day after day after day. Tired of no real market except in guilds. Really? You could not add a market in fighters guild, mages guild etc. You put in the guilds hands?. Needless to say my score is now a 4. You will play for a month and then it becomes quite dull.

    Apr 10, 2014 9 The Elder Scrolls Online Image    Update. Can't explain it much, tired of using the same old skills day after day after day. Tired of no real market except in guilds. Really? You could not add a market in fighters guild, mages guild etc. You put in the guilds hands?. Needless to say my score is now a 4. You will play for a month and then it becomes quite dull.

    Apr 10, 2014
    9
    The Elder Scrolls Online Image
    Excellent game. At first I wasn't interested it seemed it was going to be boring. However once you start to learn all the mechanics it becomes quite fun. I love saving a "town" to have it become a thriving community.
    Crafting takes a bit, but is not tedious. The only reason I am giving them a nine, is because I have contacted support numerous times and my issue has not been resolved. The game itself is great, but I can see support might kill it    … Expand
  21. DrStrange
    Aug 1, 2014
    4
    Where most MMO's will do their best to engage you at the start, Elder scrolls fails to even set the pace. As you begin your adventures immediately you find yourself surrounded by dull colors, uninspired environments, and NPCs that give a new meaning to generic. The classes the player chooses from are traditional warrior, rogue, and mage archtypes however their skillset is awkward andWhere most MMO's will do their best to engage you at the start, Elder scrolls fails to even set the pace. As you begin your adventures immediately you find yourself surrounded by dull colors, uninspired environments, and NPCs that give a new meaning to generic. The classes the player chooses from are traditional warrior, rogue, and mage archtypes however their skillset is awkward and uninteresting.

    The PVP places the character in what was the map of Oblivion where you are left basically to your own devices. There is no raid group unless player formed to join, there is no life too it, its just mediocore to say the least. That can be said about the entire game its just underwhelming you are better off staying with WOW or SWTOR as they are atleast capable of keeping the players attention.

    Overall Elder Scrolls community seems to be your average Mentally disturbed and quick to anger populace where you will find yourself grinding for loots to keep up with the next guy. The developers of this game clearly never played a Elder Scroll game and the proof is everywhere.    … Expand
  22. TheWaffle
    Jun 20, 2020
    4
    I have to watch the company logo animation and accept 4 different end user license agreements every-time I log on? No thanks.
  23. Fancypenguin
    Apr 23, 2014
    4
    Hey kids! Do you like The Elder Scrolls? Have you always wanted to play it online and explore the vast expanses of Tamriel with friends? Well too bad, you're going to be incredibly disappointed. Where do I even begin with the disappointment in this game? There are so many incredibly stupid design choices its baffling. First things first, I just have to come out and say that this game isHey kids! Do you like The Elder Scrolls? Have you always wanted to play it online and explore the vast expanses of Tamriel with friends? Well too bad, you're going to be incredibly disappointed. Where do I even begin with the disappointment in this game? There are so many incredibly stupid design choices its baffling. First things first, I just have to come out and say that this game is a HUGE cash grab. They lock the imperial race behind a pay wall right off the bat. You have to buy the collector's edition to unlock it. WHAT THE F*** This is downright criminal when you're already paying 60$ for the game plus a 15$ subscription fee. Next, there aren't instanced dungeons, meaning that if somebody else is in a dungeon and they kill the boss or take loot out of a chest you then have to wait for it to respawn. I'M SORRY, IS THIS THE ORIGINAL ULTIMA ONLINE? IS IT 1997? This is unacceptable in MMO's now a days. Get used to standing around in dungeons waiting for loot to respawn, or for bosses to respawn so you can run through a mosh pit of people, hoping to get 1 hit on it so as to complete the quest or continue the quest line. Gold is WAY too hard to get, every enemy drops like 1 or 2 gold and horses are incredibly overpriced. Why? Well you didn't think Zenimax and Bethesda would miss the chance to sell you the collector's edition that comes with a horse would ya? The story is generic and uninteresting and while the game is fully voice-acted which is great, it is very hit and miss quality wise. The graphics look dated, but are quite good for MMO standards. Questing is a huge disappointment. Every quest is the stereotypical MMO "kill x amount of x" Or "Fetch x" uninspired and dull. One of my favorite gaming moments is that quest for the Dark Brotherhood in Oblivion where you have to go to a dinner party and assassinate each person in the house 1 by 1 without the others finding out its you. That was awesome. Why aren't there more quests like that in this game? Oh that's right, because its an MMO, its legally obligated to have watered down gameplay and quest variety. The game has a huge amount of content, which can only be added on to as time goes on. This would be great if everything wasn't so far away with so little to do while traveling between quest objectives. Maybe the most heinous, inexcusable offense of ESO is the fact that it takes the signature open world of The Elder Scrolls franchise and condenses it to linear paths to get to the next quest objective. Sure the game is open world, but you won't want to explore anything because you can only really gain experience from completing quests, and not from fighting enemies, you know like a real elder scrolls game! Another serious design flaw is the fact that every enemy levels with you, meaning that instead of having some enemies be a low level and some being a higher level, they just make mud crabs level 30 when you're level 30. This takes all the immersion and exploration factor out of the game because you're rarely if ever going to find an enemy that you can't handle. Overall, when quests aren't being bugged out, (honestly about 2/3 of them) they're dull and uninteresting anyway. Another stupid design choice is the fact that, because dungeons and quests aren't instanced, when you play with friends, every person has to do everything separately, whether it be getting quest objectives or doing puzzles in group dungeons, defeating the purpose of playing with friends which, you know IS THE WHOLE POINT OF THIS GAME! Crafting makes no sense and pvp can be summed up by two words: Running Simulator. Combat is stiff and repetitive and impossible in the weightless and floaty 1st person view. The customization is a step up from past ES games, even if the armor all looks the same and the soundtrack is amazing. When the only thing the game gets truly right is the soundtrack, you know its having a rough go. I went into this game as both a fan of The Elder Scrolls and to some extent a fan of MMOs, knowing that it wasn't going to be a Skyrim like experience, but was so disappointed in both aspects. Ultimately, ESO is nothing more than a lazy cash-in that preys on starstruck ES fans and both Bethesda and Zenimax know it. It doesn't help that the modern Gaming hype machine has brainwashed them into thinking this is a good game. There are far better MMOs out there, like Guildwars 2, FFXIV ARR and hell even WOW is still going strong. This game is un-fulfilling to both fans of MMOs and the Elder Scrolls series. If this did not have the ES name on it, it would be just another mediocre MMO that wouldn't get any time in the limelight. Not worth 60$ plus 15 bucks a month. Wait till it goes F2P or P2W which honestly probably won't be too long. Hopefully Bethesda takes the riches from this game and makes a good Fallout game or new single player ES game.… Expand
  24. 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
  25. Michael_J_Wall
    Apr 5, 2014
    4
    Well i wanted to like this game but i find myself feeling extremely guilty about how to break it to my friend that i really don't want to be bothered playing it with him every evening.
    Its just extremely tedious & boring having to complete pointless quest after quest just so that your in game Avatar will level up sufficiently for you to actually start exploring and doing things that you    Well i wanted to like this game but i find myself feeling extremely guilty about how to break it to my friend that i really don't want to be bothered playing it with him every evening.
    Its just extremely tedious & boring having to complete pointless quest after quest just so that your in game Avatar will level up sufficiently for you to actually start exploring and doing things that you might like to do.
    It is an improvement on LOTRO where you click on a series of buttons in the center of the screen in order to tell your avatar what actions to perform but that's all it is an improvement.
    This day and age you shouldn't have to spend hundreds of hours jumping through hoops to be able to get stuck into a game and until publishers realize that then they will only have a very limited appeal to the majority of intelligent gamer's.

    Very disappointing 4 out of ten.    … Expand
  26. Pestro
    Apr 5, 2014
    4
    Actually disappointed for once in an MMORPG. Having played SWTOR, Rift, WoW (all expansions included), GW 1 and 2, TESO is boring. One thing I noticed after creating multiple characters since early access is that a little more than half the quests are not only named the same but you do the same thing (difference being the NPC race being modified to fit what ever faction you joined). AtActually disappointed for once in an MMORPG. Having played SWTOR, Rift, WoW (all expansions included), GW 1 and 2, TESO is boring. One thing I noticed after creating multiple characters since early access is that a little more than half the quests are not only named the same but you do the same thing (difference being the NPC race being modified to fit what ever faction you joined). At least SWTOR had a lot more variety quest wise. One problem this game suffers from like SWTOR did was having these giant open environments with little to fill these spaces. Also, the chat system is not very polished as well as a few common aesthetics that other MMORPGs have down well. It seems this game like many new MMORPGs that are being released now are being being developed by developers who pump too much focus and money into a fully voiced game with top-notch voice acting versus focusing on actual playable content and features. World of Warcraft didn't get its lasting appeal because of its voice acting (which is very minimal compared to these other MMORPGs nowadays). WoW's lasting appeal stems from its wide variety of features, world spaces filled with creatures, items and details, less restrictive environmental exploration, and good community activities even when it began and had no expansions. The combat is alright and is much like a cross between TESIII Morrowind mixed with Oblivion with a typical "select your special moves" element. Overall, this game does not warrant its $59.99 price tag and its $15 monthly fee.… Expand
  27. AHeavyHammer
    Apr 6, 2014
    4
    On pen and paper this was a brilliant idea, and it does me great pain that I believe the game deserves no better than a 4/10.

    First and foremost, the attitude the player has going into the game will make or break whether or not they will like it. Expecting the typical Elder Scrolls experience, but being able to play with friends? This isn't the game you want to be going for. Expecting a    On pen and paper this was a brilliant idea, and it does me great pain that I believe the game deserves no better than a 4/10.

    First and foremost, the attitude the player has going into the game will make or break whether or not they will like it. Expecting the typical Elder Scrolls experience, but being able to play with friends? This isn't the game you want to be going for. Expecting a new MMO in a continent that we've surely all grown to love? Then the game offers that, and by all means, don't hold back from buying it if you believe the monthly fee is worth it.

    However, the game has a few standout issues. The biggest concern would have to be the size of the world versus where the player will often be going. While there are many places to explore, the areas often will only have a generic quest typical to MMOs, and after the player completes this quest, they will be given no incentive to return. The art team spent a bit too much money on a world that, in the end, will serve as a draw-distance horizon 80% of the time.

    The next issue is the combat, although it's not as bad overall . The melee combat specifically, while done well, is very weightless, often seeming like a heavy two-handed hammer is as easy to swing as a dagger. The spells, however, are mixed between good and bad. Zenimax definitely did the right thing in bringing back Oblivion's and Morrowind's style of spellcasting, where spells do not have to be bound to a hand, laving room for a weapon and shield, or two weapons. This also works very well with the limited number of keybindings, so the player does not have to enter the spellbook every time to change between spells. However, although the developers promised there would be no specialized classes, the four classes that were introduced have a bit too much separation between available spells. While this isn't necessary a horrible thing, it definitely takes away from the player making their character different from all of the other characters playing the same base class.

    On the topic of characters, customization is also lacking based on what Zenimax could have done. Hairstyles, for example, are low on number and generally don't have an aesthetic appeal. Scars, as well, are seriously lacking, and could certainly use more variety.

    Overall, although this is far from being the worst game of the decade, it certainly falls short on what it promises to be. The box price is a little on the high side with the $15 monthly price coming after the first free month, especially if you decide to purchase the Imperial Edition. There is also the problem with lore inconsistencies, but that would be touching upon personal preference. As a standalone MMO, this would definitely be worth the price, but it certainly doesn't live up to its namesake, and hardcore fans of the series should approach the game cautiously, but definitely not avoid it entirely.    … Expand
  28. tysonwritesel
    Apr 6, 2014
    4
    Boring Boring Boring. The music is overrated, the voices are annoying. Game looks like Myst or something. Nothing of interest here even to fantasy people, I say this one belongs on the Dragon Age heap. Yeah, if you were a Dragon Age freak you might like this. Once the spell wears off in about 6 hours... well just keep your $60. Oblivion was top, Skyrim was a notch lower with thatBoring Boring Boring. The music is overrated, the voices are annoying. Game looks like Myst or something. Nothing of interest here even to fantasy people, I say this one belongs on the Dragon Age heap. Yeah, if you were a Dragon Age freak you might like this. Once the spell wears off in about 6 hours... well just keep your $60. Oblivion was top, Skyrim was a notch lower with that stupid interface... this doesn't even chart. Enjoy your $60 Zenimax, hopefully the game will be fun next time.… Expand
  29. MMOGUY2014
    Apr 8, 2014
    4
    I was expecting more honestly... Just plays like all the other cookie cutter mmo's nothing great about this game.... Wish I could return it and get my money back honestly... Boring.....Levels easily....Not going to last a year..... Kinda pissed off they hyped this game like they did... not the greatest, not the worst.... but definitely not worth monthly subscription... canceling it beforeI was expecting more honestly... Just plays like all the other cookie cutter mmo's nothing great about this game.... Wish I could return it and get my money back honestly... Boring.....Levels easily....Not going to last a year..... Kinda pissed off they hyped this game like they did... not the greatest, not the worst.... but definitely not worth monthly subscription... canceling it before it renews... tossing to a friend and letting them play it.… Expand
  30. imaguy23
    Apr 11, 2014
    4
    What a waste of money, from an MMO perspective its a complete clusterfark. Where do i start... let's see the sub model that you would think would be worth it but turns out it's not. The look and feel is completely devoid of anything resembling Skyrim. It's like they took Skyrim and pulled out all the worst parts then tried to hammer it into the shape of an MMO. Nothing feels right, thereWhat a waste of money, from an MMO perspective its a complete clusterfark. Where do i start... let's see the sub model that you would think would be worth it but turns out it's not. The look and feel is completely devoid of anything resembling Skyrim. It's like they took Skyrim and pulled out all the worst parts then tried to hammer it into the shape of an MMO. Nothing feels right, there are no "Oh wow look at that" moments, the whole world feels contrived. Nothing is explained so be prepared to be wasting hours trying to figure it out or jumping from browser to game googling every 10 minutes. The quests are boring and unoriginal nothing like Skyrim and it looks gaudy. The server response times are a joke unless you live somewhere near their servers. I can't believe they put this thing out there... with all the money and talent they have what nutter thought this was a good idea... you know who the pin head who listened to those couple of whining MMO air bags who jump from one MMO to the next every month well you made you're bed now lay in it because this thing is going to be F2P within a year tops the writing is on the wall all you need to do is open you're eyes to see it.… Expand
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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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