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. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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
  10. 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
  11. JonnyBigBoss
    Apr 4, 2014
    6
    If you enjoy reading lore in your MMOs, you're going to love this game. Otherwise, you're going to be bored out of your mind.

    I didn't care for it very much. It lacks a lot of modern MMO standards. As a matter of fact, it feels like games I played in the 90s.
  12. Bdado24
    Apr 7, 2014
    6
    I wanted to like this game; I tried to like this game but in the end, I just couldn't like this game. The idea of an "Elder Scrolls" multi-player is genius but the delivery is the problem. The game's clunky combat, lackluster graphics and repetitive quests are it's biggest faults.
    The combat is terrible, Bethesda had a fluid system of combat with "Skyrim". The hits looked natural and    I wanted to like this game; I tried to like this game but in the end, I just couldn't like this game. The idea of an "Elder Scrolls" multi-player is genius but the delivery is the problem. The game's clunky combat, lackluster graphics and repetitive quests are it's biggest faults.
    The combat is terrible, Bethesda had a fluid system of combat with "Skyrim". The hits looked natural and the the system was simple yet efficient. In a fast paced game it is best to apply the K.I.S.S. method to the attack system and try to make the fighting as simple as possible. With ESO, this was blatently ignored. Instead, the developers seemed to designer the ultimate "Mortal Combat"/RPG failure. Power attacks coming from a nord with a claymore do very little in opposition to my hot keyed "special move number three button attack" which looked like yellow "Wolverine" claw marks across my screen. What the attack was supposed to be? Not a clue, but it did more damage than a driven power attack from a sword designed around it's own weight so whatever. On top of that, they added a dodge function; which in principle is great idea but never seemed to work when multiple enemies randomly respawned and surrounded me; thus killing me before I could register what happened.
    Now we come to the graphics; when buying this game, I had a bit of worry in regards to my 3 yr. old stock Toshiba PC handling the game. Don't worry though, because I was okay thanks to the latest graphics that the year 2004 had to offer. Though, in ESO's defense, it doesn't look as bad as "Star Wars: The Old Republic".
    Lastly, I have to say that the quests are my biggest complaint. The friendly NPC's of my faction seemed to be the most inept people in existence (though, if they were able to actually complete their missions then there wouldn't be a game). How one would expect your faction to survive in reality when they can't even stop bickering as to who gives who first aid during an enemy attack is beyond me. I understand that Bethesda didn't want to make a "kill 100 enemies" game but it's as if they think that their fanbase has the IQ of a six year old child. Also, this isn't like other sandbox style games where you can (normally) kill minor quest giver NPC's if you don't like them, such as a racist dark elf.
    In closing, if you want freedom this isn't your game; but if you're cool with goofball combat and a beat to death plot then this is the game for you.    … Expand
  13. Incrementum
    Apr 4, 2014
    6
    Like other reviewers have mentioned, ESO is not a terrible game - it's just incredibly disappointing considering it uses the Elder Scrolls name. It really is just another WoW clone with a PvP system similar to the one used in Dark Age of Camelot. The voice acting is surprisingly good and the graphics are as well. Everything else falls short though which makes me wonder they this gameLike other reviewers have mentioned, ESO is not a terrible game - it's just incredibly disappointing considering it uses the Elder Scrolls name. It really is just another WoW clone with a PvP system similar to the one used in Dark Age of Camelot. The voice acting is surprisingly good and the graphics are as well. Everything else falls short though which makes me wonder they this game was made in the first place. If Skyrim sold like hot cakes, why not just make another game in the main Elder Scrolls series? I really wonder if the developers are actually proud of their finished product. There's just nothing new or unique here. MMO's don't have to be EverQuest / WoW clones to be successful. Not every MMO has to be a theme park ride that holds your hand at every moment. ESO should have offered more freedom than this.… Expand
  14. Sjalka
    Apr 4, 2014
    5
    The game is "solid" and that is the best i can write about it. The PvE is average, the quests are average, the design and presentation is a bit above average, but cannot compete with single player games. The pvp concept however looks good in theory. How it will turn out on more active and populated servers however is to be seen. combat mechanics seem to combine tactical choices ofThe game is "solid" and that is the best i can write about it. The PvE is average, the quests are average, the design and presentation is a bit above average, but cannot compete with single player games. The pvp concept however looks good in theory. How it will turn out on more active and populated servers however is to be seen. combat mechanics seem to combine tactical choices of abilities and twitch movement and reaction well.

    The major breaking point however is the fact that it is a P2P concept. That in itself is not a bad thing - if the support and active moderation of the game satisfies it, - however when compared to other mmo games of the same genre, it simply does not offer enough to satisfy P2P vs. F2P, so i predict the game to become F2P within a year - along with all the nasty compromises done for that.

    the freedom of single player elder scroll games is compromised in favour of the re-spawning and mostly static world of a mmo - so the player has little impact on the world as such ... as is expected. all in all, elder scrolls online does not reinvent the wheel - but it does what many before it did fairly well - for a price.    … Expand
  15. z1RoadRunner1z
    Apr 4, 2014
    6
    I dared to think it would be something different. I was wrong, same old MMO you have already played if you have played any others. Boring generic quests. Poor graphics but not bad compared to competition, however the tone and style is the most dull feeling thing I have ever seen, could use some colour and is so much worse than other MMOs in that regard. First person is nice, but combat isI dared to think it would be something different. I was wrong, same old MMO you have already played if you have played any others. Boring generic quests. Poor graphics but not bad compared to competition, however the tone and style is the most dull feeling thing I have ever seen, could use some colour and is so much worse than other MMOs in that regard. First person is nice, but combat is horrible and clunky and not smooth at all. Also the free month playtime is being mis-sold to an extent. You still have to let them charge you for the month even though I am under the impression you receive your money back, it still means you have to have another $15/£9 to spare, which is extremely unfair on users with less money to throw around at an already expensive game. Good customer support. Poor voice acting, but at least all quests are voice acted. Good crafting system.

    In short, sickeningly average. I smell corporate greed taking over bethesda.    … Expand
  16. Timp2700
    Apr 15, 2014
    7
    My initial look into TESO was guarded but anxious to say the least. I've played tons of MMO's ranging from Ultima, WoW, Tera, and SWTOR. I've long been waiting it's release, being a big fan of the Franchise and the developers as well. What I saw was a game that sought to separate itself from other MMO's in very unique ways. The crafting system for instance can be very time consuming and inMy initial look into TESO was guarded but anxious to say the least. I've played tons of MMO's ranging from Ultima, WoW, Tera, and SWTOR. I've long been waiting it's release, being a big fan of the Franchise and the developers as well. What I saw was a game that sought to separate itself from other MMO's in very unique ways. The crafting system for instance can be very time consuming and in depth... and all-together it offers an entirely new facet to play. You could spend (if you wanted) an entire day trying to hunt down resources to create the perfect potion, or the right runes to create a glyph for your chest piece. Another appealing feature is the stability of the player economy. Whereas many games have resorted to the Free to Play method (with pay to win being a large factor in many of the aforementioned equations), TESO sticks to subscription. Unfortunate, but when you realize what they've done in terms of limiting players ability to rapidly acquire resources through paying to win... It seems well worth it. There is no public auction house, and returns from crafting and selling to vendors are minimal at best (so minimal at times that it's truly frustrating and seemingly unfair). The purchasing end is just the opposite, usually resulting in a very empty gold purse. This system encourages players to seek the selling and buying wares from one another as oppose to getting them from vendors.

    These systems are how they separate themselves and try to stay true to a dedicated and undiluted play experience, which has my deepest admirations in it's practice. Now, as far as playing the game is concerned... this is where you experience the most setbacks. I really enjoy playing the game, it's awesome and some might refer to the combat system as "Clunky". Instead of the traditional "spam tab" to switch between targets, they resorted to a free aim combat system like TERA's. So in other words, dodging and finding your target is left up to your eye hand coordination. While it isn't as polished, it's still just like Skyrim in the sense that your moves will go where you point them. If you can't handle the prospect of free aiming your fireballs and arrows at targets, don't play this game. The game is still in it's birthing stages, barely above release... so of course it's going to need dedicated user feedback and ideas to make it that much better.

    Now, the most important part, and my second biggest gripe.... the bugs. I was willing to let most of the first ones I encountered over my first few days of play slide. After more days of play however, I encountered more bugs... and more bugs. It reminded me of the console release of Skyrim all over again. Once I got above level 15 and to the second area is when they really started becoming frequent. So much so that I grudgingly started submitting user feed back, switching my attitude from constructive to very frustrated, to seething. After encountering bug after bug, and seeing others experience the same in zone chat, I started to wonder if they even really tested the quest lines let alone the areas themselves.

    This of course leads to my biggest gripe. Downtime. A game that offers a entirely new MMO experience is one that I will gladly attach myself to for hours a day. Especially on my days off. As any seasoned MMO player is aware, most MMO's have scheduled downtime. TESO doesn't. They drop the servers whenever they feel like and it can be anywhere from two hours to six hours. Unless you regularly check the forums for spontaneously scheduled maintenance, there's no telling when you might be met with the dreadful "The EU and NA Megaservers are currently down" message. My days off vary widely, never being set from week to week. Yet, as long as I've played this game, they've managed to do maintenance on every single one. So when I wake up, looking forward to the progress I'll make on my character, I'm brought to a grinding halt by the announcement that I can't play as intended. This has happened on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday so far. I'm sure that if I have an off day on Wednesday next week, it will be then too.

    I really would like to rate this game higher, but the gripes I presented hinder the gameplay so much I can't bring myself to do so. It's long past time developers stop peddling their wares when they haven't been properly tested and even finished. When I go to a car dealership, I don't expect to buy a new car without windows and airbags with the promise of their installation in the following weeks. Why should this be any different.

    If you can look past it's faults however, and ignore the bugs and downtime... this MMO is a goldmine of potential. They just need to dig a little deeper, and stop being so reckless with the excavation.    … Expand
  17. RedFoxDelta
    Jun 22, 2014
    7
    This game is NOT a bad game. That said, this game was... disappointing. Being an "Elder Scrolls" MMO meant a compromise between the beloved elder scrolls game mechanics and the mechanics necessary to make an MMO work. Unfortunately, this compromise ended with almost nobody happy. The MMO crowd- or specifically, the WOW crowd, was actively cheering for this game to die from the inception.This game is NOT a bad game. That said, this game was... disappointing. Being an "Elder Scrolls" MMO meant a compromise between the beloved elder scrolls game mechanics and the mechanics necessary to make an MMO work. Unfortunately, this compromise ended with almost nobody happy. The MMO crowd- or specifically, the WOW crowd, was actively cheering for this game to die from the inception. The Elder Scrolls crowd was disappointed by the lack of player housing, a crime system, the Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild. And of course, the game had its share of bugs. It had the stability issues found commonly in Bethesda games, with random crashes to desktop. It has the latency issues inherent in MMOs, with players missing blocks and counter attacks they should have gotten. It has, in true Elder Scrolls fashion, random incredibly imbalanced NPCs in solo missions. Then, of course, we have the glitches with unspawned NPCs or objects you need to interact with, which can only be fixed by relogging. You can and will fall through the floor. Getting stuck is also a common occurrence. Then of course, there is the infamous duping glitch, which ruined the in-game economy. From the standing of somebody who played (and was ambivalent to) Guild Wars 2, the game seems to be actively inconveniencing you. None of those convenient things like Trading Posts or 'deposit all collectables' buttons exist in this game. There is no option to dye your armor, or transmute your gear (unless you bought the Imperial edition, in which case you can transmute some of it). Most damning in my opinion, however, is the weak endgame. After you save the world (shocker), you are sent to another faction's area to do their mind- numbing faction quest-line, without the incentives of the main or guild stories to keep you going.. There is just no motivation to continue playing, and no reason to pay the subscription fee for another month. The "veteran dungeons" are simply the normal dungeons, with higher leveled enemies. The faction war is, depending on the server you chose, either a zergfest filled with AOE-spammers where battles are decided by sheer numbers, or it is a ghost town.
    However, not everything in this game is bad. The combat is more skill- based than many other MMOs, although there is still no substitute for grinding gear in order to win. The game is immersive, fully voiced (which is a must for me), and with a good soundtrack. The quests are well-written, if somewhat... underwhelming at times. The graphics are nice, although not ground- breaking. You can choose between first and third-person, a choice between immersion and combat effectiveness. The crafting is an interesting system, although it can be tedious. The game has a nice soundtrack, and a large diverse world.

    So in the end, the game is... decent. Definitely not bad, but not great. 7/10    … Expand
  18. datus
    Aug 12, 2014
    5
    This feel like an MMO that just came out about 2 years too early. Not that it's broken or anything, but for an MMO there simply isn't any content. Even for a single player TES game it's very simplistic, and doesn't even come close to it's predecessors, let alone being a good MMO, which by my ideals should be more grand than a single player game.

    In ESO you have no housing, no economy    This feel like an MMO that just came out about 2 years too early. Not that it's broken or anything, but for an MMO there simply isn't any content. Even for a single player TES game it's very simplistic, and doesn't even come close to it's predecessors, let alone being a good MMO, which by my ideals should be more grand than a single player game.

    In ESO you have no housing, no economy (not even an Auction system), no reputation/faction system, extremely simple and linear crafting system where you know all recipes instantly and just craft whatever you need.

    ESO is a lacking MMO and a lacking TES game to boot.    … Expand
  19. Troublewalking
    Jun 24, 2014
    5
    Rating this game is tough. Honestly I have to give it 3 ratings. I will rate it as general MMO. As an Elder Scrolls game and as an RVR MMO.

    As a general MMO. This game is nothing to write home about. It is extremely average. In a market that is bloated by f2p games. As an Elder Scrolls game this game is a 2. They tried to put some aspects of Elder Scrolls in it, but you will probably    Rating this game is tough. Honestly I have to give it 3 ratings. I will rate it as general MMO. As an Elder Scrolls game and as an RVR MMO.

    As a general MMO. This game is nothing to write home about. It is extremely average. In a market that is bloated by f2p games.

    As an Elder Scrolls game this game is a 2. They tried to put some aspects of Elder Scrolls in it, but you will probably find it very difficult to find any of the magic that makes Elder Scrolls game's great in this game. If your an Elder Scrolls fan you should probably avoid this game like it's the plague. Maybe trying it out once it goes F2P.

    As an RVR MMO this game is actually pretty good. That's because Zenimax basically lied to Bethsaida and told them they would develop a MMO version of the Elder Scrolls. Then turned around and obviously made DAOC II. Maybe they were hoping The Elder Scrolls tag would draw new players. Or maybe they just didn't have the money to fund a DAOC II. Whatever the case, if you haven't played Dark Ages of Camelot, or Warhammer. Basically they are Realm verses Realm games. Essentially having the players factions fight over territory. As a casual PVP fan, I found Warhammer's version of RVR to be great fun. It could be quite random and free flowing. Sometimes having hours of combat going between large groups of players. Warhammer had great rewards to keep the players involved. Though ultimately it's system had a fatal flaw because there were only 2 realms. The Elder Scrolls has tried to address this with 3 realms. Early on it seems to have worked. If you like RVR this game is at least a 7 to you. But remember in RVR type MMO's usually the PVE is just something to keep you busy when your not fighting in RVR.    … Expand
  20. LinkToFuture
    Jan 14, 2018
    5
    This game is run by a free to play model when you have to pay for everything, I shouldn't have to pay for mounts, pets, cosmetics and furniture when I paid full price for the game, full price for the DLC, and pay a monthly subscription. There's very little to work toward in terms of rewards other than gear and a few in game goodies, and most of those "goodies" require a lot of grinding,This game is run by a free to play model when you have to pay for everything, I shouldn't have to pay for mounts, pets, cosmetics and furniture when I paid full price for the game, full price for the DLC, and pay a monthly subscription. There's very little to work toward in terms of rewards other than gear and a few in game goodies, and most of those "goodies" require a lot of grinding, for example, the new Clockwork City DLC drop rates for furniture is ridiculous I logged on every day for a week to try to get some clockwork diagrams, and I found one for a tiny bush. 20 hours of stealing, killing, and dailies for nothing. I am not renewing my subscription until Zenimax stops being so greedy.… Expand
  21. BK-201
    Jul 22, 2014
    5
    The idea of combining TES series with MMO genre is fascinating, but it is as fascinating as combining cats and dogs, for instance: interesting, breathtaking and with a humble hope to get something really worth as a result. So here we have just the same situation - TES's unimitatable depth and spirit combined with MMO's primitiveness gives us a very strange and mixed product.

    Is it worth    The idea of combining TES series with MMO genre is fascinating, but it is as fascinating as combining cats and dogs, for instance: interesting, breathtaking and with a humble hope to get something really worth as a result. So here we have just the same situation - TES's unimitatable depth and spirit combined with MMO's primitiveness gives us a very strange and mixed product.

    Is it worth to play? Undoubtedly, yes. Is it the game of high quality? Yes, indeed. It is much more interesting and well-looking than many MMOs, but it seriously lacks the very essence of TES - the thoughtful and deep gameplay. It does not look like the proper Elder Scrolls game we have seen before...

    Maybe, this attempt is not so bad (as it is very difficult to combine almost incompatible things), maybe all of us needed to feel it how to play TES not only in the SP mode, but... I hope that Bethesda and Zenimax will finally come around and make us a truly Elder Scrolls game. TES VI. Please. We are all waiting for it.    … Expand
  22. strangermoon
    Sep 27, 2019
    6
    its kinda between morrowind and oblivion quality if it can be played like alone. enemies like every poinless mmo just sit there you can carfully and after while always run or going around the corners. ı feel like star wars old repbulic mmo in this game not more than 7 ı think if you play alone.
  23. SongOfSickness
    Nov 28, 2018
    5
    So very, very average when compared to something like Guild Wars 2. What a massive disappointment.
  24. hullhy
    Sep 10, 2014
    6
    If you are going to play this game, put every Elder Scrolls game that you played aside, forget that you knew what an Elder scroll even is and you just might enjoy it. Just might, but if you are like me and cant do that, you are going to be disappointed.
  25. Pugatow
    Mar 29, 2020
    5
    To many dlc/expansions. which imo. Doesn't add enough gameplay. I liked the base game, but overall think its lacking in many ways
  26. mirg
    Oct 3, 2018
    7
    The game focuses more on story rather then gameplay, the combat system feels abit dated and restrictive, oh and the graphics remind me of 2000's era games.

    Outside of that, the story and voice acting is top-notch plus the amount of content to do is remarkable. Each 'zone' is unique in both story and scenery, also the community is actually rather tame for mmo standards. The developers    The game focuses more on story rather then gameplay, the combat system feels abit dated and restrictive, oh and the graphics remind me of 2000's era games.

    Outside of that, the story and voice acting is top-notch plus the amount of content to do is remarkable. Each 'zone' is unique in both story and scenery, also the community is actually rather tame for mmo standards.

    The developers of the game take player feedback seriously, unlike some companies, and they take great strides in pleasing the player-base for the game. But the company lacks in knowing what's more important to focus on fixing and they tend to lean heavily in releasing more stuff like mounts, costumes, and dlc's in the cash-shop rather then the opposite.

    Overall though:
    If you like a game with rich story and a game that is filled with stuff to do and has pretty vista's, this is for you.    … Expand
  27. JinxterMeta
    May 13, 2019
    6
    Seems like Bethesda is incapable of developing a game which has a high technical polish and good designs. As always we need to install a tone of add-ons to give game proper functionality and make it a bearable experience. Sure there are good things about ESO like the story, questing, world exploration or character development but then everything is ruined by utterly difunctional UI, crappySeems like Bethesda is incapable of developing a game which has a high technical polish and good designs. As always we need to install a tone of add-ons to give game proper functionality and make it a bearable experience. Sure there are good things about ESO like the story, questing, world exploration or character development but then everything is ruined by utterly difunctional UI, crappy character gear implementation and failure to properly design materials like metal so gear won't look like plastic rubber. Bethesda is doing halfassed job with expectation that we players will fix their game.… Expand
  28. Bonebreaker
    May 9, 2014
    5
    I dont know how i should rate it, im Vet10 now and not everything there is bad but to many things feals so unfinishd.

    Good things ------------------------------------------------- + Graphics: the Graphics are real good for an mmo if you turn everything at max, sure it could be always better but for my taste they have done real good. the world is real big for an new mmo and the design    I dont know how i should rate it, im Vet10 now and not everything there is bad but to many things feals so unfinishd.

    Good things
    -------------------------------------------------
    + Graphics: the Graphics are real good for an mmo if you turn everything at max, sure it could be always better but for my taste they have done real good. the world is real big for an new mmo and the design of the lands fits real good into the ES Lore. If you have fun exploring the world you have here a lot to see.
    + Characters: The Design of the Caracters in another good thing, sure the Hairphysics could be better but all in all the npcs and your character Looks real good and you can do a lot with the char creation tool (but not so mutch like in rift) compared to most others mmos.
    + Crafting: Well i thing they have done it pretty well for the most part, you can craft everything like in skyrim (except jewlery somehow) and upgrade your stuff and you dont need to run dungeons or raids to get the materials for the highest upgrade, you can get it from hirelings or refining resources of any lvl but its still a rare drop. The lvling of the Craftingjobs is not to bad, there are only 2 jobs that seems a bit unbalanced. The first is provisoring witch you can cap if you do it rate in under 4 hours (with mats farming and so on all by yourself) and the other is Enhancher witch feels like taking for ever. Like i said im Vet10 and have maxed out every other Job so far but Enhancer is still only 31/50 and it gets slower and slower most other Job i maxed out before getting 50, i disenhance every rune i find, building gives nearly no Points except you waste the rare epic and legendary runes and i need to farm an insane amout of runes and materials to push it further that real sucks.
    + Quest: The Quest for itself are nothing Special but its good that they have voice acting and some Storys are real interesting and funny.
    + Books & Lorebooks: I like it because it reminds my on skyrim and the other ES games, you can find books witch increase your skill and witch you can read just for fun. Unlike in the other ES Games you dont need to collect all anymore, once you have discoverd a new Lorebook its saved in your list and you can read it later all you need to do is just to click the entry in your list.

    Well thats it, if i have nothing forgot this are the good things from ESO. ;D

    Bad Stuff
    -------------------------
    - The Idea how the Skillsystem is done is not bad but it could be mutch better, first i thought you could improve your skills multiple times and develop them more but thats not true you can Morph every skill only once, this means between lvl 20-30 you can get the Morph for each skill u usally use and than thats it, nothing new after that. Of course you can try and develop some other skills to but why i should do that if i have no need for them in my build?
    - Leveling: Ist more worse than in FFXIV, the first time is Fun, until 50, but because u must do with one Char the Quest from all Faction to reach Vet10 in lowers the replay Value and Fun making Twinks a lot to me. U only need 1 Faction Zone to reach 50 but you need to Quest throw the entire Zones of the other 2 Factions as Well to reach Vet 10. Also the XP you get from Quest seems not to be right balanced, after i have done every working Quest and solostuff like in other MMO i have missed 2.4Mio XP to hit V10 and i allready had the Vet10 Area Clr. Grinding NPCs its not an Option because they give nearly nothing (around 100XP or so). The Solution was that i have revisited every Area and have done most of the Group activities but that was not real fun because sometimes you had to wait real Long before there are enough Player for a boss or dolmen.
    Hitting max Level should always be solo possible, group activities should only give something like a boost to save time but not been necesary.
    - Bots: when i have played my main i have seen not a singel bot, i guess i lvld to fast. But than i have made a twink to try another class... They are everywhere its more worse than after Launch of FFXIV (and i thought it could be possible). OK the City spam is not there but in every Solodungeon you have a group of 10 or more Bots Standing around the Boss spawn and killing them in less than 2 seconds. If you dont use a instant its nearly impossible to get a hit with enough dmg to make the Bosskill Count for the achivement. I have read in Forum bots that moves throw the ground and farming mats (like in wow), since a few days i see more and more lvling bots running same path all the time in a group of 5 bots or more (following the main bot) and grinding npc Groups.
    You hear nearly no Response about that problem from Zenimax and see no Action its like they dont care.
    - No Auctionhouse
    - Class Skills that are not Working right
    - and more    … Expand
  29. fsujoseph
    Apr 20, 2014
    7
    I think when you buy ESO you're getting a ton of content. Personally, I don't agree with the 60$ price tag, but I coughed it up and am having a lot of fun! It's a little clunky overall, and I am a little lost to some mechanics, it has been pretty enjoyable and I can't wait for dungeons with my friends. This game is far from perfect, but if Zenimax polishes it up and keeps new contentI think when you buy ESO you're getting a ton of content. Personally, I don't agree with the 60$ price tag, but I coughed it up and am having a lot of fun! It's a little clunky overall, and I am a little lost to some mechanics, it has been pretty enjoyable and I can't wait for dungeons with my friends. This game is far from perfect, but if Zenimax polishes it up and keeps new content coming I could see myself playing for awhile.

    It's not the best game, but it is a good MMO and provides good value as well as a friendly community. Don't listen to all the trolls, but it's also not "Zomg 10/10 best game evar". It's solid!    … Expand
  30. Rumblefish
    Apr 24, 2014
    6
    Well, what to say about this game? Firstly, I am a massive Elder Scrolls fan and used to be a big fan of MMOs for many years but have been shaken off by the pervasive free-to-play model and by watching developers dilute the integrity of their own IPs by pandering to self-entitled players.

    So, the biggest plus I can say for ESO is that it has got me playing an MMO again. Other    Well, what to say about this game? Firstly, I am a massive Elder Scrolls fan and used to be a big fan of MMOs for many years but have been shaken off by the pervasive free-to-play model and by watching developers dilute the integrity of their own IPs by pandering to self-entitled players.

    So, the biggest plus I can say for ESO is that it has got me playing an MMO again. Other positives are that the graphics (on maximum settings) are beautiful; lighting, particle effects and the day/night cycle are all the best I have seen in any MMO. Zenimax have successfully created the atmosphere of an ES game, the player is immersed in Tamriel and it's a joy to explore the world and meet its inhabitants.

    There's much to admire. The implementation of class skills and also weapon and armour skill lines means that any class of character is free to fill any role. Are you a heavy armour wearing Dragonknight tank? Well simply respec, pick up a staff and start a new career as a spellslinger or healer. The combat is engaging, with dodging, blocking and interrupting adding elements to the encounters. However, fighting in ESO does suffer a bit from lag and a feeling of imprecision and weightlessness. A player can often move out of the way of a spell or ability only to be struck when they thought they were safe.

    Crafting is very interesting in ESO, it's quite intricate and requires dedication to slowly level up. Armour and weapons can be created, improved and enchanted in a myriad of ways and styles and crafting is actually a viable source of income. Damaged armour is expensive to repair and I absolutely love the fact that this introduces an actual negative repercussion to death.

    All quests are very professionally voice acted and are a cut above the usual "collect ten bear pelts". However, I did find that all the different groups, characters and comrades one meets along the way become indistinguishable from each other and are by and large forgettable. PvP can be engrossing and addictive but the lack of any world pvp takes away a lot of immersion. PvP action in Cyrodill is all manufactured fare and is only slightly better than the "usual jerg, dead, rez, repeat" that no other MMO seems to have been able to innovate on.

    However, there are negatives to this game also and boy are they large and numerous. The thing about an ES game is that you are the focus of a living breathing world. Can you break into an NPCs house, pick their pocket whilst they sleep, steal their dinner and then murder them and permanently remove them from the game? Yes, yes you can. This is not the case with ESO. Here, you are in a facade of a world. Everything is laid out in front of you and if you squint hard enough, you could believe that you're in Nirn. But peek behind the curtain and realise it's a sham. This is the proverbial theme park. Go here, speak to him, go over there. It's linear in the extreme and there is no real opportunity to fashion your own adventures or stories.

    Many useful features, staples of the genre are missing from ESO. You cannot inspect another player, or duel them. There is no worldwide auction house - and whilst I understand the reasoning behind this, the current guild store simply doesn't work. It's inaccessible and unappealing. Inventory space is a premium and most of your time during the first 20 levels will be spend managing bag and bank space. Although, ironically, there is no way to collect the books you find during your journeys.

    And then there are the disasters. The gold spam in this game is like nothing you will have ever experienced before. It is pervasive and intrusive all day long. The world is plagued with bots, either teleporting from node to node or standing in open world dungeons (surely the worst idea ever to grace an MMO) endlessly battering and looting the same poor mini-boss all day long. It's just not good enough. The game crashes regularly and the economy has already been destroyed by those who have exploited bank glitches. Clearly, a lot of work has gone into ESO but, ultimately, not enough.

    And the same can be said with the amount of thought that went into the social aspect of the game. As I've said, public dungeons are the most disastrous, immersion-breaking events in any MMO, but simply grouping up to quest with others is similarly flawed. Quests are phased, so if your partner is not on exactly the same stage of a quest that you are, then they will not even be able to see the NPCs you are tasked with killing (and therefore can offer no help). The game seems to make actions within it as inconvenient as possible. I've already mentioned trading in this regard but any social interaction can become confusing because people chat in zone/group chat etc under their character name, but appear in guild chat and in the dungeon finder etc as their account name.

    The game could have been a lot better, I hope it improves but it's probably already too late.    … Expand
  31. GhoXen
    Apr 23, 2014
    5
    Playtime: around 170 hours

    Level: Veteran Rank 6 (10 ranks in total after level cap of 50) Experience: All previous TES games, numerous MMOs including WoW, LOTRO, SWTOR, GW2, FF14 (old & new), WildStar beta, etc. Playstyle: Story, group PvE, PvP, completionist. Compared to many recent entries in the MMO market, ESO certainly stands out with some brave novel designs. They've    Playtime: around 170 hours

    Level: Veteran Rank 6 (10 ranks in total after level cap of 50)

    Experience: All previous TES games, numerous MMOs including WoW, LOTRO, SWTOR, GW2, FF14 (old & new), WildStar beta, etc.

    Playstyle: Story, group PvE, PvP, completionist.

    Compared to many recent entries in the MMO market, ESO certainly stands out with some brave novel designs. They've done a better job than SWTOR in terms of story, world and immersion, and the MMO certainly feels more like a TES game than any other MMO on the market with the introduction of first-person view. There is a crazy amount of details put into the making of the game, ranging from random NPCs, exploration to consequences of decisions during questing (some of which you will be reminded of even many zones and levels later). However, it's also suffering from a bland endgame, similar to many recent releases, but that's less of an issue than its problem with management.

    ZOS has been managing ESO extremely poorly. In a short span of two weeks, they have made more bad management decisions than Blizzard has made in years.

    The game is extremely buggy, and feels like an unfinished and untested product. The progression of many essential quests are still broken even weeks after launch, and the devs have been extremely slow at fixing the problems. For MMOs like this, you'd expect massive patches that quickly solve player issues at launch, but that is not the case with ESO. The patches are small, and tend to solve only a small number of issues.

    There are also many very poor designs that are now biting the devs in back. Whether it's unbalanced mechanics or poorly designed reward system that led to people camping bosses. Understandably, these issues appear to be of a lesser priority than game-breaking bugs, so don't expect them fixed anytime soon.

    Then there is ZOS's handling of exploits that are potentially fatal to the game. ZOS has failed to take care of exploits reported during the beta, and as a result an exploit nearly wiped the game world. Then the messy banwave banned lots of innocent players (whose accounts were eventually restored), and lots of exploiters are still unbanned. As I write this review, there are still at least 3 exploits of similar nature in the public domain, and ZOS's reaction is anything but swift.

    Some may say: surely these issues will be eventually fixed? While that may be true, what the recent events have shown is that ZOS has very poor management. As a result, they may not be equipped to deal with on-going problems a MMO may encounter, and I dread to think of the countless issues they'd run into when they release their first content patch, and when they eventually release some expansion pack. It's not about what's currently broken, instead it's about how poorly ZOS has been addressing them thus far, which indicates how poorly ZOS will address similar issues in the future with dreadful efficiency and messy effectiveness.

    The game has a lot of potential, but the current management of the game is very disappointing. As a player, I do not find ZOS trustworthy or capable. Rather than sinking investments of time and effort into this poorly managed game, I implore potential players to look elsewhere, at least for the time-being. Until ZOS manages to prove to the playerbase that they can improve their game management, ESO does not deserve your patience or tolerance.

    PS: Before anyone wonders why I've spent so much time with a this game like this, the reasons are simple - despite all its flaws I still enjoyed the story (once). Aside from that, I'm really just killing time until Dark Souls 2 releases on PC.    … Expand
  32. brandog0
    May 8, 2014
    5
    ESO is a good game no doubt, but is it worth the subscription fee? hell no! there are way to many bugs and the game doesn't feel any different from any other MMO out there, even some free to play MMO's are better than this so why would I pay $60 for the game then have to shell out nearly 180 a month for a game that is average no less? but like I said it's not a bad game but a subscriptionESO is a good game no doubt, but is it worth the subscription fee? hell no! there are way to many bugs and the game doesn't feel any different from any other MMO out there, even some free to play MMO's are better than this so why would I pay $60 for the game then have to shell out nearly 180 a month for a game that is average no less? but like I said it's not a bad game but a subscription fee is way to much money when you can get even better games for free.… Expand
  33. bigbeefytaco
    May 8, 2014
    5
    ESO is just an average mmo. the leveling system and crafting are amazing, but the gameplay is very dull and boring and the combat is very clunky and unresponsive. the botting and gold sellers are almost unbearable. the dungeons in the game are not bad if you can get past all the bugs. but imo there many free to play mmo out there that do a way better job with out a subscription i can notESO is just an average mmo. the leveling system and crafting are amazing, but the gameplay is very dull and boring and the combat is very clunky and unresponsive. the botting and gold sellers are almost unbearable. the dungeons in the game are not bad if you can get past all the bugs. but imo there many free to play mmo out there that do a way better job with out a subscription i can not justify spending money on such a average mmo. wait till it goes free to play but even then go try out other mmo games you'll probably find something better.… Expand
  34. Fursnake
    Apr 12, 2014
    7
    Having played MMO's for almost 20 years since the days of Asheron's Call, Everquest and Ultima Online, I have played and tested so many MMO's I have lost count of them all. I'm a big MMO fan, but I am pretty picky these days about MMO's. After going through a bunch of MMO's that felt like lackluster WoW clones, TESO is the first one in awhile that doesn't feel like WoW. It has actionHaving played MMO's for almost 20 years since the days of Asheron's Call, Everquest and Ultima Online, I have played and tested so many MMO's I have lost count of them all. I'm a big MMO fan, but I am pretty picky these days about MMO's. After going through a bunch of MMO's that felt like lackluster WoW clones, TESO is the first one in awhile that doesn't feel like WoW. It has action combat akin to GW2, TERA and Neverwinter. Some feel the combat is clunky, but it feels better to me than GW2 or Neverwinter. Having a stamina bar and no cooldowns on skills changes things up nicely and avoids the pitfall of boring skill rotations. You have dodging, blocking and interrupts all stamina based to add to the combat tactics.

    The gameworld makes me want to explore more than any MMO since SWG, aside from the MMO standards of locations to discover there are little flavor encounters you can participate in as well as treasure chests, lorebooks, skill ups and other goodies scattered around the world to find. The questing doesn't feel like there is much in the way of boring kill/fetch quests and overall the questing immerses me more than other MMO's. The overall questing and gameworld has some decent phasing.

    The game has a race/class system but once you pick a race and class it opens up more and you are not constrained to one single thing based on your class. I have a paladin/cleric type character that can main tank or main heal equally well, not even level 20 yet. Character level really only matters as far as what you can equip and getting that all too important extra skill point. Classes are not restricted to armor types and one can have a heavy armor wearing mage if they want.

    PvP is pretty enjoyable and this coming from someone who does not really care for MMO PvP. I enjoyed RvRvR in Dark Age of Camelot, I enjoyed the more open world PvP of SWG, I enjoyed the WvW in GW2 and I like the triple faction, large map based PvP of TESO. Plenty of MMo PvP boils down to small map, epsorts-esque grind fests with little to no impact on the overall game and just results in a PvP gear grind. TESO's PvP is more about the three factions vying for control of a big ole territory with plenty of keeps, temples and other objectives to battle over.

    I also find crafting fairly engaging and I don't much care for crafting in MMO's in general; most of the time crafting in other MMO's crafting has felt like a real grind where I didn't really use it until end level, In TESO I find myself crafting much more and using more of what I craft. Crafting can be somewhat complicated to figure out, but once you do there is a good deal to it and plenty of appearance varieties and things to do to improve crafted gear.

    Personally I enjoy the game enough that it is a solid 9 subjectively. But from a slightly more objective sense there are some issues with it that will and do frustrate/turn off people. The game is buggier than Zenimax Online wishes it was. I have not run into any game breaking bugs or serious bug issues like other players, but they are there. Inventory and bank management is a pain even for someone who has been through all kinds of MMO inventory systems. It would a real PITA if I wasn't accustomed to MMO inventory systems already. The lack of a public auction house does not bother me, but it is a turn off to some. One can screw up character development if they don't pay attention to how they build their character and where they put skill points; respecs can be costly. There is not much in the way of a user interface, but add-ons are allowed and there are some great add-ons being made by players/modders already and plenty of add-ons provide good interface additions.

    It is rough around the edges and it was released a bit too early, but has enough depth and individuality as an MMO for me. Only time will tell if it will retain enough subscribers to remain a sub fee based game, but I will be subscribing to it for some time to come.    … Expand
  35. Exoaria
    Apr 30, 2014
    7
    The Elder Scrolls Online does not, by any means, break any molds in its vanilla construct. It is one of the most innovating releases in the online gaming industry that I have seen, but is failing in more than one aspect. You need to come to the game without any fresh expectations of the previous games.

    There is no opportunity to be a part of the community. Exploring a new town or city    The Elder Scrolls Online does not, by any means, break any molds in its vanilla construct. It is one of the most innovating releases in the online gaming industry that I have seen, but is failing in more than one aspect. You need to come to the game without any fresh expectations of the previous games.

    There is no opportunity to be a part of the community. Exploring a new town or city does not feel any different to exploring the last one, and quests are seldom entertaining or bringing anything new to the table. The level of progression and gameplay is definitely a step back from the console versions; but to look at it for what it is (an MMORPG) it is far more invigorating than most grind-fests on the market today. There is an extensive amount of lore and dialogue in the game to keep it fresh.

    Combat is severely stunted by your internet connection. The lack of Oceanic servers have made it very hard for Australians like myself to fully enjoy the game as there's at least a 300ms delay in all actions— whether that be attacking, rolling, sprinting, or just generally activating items or NPC's... it begins to feel very disconnected. Obviously I can't base the review on my own internet inadequacy, and so I definitely have to say that all fighting in the game is backed up by a solid amount of mechanics. Fighting enemies, especially in groups requires tactics and is far from something where you're simply menacely clicking and mashing numbers.

    The 5-slot skill limit gives a solid backup to the extensively customization available when building your character. Of the 4 classes to choose from, there is a lack of meta which is made up in the fact that by morphing your abilities you can effectively play any role with any class.

    The visuals are ground-breaking for any MMO that I have seen so far. However, the world still feels oddly disconnected and there's an inherent lack of any life. Bird's don't fly away when you walk near them, and everything does tend to feel very static. This does a disservice to the amazing quality of graphics, but does not take too much away from the level of beauty Zenimax has created.

    Endgame does not appear to have much content outside of PvP, but Zenimax appears to be very well committed to constant updates and content being added to the game. I am enjoying it thoroughly so far and intend to look at my subscription as a level of support to that dedication.
    The Elder Scrolls Online is not particularly innovative in light of the series, but for an MMORPG definitely takes some steps into new grounds which I'm most pleased to see. I will continue playing for some time.    … Expand
  36. W-Moose-W
    Jun 26, 2014
    5
    I did rate 6, but changed to 5. I expect a lot more than just pretty graphics and beautiful characters in 2014. The rest is a standard quest/level or subpar compared to what other games are doing.

    A party member of the same level disappears every time they are not on the same quest as you. They can't help or share. Terrible design. How could they think this would be good? How could    I did rate 6, but changed to 5. I expect a lot more than just pretty graphics and beautiful characters in 2014. The rest is a standard quest/level or subpar compared to what other games are doing.

    A party member of the same level disappears every time they are not on the same quest as you.
    They can't help or share. Terrible design. How could they think this would be good? How could this pass beta?

    The only thing Elder Scrolls is the where this takes place and the char races. nothing else is similar.

    I felt ripped off after I realized in the first starting area that there is no swimming underwater. WOW had this feature 10 years ago. All Elder Scrolls games have it. All you do in this game is tread water.

    The only new feature is you aim your mouse pointer at your target instead of click to select the target, or tab to select a target. However, if the target moves after you shoot, your arrow/spell curve and follow it.

    This becomes more evident when things are fired at you. You cannot dodge the fireball or shots coming at you…they curve and follow you.

    This is not Elder Scrolls combat. In Elder Scrolls combat attacks go in straight lines, and you can dodge them.

    No friendly fire - So everyone is just shooting and casting right through friendly characters in melee etc. This is not Elder Scrolls. This was trumped up as a revolution in gaming - but it isn't. It is a re-keying of similar systems using the mouse aimed reticle to select targets.

    Your shield does ‘block’ but you can’t improve the block like in Elder Scrolls. There is no parrying.

    There are bows, but no arrows. They just shoot an unlimited amount at your target as fast as you can click. This is not Elder Scrolls.

    No Fletcher/Bowyer crafting, no arrow shaft, tip, fletching types, no crossbows or slings. A "woodworker" can make bows. He can also craft magical staves...because they have wood shafts. LOL. seriously.

    The staves shoot magic just like the bows - unlimited, curving at target.

    Your character only has a magic, health, and stamina rating. No str, dex, wil, int, etc etc.
    Elder Scrolls skills, or some new well thought out complex skill system is absent here. Where are the 6 schools of Magic from Elder Scrolls? Not Here.

    4 Character classes, each with 3 skill trees: Each class is basically a magician. Then you pick a weapon with a separate skill tree. The skills end up doing much the same thing no matter what you choose.

    Any player can use any weapon and each weapon has its own skill tree

    You can carry 60 pieces of heavy armor or 60 scrolls...not weight based.

    Anyone can wear heavy armor and wield the biggest weapons because there is no min str rating etc.

    Everyone can use stealth, but it does not level up like in ES. Armor doesn’t effect it.

    OTHER DISAPOINTMENTS FOR AN MMO THAT COMES OUT IN 2014:
    You can’t build a house ( or even a tent) and have property,

    You can't make extra storage chests for your gear.

    You have a bank with 60 slots (upgradeable). That’s it. It can be filled up with junk from the starting area.

    No shipbuilding (even simple canoes) sea sailing, own a ship instead of a house.

    No building guild halls and customizing them for members. No public store for your guild.

    No public auction/store to sell things more QUICKLY!!
    Remember in Ultima online (1998) how you could find treasures and decorate your place? Sail on the sea and fish? Your guild could have a storefront where u could sell stuff u made? You could own a house? There is nothing here. UO had this 15 years ago....where the economy was based on what ppl made. No hunting skill, fishing skill, mountain climbing, pet taming, nothing - you can fish but it is generic), no carpentry, masonry, kennel – no extra stuff that an mmo crowd does outside of combat or combat crafting. Imagine all the cool things someone in a next generation mmo could have for people to do - a socila immersive world - ESO strikes out here. You can’t have NPC companions that you can equip and customize and program with scripts (like in swtor, or eve baldur’s gate). Think Dragon Age scripting with SWTOR companions You still can’t fight like cavalry and trample enemies on your horse (which should be customizeable with armor saddles, shoes, etc.). you can upgrade horse speed, endurance OTHER ANNOYANCES: No minimap. PVP : is fun, it takes place in Cyrodil - on a huge battlefield - but there is.no real world pvp or chance encounters with the enemy :( Guilds have enemies together in them. (seriously?) Summary: Great Beautifully created Tamriel Lands, Beautiful Characters. However, being advertised as an Elder Scrolls game leaves high expectations...which this game fails to deliver. ESO also fails to deliver in areas where many other games do things better.    … Expand
  37. CarM21
    Apr 12, 2014
    7
    It by some standards is dissapointing with the amount of hype this game had,if you like everyone else wanted skyrim with other people this is it.Great for what it was meant to be,lacking for what is was thought to be
  38. Nyxious
    Jul 27, 2014
    7
    I still have a subscription... because I had to buy game time in order to get my free time, the game store only had two month cards available. I just logged on after not playing for 2 weeks to see if it had improved, I have not crashed for awhile but the game still seems just boring. I tried to ignore the buy in price of 120 when I got it just so I could see if I like it, I tried to ignoreI still have a subscription... because I had to buy game time in order to get my free time, the game store only had two month cards available. I just logged on after not playing for 2 weeks to see if it had improved, I have not crashed for awhile but the game still seems just boring. I tried to ignore the buy in price of 120 when I got it just so I could see if I like it, I tried to ignore the first two weeks when I was constantly being dropped and having issues that didn't seem to exist in bug forums. But then i kept playing and I just got bored.

    Near the end of my playing I wasn't even reading what the missions were anymore, just check my map run there do whatever, get small reward, repeat. This does not feel like Elder Scrolls, the pvp was amusing for awhile and if it goes free to play might be worth it just for that, but I feel I am wasting time that could be better spent on games I will enjoy. Won't renew, might try again some day if they do a reboot like ffxiv did but otherwise I will just hope they still come out with single player games.

    ps the pvp was pretty good but not worth the near 120 price(game + time + tax) and hours of boredom to get to.    … Expand
  39. WarMaster115
    Apr 22, 2014
    5
    Let's face it, at the current state the game has an identity crisis - it's not really a full heavy-hitter single player game like Oblivion or Skyrim, and it's not a brilliant MMO either. Having tried to merge two worlds together Zenimax made an impressive job, no doubts about that. But it's just not enough.

    After playing for a while you begin to notice that nothing really stands out in    Let's face it, at the current state the game has an identity crisis - it's not really a full heavy-hitter single player game like Oblivion or Skyrim, and it's not a brilliant MMO either. Having tried to merge two worlds together Zenimax made an impressive job, no doubts about that. But it's just not enough.

    After playing for a while you begin to notice that nothing really stands out in the game.
    Everything just seems average, apart from stellar sound production though (voice acting, music, fx).
    Graphics - mediocre, story - mediocre, gameplay - mediocre, tons of bugs (broken quests, lag, ctd, infinite loading, etc.) - all this really hammers down your experience. But the biggest problem are the actual players, as they are the ones who will ruin your experience most often.

    I really wanted to like this game and saw a huge potential in the way it was developing.
    But, sadly, the end product is just another MMO only with the Elder Scrolls label on it.    … Expand
  40. SenshudoTV
    May 13, 2014
    6
    I tried to give ESO a fair shake. After a disappointing beta experience, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed some aspects of the game. PvP is a lot of fun when you're with a group and will only get better as more people reach max level. Some of the PvE content is enjoyable when you're not doing the same quests you've done in every other MMO with an Elder Scrolls flavor. Those experiencesI tried to give ESO a fair shake. After a disappointing beta experience, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed some aspects of the game. PvP is a lot of fun when you're with a group and will only get better as more people reach max level. Some of the PvE content is enjoyable when you're not doing the same quests you've done in every other MMO with an Elder Scrolls flavor. Those experiences are few and far between and thats a shame. Zenimax had a great opportunity here to buck the trend and create an engaging game. What we're left with is another generic MMO with an Elder Scrolls cover. Its nowhere near as deep or expansive as the single player Elder Scrolls games, nor is it as satisfying as other MMO's on the market. ESO reaches for the moon, and lands among the garbage pit.… Expand
  41. Jirki88
    Apr 19, 2014
    6
    While the game certainly feels it have good sides and huge potential, it also feels like it's stuck in limbo. It's a game that tries to cater both to the typical MMO crowd, and the typical Elder Scrolls crowd, which in essence results in a lackluster game stuck in the middle, not really catering to anyone.

    Lets start with positives: + The graphics are nice. Some very nice views and the    While the game certainly feels it have good sides and huge potential, it also feels like it's stuck in limbo. It's a game that tries to cater both to the typical MMO crowd, and the typical Elder Scrolls crowd, which in essence results in a lackluster game stuck in the middle, not really catering to anyone.

    Lets start with positives:
    + The graphics are nice. Some very nice views and the game generally looks very good.
    + Storywriting, as far as it exists, are good. The quests overall is well written and executed.
    + The class and skill system is innovative and fun, opening lots of possibilities.
    + The crafting system feels quite good.

    Then we can take the negatives:
    - A majority of every dungeons etc you won't actually feel like or remember doing, because everything will be dead in them when you jog through, and almost every dungeon mini boss will be camped.
    - Bots, bots everywhere. The game is abound with bots camping spawns, bots selling gold, bots harvesting resources, bots doing everything. ZOS apparently didn't even consider the possibility of bots.
    - The trading system - you will mostly not want to trade at all unless someone tries to buy something from you. There's ridiculous 25% fees on guild stores and even more ridiculous fees on CoD. The entire system was made by someone with a major hard-on for WTS/WTB/WTT chat spam. By extent it makes it so you really won't be selling particularly much stuff at all.
    - The hugely limited active skills. While I'm glad they didn't go down the WoW route of 60 skills in 4 skillbars, only 5 skills certainly are way too limiting. It makes you set up a very short rotation and then stick to it, which makes combat nothing short of terribly boring after a while. The weapon switch at level 15 don't really help, especially not for some classes such as a Sorc with Daedric Summoning focus, since the slots will have to be occupied by the same still, basically.
    - Idiotically timed maintenances and no communication by ZOS (it's more rule than exception nowadays that they put their maintenances on times when a majority of EU players play, and then don't inform as to why they even put a maintenance then).
    - The grouping system which at best is haphazard and poorly implemented. Often you will find yourself in different phases from your group mates, and there's quite some quests that can't be done in group but you won't even know until you stand in there and can't see your groupmembers. And even if it can be done in group you don't always end up in the same group. A bad system.

    All in all, as I mentioned, it's a game with potential. But it needs to choose a direction because where it's heading right now is down a route where they try to please everyone, and that just won't succeed considering how different the SP ES players and the normal MMO players are.    … Expand
  42. JudgementisMine
    Apr 29, 2014
    7
    I found Elder Scrolls Online to be flawed but nowhere near as flawed as some of the ignorant criticism it has attracted. It is a good, solid Elder Scrolls story that has been bent badly in places to fit MMO requirements and conventions.. It has more bugs than it should, but these are slowly being mastered. Its chief faults are quests that are sometimes rigid and over-scripted, problemsI found Elder Scrolls Online to be flawed but nowhere near as flawed as some of the ignorant criticism it has attracted. It is a good, solid Elder Scrolls story that has been bent badly in places to fit MMO requirements and conventions.. It has more bugs than it should, but these are slowly being mastered. Its chief faults are quests that are sometimes rigid and over-scripted, problems with balance (too hard/too easy), and problems hitting the right level of complexity in such things as crafting, neither too convoluted nor too simple. The hostile reaction it has received from some parts of the gaming community is frankly childish. One noted "critic" attacked its "boring" quests by putting up a graphic of a Khajiit that was saying "Boring, boring, boring." There was literally no other argument than that. That's the level that some people are conducting the discussion on. In a way, the incoherent spite is revenge on Bethesda for not making every one of its games exactly the same as Morrowind, which enjoys a fervent-a-little-over-the-edge-of-sanity fanbase that I have dubbed "Morrowwindbags." Another sore point is the subscription fee. Even though this works out to about 50 cents a day for the first year and less thereafter, and even though new content is already being added to the game, less than a month after it was released, the very idea that they pay for anything additional seems to throw certain people into hysterics. But no free lunch, children, no free lunch. Complain if you don't get enough for your money. Don't mewl and whine because you have to pay. The only thing that ought to be free is bug fixes.… Expand
  43. Stargher
    May 4, 2014
    6
    I really wanted to like this game, but apart from character customization options, the story just couldn't keep me interested. I managed to play through all the starting areas, but the game lack the freedom and the spirit of the other Elder Scrolls games. Choices are meaningless and leveling is a chore. Quests are average and the whole thing feels lifeless. It is however an adequate MMO,I really wanted to like this game, but apart from character customization options, the story just couldn't keep me interested. I managed to play through all the starting areas, but the game lack the freedom and the spirit of the other Elder Scrolls games. Choices are meaningless and leveling is a chore. Quests are average and the whole thing feels lifeless. It is however an adequate MMO, just nothing special.… Expand
  44. blammo
    Jun 3, 2014
    6
    Disclaimer: I hate PVP so I never experienced that part of the game at all.

    There are many good things - the crafting, the voice overs for every single dialogue, a huge world of exploration, and it's all very good looking. The random treasure chests and treasure maps are my favourite. I never once spent any time grinding, everything was fresh and never stale. But nothing made me    Disclaimer: I hate PVP so I never experienced that part of the game at all.

    There are many good things - the crafting, the voice overs for every single dialogue, a huge world of exploration, and it's all very good looking. The random treasure chests and treasure maps are my favourite. I never once spent any time grinding, everything was fresh and never stale.

    But nothing made me want to stop and get involved. Despite the appearance of an open sandbox, you're corralled from one giant open area to the next and it's "the most open on-rails experience you can have". Run along and click-click through the dialogue and the arrow points in the direction where you have to go and kill something. By the end you're tired of twisted hellish-floating-rock-islands.

    In summary, it's failed to grab me after playing it for a month now and giving it a fair shake, I really really wish it did because I've been an Elder Scrolls fan since Daggerfall came out.

    Worth it to try it out for the price of the game, you'll get your moneys worth for sure but I imagine many people will drop subscription after the first month or two not because it's bad, just because there's no big draw to stay.    … Expand
  45. JasonCDaniels
    Nov 16, 2015
    5
    Executive Summary (TL;DR)
    I played the beta. It seems like some key features often found in MMOs or fantasy games are missing or poorly implemented, even still. This includes things such as basic UI stuff, lcking auction houses, a chat interface that's largely a nuisance, and the understandable for an MMO neutering of sniping with a bow, effectively alienating people who favor that style.    Executive Summary (TL;DR)
    I played the beta. It seems like some key features often found in MMOs or fantasy games are missing or poorly implemented, even still. This includes things such as basic UI stuff, lcking auction houses, a chat interface that's largely a nuisance, and the understandable for an MMO neutering of sniping with a bow, effectively alienating people who favor that style. Also, outside of where a new character was created the writing seemed very dull and derivative. It was a mediocre experience for me.

    ------------------------
    Background:
    I was part of the late beta on ESO. I stopped playing the beta about 3 weeks in for a variety of reasons, most related to the game experience presented in a late beta product, but also others that were unrelated to the game.

    So why am I writing this NOW? On reading many of the RECENT reviews, positive and negative, viewing videos, and talking with friends who play the game, it is apparent to me that some of my major concerns persist to this day. (Not all, however)

    So yes, assessing if a problem STILL exists is second hand, so take it with a grain of salt. The information conveyed comes from my recollection of playing late in the beta cycle.
    ---------------------------------
    a) UI: If there is only one thing to tackle correctly, first, in an MMO, it's facilitating players interactions with each other in a meaningful, manageable way. The core of this is chat/mail. ESO Chat was a cluttered mess in beta. It sounds like the addition of multiple guilds has cluttered it even more.

    b) FEATURE: Similarly, no auction house existed. This makes trade VERY difficult. Long lived MMOs tend to have auction houses or other similar features because they are needed to enable lots of people to buy and sell competitively. It would seem there still isn't a suitable equivalent at this time.

    c) FEATURE: Sneaking and sniping, my all time favorite way to play any Elder Scrolls game, was neutered beyond usability. While sort of understandable in the context of an MMO, and the possible limitations on servers, don't play this game expecting to do any meaningful sniping with a bow, or spell. You will be very close to your opponent when engaging in this manner. This seems to obsolesce sneak-and-snipe builds.

    d) UI: There were few, if any, ways to tell, visually, which items could be interacted with, and which ones could not, thus saving time for players. It would seem from recent reviews that this is still the case.

    e) WRITING: The story intro/premise - Everyone was basically a "chosen one" after a fancy. The in game explanation given (at least at that time) was thin and superficial. After returning from the afterlife I had a waining interest in pursuing the main story as a result. That's not to say that all of the intro zone was poorly written/directed. It was actually quite fun to play through once. The rationale for all the "chosen ones" was unappealing to me.

    f) WRITING: Other quests were comprised of largely thin, cliche writing. Apart from the afterlife / start zone, the writing was frequently failing to living up to "Took an arrow to the knee" for quality, in my view.

    g) BUSINESS PRACTICE: The marketing and pricing seemed a bit like a cash-grab (DLC microtransaction). My impression here has not changed, even though the pricing model has, slightly with them effectively eliminating the subscription with ESO Plus.

    h) FEATURE: This MMO seemed a little light on the RPG elements in late beta. This is not a good thing or a bad thing, it's just something to be aware of. If you have strong opinions on which way you like it, factor this in.

    i) SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE: And I know this is highly subjective, but it didn't "feel" like Tamriel to me. It felt like a hollow empty ghost of Tamriel. It felt like a sterile coopting of the Elder Scrolls brand, not an addition to it.

    You'll notice I didn't address graphics, dungeons, the fact that it didn't feel like Skyrim among other subjects. Graphics won't completely make or break a game, but they do certainly add to or subtract from a game. For dungeons, I could never get enough casual players together to try them. As for not feeling like Skyrim, well... Yep there's that. But Oblivion doesn't, nor does Morrowind. . . I love those games even still, even Skyrim. Most importantly, comparing single player games to MMOs misses important defining differences between kinds of games.

    You'll also note that I didn't say it was a bad game. ESO was mediocre as a beta product. As time seems to bear out, it's still a mediocre product. (So are other games that I adore. So if you love the game, keep loving it and playing it!)    … Expand
  46. csesium
    Apr 11, 2014
    6
    When I first heard ESO was going to be made, my first thought was it was going to be impossible to properly turn an Elder Scrolls game into an MMO. When I finally got into the beta I felt I was wrong, and that they had actually done a fairly decent job of the translation. I preordered it and was in the 5 day early access, and I can safely say my first thought was the correct one.

    I    When I first heard ESO was going to be made, my first thought was it was going to be impossible to properly turn an Elder Scrolls game into an MMO. When I finally got into the beta I felt I was wrong, and that they had actually done a fairly decent job of the translation. I preordered it and was in the 5 day early access, and I can safely say my first thought was the correct one.

    I really, really wanted to like this game. And for the first several days I enjoyed playing it. But then the problems started flowing in, and by problems I mean design flaws.

    Pros:
    -Pretty good looking for an MMO. Graphics are good and the environment is well done.
    -It feels very good playing in first person, unlike many of the other MMOs I've tried, though there's no way to change the FOV.
    -Music is excellent and fits the environment well
    -Voice acting is excellent, except where they made last minute changes to the dialogue and used different voice actors to make up the difference, creating a jarring effect when one paragraph is voiced by one person and the next by a different person
    -Stories for the quests are above average

    Cons
    -Dungeons are completely linear and go the same way every single time. You find a dungeon, any dungeon, and open the map: it's just a square. You reach a fork and you turn right every single time, because the left side is where you exit the dungeon to head back to the entrance. Because of phasing half way through the dungeon you will find the "boss" area, where a named NPC resides dead on the floor in a pile of copies of itself, with 12 people standing around it all trying to get one hit in before it's killed so they can get the completion acknowledgement and move on to the next quest or dungeon. The boss lasts no longer than 4 seconds.

    -There is no central auction house to trade goods. Instead. each guild has a store where its members and only its members may post up to 30 items at a time to sell to other guild members. There is a 25% cut when you list an item which becomes a hefty fee very quickly. Now, because there is no central auction house you can only reach a maximum of 300 players for any given item you are attempting to sell using the store. You can be a part of 5 different guilds, but you must choose which guild you list your item and that is it. This has led people to spamming every single general zone chat with trade requests because there is no trade chat, and it has overwhelmed any other discussions attempting to go on. The fact is, if you want to sell your item you want to reach the most amount of people, and that means selling it in general chat, not one of the guild stores where you will only get 75% of what you're asking.

    -Inventory management is a complete nightmare. You are able to level any or all professions at will; you aren't locked into picking just one or two. However, crafts like provisioning and enchanting have A LOT of different items used to craft, and you only start with 60 bank slots. If you try and level provisioning alone you will use up almost 100 slots with just different types of crafting materials, leaving room for absolutely nothing else! There are trinkets and pets and other things you might want to keep, but now you have to use bank alts and THEIR specific inventory just so you can have room to level other professions, or keep those special trinkets you get in game, or hell, another set of armor.

    -Enchanting is a joke. Almost all of the enchantments that you can use only go on jewelry, which you can't craft, and most of the rings and amulets you find have enchantments on them already that can't be overwritten. You need 3 different kinds of runes, but aspect runes appear in the game about 10% of the time compared to the other 2, meaning leveling it is godawful slow. However, leveling any profession in the game goes faster by deconstructing any item you find, NOT crafting. There is essentially no point in actually crafting a single item in any profession until you hit max level because you will outlevel it too quickly and it doesn't provide enough experience to level your profession to make it worth it.

    -PvP is mostly just running around for 10 minutes in empty fields to hopefully the next battle, because as far as I can tell there is no way to know if a capture point is in conflict or not. Seriously, PvP is mostly running from point A to point B with nothing inbetween, then it doesn't matter if you win or lose because what comes next is another 10 minute run. The map is too big. Seriously.

    These are just a few of the criticisms. If you really, really want to give the game a try, WAIT a few months for things to get settled, because it's just not worth the $15 a month they are asking for you to be waiting for things to get sorted out.    … Expand
  47. Rarisk
    Apr 26, 2014
    5
    I had high hopes for this game, after reaching VR1 I feel like i had to grind my way up due to broken quests.
    The last 2 levels of the game had no content because of the 2-4% of quests along the way that didn't work. There are limited ways to gain experience effectively and I feel like the developers are forcing us to play the game a certain way.
    The game looks good, not great. On the    I had high hopes for this game, after reaching VR1 I feel like i had to grind my way up due to broken quests.
    The last 2 levels of the game had no content because of the 2-4% of quests along the way that didn't work. There are limited ways to gain experience effectively and I feel like the developers are forcing us to play the game a certain way.
    The game looks good, not great.
    On the plus side combat is smooth-ish, NPC's are dumb at times but the combat system is refreshing.
    This gamer hopes that in 2-6 months the game will be polished and worth a second look.    … Expand
  48. Inudiablo
    May 2, 2014
    5
    Being a long standing ElderScrolls + MMO fan(As I assume 90% of the reviewers claim) I had really high hopes for this game.

    The Good: I generally thing that this game looks good. Cranked up 2 max had me Ohhhing and Awwwing here or there. The humor is present, and with an amazing(sometimes not) voicecast it really brings the humor to home. Especially considering it's all elder    Being a long standing ElderScrolls + MMO fan(As I assume 90% of the reviewers claim) I had really high hopes for this game.

    The Good:
    I generally thing that this game looks good. Cranked up 2 max had me Ohhhing and Awwwing here or there.

    The humor is present, and with an amazing(sometimes not) voicecast it really brings the humor to home. Especially considering it's all elder scrolls based. Hearing jokes about kwarmas, skooma and the like really add charm to this game.

    I love that the npcs talk about you and what you have done. It makes walking around even without a party feel less empty.

    The bad
    Very uninspired quest design. There were a few solid quests here or there, but for the most part it is the same quest every single mmo has had before it. Go kill this many, go collect this many. Even the quests that have you choices that are unchangeable feel like they have no impact. Because they really don't impact all that much

    Goldspamming is a massive problem. And Zenimaxs response has been a bit lackluster. It is understandable though. Considering I don't even know HOW they would get rid of all of them. But regardless it does make general chat unusable. With bots constantly spamming.

    The ugly:
    Glitches.... Never in any mmo I have ever played have glitches been this rampant. And such terrible glitches at that. Market destroying dupes, falling through the floor(Happens a couple times every time I play), Quests just not completing. Monsters not doing what they were scripted to do (Walked through a aggressive area and the AI completely ignored me.) This is actually what made me decide to not resub. I can't justify the $15 a month along with my initial purchase for the dire straights this game is in right now. And the argument that all the forgotten mmos before it made the same mistake is disingenuous to all the people who paid for content they are not getting. For such an expensive game you should demand excellence, but the customer support is terrible.

    Overall: 5/10
    I don't understand how someone can give this game a 0/10 and keep a straight face. It is not by ANY means a 0/10. But it is also not a 10/10 that some people have put up. This is a solid game if you can get past the bugs that I could not. But it is absolutely nothing new. It is extremely... Average.    … Expand
  49. FrenziedRoach
    May 4, 2014
    6
    Solid combat system and character development save this game from being a disaster. They've been very good about cracking down on bots. However......

    Very group unfriendly at this time, making it impossible to help friends who come in late to "catch up" with you. If you get out of syc with your partner, be prepared to listen to them struggle on a quest that would of been a breeze for    Solid combat system and character development save this game from being a disaster. They've been very good about cracking down on bots. However......

    Very group unfriendly at this time, making it impossible to help friends who come in late to "catch up" with you. If you get out of syc with your partner, be prepared to listen to them struggle on a quest that would of been a breeze for the two of you.

    I'd wait a couple months for a few more bugs to get ironed out. There's potential here, but it's too early to tell if it will ever be worth the 60 bucks plus subs.    … Expand
  50. BlindingBright
    Apr 28, 2014
    6
    It's like Skyrim and Guild Wars 2 had a baby.... but Skyrim found out that Guild Wars 2 was cheating on it with Dark Age of Camelot, and now Skyrim is left to raise their illegitimate child. You wanna love it, but every time you look down at it's cute little face you're reminded of how that B*&#h Skyrim cheated on you.

    This is the first MMO that has gotten me to turn off the background    It's like Skyrim and Guild Wars 2 had a baby.... but Skyrim found out that Guild Wars 2 was cheating on it with Dark Age of Camelot, and now Skyrim is left to raise their illegitimate child. You wanna love it, but every time you look down at it's cute little face you're reminded of how that B*&#h Skyrim cheated on you.

    This is the first MMO that has gotten me to turn off the background noise and to focus on... *gasp* playing it versus tuning it out or making me stare at a spreadsheet in motion. Other people cover the gripes pretty well; I'm still a loyal player, just frustrated. Currently dealing with CTD's, broken grouping, bugged quests, non-connecting combat, and weird disconnects. I'll re-re-review when this little runt gets older and learns how to walk without falling on it's face.    … Expand
  51. Anyas_Dad
    Apr 9, 2014
    7
    I am really not a fan of metacritic simply because trolls like to bash games they have never played OR dislike due to pricing. I decided to do this review for two reasons: 1. Offset the fake reviews with a real one. 2. To let others who unsure about spending the money that it is a good game and worth the investment AS LONG AS YOU LIKE ELDER SCROLLS. Everything about the game seems toI am really not a fan of metacritic simply because trolls like to bash games they have never played OR dislike due to pricing. I decided to do this review for two reasons: 1. Offset the fake reviews with a real one. 2. To let others who unsure about spending the money that it is a good game and worth the investment AS LONG AS YOU LIKE ELDER SCROLLS. Everything about the game seems to catch my attention. Graphics, dialogue, music and lore. I have played MOST major mmo games and have to say this is the closest to giving me that same sense of "magic" that WoW did when I was playing daily. The biggest issues I have with the game are: Glitches (naturally due to infancy), NO AUCTION HOUSE and the usual gold buying spammers. Also the when you set up your account you need to authorize $14.99 using credit cards paypal and debit. You DO get this back in a day or two. It's just their way of stopping fraud I assume.… Expand
  52. Shiranai
    Apr 9, 2014
    6
    Full-disclosure I am a reviewer. Not from a big site at all, and honestly I haven't reviewed anything in well over 2 years. I just say this to call out something underhanded many of the bigger publications are pulling right now.

    Think about this for a moment. When have you ever seen a game this big have so few reviews close to release date? Usually a handful of early reviews will slip    Full-disclosure I am a reviewer. Not from a big site at all, and honestly I haven't reviewed anything in well over 2 years. I just say this to call out something underhanded many of the bigger publications are pulling right now.

    Think about this for a moment. When have you ever seen a game this big have so few reviews close to release date? Usually a handful of early reviews will slip through the cracks maybe 48 hours or so before the game's official review embargo (when we are allowed to post reviews) has passed. So why is it that a game that hundreds of reviewers of major online and print publications have only come up with 8 reviews worldwide amongst them?

    Having played the game I will tell you why. Bethesda is offering some kind of incentive to either delay or "re-review" ESO. See the developers are sent copies of the review before it releases with big games like this. There was a guy who worked for Gamespot who got FIRED for giving a bad review to Kane and Lynch Dead Men a good 6 years or so ago.

    Anyone who has reviewed this game under a certain score is getting some kind of incentive to either delay their review or "rework it", and that is a despicable practice that Bethesda has engaged in for as long as I can remember.

    The actual review? This game isn't amazing, and it isn't horrible, The character customization is amazing it truly is endless with the options of what you want to create, the graphics are incredibly bad for a next gen title I mean painfully awfully bad. Which they justify as saying this is because the world is so large. Really? What about Aion? What about Final Fantasy XIV: A realm reborn? What about Destiny. The game isn't horrible, and it isn't amazing but these deliberately withheld reviews make me sick to my stomach.    … Expand
  53. drschuster555
    Apr 10, 2014
    7
    Yes it is a good MMO, but not The Elder Scrolls. The people who only Skyrim, Oblivion and TESO have played, DO NOT know what I mean. The Elder Scrolls was a game that has set on exploring THE gaming world. This was in Oblivion but replaced by quest markers. That was the biggest process of casualization of the Elder Scrolls. Now Bethesda and Zenimax want to make even more money by nowYes it is a good MMO, but not The Elder Scrolls. The people who only Skyrim, Oblivion and TESO have played, DO NOT know what I mean. The Elder Scrolls was a game that has set on exploring THE gaming world. This was in Oblivion but replaced by quest markers. That was the biggest process of casualization of the Elder Scrolls. Now Bethesda and Zenimax want to make even more money by now targeting with the same system as in Skyrim and Oblivion also MMO players. The charm of the Elder Scrolls has always been to find your own way through the world. But in order to achieve a higher value on the market, Bethesda and Zenimax have to ignore the fans and the wishes of the fans and promote its game ultimately. That works with unfair Imperial Editions and Imperial benefits. Bethesda going to be EA.

    Sorry for translation errors, ive don this with Google Translate.    … Expand
  54. udmatador
    Apr 28, 2014
    5
    I really wanted to like this game, but I felt it did not translate well to the MMO genre. I felt that they tried too hard to focus on the leveling up and grind of the game rather than the mischief and freedom that the ES series has. It's not a bad game per say but it's not the Elder Scrolls either. I've spent about 30 hours with it and I'm just tired of it already. I'd much rather putI really wanted to like this game, but I felt it did not translate well to the MMO genre. I felt that they tried too hard to focus on the leveling up and grind of the game rather than the mischief and freedom that the ES series has. It's not a bad game per say but it's not the Elder Scrolls either. I've spent about 30 hours with it and I'm just tired of it already. I'd much rather put another 300 hours into skyrim than play this game. If your looking for a MMO with a decent grind, nice graphics, and ES type gameplay than check this out, but if you're thinking you're going to be playing a new Elder Scrolls installment with the same level of detail, than you're going to be disappointed.… Expand
  55. M1lkman
    May 12, 2014
    5
    The wonderful graphics, fully voiced characters and interesting plot line cannot overcome the game's fundamental flaw: it feels like a single player game with other players simultaneously "logged in." Many quests can be completed by simply standing around and waiting for some other player to kill the quest creature. The game lacks the grandeur and feeling of importance inherent toThe wonderful graphics, fully voiced characters and interesting plot line cannot overcome the game's fundamental flaw: it feels like a single player game with other players simultaneously "logged in." Many quests can be completed by simply standing around and waiting for some other player to kill the quest creature. The game lacks the grandeur and feeling of importance inherent to single-player Elder Scrolls games, and lacks the inclusiveness of a true MMO. The game can't decide what sort of game it wants to be, and so it fails at satisfying fans of either genre.… Expand
  56. pr1v1t
    Apr 28, 2014
    7
    This is my first review on Metacritic, so bear with me. I'm old school (from the days when CJayC still ran GameFAQs), so I'll be giving separate scores for each category.

    My score ranges are: 9-10: The best on the market, or pretty close to it (because nothing's perfect) 7-8: Good / Very good. With a few tweaks here and there, could have been a 9-10. 5-6: Decent. Not bad. Not great. A    This is my first review on Metacritic, so bear with me. I'm old school (from the days when CJayC still ran GameFAQs), so I'll be giving separate scores for each category.

    My score ranges are: 9-10: The best on the market, or pretty close to it (because nothing's perfect)
    7-8: Good / Very good. With a few tweaks here and there, could have been a 9-10.
    5-6: Decent. Not bad. Not great. A lot of generic stuff that is both unoffensive (read: not terrible) and uninspired falls here
    1-4: Varying levels of suck. Something is inherently broken, blatantly bad, or just plain not fun.
    0: A game so terrible that it rivals the awfulness of both E.T. and Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing games

    Overall score: Not an average, but usually pretty close. The overall score is just my overall opinion of the game. It may or may not be an average, as sometimes games are more (or less) than the sum of their parts.

    Graphics: 8. The graphics aren't exactly the best on the market, but they ARE the best I've ever seen in an MMO. Given the size of the zones and scaling issues inherent in MMOs, the ESO team did a great job. From a technical standpoint, the graphics are great. From an artistic standpoint, they're pretty good, but could have had a bit more flavor.

    Story: 7. This one was a tough call between a 7 and 8. The story is relatively derivative, as many ES titles are. The voice work is hit or miss. However, the fact that the entire game is voice-acted and (to an extent) interactive pushed it over the edge for me. It's by no means a GREAT story, but it is better than you'll find in most MMOs.

    Gameplay: 8. The combat system is in the vein of TERA, albeit a bit more sluggish. The crafting system is a nice change of pace from the "create all" and wait game of a certain other MMO I used to play, and the questing is a nice change of pace from "kill/fetch X of Y". That being said, the quests could have been more varied, as so many of the quests involve the same basic premise (if you play it, you'll understand; otherwise, I'd rather keep this spoiler-free). Also, while the game is a themepark MMO, it actively promotes exploration through level-appropriate zones by way of offering extra skill points for those that do. The character creation is great, and the game supports add-ons much the same way WoW did. The bad news? The skill bar is ridiculously short (five slots, one reserved for "ultimate" abilities). Grouping, while fun for endgame, PvP, and dungeons, is broken for open-world leveling/questing due to the manner in which the phasing system was implemented.

    Bugs: 4. It's an MMO launch. There are tons of bugs. Nothing breaks immersion and fun like having to re-log because the item you need for your quest either won't work or won't show up on the screen. That being said, these bugs are being fixed quickly. I'll update this in about a month in order to reflect any progress made. While the dev team is fixing bugs quickly, that doesn't change the fact that many are still there and annoying as hell.

    Overall: The game doesn't feel like an Elder Scrolls title, but it IS a solid game in its own right. It's not the best MMO ever, but it's definitely not bad. It also has quite a bit of potential, which is not reflected in the review score (potential != current state). If you're looking for a fresh MMO to add to your collection, definitely give ESO a shot.... just wait a month or so for them to work the kinks out first.    … Expand
  57. j1mboslice
    May 12, 2014
    5
    Hmmmm...
    The game is fun for about a week, the pvp is an exact clone of guild wars 2. The graphics are good but i can imagine that in a few years maybe 2 it will look crappy. The leveling can be done by questing or farming, both of which are really boring after about a week. Save your money kiddies until this one is free to play or buy wildstar.
  58. maniac1982
    Jun 10, 2014
    7
    Its a great MMO unique style of game play and I like the combat system. However like with any MMO at least for me you tend to get bored of it once you hit the high levels. It was fun for about a month or two now its just the same old. Still great company and great games they come out with
  59. UncleTopher
    Aug 17, 2014
    7
    In all fairness I am not sure The Elder Scrolls Online ever stood a chance with all the hype that surrounded this MMO release. So many fans of Morrowind and Oblivion and Skyrim were simply frothing at the mouth in anticipation on this one. I do not think the game has lived up to the hype. BUT...the game is still young. I have been playing it since beta and I will say TESO has made a steadyIn all fairness I am not sure The Elder Scrolls Online ever stood a chance with all the hype that surrounded this MMO release. So many fans of Morrowind and Oblivion and Skyrim were simply frothing at the mouth in anticipation on this one. I do not think the game has lived up to the hype. BUT...the game is still young. I have been playing it since beta and I will say TESO has made a steady upward climb. I enjoyed playing several toons into their mid 30's but with each one I seemed to hit a wall. There is still work left to be done on this one as far as engaging the players. Also the developers need to take more chances rather then taking the safe road and firmly entrenching the game in mediocrity. I think Zenimax started with a few strikes against them in the hype as well as creating a themepark MMO in the first place. The only way this game will climb out of the middle of the pack is to take some chances and explore new ideas.… Expand
  60. armoredchimp
    Apr 30, 2014
    6
    I don't know. It's definitely a little disappointing, I really get the sense they couldn't quite decide on how much to go in the traditional MMO direction and how much to try to retain the singelplayer Elder Scrolls feel, and in the end they try to accomplish both fully but satisfy neither.

    First of all, the good: The graphics are very pretty, and don't require new hardware (although    I don't know. It's definitely a little disappointing, I really get the sense they couldn't quite decide on how much to go in the traditional MMO direction and how much to try to retain the singelplayer Elder Scrolls feel, and in the end they try to accomplish both fully but satisfy neither.

    First of all, the good: The graphics are very pretty, and don't require new hardware (although running it on new hardware makes it look much prettier). The fact that the whole game is voiced makes it feel like a complete product, although after awhile you start noticing the same voice actors (not nearly as bad as Oblivion however, which had like 4 people do all the voices). The crafting system is enjoyable and is probably my favorite aspect of the game so far, you need to invest skill points into a trade if you want to actually become proficient at it. Instanced dungeons are also pretty fun, although I think the loot system for instances in Wow was far better (in this everyone gets their own loot, and in instanced dungeons it is always the same stuff so there is no point in running them again). Combat in general is fine, although at earlier levels it is pretty brainless.

    The quests are well written for an MMO, and they definitely try to make you feel like you are doing something important, but after a while you realize you are just running to talk to NPC A, running here to kill NPC B, run back to NPC A to tell him, then run to NPC C for some reason because they felt like that quest wasn't long enough and you needed to travel a litlte more. And a lot of these quests take 20 or so minutes and barely nudge your EXP bar at all, but you don't get as much EXP from grinding mobs like in other MMO's so you basically are always running around talking to NPC's who always act like YOU are the sole savior of Tamriel and are incredibly important, but it's an extremely fragile illusion when you have 10 people clustered in one room waiting for the boss to respawn so they can finish the quest. Another thing that massively breaks the immersion is the constant, 24/7 gold spamming, they even email you in your private box. My ignore list was over 40 after just a few days of playing yet it did nothing to stop the endless flood of gold spam, forget about interesting conversations in zone chat because it just doesn't happen (maybe in higher lvl zones it does)

    I played it feverishly for the first 10 days or so after I bought it and haven't touched it in about 10 days since. I'm going to pick it up again soon (mainly because I paid for 3 months subscription.....if I had just done a free trial I would not have been impressed enough to subscribe). It just doesn't quite draw me in enough at the moment. I think this does have the potential to be much better than it is, but as of right now I am definitely regretting spending $100 on it.    … Expand
  61. Look444
    Mar 13, 2016
    7
    Long story short: if you're looking for an MMO look somewhere else, especially if you're a pvper. If you're looking for an Elder Scrolls with MMO components then it's fun enough. Not the best, but I didn't get bored.
  62. Mistforged
    May 26, 2020
    5
    Had the game two weeks.
    Overall impression: good game hidden beneath a coating of bugs glitches time gates and unrealistic requirements for all content types. NOTE: extremely poor server quality. The bugs: being sent into the floor by enemy attacks, dungeon bugs where I cannot enter, enemies bugging into walls/ the floor preventing progress in dungeons, skills failing to cast due to server    Had the game two weeks.
    Overall impression: good game hidden beneath a coating of bugs glitches time gates and unrealistic requirements for all content types. NOTE: extremely poor server quality. The bugs: being sent into the floor by enemy attacks, dungeon bugs where I cannot enter, enemies bugging into walls/ the floor preventing progress in dungeons, skills failing to cast due to server lag.

    Time gates: one of the main parts of the game is PVP or BG(battlegrounds) both require to be fully geared, and PVP requires either 810cp or a maxed out horse speed, which takes 60 days minimum to get. Other time gates on ridiculous things also exist, for example a werewolf bite can be only given once a week, I guess their jaw aches or somthing? Nooo, you’d be wrong, it’s because ESO wants to sell werewolf bites on the store for money, aswell as horse speed scrolls.

    Not only all this. But having had the game two weeks and paying for ESO only monthly subscription I’ve now encountered a day where I cannot log in at all due to an endless ‘requesting character load’ due to poor server quality and size, this has occurred on a day where a new expansion has been released. TERRIBLE for new players like me who immediately regret their purchase and feel ripped off. If you can ignore justa. Few of the issues mentioned above the PVP is fun and the questing is all fully voice acted and fun. Just a shame the dev team seems like they don’t give a shi* about the player base.    … Expand
  63. ItsFrootLoops
    May 27, 2014
    6
    I guess it is just a generic MMO with a little bit of Elder Scrolls in there. My score was low because the developers made it out to be something its not but the game would be fun for someone who had never played elder scrolls games it seems. Even if you know the story of Elder Scrolls games it can be fun be mostly frustrating and boring when it comes down to it, its main feature that isI guess it is just a generic MMO with a little bit of Elder Scrolls in there. My score was low because the developers made it out to be something its not but the game would be fun for someone who had never played elder scrolls games it seems. Even if you know the story of Elder Scrolls games it can be fun be mostly frustrating and boring when it comes down to it, its main feature that is enjoyable is the PvP but other than that it is pretty boring.… Expand
  64. Infaereld
    Sep 30, 2014
    5
    I played this game for a few hours and maintained my subscription for a couple of months.

    My conclusion is that while as far as MMORPGs are concerned, this game is very well done. The major issue I have is that there are really not enough distinguishing features about this game to separate it from other MMORPGs such as World of Warcraft or SWTOR. This game is a major foot in the    I played this game for a few hours and maintained my subscription for a couple of months.

    My conclusion is that while as far as MMORPGs are concerned, this game is very well done. The major issue I have is that there are really not enough distinguishing features about this game to separate it from other MMORPGs such as World of Warcraft or SWTOR.

    This game is a major foot in the wrong direction for the series as it contains none of the atmosphere, charm, complex combat and open-world freedom as its predecessors.

    I hate to say it but I get the feeling this game has been one massive money grab aimed at the lowest common denominator.

    What Bethesda should have done is worked on a game like Skyrim but perhaps with 2-4 player co-op.

    I cannot forgive them for what they did to the series.    … Expand
  65. TheMeph
    Apr 24, 2014
    6
    The game breaker for me is the phasing system. You can't play with your friends or family unless you are all in the exact same step of the exact same quest, otherwise you all get separated into your own little realities and it becomes a solo quest. My son was disappointed that even tho we were grouped i could do nothing to help him kill the elite mob I had already killed before, and heThe game breaker for me is the phasing system. You can't play with your friends or family unless you are all in the exact same step of the exact same quest, otherwise you all get separated into your own little realities and it becomes a solo quest. My son was disappointed that even tho we were grouped i could do nothing to help him kill the elite mob I had already killed before, and he had to wait till a random person came by to try to duo it together. Completely ruined it for me, not being able to play with family. Not re subbing.… Expand
  66. BrickDaddyKane
    Apr 21, 2015
    5
    I just cannot bring myself to like this game and I'm a huge fan of everything elder scrolls. I love the lore associated with the game and being able to explore lands you can't go to in the regular games. But even after a year this game is just unpolished.

    The combat system is all over the place because the human body only has two hands. The abilities require pressing the number keys.    I just cannot bring myself to like this game and I'm a huge fan of everything elder scrolls. I love the lore associated with the game and being able to explore lands you can't go to in the regular games. But even after a year this game is just unpolished.

    The combat system is all over the place because the human body only has two hands. The abilities require pressing the number keys. Attacking is done by using the mouse. And navigation is done by using letter keys. Why anyone would thing mixing three spots on a keyboard is a good idea is beyond me.

    Then questing is terrible because due to a lack of polish you often do not even know what quest you are doing or what you should be doing. This game still has hopes of being fixed but needs to handed off to another company.    … Expand
  67. Zargor
    May 8, 2014
    7
    ESO issues that made me unsub after a month:

    - No EU servers, no timeline for the move - Bugs ("Loading" anyone?), Exploits, Unbalance - just too many of them - Unresponsive combat, especially the weapon switch, especially in PVP - Bad PVP map/keep design - No real incentive for PVP - no point in taking or holding scrolls and keeps, everything is so easy there's no meaning to it -    ESO issues that made me unsub after a month:

    - No EU servers, no timeline for the move
    - Bugs ("Loading" anyone?), Exploits, Unbalance - just too many of them
    - Unresponsive combat, especially the weapon switch, especially in PVP
    - Bad PVP map/keep design
    - No real incentive for PVP - no point in taking or holding scrolls and keeps, everything is so easy there's no meaning to it - emperorship is a joke
    - VR content is recycled and unbalanced other faction's content that kills replayability and faction pride
    - VR content is a pure grind without any progression, it is meaningless and extremely boring
    - grouping tool is horrible and discourages group play
    - daedric invasion is a joke, dark anchors are repetitive and pointless, why should anybody care about closing them?
    - poor communication from ZOS, horrible maintenance practices, ridiculous statements about future content without any timeline - they're basically trolling people with vague statements
    - on rails questing which doesn't do much to promote exploration
    - bad inventory design and management
    - lacking UI
    - bots, bots everywhere
    - players, players everywhere - instancing done very poorly and making most quests pointless or impossible to do in the "proper" way - an engaging story is cool but what's the point if 10 people come by and wreck chaos on everything, fart, barf and dance around - this is single player design failing badly in a MMO

    All in all, ESO has very little new (which is badly designed) and much old (badly designed as well). The game has very little of TES and feels a bland, generic fantasy MMO.
    Last but not least, it appears it's going for 18£ with 60 days game time included.
    I have shelled 49£ for it during preorder and feel deeply insulted by this.    … Expand
  68. EdicusMaximus
    Apr 20, 2014
    7
    As a long time fan of the Elder Scrolls series, I would have to say this game is good, really good, but not great. While it is impossible to please both the Elder Scroll fans and the MMORPG fans, they gave it a really good try.
    Some of the highlights here are the open world and the immersion. One reason I kept going back to WoW instead of all the pop-up MMORPGs that came along is because    As a long time fan of the Elder Scrolls series, I would have to say this game is good, really good, but not great. While it is impossible to please both the Elder Scroll fans and the MMORPG fans, they gave it a really good try.
    Some of the highlights here are the open world and the immersion. One reason I kept going back to WoW instead of all the pop-up MMORPGs that came along is because I felt connected to that little cow running around casting spells. One thing ESO got right is that they kept that deep immersion that all Elder Scrolls games since Morrowind are known for. If this game beats WoW hands down in anything, it's the immersion. Also the incentive to not just go from quest to quest but rather explore the world is awesome and fresh for an MMORPG. Once again this is a trademark of the series, and the people that complain about the quests are probably missing out on all the content in between. The world looks good (not great) and is fun to explore.
    For the bad there is plenty, but a few really put me off. First there is like one healer class capability amongst all the classes. I'm not sure why the went against the typical Elder Scrolls model of fighters, mages, and thieves. They could have used these as master classes with sub classes in between. They could have gotten really creative (like the fighter class that uses bandages to heal, or the mage who uses force-fields and barriers to tank). Not saying the classes aren't neat and different, but I think this could have been so much better.
    Another down is the grueling questing and fighting you have to do for minimal reward. This actually is a trademark of the Elder Scrolls games, but in the past we just modded it to our liking and went about our business. Obviously this isn't a possibility when playing an MMORPG. I think the missing persuasion /intimidation system (once again, a trademark of the series) could have provided max flexibility for the series.
    Finally, I want to say the provisioning system sucks. Who goes around rooting in barrels and crates looking for stuff to make meals? The Elder Scrolls series has always been about being able to peek into every crate and barrel, but this is one area where I think they could have been a little more "WoW-ish" about how they do things. No point in reinventing the wheel.
    There are other big likes and many many other little dislikes (the potion crafting system, the long waits for research, etc., etc., etc.) but all in all I think if you like to control a little guy who performs mechanically in a dungeon than WoW and it's millions of copycats are your deal. If you are more the role player, then ESO will be your game. I think once the MMORPG-driven people fall of the server and the standard-for-every-game introductory bugs are worked out (along with a bit of process improvement) ESO will be an awesome experience!    … Expand
  69. DRMtookMYlife
    Apr 26, 2014
    6
    The big question here is: Is it worth the price? In short, no. $60 up front and $15 a month thereafter is not a fair price for the quality of this game. The game isn't bad certainly but the bugs can be seriously aggravating. There are few things I can think of that are as extremely frustrating as dying because my attack inputs weren't responding. Because the series is known for havingThe big question here is: Is it worth the price? In short, no. $60 up front and $15 a month thereafter is not a fair price for the quality of this game. The game isn't bad certainly but the bugs can be seriously aggravating. There are few things I can think of that are as extremely frustrating as dying because my attack inputs weren't responding. Because the series is known for having bugs is no excuse when this much money and effort was put into producing the game. Combat is a bit too drawn out and not quite fun enough for me. The most enjoyment I get out of this game is exploring the vast world. The cities are large and interesting and I'm excited to see more of it. I just wish combat breaking bugs and slow leveling were addressed better.… Expand
  70. JoshW
    Apr 25, 2014
    6
    Pros

    * Lore - Story is amazing * Voice Acting - The best of any MMO, by far * Crafting (Very detailed, lots of options to customize) * Addons - Whatever gaps there are in the UI, users are fixing it and making game more manageable. Graphics (with SweetFX enabled) * Incredibly Immersive * Support - ZOS has responded to 90% of my tickets, very polite and very responsive. * Questing    Pros

    * Lore - Story is amazing
    * Voice Acting - The best of any MMO, by far
    * Crafting (Very detailed, lots of options to customize)
    * Addons - Whatever gaps there are in the UI, users are fixing it and making game more manageable.
    Graphics (with SweetFX enabled)
    * Incredibly Immersive
    * Support - ZOS has responded to 90% of my tickets, very polite and very responsive.
    * Questing - Quests are plentiful and fun

    Cons

    * Micromanagement - From inventory to repairs, it consumes a lot of time (When I'd prefer spending that time playing rather than managing it). If you love micromanagement, this is for you.
    * Chat interface - I find it clumsy and outdated. Hard to notice when someone's talking to you.
    * Questing in group - This is the biggest let down... if you've already completed the quest you won't be able to see where your buddy is going. If you're the one completing the quest, your friend will feel like a hireling; if your buddy is completing the quest you'll find yourself thinking "There are better and more effective ways to grind".
    * Key Mapping - Yes, you'll have to manually setup each and every char... Unless you're sticking to Zenimax' default setting.
    * Replayability - Once you reach 50 you'll have to go PVP or you'll feel like you've got little else to do (Unless you really love the lore and you want to complete all quests and play with different factions, which’s not my case)
    * Customization - Crafting is really fun and very complex. That's where you'll be able to customize your existing char, because as of today, you can't change skins nor dye your armors and weapons.
    Monthly Fee - I prefer F2P with a game store... I usually spend more than 15 a month, if the items offered make a difference (customization, commodities, benefits)
    * Upgrades - Did you click on the wrong Horse upgrade? Suck it up and either discard the horse or just cope with it. I personally made 2 mistakes and that was it, I'm stuck with those mistakes.
    * Daily stuff - This is my personal opinion but I don't like how the game forces into connecting to it (or fall behind) with your chores. This is not an issue with ESO alone... most MMOs I've played have the same problem.

    Bottom line, this is an innovative game that has an awesome lore and it feels like a fresh start compared to other MMOs. However, it's not awesome enough to keep me playing it on a subscription model. I have already cancelled it and the game has been uninstalled.    … Expand
  71. Shellback
    May 2, 2014
    6
    The best thing about ESO is the music and sound effects.On the negative side it takes hundreds of hours to unlock weapon traits (800 hours total for all traits). This is obviously a tool used by the developer to keep people playing for months so they can get subscription fees. If you played Skyrim and thought the melee combat didn't give you the feeling of a hard enough impact on aThe best thing about ESO is the music and sound effects.On the negative side it takes hundreds of hours to unlock weapon traits (800 hours total for all traits). This is obviously a tool used by the developer to keep people playing for months so they can get subscription fees. If you played Skyrim and thought the melee combat didn't give you the feeling of a hard enough impact on a Drauger's skull, then this game is an improvement. The sound effects and impact of weapons are better. However, the quests can be confusing. Sometimes I had to restart the game in order to activate an item or quest. It's buggy.The player does not have that "Hero" feel of Skyrim. Once again I got suckered into the pre-game hype. For those of you contemplating buying this game, Listen to the reviews. If you are not an MMO fan don't waste your money. Go play play Skyrim again. I leveled 3 characters over level 20. I wanted it to sinks its claws into me like Skyrim did and have me wanting more. It never happened. The game is very buggy. If you do decide to waste your money I highly recommend the High Elf Sorcerer. Auridon's music and environment is much better then the other two guilds. The Sorcerer is super powerful with morphed perks. It wouldn't suprise me if Bethesda is just using this game as a test platform for the new single player Elder Scrolls game that they are rumored to be working on. I own every triple AAA game made in the past 10 years. I've been gaming since DOOM came out in 1993. If you are not an MMO fan don't waste your time and money.… Expand
  72. Rowrin
    May 15, 2014
    6
    The game is a diamond in the rough (well, really rough, but a diamond none-the-less). Going past the launch issues (the worst of which appear to have been fixed), which arguably were some of the worst seen in a game launch (players logging into other players accounts by accident, banks and inventories being completely wiped, main quests not working etc), the game still has some very coreThe game is a diamond in the rough (well, really rough, but a diamond none-the-less). Going past the launch issues (the worst of which appear to have been fixed), which arguably were some of the worst seen in a game launch (players logging into other players accounts by accident, banks and inventories being completely wiped, main quests not working etc), the game still has some very core issues.

    At the moment, PvP, the fight for Cyrodiil and the right to sit upon the throne is very lacking. The zone has a lot of potential, but the way campaigns are set up at the moment, and the lack of smaller objectives have most of the zone completely empty. Worse yet, most of the campaigns are completely dead, with no one playing on them. This is largely because everyone moves to the campaign where their faction is dominating, and all other campaigns are ignored. There is a lot of potential to be had in Cyrodiil, but at the moment it is a missed opportunity.

    The game also suffers from a plethora of bugs still. None quite nearly as game breaking as what was seen in the first month, but still annoyances. Class abilities and tool-tips are either broken, incorrect or do not work (such is the case most evident with Nightblades). Several quests are still broken as well.

    Bugs completely aside, the game also lacks some key features and concepts. For instance, grouping with friends becomes a total disaster due to phasing (which Zenimax is working on now). But there are several other design philosophies that are archaic. For instance, having quest objectives non-player instanced. What this means is that in some areas where you have to gather x objects laying around the world, you will be competing with every other player around you, including your friends. This type of mechanic has since been removed in many games since 2007 and it is boggling to see its return.

    What the game does right however is the story, writing and voice acting. Playing through 1-50 and doing the quests were the best parts of my play through. The story and atmosphere experience was enough for me to keep playing, even through the harshest bugs during launch (I personally had my banked wiped twice and was mistakenly banned by the automated system).

    That said: unfortunately, after doing the main quest, I have very little incentive to put up with the additional bugs and lack-luster PvP at the moment. The rest of the game just is either too broken, empty or uninteresting to play after absorbing all the story and voice acting.    … Expand
  73. PrincessRose
    Sep 20, 2014
    5
    The game is fun at first, love the questing and story, but once you complete your first zone it becomes rather tedious levelling through the veteran levels, but you keep pushing on as you want to see if the endgame is good. Huh endgame? There isn't any endgame worth mentioning.

    After 6 months of playing and reaching max lvl there is not really any pve endgame to keep you entertained,    The game is fun at first, love the questing and story, but once you complete your first zone it becomes rather tedious levelling through the veteran levels, but you keep pushing on as you want to see if the endgame is good. Huh endgame? There isn't any endgame worth mentioning.

    After 6 months of playing and reaching max lvl there is not really any pve endgame to keep you entertained, after the story runs out, the rest of the game feels boring, you don't feel rewarded for your efforts even when completing all the quests in each of the 3 faction areas, all you get is a worthless blue necklace and I became bored. This game is severely lacking in varied gameplay. All there is to do is pvp and maybe trials and arena, which feels pointless. Overall this game is rather disappointing and lacklustre.

    A promising game that does not deliver.    … Expand
  74. santiagodraco
    Apr 14, 2014
    5
    A word to the wise... if you see a review that refers to ESO as a "Warcraft reskin" realize two things. One, the author of said review is a complete idiot and two the author is a complete idiot.

    ESO has it's faults but a Warcraft clone it ain't. It has the best storytelling and quest narration of any MMO ever, the combat and skill systems are very unique and the game world and audio    A word to the wise... if you see a review that refers to ESO as a "Warcraft reskin" realize two things. One, the author of said review is a complete idiot and two the author is a complete idiot.

    ESO has it's faults but a Warcraft clone it ain't. It has the best storytelling and quest narration of any MMO ever, the combat and skill systems are very unique and the game world and audio is nothing but spectacular.

    Issues exist however and many are game breaking. Zenimax coded many boss fights to instant spawn and drop loot every time. So you just sit and farm bosses and get loot galore. What's funny is how long they let this go on, just long enough to allow the Zenimax developers to get their toons to Vet 10 and then they are patching. Seems to be a common occurance.

    Oh and let's not forget all the broken quests that halt progression for many of us past 50 and they have not once tried to fix it for any player.

    A great game with major bugs. I can't decide if I should love it or hate it.    … Expand
  75. Nesj3
    Apr 4, 2014
    7
    From Skyrim to this, im not quite sure about how to put this.. the combat, graphics, the firstperson and thirdperson, in skyrim i only played in firstperson because of the beautiful looks and textures. In ESO, the firstperson is kinda, ****
    Haven't played it that much yet, but i hope it will improve.
  76. Untouchable763
    Apr 10, 2014
    6
    This is the most average MMORPG you will ever play in your life. The game is riddled with bugs and while you instantly think I'm being too hard on the game, I'm not. This game has so many bugs that just pull you completely out of the experience to the point of just logging off when they occur.

    Pros: -Quests which avoid the normal pick up 10 items for the most part. -Voice overs are    This is the most average MMORPG you will ever play in your life. The game is riddled with bugs and while you instantly think I'm being too hard on the game, I'm not. This game has so many bugs that just pull you completely out of the experience to the point of just logging off when they occur.

    Pros:
    -Quests which avoid the normal pick up 10 items for the most part.
    -Voice overs are beautifully done.
    -Crafting is what makes this game playable IMO.

    Cons:
    -The UI which is an embarrassment to all MMO's
    -The sheer amount of bugs which places this game around early beta in reality.
    -$15 Subscription to beta test their game
    -Graphics which were a huge disappointment. This game looks like it was made around consoles because the graphics are very dated. Feels like you're playing oblivion when you're questing sometimes.
    -The trading/guild store/guild bank. To begin the trading in this game is a complete pain especially selling items through the guild store. Using the guild store is really your only way of selling items but the problem is that it doesn't have a SEARCH BAR. You will spend over 50% of you time in the guild store just trying to price check items or buy a specific item that you cannot find. Finally lets go over the guild bank where you will deposit your items and 10% of them will magically vanish.

    To conclude the only reason I'm playing this game right now is the fact that I have 30 days free. Other then that from what I see right now it was the biggest waste of $80 I've ever spent on a video game.    … Expand
  77. Rnadmo
    Jun 4, 2015
    5
    It looks pretty but ultimately it just doesn't do anything that another MMO doesn't do better. If you like the idea of solo and occasional group play with cool exploration, pick up GW2, for example.
  78. Xon
    Aug 20, 2014
    7
    Not the worst game ever, but nowhere near the standard set by Skyrim or Oblivion. That said, I have never before played a MMO and probably wouldn't have if not for ESO.
  79. Alsvha
    Apr 25, 2014
    6
    Decent attempt at a MMO but ultimately falls short leaving a mediocre experience.

    The good; Crafting is good, but whether it's useful outside food buffs and potions I'm not so sure about. But crafting from the bank so you don't have to haul materials around - nice. Shared bank. But this should really be a mainstay 'quality of life' feature by now anyways, so I'd say if it wasn't there    Decent attempt at a MMO but ultimately falls short leaving a mediocre experience.

    The good;
    Crafting is good, but whether it's useful outside food buffs and potions I'm not so sure about. But crafting from the bank so you don't have to haul materials around - nice.
    Shared bank. But this should really be a mainstay 'quality of life' feature by now anyways, so I'd say if it wasn't there it'd be a detractor.

    The potentially good;
    PvP has potential but whether it becomes more than ranged zerg vs ranged zerg with quick death is the crux. The PvP is also hurting due to the lack of combat feedback in the game. (Reliance on mods from the community to make the game playable).
    The class system seems interesting but while the game boasts of 'play as you want', cookie cutter setup is still going to be a focal point for 'end game' giving the feeling that there's not enough skills in the game per class.

    The bad:
    Questing is dull and feels grindy. I found myself speed clicking through the dialogue because it was just a few lines of chatter before I had to start running after quest markers.
    The UI is awful. Yes, I know they wanted it "minimalistic" and wanted the users to make the quality UI, but its a bad idea for a MMO. The lack of feed back makes combat dull and disconnected for example. And while you can use mods to make it better it shouldn't be up to the community to actually make the UI. They should just add flavour to it. Relying on the community to make the game playable seems more lazy than minimalistic.
    The lore is like questing rather dull and the fact that pre-orders can be any race in any alliance just further waters out any distinctiveness of choosing a side which is not so good.
    There's also the distinct problems for the developers to keep on top of gold sellers and bots which ruin much of the starter zones for everybody.
    The economy is hard on new comers due to very low reward for killing mobs (which adds to the grindy feeling of the game).

    All in all a mediocre MMO which greatest achievement is making me want to play previous MMOs again for the various parts. I - like many other - do suspect a F2P future for this game within a relative short time span (from a MMO point of view), and especially when the next Elder Scrolls single player game comes out.

    So - in my opinion it's a 6/10 game.
    Stay away unless you're REALLY into MMOs and need a new one to try out or you're really into Elder Scrolls game and just has to play them all.    … Expand
  80. HotGeekCity
    Apr 29, 2014
    7
    Wow. Harsh reviews are harsh. The game isn't amazing, but it's an MMO in it's FIRST THREE WEEKS. Lol. Calm down there, haters. ;) It's far from perfect, yes. Many bugs still, and the game seems to almost want you to play solo except for dungeons and raid instances, and I can't even comment on the PVP yet as I've only rolled 2 low end characters, but the game is fun! Big, prettyWow. Harsh reviews are harsh. The game isn't amazing, but it's an MMO in it's FIRST THREE WEEKS. Lol. Calm down there, haters. ;) It's far from perfect, yes. Many bugs still, and the game seems to almost want you to play solo except for dungeons and raid instances, and I can't even comment on the PVP yet as I've only rolled 2 low end characters, but the game is fun! Big, pretty vistas. Good, solid combat. Quests are semi interesting and not just your usual MMO fetch or kill quests all the time. There's definitetly some things that could be fixed or tweaked, like the sense of realism they try to bring to the game sometimes makes playing it difficult (why can't we find vendors on the map?!? Why is there no auction house?!?) but for the most part the game works well. Feels a lot more like an Elder Scrolls game if you play in 1st person, but I almost never seem to find myself doing that as it's a bloody MMO and I can see more in 3rd person. Lol

    Overall, it's worth checking out if you're an Elder Scrolls or RPG fan. Good, but room to improve. Even if you just get it on sale and only pay for a month of game time, I'm sure you'll have fun. :)    … Expand
  81. Godric
    Aug 2, 2014
    7
    OK so the game isn't Skyrim lets just make that clear, Now that we are past that hurdle lets rate this game objectively without harking back to the over hyped and much beloved skyrim. (Not saying its a bad game just think we could stand to loose some of the Fan boy mentality when playing new games and rate them on its own merits.)

    This is an MMO which carries with it a subscription    OK so the game isn't Skyrim lets just make that clear, Now that we are past that hurdle lets rate this game objectively without harking back to the over hyped and much beloved skyrim. (Not saying its a bad game just think we could stand to loose some of the Fan boy mentality when playing new games and rate them on its own merits.)

    This is an MMO which carries with it a subscription charge and this for many is a fairly major issue.

    The benefits of that subscription charge however are significant and it must be understood that this game requires an immense infrastructure to provide the MMO experience you as consumers expect.
    Not only does your subscription get you the use of the infrastructure though, you also get the support when you have difficulties (Support I rate very highly from personal experience). Now I also realize this cost can be prohibitive, particularly for younger gamers without a stable income, however when you take into account the aspects of the service I just mentioned It really isn't that much, you could easily spend more on magazines or fast food or other luxuries, it's just a matter of what you want to spend your money on. Falling in at just £7 (I calculate that at around $12) a month for the 6 month subscription option I find that pretty reasonable and this is literally the exact same monthly cost when compared to other leading MMO's such as EVE online or the industry leader World Of Warcraft. The only other viable industry standard for a mainstream MMO of course being the free to play profit by micro transaction option and I could see many angry Elder Scrolls "Pay to win" reviews coming from that alternative scenario..

    So with that cost implication covered what do we get for our money other than the use of the game and the support?

    Well, you get a vibrant and visually stunning first person MMO with a rich and varied array of characters and Lore to bring the universe to life. The voice acting is fantastic and really draws you in to the story in a way other MMO games have failed to do for me in the past.

    The game play feels distinctly Elder scrolls and the art style is sympathetic to previous incarnations of the game firmly cementing the idea in your mind that this is Tamriel the continent gamers have loved for years.

    I have found myself Levelling without really thinking about levelling, this is because I am more engrossed in what I am doing than in what is to come. This unique feeling is something I haven't encountered in an MMO to date with the daily "Grind" in other games feeling more like a chore than a fun and engaging experience. Safe to say there is more to this game than going in to the woods and "Killing Boars" for 50 levels.

    The first person combat suffers from the same difficulties it has experienced in previous entries in the franchise however when compared to other MMO games you feel much more involved and in control rather than mindlessly clicking through your abilities to optimize your damage.

    The world itself is sufficiently varied and works to keep the player interested. Enemy mobs are scarce enough not to hamper exploration without leaving the wilderness "safe" for unwary travellers.

    Here come the drawbacks.

    The game feels "staged" in places and your exploration is limited by your level progression. The areas are enjoyable but I feel that there is very much a "plan" for how the designers intended the player to progress and this detracts from the sandbox experience I had hoped for.

    Much of Tamriel cannot yet be explored and I can see various expansions coming in the near future to add these areas.. at a cost.

    The return of the popular races of tamriel offers a great choice during the wonderfully varied character creation stage. However limiting the races to there "home" factions may lead to conflict among friends who wish to play together but find themselves in opposing camps (The pre-order "explorer's" pack negates this however it appears this option for any race in any faction will not become available for general consumption)

    Fast travel is instantaneous and cheap, it may just be me but there is something special about real time travel which show cases the wonderful world you have created soaring on the back of a griffon or other means of travel rather than just “fade to black” then reappear somewhere else.

    There is no “Free” trial period which to me seems counter productive. If a company has faith in its product it should offer a sample in the hopes to entice possible buyers rather than closing its doors to criticism from the wider public.

    But in light of these flaws I intend to continue playing this game and remain hopeful that future additions and expansions will enhance my already enjoyable experience in ESO. Happy gaming.

    Regards,

    GODRIC    … Expand
  82. Kenmei
    Jun 11, 2014
    5
    This is my second and final review for this game. The veteran content completely lost me as the amount of XP required to level up is beyond ridiculous that you have to have some serious dedication to make it to the cap and about 95% of people won't have it. The game became to much of the same old thing everywhere you looked. The same enemies, the same quests, etc. And I suppose that is theThis is my second and final review for this game. The veteran content completely lost me as the amount of XP required to level up is beyond ridiculous that you have to have some serious dedication to make it to the cap and about 95% of people won't have it. The game became to much of the same old thing everywhere you looked. The same enemies, the same quests, etc. And I suppose that is the case with every MMO out there but the combination of rehashed content with the exorbitant amount of XP required to gain a level in vet content made me lose interest in this game, to the point where I won't be resubscribing for the near future. This game had alot of potential but it seems like the fact that the devs made such a poor decision with the vet content was a way to circumvent adding end game raids and stuff like that. Even though the first end game "raid" is out now, I don't have the interest to continue with it, and neither do the people I was playing this game with. It was good for awhile there but it suddenly and very quickly lost all of its mojo it had. Not terrible, but severely lacking in the "things to do" department later in the game.… Expand
  83. intruder313
    May 4, 2014
    5
    Very average in most respects but the myriad broken quests (reported broken in Beta but launched anyway) bring it down further.
    The world may be large but I found it barren and as I'm not a big PvPer there was not much to do beyond the usual, turgid quest line.

    Needs more time in development to add content, but first they need to fix the stuff that they knew was broken at launch.
  84. xTobyMc
    May 4, 2014
    7
    The game is great, but I just feel the price to play the game and repetition of gameplay isn't worth my time anymore. I've been playing the game since beta and from initial release, but exactly one month later I'm quite frankly bored of the game. The look and feel of Elder Scrolls is definitely there, but it lacks the interesting NPC's and everything feels too non-interactive andThe game is great, but I just feel the price to play the game and repetition of gameplay isn't worth my time anymore. I've been playing the game since beta and from initial release, but exactly one month later I'm quite frankly bored of the game. The look and feel of Elder Scrolls is definitely there, but it lacks the interesting NPC's and everything feels too non-interactive and unrealistic. For example, characters show no facial expression and the quests they give you aren't interesting at all. It quite literally consists of speaking to someone, walking somewhere, collecting some stuff, killing a few people, then going back to the person you talked to. This is all the PvE seems to offer, over and over again. Personally I'm not a WvW or PvP fan either, so that doesn't interest me anyway. I'm also a solo gamer, and this game is definitely tedious if you don't have friends to play it with.

    I'm not going to slate the game and give it 1/10 just because I don't get along with it, because I know that many people will enjoy this game and I'm sure in a few years it'll be a very solid game. However, I would rather not be paying the subscription fee for what it's worth. If it was like Guild Wars 2 without subscription fees, I'd definitely reconsider playing it. I think I'll probably leave the game for a good few months and perhaps see how it progresses over time, perhaps they'll reduce/eliminate fees or make vast changes to the game.    … Expand
  85. Vorch
    Apr 23, 2014
    5
    It's a good game.

    However, it is definitely not worth the subscription for more than 3 months, imo.

    AvA is probably the most unbalanced I've seen...and you will be stuck there for 3 months...

    PvE is pretty good, I personally enjoyed the story.

    All in all, try it yourself.
  86. Garfoodle
    Apr 1, 2015
    7
    With the launch of Tamriel Unlimited, I can finally say that TESO is at least worth trying out. The lack of a subscription fee, the ability to steal, kill NPCs and some other minor things make it an alright game. Don't get me wrong, TESO is still the worst modern ES game to date. Without full modability, ie making costume armors, weapons and maps, we are in fact stuck with whatever theWith the launch of Tamriel Unlimited, I can finally say that TESO is at least worth trying out. The lack of a subscription fee, the ability to steal, kill NPCs and some other minor things make it an alright game. Don't get me wrong, TESO is still the worst modern ES game to date. Without full modability, ie making costume armors, weapons and maps, we are in fact stuck with whatever the Devs want us to have. This usually results in very drab weapons, armor and mounts. In addition, the combat is still dull at best. There isn't a whole lot to say here exept that a lot of the game is, in fact, governed by the server and your ping. The cash shop isn't too overbearing. So far, you can purchase mounts, pets, and a few potions, if your so inclined. The whole stealing mechanic dosent seem worth it just yet, though. The skill bar for that still progresses incredibly slowly, and the rewards for pilfering someone's pocket normally don't add up to some food and a Barbie that you can sell for 30 gold. Killing is, much like stealing, pointless, because you will be at a loss for gold soon after your first kill. That, and guards are overpowered as hell. But I'm digessing, quite a bit. The point is that at the very least. TESO is worth picking up for $30 on sale. Don't expect too much, but don't set your expectations too low, either,… Expand
  87. Unworthy
    Apr 6, 2014
    5
    It's just boring. You start in a prison, again, of course. You listen to the pointless babbling of uninteresting characters. Some sort of prophet. Some sort of undead power, some sort of lich king, some ancient artifact and portal. Seriously? Yawn.

    The combat sucks. Hard. It takes the dodging system of The Secret World but leaves out its dynamic abilities. Instead, you just have    It's just boring. You start in a prison, again, of course. You listen to the pointless babbling of uninteresting characters. Some sort of prophet. Some sort of undead power, some sort of lich king, some ancient artifact and portal. Seriously? Yawn.

    The combat sucks. Hard. It takes the dodging system of The Secret World but leaves out its dynamic abilities. Instead, you just have standard MMO abilities on a hotbar -- sic the pet, shoot a poison arrow, and then autoattack. Except you can't even autoattack, you just have to keep clicking the left mouse button over and over. And then push 1 for poison arrow again when it runs out. Every once in a while, a red shape appears. You must double-tap a direction to dodge it within, oh, 5 seconds. Whoop-de-doo.

    The writing is unbelievably bland. The quests are stupid. Go here. Talk to this guy. Listen to him talk about something irrelevant. Collect 5 of X/Meet 3 of Y/Kill 3 Z and collect their soul motes. View unskippable, high-production-quality and utterly boring cutscene about some sort of undead spirit war... oh, come on, what year is this? You can't come up with anything more interesting?

    The graphics are technically excellent and utterly lacking in creativity. Everything looks stoic, sullen, brown and boring. There is no artistry or soul to the landscapes and somehow, nature looks industrial. If id software made a MMO, this is what it'd look like -- straight and to the point, and not particularly interesting. It clearly serves as the backdrop to something else in the game that was supposed to take center stage, not as a thing in and of itself to be explored and loved.

    But... what is that something else? Six hours into the game, I still haven't found it.

    Maybe it was the hype. Maybe it was the promise of freedom, or the lure of better combat. Maybe it was just that faint hope of something, anything different to set it apart from the diseased MMO orgy. But I'm not impressed. The Elder Scrolls died a little today. And the MMO industry slips further into oblivion.    … Expand
  88. johnangel
    Apr 12, 2014
    5
    Not a very good game not a very a bad game average in every way.
    The Good : Voiced quests,Interesting combat,Crafting
    The Bad : Not true to the lore, Unresponsive combat ; press a button wait a second then see it happen.

    Not worth my time.
  89. Ansatsu83
    Apr 7, 2014
    7
    This review is based upon the issues at launch.

    The game has a ton of potential, IT DOES NOT PLAY LIKE ELDER SCROLLS!!! If you cannot accept that its not like skyrim, you wont like this. On launch, it is beyond buggy, it should still be in beta. They have had two patches to fix broken quests in the starter areas in the first three days of launch. Their beta testing had failed miserably    This review is based upon the issues at launch.

    The game has a ton of potential, IT DOES NOT PLAY LIKE ELDER SCROLLS!!! If you cannot accept that its not like skyrim, you wont like this. On launch, it is beyond buggy, it should still be in beta. They have had two patches to fix broken quests in the starter areas in the first three days of launch. Their beta testing had failed miserably and testers were not given enough time to report bugs. The company still pushed a half finished game out the door and... honestly.... the bugs, at launch, really break it. So far I have encountered six quests where I cannot progress. Since I play in the form of a completionist and not a power leveler I cannot complete a zone and that reduces my play time... Despite the completely unacceptable, buggy, and pathetic release the game is not bad. The real issue is balance, balance in pvp and pve is a joke in this game, it makes wow look halfway decent, in terms of balance... as bad as that sounds. Two handed weapon damage is a joke, there is little point to using two handed weapons. Every other weapon type, in the game, deals a lot more damage... There are no excuses for half of this, just none. If you want to release a beta at least be ready for some very harsh criticism. That having been said, it is still fairly fun and will give you several hours a week of enjoyment... Now hopefully they will fix the bugs before the end of the first month...    … Expand
  90. Phatsnake
    Apr 5, 2014
    7
    The MMO genre has become stale and is in dire need of an overhaul. Unfortunately, The Elder Scrolls Online is not it. TESO is torn between trying to follow in the footsteps of the single player experience of Skyrim and its predecessors while combining the boring mechanics of MMOs that we're too familiar with. In its defense, the game has some of the most gorgeous environments I've seen inThe MMO genre has become stale and is in dire need of an overhaul. Unfortunately, The Elder Scrolls Online is not it. TESO is torn between trying to follow in the footsteps of the single player experience of Skyrim and its predecessors while combining the boring mechanics of MMOs that we're too familiar with. In its defense, the game has some of the most gorgeous environments I've seen in an MMO, but aside from that the core of the game is lacking.… Expand
  91. gofesnadra
    Apr 7, 2014
    7
    The only MMO I've put tons of hours in and got totally hooked on in the past is WoW. I have tried Rift and Guild Wars 2 but was disappointed in those and didn't play them more than a few hours.

    Elder Scrolls Online is the only MMO after all these years that I have totally got hooked on. The leveling is fun and different, the PvP in Cyrodiil is amazing. I've done a few dungeons and    The only MMO I've put tons of hours in and got totally hooked on in the past is WoW. I have tried Rift and Guild Wars 2 but was disappointed in those and didn't play them more than a few hours.

    Elder Scrolls Online is the only MMO after all these years that I have totally got hooked on. The leveling is fun and different, the PvP in Cyrodiil is amazing. I've done a few dungeons and they've been fun as well. The playerbase so far seems to be more mature too. Also the launch was the smoothest launch of an online game that I've ever been part of.

    Sure, there's a few bugs that they will probably fix in the first patches, but nothing gamebreaking.

    I would highly recommend this game to everyone who likes MMO's and Elder Scrolls and urge you to play to at least level 10 before judging so you can try Cyrodiil and the dungeons!

    It's sad that most of the negative reviews here are written by people who haven't played this game for more than a few hours at most and haven't seen any real content at all. They only judge the game because it plays different from your average MMO. MMO's in general also get a lot of hate and sometimes in justice, but I for one will gladly be paying the monthly fee for this game. It's well worth it.    … Expand
  92. Dirk_B_Daring
    Apr 11, 2014
    5
    meh. Not worth the sub fee. Interesting game but fairly standard mmo mechanics/gameplay. PvP is the only piece of content that pushes the score to 5. Yawn.
  93. newmeta
    Apr 11, 2014
    5
    SPOILER FREE.

    It dries up pretty quickly. It would have been better if it was single player with a co-op experience (rather than thousands, cut it down to maybe 5 friends). It doesn't change the MMORPG world or add anything unique to the culture. Rather it's a weird bridge between single and multiplayer. It's not a bad game...but it's not a good one either. The TES feel is there but    SPOILER FREE.

    It dries up pretty quickly. It would have been better if it was single player with a co-op experience (rather than thousands, cut it down to maybe 5 friends). It doesn't change the MMORPG world or add anything unique to the culture. Rather it's a weird bridge between single and multiplayer.

    It's not a bad game...but it's not a good one either. The TES feel is there but its not an improvement. More often than not you will take a break and want to get a Skyrim fix. But TESO does have a wide variety of quests and leaves good taste for those with a good imagination...but there are plenty of times that feeling is just washed away when you see others in a world you hoped to call your own.

    As roleplayer: You will be pleased to a point, but really be pushing it later on.
    As a TES fan: You will be pleased to a point, but not impressed for the long run.
    As a MMORPG'r: You will be pleased to a point, but stop looking forward to things extremely quickly.    … Expand
  94. Sevvy88
    Apr 26, 2014
    5
    What can I say? The game isn't bad. It's certainly not the worst MMO I've played, but does that mean it's great? Sadly, no.

    It does what it does passably. It's a theme-park MMO set in the Elder Scrolls universe. That in itself might be enough to put people off from it. My real issue with the game stems from the fact that everything it does, it does only passably well. Combat? Guild    What can I say? The game isn't bad. It's certainly not the worst MMO I've played, but does that mean it's great? Sadly, no.

    It does what it does passably. It's a theme-park MMO set in the Elder Scrolls universe. That in itself might be enough to put people off from it. My real issue with the game stems from the fact that everything it does, it does only passably well.

    Combat? Guild Wars 2 has better. Exploration? Same. Story? SW:TOR presents and delivers a better RPG element and main story than ESO does. Graphics? Final Fantasy: ARR is much sharper and with the times. The visuals are nice, but ultimately remind me of a Warhammer Online in HD. Dynamic events? See Rift and, again, Guild Wars 2.

    Like many people have pointed out, the game is just so painfully average. It's not the most on rails of the theme parks, so that at least is a plus, and the voice over questing -is- better than the "Read this huge text box" type mechanic, but simply having these traits isn't enough. WoW long stopped being the game that I judge MMO's by, because since WoW, we've had some great additions to the genre. Anyone who has played MMO's in any mentionable capacity in the last 10 years will constantly be feeling like they've done all of this before. I find myself bored after an hour or so.

    So, the game doesn't really bring anything new to the table. For people just picking up their first MMO's or who are truly in love with the Elder Scrolls world (the lore -is- very good) then this game might knock it out of the park. For your average MMO player looking for the next star in an already overcrowded sky of games though? I fear this is not it.

    Not bad, but not great. It just "is what it is." Another theme park. I fear the game often has more considering re-installing Skyrim or Oblivion, even Morrowind, rather than continue playing it. It is hard to tell who they exactly were making this game for.    … Expand
  95. timt
    Apr 10, 2014
    5
    Objective Review:
    It is not terrible, but it is not great either. If you are looking for a game that will provide an amazing experience - this is not it. If you are looking to kill time, then this might do the trick.

    I would never give this a 10. I have no idea how some have. I also would not give this a zero - it is not that bad. 5 out of 10 is more reasonable, but
  96. nymroth
    Apr 14, 2014
    5
    This is a single player game till level 50 with some people in it. And it is not a good single player game. Game design is seriously flawed. Don't make the same mistake i did: Wait for it goes f2p and don't buy it now.
  97. n91a
    Apr 15, 2014
    5
    Superficially, TESO looks like Skyrim. Similar interface, similar great artwork. However, if you're looking for Skyrim online, TESO isn't it. TESO brings nothing new to the MMO genre, and utterly fails to live up to the pre-release hype. It looks pretty, but contrary to Matt Firor's grand promise of a "polished" and "bug-free" product, TESO is anything but. Unstable, quests riddledSuperficially, TESO looks like Skyrim. Similar interface, similar great artwork. However, if you're looking for Skyrim online, TESO isn't it. TESO brings nothing new to the MMO genre, and utterly fails to live up to the pre-release hype. It looks pretty, but contrary to Matt Firor's grand promise of a "polished" and "bug-free" product, TESO is anything but. Unstable, quests riddled with bugs, and gameplay is generally clunky and laggy. Also, because TESO allows (and appears to favor) the third-person perspective, those of us who enjoy the first-person immersion are at a disadvantage for both PvP and PvE-boss encounters. Is it worth playing for free? Sure. Is it worth the hefty $60 + monthly? Heck no.… Expand
  98. Eruptox
    Apr 23, 2014
    7
    Reviews here are too long, I'll just summarize it. (Intermediate MMO player here)

    Pros - Great Voiceovers (Not as good as SWTOR imo) - Soundtrack. - If you want to play an MMO. - Amazing Landscapes Cons - Combat - Not the best, a little dumb down version of GW2 - Skyrim - Nothing like Skyrim V, not even close. - Terrible Quest Achievement - Short Quests that doesn't feel    Reviews here are too long, I'll just summarize it. (Intermediate MMO player here)

    Pros
    - Great Voiceovers (Not as good as SWTOR imo)
    - Soundtrack.
    - If you want to play an MMO.
    - Amazing Landscapes

    Cons
    - Combat - Not the best, a little dumb down version of GW2
    - Skyrim - Nothing like Skyrim V, not even close.
    - Terrible Quest Achievement - Short Quests that doesn't feel rewarding.
    - No Auction House (Yet)

    If you're a person who rates it by its launch week, you're honestly not a gamer. No MMO has ever been released with no problems at all. All games go through the same phase.

    TL: DR

    - MMO player: you may like it, it's simplistic, and has an ESO theme.
    - RPG player: Not really a good RPG, especially if you hope it's like Skyrim V.    … Expand
  99. Delaro
    May 2, 2014
    5
    Shallow, flavorless, generic, bland, uninspiring and, monotonous.

    Cons: Flooded with Bots and gold farmers at launch. Really slow response from GM's. Multi broken and bugged Quests sometimes for days on end. Boring repetitive quest system. Boring Combat system and Weak AI.... Mash 2 buttons FTW. Repetitive Scenery and landscape. Monotone and very uninspiring NPC's. Pros: Very    Shallow, flavorless, generic, bland, uninspiring and, monotonous.

    Cons:
    Flooded with Bots and gold farmers at launch.
    Really slow response from GM's.
    Multi broken and bugged Quests sometimes for days on end.
    Boring repetitive quest system.
    Boring Combat system and Weak AI.... Mash 2 buttons FTW.
    Repetitive Scenery and landscape.
    Monotone and very uninspiring NPC's.

    Pros:
    Very visually appealing.
    Crafting system is decent
    That's about all I can think of... Really not much more got my attention.

    This game missed the Hype by leaps and bounds, what we have is a $15 a month game that offers less than many of the massive amount of free to play Asian MMO's ripoffs. I felt as though I was playing a game based 12 years ago, there is nothing at all new about this title nothing inspiring or memorable that would make me want to keep playing.    … Expand
  100. TheGroobster
    May 2, 2014
    5
    So I have been playing this game off an on including the Beta. There are some elements that the game does very well at and some that it fails spectacularly at. I will talk about the good things first.

    First of all, I love the class system and progression of your character. You can use any weapon with any class and there are tons of abilities to choose from. It really makes you think    So I have been playing this game off an on including the Beta. There are some elements that the game does very well at and some that it fails spectacularly at. I will talk about the good things first.

    First of all, I love the class system and progression of your character. You can use any weapon with any class and there are tons of abilities to choose from. It really makes you think when it comes to choosing new abilities. I also really like the crafting system. I was extremely disappointed with the GW2 crafting system. It ultimately pushed me to get ESO because it was so disappointing. However, I will say that researching traits can get confusing when trying to remember which traits you have already researched but you can easily find an add on for that which is another positive note. The add on system is really easy to use. Just drag and drop into your add ons folder and you are done.

    On a side note, PVP is very highly regarded in this game. I will admit I never really got to try it much. I went there as a low level and I didn't really like the experience. Sometimes there are players hiding and waiting to ambush you as you are on your way to the objective. I had a very hard time adjusting to the combat and understanding how I was supposed to play. I think it just takes some getting used to.

    Now on to the negatives. First of all, I find the questing system to be EXTREMELY bland and boring. I appreciate that all of the quests are voice acted, but I don't feel like I am having any real influence on the world. Much of the quest text seems very played out and bland. I do not get immersed in the story.

    Another thing is the graphics. They are not bad, but they are not amazing either. For some reason the view distance seems to be less effective over 60-70%. The water and shadows look amazing. But I was expecting more. Also I find the character models to be bland as well. I have never met an ugly NPC. They are all supermodels.

    Another thing to note is that there just aren't enough choices in this game. This is supposed to be an Elder Scrolls game but I can't attack guards or steal. It would be neat if they implemented a crime system or some kind of morality system.

    All in all I find this game very bland and uninspiring. I do regret paying for it but something inside me keeps wanting to give it another chance. Maybe if I level up more and get to the next area things will be more exciting. I might still do that but at some point I am going to cut it off. I am very hesitant to say that this game is worth $15 a month.    … 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

All reviews »
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.
    Read full review
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