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
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  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
prev
Page:

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
See all critic reviews »