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. Qahina
    Apr 8, 2014
    6
    You will either love it or hate yourself for paying money. ESO is a mixed Blessing really. The are some really bright ides and new on the one Hand but massive technical Problems (thanks Bugthesda) lacking of instancing in the gaming world (you kann hear other Player jumping or door closing noices throughout the whole building) and the hated really uninformative skyrim UI which standYou will either love it or hate yourself for paying money. ESO is a mixed Blessing really. The are some really bright ides and new on the one Hand but massive technical Problems (thanks Bugthesda) lacking of instancing in the gaming world (you kann hear other Player jumping or door closing noices throughout the whole building) and the hated really uninformative skyrim UI which stand against it. ESO is fresh and new but also completely ignores standards in UI accessability or quest mapping which most other MMOs abide by nowadays.… Expand
  2. Greenicey
    Sep 27, 2014
    5
    As a huge MMO fan, and an even bigger Elder Scrolls fan I was super pumped for this game. However after beta I did not choose to continue playing this game. Graphically the game is fairly good. It doesn't look as good as Skyrim, but that is to be expected. It seemed at first they were going to stylize it to look more like Oblivion, but that's not the case. Everything just looks ratherAs a huge MMO fan, and an even bigger Elder Scrolls fan I was super pumped for this game. However after beta I did not choose to continue playing this game. Graphically the game is fairly good. It doesn't look as good as Skyrim, but that is to be expected. It seemed at first they were going to stylize it to look more like Oblivion, but that's not the case. Everything just looks rather generic. The voice-acting is generally inoffensive, nothing worth noting. Gameplay is probably the startlingly different aspect. It is a mix of typical Elder Scrolls combat and exploration, all with MMO restrictions. You choose a class and you can bring different skills with you into battle. Each class has three trees of skills, nothing we haven't seen. Now this would sound like it would work well with the elder scrolls mechanics, but it doesn't. Playing with friends and other people makes this game a chore more than it really should. I honestly think this game should either have been made more like Elder Scrolls, or much more like an MMO. The two just don't mix as well they should. It's honestly like playing a really cheap copy of Skyrim, it's not even a decent MMO.… Expand
  3. david271749
    Oct 11, 2014
    5
    After playing out a six month subscription to this game, I think I'm entitled to an honest review. The idea for the game was great. There was a lot of potential there. Unfortunately, there's nothing here that lives up to that potential. Why the developers thought a theme park mmo that stems from a series of single player sandbox rpgs would be a good idea is beyond me. It's a crash grab.After playing out a six month subscription to this game, I think I'm entitled to an honest review. The idea for the game was great. There was a lot of potential there. Unfortunately, there's nothing here that lives up to that potential. Why the developers thought a theme park mmo that stems from a series of single player sandbox rpgs would be a good idea is beyond me. It's a crash grab. We're half a year in, and devs are more focused on working on future content than fixing current content. Endgame is pvp. Pve trials and pve arena are terrible. The game is full of exploiters and macro users who go unpunished. This ruins any purpose in progressing or playing through the game legitimately. This game might have a better chance on consoles, if that project doesn't get abandoned. It's already been postponed for six months, and we haven't heard a word about console release since it was postponed 4 months ago.… Expand
  4. TheLooseHunter
    Nov 11, 2014
    5
    I give this game a 5 because of the fact that this is one of the most disgusting example of a MMO, but i enjoyed the game.
    You have to pay on release day a good $60 with also monthly subscriptions. When i started the game, you received a moment for choosing your class. You get the choice of 4 classes, while one of them is already locked if you pay another 15 to 20 dollars for unlockable    I give this game a 5 because of the fact that this is one of the most disgusting example of a MMO, but i enjoyed the game.
    You have to pay on release day a good $60 with also monthly subscriptions. When i started the game, you received a moment for choosing your class. You get the choice of 4 classes, while one of them is already locked if you pay another 15 to 20 dollars for unlockable content. This game is more a walking simulator than an action rpg game. The looting system shows us that you better pay another 20 dollars because the old feeling of hours of work is not that important anymore.
    Is this how you treat a franchise like TESC? There are a lot of other franchises who have been destroyed because of the same thing Bethesda tried to.
    If you love this franchise, go and buy it. But for people who just love MMOs, think twice before you go to a store.    … Expand
  5. inimical
    Dec 30, 2016
    5
    When it was first released, it had some potential for becoming a good mmo. Ultimately, after a couple months I quit due to bugs ruining the experience. I recently tried to reinstall and see how it's come along, but it's still a buggy mess. Not worth the time.
  6. Barbzilla
    Mar 10, 2015
    6
    Normally I don't feel the need to write a review unless I'm completely blown away by how awesome a game is, and when I do write said review, it is usually on another site or Steam. This game deserves a special award however, and so I am here to let everyone know.

    First off, let me get the negativity out of the way, which is really what I'm here to write about, but I will do my best to    Normally I don't feel the need to write a review unless I'm completely blown away by how awesome a game is, and when I do write said review, it is usually on another site or Steam. This game deserves a special award however, and so I am here to let everyone know.

    First off, let me get the negativity out of the way, which is really what I'm here to write about, but I will do my best to give a fair review of the rest of the game afterwards.

    The game is crashtacular. I have never had a game crash on me this much, and I was around for the Daikatana release. I started out at the beginning of closed beta, and played every event until it went open. After open beta I played 2 weekends (one at the start, and then the final weekend). The game was understandably buggy and the servers couldn't handle the load at all. Many of us begged the devs to delay the release until the issues had settled because they wouldn't be able to push quality content and major bug resolution at the same time without causing more bugs. The devs decided not to take heed of our warnings, and went on to release on schedule.

    The launch was a complete disaster, but it did get better. The problem was, they never did manage to work out a lot of the random crash bugs. To this day, if you go to the official forums under tech support, you will see that about 90% of the reports have to do with crash to desktop. The best part is, every time they release a patch, a new set of crash bugs appear.

    I have been mostly fine since the third patch, however, with the latest patch I now crash every time I attempt to zone. This would be somewhat palatable if I ended up at my destination when I logged back in, rather than where I initiated the zone. I am currently trapped on all of my characters in tiny PvE areas for quests (though i did manage to level my low level character up 4 times just off of killing mobs). So my choices are to either create a new character skipping the tutorial and just stick to the outside areas, or to just quit playing until the issue is resolved.

    I have spoken to their customer support (which is almost non-existent as they are so backlogged with other people experiencing crashes they can't resolve), and followed all of their steps only to be told to uninstall the game and re-download it for the 3rd time (keep in mind this is almost 50gb of download each time, and the launcher installs this in the most illogical and time wasting manner). So, i am currently done with the game. I've canceled my membership since it is going buy to play this month anyway.

    Now, for the rest of the review and about the game itself.

    Elder Scrolls Online is actually a pretty fun MMO on the surface level. It has some rather annoying issues and design choices that will get to you if you are a hardcore MMO player, but if you are more of a solo PvP player, this game may be right up your ally.

    The game rewards you for exploring and uncovering hidden areas and locked chests. It also goes out of its way to make the world feel more like a living world than most MMOs do, as it does away with the typical quest hub style world layout, and opts for a more open system. It is quite normal for a new player to miss a number of quests along the way, and can actually be somewhat beneficial later down the road since you can visit the other factions starting areas and do the quests there at a higher level (though this is also a drawback).

    The combat is fairly intuitive and rewards you for using tactics. You have to watch for on screen queues to alert you to the enemy's impending heavy attacks and special attacks, so that you are about to counter them. There is also a nifty combo system if you do happen to be playing with another player, but you will probably only ever use this in an open world PvE questing area at random intervals when another player just happens to randomly initiate one. The combat also rewards you with multiple types of experience based on what you used in combat, and what you have equipped (for example: you will gain exp for all armor types equipped based on the number of slots each type occupies, you will receive exp for all weapon types equipped as well as bonus exp to which ever types you used and for what percentage of the overall damage, and you will receive exp for every skill type on your hot bar along with bonus exp for the skill types you use in combat).

    The story line varies from completely chaotic randomness to some actually compelling writing from time to time. This is coupled with full voice acting that varies from amazing to complete crap (along with some strange choices on whom an actor will get to voice act, I.E. John Cleese). Still though, compared to most MMOs out there, the story line is gold, and you can expect some fairly deep lore since this is a long running series.

    There is a lot wrong with the game, but it can be good if the developers would just spend some quality time and money on a good QA group.    … Expand
  7. tormentor55
    Nov 29, 2014
    6
    Elder scrolls online can be pretty fun at times but it always has its sights on your wallet. The game forces you to spend $60 AND a monthly subscription, (that's already more money needing to be used than WOW) and you have to grind like crazy to get goods with in-game currency instead of paying. This game could have been SO much more tolerable had it been F2P or a one time payment. In thisElder scrolls online can be pretty fun at times but it always has its sights on your wallet. The game forces you to spend $60 AND a monthly subscription, (that's already more money needing to be used than WOW) and you have to grind like crazy to get goods with in-game currency instead of paying. This game could have been SO much more tolerable had it been F2P or a one time payment. In this day and age monthly subscriptions are an unwelcome form of payment. For elder scrolls fans stick to skyrim or pray that the cost to enter this game goes down.… Expand
  8. hypnopaedia
    May 1, 2020
    7
    Though this game had a rough start in 2014, I can safely say in 2020 that the game is playable, stable, and actually quite fun.

    I'm a long-time WoW player unfortunately, and this MMO is one of the only ones that differentiates itself from being a WoW-like experience. It does so through a number of innovative features, either borrowed from Elder Scrolls' past or completely new,    Though this game had a rough start in 2014, I can safely say in 2020 that the game is playable, stable, and actually quite fun.

    I'm a long-time WoW player unfortunately, and this MMO is one of the only ones that differentiates itself from being a WoW-like experience. It does so through a number of innovative features, either borrowed from Elder Scrolls' past or completely new, including:

    + interactive combat (blocking, block bashing, dodging, being required to actually hit enemies with your attacks)
    + semi-deep quest and world lore that, while interesting, is entirely skip-able if you are not interested, and doesn't get in the way of gameplay if you are interested
    + a reduced number of abilities and active ability hotkeys, with swappable weapon / ability sets, making each individual ability more central to your core strategy, and allowance for swapping between combat "roles" (tank, healer, dps, etc.) quickly and fluidly.

    In addition, with a large world that can be explored at your pace (no level-specific requirements), no questing hubs, quick access between continents, and fast travel to and from cities, exploration and adventure are given incentive. The player is not railroaded into the main quest, specific cities, or anything else for that matter.

    Playing with friends is fun and easy, as players' stats scale to the current content, meaning that all players (except max level players) compete on an even playing field. This ensures that players can maintain cooperative play, even if leveling separately, and reduces queue times for PvP and dungeon content. At the same time, however, players of higher level are still rewarded in these situations, as better gear tiers and new active and passive abilities still provide an edge, and make you feel more powerful than those around you.

    Server and performances issues are at an all-time low. I play on a high-performance gaming PC, while one of my friends plays on a crappy Mac, and another plays on a mid-range Windows laptop. None of us have experienced issues with connectivity or performance beyond singular outliers, separated by hours of stable gameplay.

    Now, on to the negatives.

    ESO used to have a subscription model. However, following a subpar launch and declining subscriptions, they switched to a free model with an in-game store and an optional, perk-based subscription. This can be mostly avoided, but the biggest "incentive" to purchase an ESO+ subscription is the inventory management. Dear lord, is your inventory the most difficult part of the game. Inventory fills up basically immediately, then the bank goes too, and upgrades for both are rare and expensive. Due to the sheer number of crafting materials, daily rewards (which can't be stacked), and gear you're holding onto in order to research it when a slot opens up, you'll constantly be destroying less valuable items (to the point that you're destroying things of value) in order to make room. You'll have to break between almost every dungeon in order to do inventory management. You can't explore for more than 15 minutes without running out of room. It's INSANE. ESO+ gives you unlimited room for crafting supplies. They know how bad the inventory management is, and they're keeping it that way to pressure you into a subscription. A crafty but also extremely low blow.

    Crafting is NOT INTUITIVE. You will most certainly require an outside guide or a friend's explanation in order to understand it. However, when you DO get it, it's extremely deep, unique, and fun (when you're not shifting your inventory around).

    Enemy AI sucks, and attempting to challenge yourself more by pulling more enemies in a dungeon or otherwise often results in some enemies just waiting for other enemies to die in order to reduce server load. It sucks to watch your group pull 30 enemies just to see about 5 of them wait in the back for others to die like the bad guys in an action movie that attack the protagonist one at a time.

    Everything is so easy to access that the community mindset has become, like most other MMO's, grind grind grind. One reason people love WoW Classic is that you can't just grind; you need the involvement of the community to play. This is NOT true in ESO; player communication is shallow, and it's not much of an MMO in reality unless you are playing with irl friends. Players often don't wait for tanks to pull in dungeons because they're trying to grind quickly, and since nobody waits for the lore, if you're interested, you'll be holding up others regularly.

    Ignoring Bethesda/Zenimax as money-grubbing companies who have proven themselves to be nothing but slaves to their corporate overlords, and ignoring the absolute departure from the Elder Scrolls as a whole, ESO is a really fun, standout MMO with unique systems and a beautiful, realized world. The biggest shame is how long it took to get here; I can only imagine the reception this game would've received if it was released as it is now.    … Expand
  9. PatMc1896
    Aug 1, 2020
    7
    A lot of content definitely improved since release , crown store crates and that with rng can be annoying and basically having to purchase eso plus to experience things better isn’t great but I still enjoy the dungeons etc can be challenging and fun
  10. saulot
    Apr 7, 2014
    5
    I wanted to like this game. This is like elder scrolls in name and setting only. Combat seems so slow and grindsome. Graphics are poor, only 4 classes, pretty much like all the other mmos buts its not elderscroll
  11. Ixoziel
    Apr 13, 2014
    5
    When I first heard of The Elder Scrolls Online (mentioned as TESO from now on), I thought it would be fantastic. A few months prior I had mentioned to my friends that an online Elder Scrolls game would be awesome. I got invited to closed beta... and it was just disappointment after disappointment.

    The graphics are worse than Skyrim, and Skyrim came out in 2011. Why? I'm not big on    When I first heard of The Elder Scrolls Online (mentioned as TESO from now on), I thought it would be fantastic. A few months prior I had mentioned to my friends that an online Elder Scrolls game would be awesome. I got invited to closed beta... and it was just disappointment after disappointment.

    The graphics are worse than Skyrim, and Skyrim came out in 2011. Why? I'm not big on graphics... it's just very annoying to me, when you have a game in a series that comes out three years later and the graphics are worse. I loved morrowind, but trying to play it after Skyrim / Oblivion is tough for me because of the unimpressive graphics. I just don't understand the huge step BACK... if you're worried about everyone being able to play, just make it downscale well at lower settings.

    The combat tries to make you think it's action, but it's really just typical MMO fare. It has the "appearance" of having to aim your abilities, but WoW has aimable abilities too (AoE)... and that doesn't make it more exciting. Shooting with a bow is auto aim, spells are auto aim, it's just horribly boring. At least WoW has 25-30 spells usable at once, while in TESO you're locked to 5 because of the stupid limited spellbars.

    Now the business practices... Day 1 pay for power (horses): check. Have to pay extra money to play all races in all alliances, which ruins the lore: check. monthly fee, massive up front cost, AND a cash shop: check.

    I have spent HUNDREDS of hours each on morrowind, oblivion, and skyrim... and this game just bores me to tears. Literally every part of it is a step down from skyrim. The combat, the graphics, the immersion, the sound... the only upside is multiplayer.

    They tried too hard to please everyone, and they're caught in the middle now. Every part of the game is "OK" and nothing is fantastic. With oblivion / skyrim, the strong parts of the series were exemplified, now they're nonexistent, so you're just stuck with a bunch of "meh". And "Meh" isn't good enough for a game that wants you to pay money for horses, 80$ upfront, and 15$ a month.    … Expand
  12. orctown-troll
    Apr 11, 2014
    5
    Reading through the reviews here there is no doubt that most of the 10/10 scores have been written from development team members God-bless-them! The game is pretty good. It would be ok as free to play. Truth is that it is not easy to make a MMO that is going to be truly interesting for everyone. The need to drag the play out with deliberate grinding is going to deter most people in theReading through the reviews here there is no doubt that most of the 10/10 scores have been written from development team members God-bless-them! The game is pretty good. It would be ok as free to play. Truth is that it is not easy to make a MMO that is going to be truly interesting for everyone. The need to drag the play out with deliberate grinding is going to deter most people in the end. For this game $60 up front and then subscription represents pretty poor value for money. Most of us would be better of playing RIFT. Just as Bioware wasted millions making a mediocre game in SWTOR, Zenimax has wasted big bucks on a game that is simply not a good investment for most players. I suggest avoiding this game till it is free to play. Let's hope that rather than mediocre MMOs Zenimax actually puts some effort into greatly improving their single player games and evolving that model with co-op and multiplayer elements.

    Orctowngrot.    … Expand
  13. DaChunK
    Apr 5, 2014
    6
    A very STATIC and GRIND game. By static I mean it does not give me anything unexpected. By all intensive purposes it's a generic MMO. Creatures do not attack unless very close or you attack first which I find very boring, there are NO dynamic random encounters, all characters are placed and stay there to an effect, questing is meaningless and crafting is a overly complicated and longA very STATIC and GRIND game. By static I mean it does not give me anything unexpected. By all intensive purposes it's a generic MMO. Creatures do not attack unless very close or you attack first which I find very boring, there are NO dynamic random encounters, all characters are placed and stay there to an effect, questing is meaningless and crafting is a overly complicated and long winded affair.

    The reason I love Eldar Scrolls games is it dynamic nature, you don't know what to expect. This game has not surprised me once yet!

    As per normal MMO, players run around as fast as they can running errands to level up. For this is the only respectable way to level and for that very reason, people don't give a poo about what the quest actually is. Why change an already great system that the past 5 games had in place? Leveling came naturally as you explore and have random encounters. Questing was an optional and it was fun, you actually listened to the dialog and cared about the quest itself.

    As with pretty well ALL other MMO's, it takes hundreds of hours to reach max level. This is my biggest GRIPE. For me it is not realistically achievable. I'm an older gamer and spending that much time to reach the "end" game is crazy and I think poorly designed. I'll most likely never experience what it's like to "finish" the game and see my character at his/her peak strength. I'd love to see and MMO where you can get to max level after 50 hours, therefore rewarding players sooner.

    The good points - Great graphics, fantastic character and skill development, a hug expansive world with plenty to see and do and decent pvp.

    I'll most likely enjoy it for a while but not subscribe and not play the obscene amount of hours to reach end game.    … Expand
  14. Chomag7
    Apr 5, 2014
    7
    I was really excited about this game, I even flamed haters and naysayers but my opinion of this game has changed drastically since headstart.

    I have leveled 3 characters to level 10 since then and my verdict on this game is this: GAME IS BORING. I won't criticize bugged quests or subscription plans or anything like that, I'm only going to say that the game is really light on the Fun    I was really excited about this game, I even flamed haters and naysayers but my opinion of this game has changed drastically since headstart.

    I have leveled 3 characters to level 10 since then and my verdict on this game is this: GAME IS BORING.

    I won't criticize bugged quests or subscription plans or anything like that, I'm only going to say that the game is really light on the Fun factor due to combat mechanics lacking that thing that would make combat engaging and fun, not to mention the combat animations themselves are far from being something to be excited about. There is also way way way too much running/riding between quest locations. Also leveling is SLOW AS **** I mean it, you can spend 8 hours in the game and you'll barely hit level 10 - this coming from someone who plays video games a lot.

    All player models in the game have some kind of glitch, like weapons clipping through limbs or heads. Though granted, this is an OCD of mine (I really hate clipping of gear though the limbs of my character) and you may not care about such issues. I found the female khajiit model to be the most clipping free model.

    While I never considered ESO could be a contender for WoW, I'm sad to say that it doesn't even qualify as a time filler until WoD, as it becomes boring really fast and makes further leveling seem climbing a mountain except there is no reward at the top. I believe in the idea that leveling should be a fun journey in any game and not something to wade through on your way to the end-game. ESO fails here, leveling is extremely boring.

    I am now going to join the haters who say the game will be f2p in 6 months. Sorry but it's my genuine feeling. ESO is simply lacking Fun.    … Expand
  15. nikkonymous
    Apr 21, 2014
    7
    I'm a bit disappointed with the game. PvE is barely stable, especially those on the quests. Encountered several annoying bugs and glitches. But still pretty much worth a shot. Love the unique dynamic combat style, crafting, exploration, good story and many more. That's why I could never hate this game, since I'm a big fan of the series since TES 2 Daggerfall and MMO games. Still hopingI'm a bit disappointed with the game. PvE is barely stable, especially those on the quests. Encountered several annoying bugs and glitches. But still pretty much worth a shot. Love the unique dynamic combat style, crafting, exploration, good story and many more. That's why I could never hate this game, since I'm a big fan of the series since TES 2 Daggerfall and MMO games. Still hoping zenimax devs could figure out faster ways to fix the current content.… Expand
  16. Cyanthrax
    Oct 28, 2014
    7
    Thought I would make an update of my review from when the game first released. To this day it's still a pretty decent game.

    The positives: There's a lot of character customization just like you would find in any other TES game. It's especially nice when it seems choice is slowly dying in the world because those choices were often obsolete while in TES no matter what you choose it's    Thought I would make an update of my review from when the game first released. To this day it's still a pretty decent game.

    The positives:

    There's a lot of character customization just like you would find in any other TES game. It's especially nice when it seems choice is slowly dying in the world because those choices were often obsolete while in TES no matter what you choose it's beneficial in some way. The game also presents quite a bit of difficulty in most situations. You always have to be on your feet in this game in just about all situations. The art and gameplay all look like it's a TES game and I truly believe that ESO lived up to being an Elder Scrolls game, just online. A lot of people complain about it for stupid reason; the graphics. These people often don't understand game design and don't get that you can't have current gen graphics in an MMORPG. The feel of the game itself is as TES as it gets with the exception the animations are a little different; again understandable if you get game development. ZoS also does pretty well at listening to their playerbase and I think have a good future in the coming years for this game.

    The negatives

    The game has released 6 months ago yet bugs are still present. I expect some bugs, but I would've expected ZoS to have it pretty close to being perfect by now. The game is also extremely lacking in content if you're a PvPer and feels very much like it's just a grindfest. Nothing is new and it feels really repetitive when there's only one form of PvP that many game developers seem to think is extremely fun which is AvA battles; EG massive 100 vs 100 player battles where you usually take forts and keeps. The gameplay is always based on who can make the biggest Zerg. There's no structure in it. If this game had gladiatorial PvP (arenas) I would be sold, but as of now it's just repetitive. Obtaining gear can also be a massive chore. Don't get me wrong. I love a challenge and I love something that's going to eat a lot of my time, but at this point getting max level gear is insanely time consuming where you would actually have to live on the game if you wanted to be in top tier gear. The veteran system also seems kinda pointless. I don't get why they don't just add new armor tiers instead of making me level every time a new tier releases. If I wanted to level more I would play my alt.

    Other thoughts

    They're adding a new system that has a massive new line of talents. So massive in fact it would take a player 6 months to complete and that's if you play the game more than the average and if ZoS doesn't add more to it...I love the fact that means more choices and more progression for my character, but I truly disagree that whoever plays the most should have a much high advantage over someone who's more skilled.    … Expand
  17. Jimbob2k666
    Apr 6, 2014
    6
    I cant help but be left confused every time I login to this game. There are so many different aspects to the game, and it definitely is not "pick up n play". I feel totally uninspired when I play. Yes it's new but basic things like name tag options are missing. The crafting is confusing and this is coming from a veteran top end crafter in the old days of SWG which was complex if youI cant help but be left confused every time I login to this game. There are so many different aspects to the game, and it definitely is not "pick up n play". I feel totally uninspired when I play. Yes it's new but basic things like name tag options are missing. The crafting is confusing and this is coming from a veteran top end crafter in the old days of SWG which was complex if you wanted to excel at it......I have played all the Elder Scrolls games, but this one might be something I end up leaving well before the free 30 days are up.… Expand
  18. thehaxx646
    Apr 22, 2014
    5
    About as meh as an elder scrolls game can be.
    It's just no fun at all, all the life is sucked out of the game. Wait till this goes F2P, then play it.
  19. Kucha
    Apr 23, 2014
    7
    his is a good MMO that I am playing and plan to continue to play because I'm enjoying it. Having said that, I admit that it's not revolutionary, but one that does most things right. Overall, I'd say that ESO is an Elder Scrolls single player and MMO hybrid. You got some, but not all parts of both. If you are OK with sacrificing some of your beloved Elder Scrolls single playerhis is a good MMO that I am playing and plan to continue to play because I'm enjoying it. Having said that, I admit that it's not revolutionary, but one that does most things right. Overall, I'd say that ESO is an Elder Scrolls single player and MMO hybrid. You got some, but not all parts of both. If you are OK with sacrificing some of your beloved Elder Scrolls single player experiences for the opportunity to play with others, then this game is just for you. If you are inflexible and demand a full Elder Scrolls and MMO game, then you will probably be disappointed.

    PROS

    The developers do a great job of giving you an immersive amount of quests as you level up. The process does not feel like a grind, and one can take the time to enjoy the adventure process en route to max level. Good stories, good (although repetitive) voice overs, lots of lore, and pretty nice graphics. Oh, and the world is HUGE. I have to give kudos to the Devs for that. Second, the classes are incredibly flexible, enabling a player to play any role with any class. It can be rather fun to create non-traditional classes, such as a healing tank. Also, the PvP battles are enjoyable and pretty intense.

    CONS

    On the other hand, the game is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. There are a few too many bugs, some of which are unacceptable as they should never have made it into the game. Also, making auction houses (guild stores) available only through guilds is unwelcome. You won't be able to buy or sell from all players in your faction this way. Furthermore, the game economy is in shambles as a near endless number of gold spammers, and game exploiters threaten the very economic stability of the game. ESO devs should have been more aggressive about removing these guys from day 1.

    The game is missing some of the single-player Elder Scrolls game elements that I enjoy. For example, you'll have to level before going to all of the zones. This kills exploration for me. Also, many of the other tasks that I enjoy doing (killing random villagers and stealing from merchants) are not available. Furthermore, some of the caves and dungeons are static and look the same. The variety of crypt and/or cavern exploring is just not as exciting as in the single player counterparts.

    My personal opinion is that these issues have not kept me from playing this game. I've enjoyed most of my experiences in this version of Tamriel and I look forward to ZeniMax fixing the bugs and stabilizing the game experience (i.e., hunting down the spammers/exploiters). If you like both Elder Scrolls and MMO's, then you will be doing yourself a disservice if you don't give this game a shot.    … Expand
  20. Vandral007
    Apr 7, 2014
    7
    ESO is a passable MMO which competently recreates the world of Tamriel. There is unfortunately very little here to distinguish this from it's competitors in this market, and while it does nothing wrong, it does nothing to make it stand out. The content is solid, but I very much doubt I will be renewing my subscription with this game, when I can play Guild Wars 2 with more content and noESO is a passable MMO which competently recreates the world of Tamriel. There is unfortunately very little here to distinguish this from it's competitors in this market, and while it does nothing wrong, it does nothing to make it stand out. The content is solid, but I very much doubt I will be renewing my subscription with this game, when I can play Guild Wars 2 with more content and no monthly charge.… Expand
  21. Ser_Riggers
    Apr 17, 2014
    7
    As a person who has been playing World of Warcraft since 2007 and hopping MMORPGs for a little longer, I can honestly say that Elder Scrolls Online is a breath of fresh air. That being said, there are areas that it definitely can improve on, the bulk of which are unpolished and bugged quests which block progression in certain areas. These bugs can definitely put you off the game entirely,As a person who has been playing World of Warcraft since 2007 and hopping MMORPGs for a little longer, I can honestly say that Elder Scrolls Online is a breath of fresh air. That being said, there are areas that it definitely can improve on, the bulk of which are unpolished and bugged quests which block progression in certain areas. These bugs can definitely put you off the game entirely, but if you can look past what Zenimax are working on fixing, the game is a definite look-at. The days of one-button-spam and win is over. This game is a genuine challenge, and as you level up the mobs become progressively harder and greater in number, and require more thought and tactic to overcome.

    The quests themselves are interesting and immersive, although clearly because it is an MMORPG not as many quests are as great and epic as they were in Oblivion and Skyrim, but this is to be expected as it was said early on that this game was a spin-off of the Elder Scrolls Universe, not a new game in the series. That being said, if you don't like this game, don't feel the need not to buy the next game (Elder Scrolls VI) because you were put off by this game.

    By far, my favourite part of this game is the crafting system. In WoW the only way to gain materials to make stuff and progress through a profession was to go out into the world and mine nodes or trade with players via them or the Auction House (which this game does not have, thank the Nine). This game has that too, but it allows you to "deconstruct" items, which in turn give you the materials, as well as levelling the profession at the same time. You may find your inventory chock-a-block full of items from quests and drops, and instead of selling these items to a vendor for a tiny profit, you can deconstruct them, and in turn, make better items for yourself and your friends.

    This game deserves a solid 7/10, and I've waited until I hit the max level to write this review, so that way I had a better grasp on the game than people that release a review two days after it's release. Zenimax needs to address the issues within the game, and if they do so, this game could very well be around for a long time.    … Expand
  22. xVinci
    Apr 5, 2014
    6
    Definitely worth trying out for yourself. No MMO was perfect on launch and a lot will depend on where Zenimax is going with this and what content will be delivered, but I for my part was immediately immersed and I hope that you will too, you will miss out on something if not :)
  23. jay6426
    Aug 31, 2016
    6
    Originally many negative reviews came from players who wanted another ES game and not a MMO. I was very excited at the start and played for a couple months, but the game failed to deliver the gameplay in quests, dungeons, pvp and exploring that other games have offered.
  24. Ipara
    May 2, 2014
    7
    First my background. Played WoW for almost 7 years, was involved in the Rift Beta, SWTOR, Tera, and currently involved in the Beta of Wildstar, I've always enjoyed the Elder Scrolls series, so what's not to like with ESO? Well, for me, it's quite a bit. Having been a part of several of the Beta weekends before launch I, as well as others, had several issues which were never reallyFirst my background. Played WoW for almost 7 years, was involved in the Rift Beta, SWTOR, Tera, and currently involved in the Beta of Wildstar, I've always enjoyed the Elder Scrolls series, so what's not to like with ESO? Well, for me, it's quite a bit. Having been a part of several of the Beta weekends before launch I, as well as others, had several issues which were never really addressed until after the game went live, but as of today, May 1st, there're still correcting issues that should have been corrected before launch. In fact some issues even got worse before release and the worse part is the developers never really listened to us Beta testers since the survey forms never changed and there was no forum to voice our opinion on what was going on. First of all the graphics are amazing, the voice acting is good. The way the quests are handled, etc. is just like playing a Elder Scrolls game, so it's real easy to jump in and start playing, however... Everything seems to be the same color palate. Armor, buildings, other people, all seem to be made up of the same color combinations, boring and lifeless. Combat, to me, is really badly done. As stated by others, you only get 5 combat options, and it seems everyone is a magic user. It doesn't matter if your a staff user or a warrior, everyone it seems has some sort of ranged attack. On the surface it may seem good, but it isn't! Combat is really bad in the game. The combat reminds me of WoW, but worse. Tera on the other hand has a great combat system, but has other issues. Fighting one on one is not a big deal, but when you face several bad guys at once you'd better be very good on your feet and have health potions or you'll die, and die ALL the time, even though they're at your level. Good luck killing that "boss" person to complete that chain quest. You get my point! There's no combo attack moves, even weapons don't seem to be much different from each other. I love challenges, but I find the combat system lacking. Quests are still being fixed, my favorite being a character who appears and talks to you in German... Crafting in the game is really boring. I feel the game has promise, but most people feel they "rushed" the game to market. I think if they spent another 6 months on the game it would be a lot better then it is currently. The flip side is Wildstar! The game doesn't release until June, but the game is rock solid at this point with very very few bugs of ANY sort.… Expand
  25. SchroederRock
    Apr 12, 2014
    6
    First, Bethesda Softworks DID NOT DEVELOP Elder Scrolls Online. ZeniMax Online Studios is credited but Metacritic has somehow missed this point (as of the writing of my review). ESO is merely a shadow of its truly brilliant predecessors. Instead of coming off as a cohesive MMORPG that features a vast and quality-driven universe set in Tamriel, Elder Scrolls Online ends up beingFirst, Bethesda Softworks DID NOT DEVELOP Elder Scrolls Online. ZeniMax Online Studios is credited but Metacritic has somehow missed this point (as of the writing of my review). ESO is merely a shadow of its truly brilliant predecessors. Instead of coming off as a cohesive MMORPG that features a vast and quality-driven universe set in Tamriel, Elder Scrolls Online ends up being disjointed and a bit dull. It's sad because I was obsessed with Skyrim and had hoped a better translation to MMO territory would have taken place. The combat system doesn't ever feel right due to the heavy reliance on precision for a game that makes it hard to be precise. The online experience also felt a bit unpolished, as if cooperative play was touted so much yet was treated as an afterthought to this game. Nothing feels organic and expertly crafted. Still, the sheer size and breadth of Tamriel and its history can help diehard fans of previous games swallow the numerous imperfections and perhaps eventually enjoy the experience. If only the final product had more in common with other high profile MMORPGs this might have been the biggest deal since World of Warcraft.… Expand
  26. Pronounce
    Jun 7, 2014
    5
    The positive user reviews, like the critic reviews, are those who initially play the game. The negative user reviews and the realistic critic reviews are those who dreamed that TESO was fantasy world based on TES that also allowed for good social interaction.

    Who hasn't played an TES game and then wanted to show off one's leet skills, toon, and environs? The dream of many for TESO was a    The positive user reviews, like the critic reviews, are those who initially play the game. The negative user reviews and the realistic critic reviews are those who dreamed that TESO was fantasy world based on TES that also allowed for good social interaction.

    Who hasn't played an TES game and then wanted to show off one's leet skills, toon, and environs? The dream of many for TESO was a way to bring a social experience to the RPG genre themed around a beloved game like TES.

    Bethesda asked for comments before crafting TESO and I said it would bomb, like the hundreds of MMOs before it. There were ways that Bethesda could have proved me wrong, and done something miraculous: Like build a social system that along the lines of Second Life; Where members of the society could have built TES themed estates and uber toons with glorious armor; Where PvE story lines, PvP play, and dungeons augmented one's status in the world.

    You see Facebook added games as an enhancement to give it a fun twist, because for introverts (think the average RPG fan) FB is a waste of time. Blizzard's Battle Net has always allowed for social interaction at the same time many people pay $15 a month to sit in chat epeening day in and day out.

    Back to TES. As a single player game my various toons have been so prosperous they could buy the emperorship. In Skyrim I could buy Whiterun, Soitude, or Markarth my one toon has so much gold. Other of my toons have been so notorious that if they walked into town the men would wet themselves and the women would cry. Earls would hire assassins to trying and take me out before I wiped out their guard houses.

    Beyond the game play the online community expected a system that was secure and polished. What they got was second rate and full of flaws. A good MMO should encourage an economy run by the users not the gold farmers. (I personally don't mind if online currency is tied to RL currency. People should be allowed to either work in RL to earn gold or work online to earn gold.) Since the crafting is touted by many users as the best they've experienced., then crafting should be a way diligent individuals earn gold and respect. Leet crafting skills should be made available to those who go above and beyond the crowd (i.e. boss drops for super rare patterns as in WoW).

    This is what the fans wanted? Not what they got. Anyone else hoping for a total remake of TESO with some of my ideas put into place?    … Expand
  27. F4KT0R
    Apr 15, 2014
    5
    Wir unterstützen weltweit mehrere Methoden. Spieler müssen The Elder Scrolls Online kaufen um es zu spielen. Für die ersten 30 Tagen nach Spielaktivierung werden sie "unbegrenzten Zugriff" haben und danach mit einem Abonnement von €12,99 pro Monat ($14,99 / £8,99) weiterspielen können

    unbegrenzten Zugriff Haha ich muss gleich weinen vor lachen...
  28. duveit
    Apr 10, 2014
    5
    Very nice visuals, sort of free to explore the world. Different classes doesn't feel all that different, not at lower level anyhow. The gameplay is sort of.., not engaging. Perhaps it will grow into something. But the lack of focus on endgame content like raids, leaves the whole affair undesired, at least from my point of view. If you want a truly *different* mmo, try out Secret WorldVery nice visuals, sort of free to explore the world. Different classes doesn't feel all that different, not at lower level anyhow. The gameplay is sort of.., not engaging. Perhaps it will grow into something. But the lack of focus on endgame content like raids, leaves the whole affair undesired, at least from my point of view. If you want a truly *different* mmo, try out Secret World rather. Unless you're one of the treehugging elf-lovers.… Expand
  29. defive
    Apr 18, 2014
    6
    A decent game marred by some truly terrible design decisions.

    ESO is fun, graphically gorgeous and rather engaging. Unfortunately terrible public dungeon design, poor loot mechanics, a non-existent economy and ZOSs seeming inability to deal with exploting and hacking take the shine off what would have been an otherwise outstanding MMO.
  30. JacobCleveland
    Apr 5, 2014
    5
    This game is a promising concept with a new interesting take on the popular Elder Scrolls franchise. However, the price of $15 a month really discourages me from playing.
  31. malbec
    Apr 4, 2014
    7
    Meh, it's okay. Much better than SWTOR, moderately worse than the original WoW. I'll be getting it to play in the down time when there's not some other, better game on my plate. The writing is decent, the voice acting is above average, the graphics are good, and the exploration is average for an MMO. I am curious to see what they do with item/questing balance, adjustments to PVP, groupMeh, it's okay. Much better than SWTOR, moderately worse than the original WoW. I'll be getting it to play in the down time when there's not some other, better game on my plate. The writing is decent, the voice acting is above average, the graphics are good, and the exploration is average for an MMO. I am curious to see what they do with item/questing balance, adjustments to PVP, group dungeons, and end-game. I'd recommend it to a friend, but only barely.… Expand
  32. Dracindo
    Apr 7, 2014
    5
    Excited to play, but the monthly fee... I'm totally cool that people should pay monthly for 100% access, but I bought the game for €50,00 and it will only give me 30 days of fun. Let me play the game and don't allow me to enjoy the updates and (most) of the new things or let play offline, I don't mind. When I play games, they end up in my drawers and every now and then I bring them outExcited to play, but the monthly fee... I'm totally cool that people should pay monthly for 100% access, but I bought the game for €50,00 and it will only give me 30 days of fun. Let me play the game and don't allow me to enjoy the updates and (most) of the new things or let play offline, I don't mind. When I play games, they end up in my drawers and every now and then I bring them out again and play for 3-5 hours. With the fee, those 3-5 hours will cost me €13,00, forcing me to play, even if I don't want to.
    Sorry TESO, but I'm going bring you back in hope of getting my money back. If not, I'll keep it. Who knows, maybe in a year or 2 they'll make it F2P with options to pay, or hopefully, someone crackes the system so others can play freely (Like all those Steve's in Minecraft)    … Expand
  33. JoeCool
    Apr 26, 2014
    6
    Forget all the 10/10 reviews from launch day, they're not just worthless, they're misleading. The game isn't a good Elder Scrolls game, and it's not a good MMO. It's more of an average MMO with an Elder Scrolls skin slapped onto it.
    There are still many, many bugs. Partying up is simply not recommended as it'll harm your own advancement in PvE. Questing grouped is horrible. Many things    Forget all the 10/10 reviews from launch day, they're not just worthless, they're misleading. The game isn't a good Elder Scrolls game, and it's not a good MMO. It's more of an average MMO with an Elder Scrolls skin slapped onto it.
    There are still many, many bugs. Partying up is simply not recommended as it'll harm your own advancement in PvE. Questing grouped is horrible. Many things that have become standard for an MMO are just not there. PvP is reasonably good, it's just a bit pointless.
    It's just not worth the money, let alone a sub.    … Expand
  34. MaxxPanada
    Apr 18, 2014
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Among the several MMORPG's I have payed over the years, this title brings the excitement of the Elder Scrolls series and the online world, together for the first time.

    Yes, the game costs $60. Yes, there is a monthly subscription of $15, which is preauthorized and a requirement before you can even play the game - this makes gaming a lot more difficult for users who may prefer alternative payment options - e.g. time allowance cards.

    The overall beta and current game play has not changed significantly, however, they did enable NPC collisions which made the overall world seem more realistic. Previously, NPCs or even players were easily just transparent beings that you spawn inside of when walking into a room / building or during a quest. Leaving the prison in the first part of the same was constantly filled with myself having to decline conversation with the assisting NPC because she would attack other NPCs through my character - madding!

    Graphically this game has doesn't compare to ES: Skyrim. NPCs are very generic character models that are sloppy and poorly executed, which takes away from the once enthralling game play experience. Unlike previous games, I would rather skip the interactions than to let them play out.

    The leveling system is very plain and unrefined, though it was designed to allow a user ultimate freedom when they choose their builds, the entire process proves to be one of the weaker aspects of game play. Using a Daggerfall character, fighting seemed too simplistic against bosses, but then incredibly hard against normal NPC's. I could easily spam a chain ability and using a few key presses I would defeat anyone I fought... not really too entertaining.

    There are a fair amount of bugs and broken quests as you level higher it becomes a common occurrence. Biggest annoyance comes from the latency connected to the megaserver technology, which was introduced for this game. Ideally, you would easily be able to play with your friends no matter their location as long as you are within the same faction. The megasever conceptually seems great, however, there is issues when a player tries to saving items to the bank - once they have disappeared, customer service reps seem clueless about how to restore your items....

    Minor issues aside, this game has a fair potential; but, is utterly boring and filled with useless pets running behind owners. Running around to put out fires and seemingly instant luck when checking crates and other items for questing materials (i.e. Was told to check for rotting meat around the docks. First box I selected, there it was...) are boring tasks that feel no different than the quest I had before it, therefore, the lasting appeal is very limited for the casual gamer. Other times disguises that were attached completely left my inventory and required myself to try and acquire new a replacement disguise to stop ragging NPCs during some missions. This takes away from game play and just seemed flawed, since the game explains that your character will just remove the disguise when attacking, not that you will lose it as well.

    The PVP area is a nice addition to the forgettable story line and allows for a King of the Hill style game play atmosphere with guilds constantly fighting for power. I found this experience a lot more rewarding the the PVE game play - only if there were not hordes of people spamming the push-up commands and making human centipede remakes...

    Set 1000 years behind the story of Skyrim, the lore is all inclusive and generally does not have too many missing cities or historical gaps.

    In the end it is just an average game, with the same questing as before but now it is communal. 6 rating.    … Expand
  35. Darkhearts
    Mar 27, 2015
    7
    It would be a 5 or 6 if wasn't buy to play now. They have made a lot of changes since beta/launch so I'd give it a try for the $40-60 you can find the game for. If anything wait for a steam sale!
  36. Lexx2015
    Mar 16, 2015
    7
    This game requires a high end graphics card and processor. If you like PvP, it's as good as it gets, but be prepared for groups that exploit game mechanics to create lag. This makes for "lag battles" that are won by the group that spams the greatest amount of lag creating skills. This is a regular event on the most populated pvp "campaign," but can be avoided by staying away from the lagThis game requires a high end graphics card and processor. If you like PvP, it's as good as it gets, but be prepared for groups that exploit game mechanics to create lag. This makes for "lag battles" that are won by the group that spams the greatest amount of lag creating skills. This is a regular event on the most populated pvp "campaign," but can be avoided by staying away from the lag groups. There are smaller campaigns, but the times of day that they are active are limited (few US AM and late night players).

    For PvE, it's the best graphics of any MMORPG, but the progression is extremely linear, and the end game content limited. Overall, I'd say it's a great game, but the lag in PvP and linear questing leave much to be desired. I also hate the world of Tamriel.    … Expand
  37. archonome
    Sep 14, 2014
    6
    I really wished this game was going to be good and it had the potential...

    Positives: - The LORE is the best - The graphics are stunning, immersive - The PVE's lore makes the questing less boring -Crafting is really well done in this game! - The world is perfectly designed, extremely extremely addicting/enjoyable. Negatives: -Can't PvP without paying another 15$ for    I really wished this game was going to be good and it had the potential...

    Positives: - The LORE is the best
    - The graphics are stunning, immersive
    - The PVE's lore makes the questing less boring

    -Crafting is really well done in this game!
    - The world is perfectly designed, extremely extremely addicting/enjoyable.

    Negatives:

    -Can't PvP without paying another 15$ for horse... but your already paying 15$/month sub fee

    -PvP map is too big, there are no choke points. This makes people afraid of leaving the zerg in fear of "not finding any action" because the map is too damn big!! It ends up being another Zergfest PvP with massive AOE, Stuns, etc

    Sorry running for 15 minutes to find myself following a zerg like GW2 is boring... what's the point of capturing keeps... it's NOT fun. After you've done this 100 times, it's exactly the same as PLANETSIDE.    … Expand
  38. HeavyFalcon
    Jun 29, 2015
    6
    I'm writing this review pretty late in the game, but I am glad I waited. (sort of) Debated on getting this for the PC or PS4. I regret getting it for the PC due to the patches. I will cover more of that later. Besides the lore, the combat of this game is it's main appeal. I have played multiple MMOs and consider myself a casual player. I was tired of the clicking and watching...andI'm writing this review pretty late in the game, but I am glad I waited. (sort of) Debated on getting this for the PC or PS4. I regret getting it for the PC due to the patches. I will cover more of that later. Besides the lore, the combat of this game is it's main appeal. I have played multiple MMOs and consider myself a casual player. I was tired of the clicking and watching...and watching... mechanic so many MMOs choose to have. ESO is great because it requires active attention and skill in order to defeat certain enemies. Fighting sequences do not just involve pressing skills in specific orders to dish out damage or buff yourself. Timing attacks, dodges, and skills make every battle more fulfilling in the end. This is what drew me into ESO. Also, the fact that there is no longer a subscription.

    The quests are varied. Many involve being a large carrier pigeon. Others involve battling a boss at the end of a long dungeon. Although some are not that engaging, I find there are enough to keep me interested. However, if I were someone who plays MMOs on a more regular basis, I would see how the quests lack creativity. ESO takes the easy route and does not try to experiment with quest progression. Whether you are level 3 or 30, expect gathering quests.

    Similar to the quests, the world is a mixed bag. There are times when I am absolutely intrigued by a town or dungeon I have entered. Many locations have stories of their own. However, those stories are rather varied. Some areas are riddled with clues incorporating the story behind the location. Wandering the area provides more detail into what happened or is currently happing. On the other hand, some places have linear quests which outright tell you what is going on. Wandering can be a waste of time if all you find is flour and rice in a basket. It is as if some area designers were just more into their job than others. The one's who created intricate dungeons which skillfully weave a story together know the importance of explorations. Those who laid out a storyline outright with little more than a brief explanation probably just said "Eh. That's good enough".

    Most importantly, the main problem of this game is the need for greed. I have spent an equivalent amount of time patching this game as I have playing it. Every week there is an extensive patch that takes hours to download. My download speeds average to about 35-40 Mbps and I am still forced to skip a day playing to patch. This would not be an issue if the patches involved actual content. I am fine with waiting for new content. However, they only incorporate new in game purchase items. It is absurd to have such extensive patches for a new mount and pet.

    It seems ESO is trying to compensate for its new free to play (with purchase) system. This game would be far better if it was not hindered by the unnecessary updates. ESO is lucky the console version did so well.    … Expand
  39. zakoH
    Apr 27, 2020
    5
    Куча невидимых стен и постоянные ошибки на сервере 3 раза за месяц это перебор.А решать эти проблемы не торопятся
  40. Cineck
    Apr 16, 2014
    5
    I am giving ESO a 5 out of 10 because it has a potential. The crafting for once is a useful thing, I wish it was in more MMOs, the storyline is great and the quests are interesting. The problem with it is the clunky interface, horrible animations and sadly just terrible gameplay. I wish I spent the money on Wildstar instead, it's in beta but it's so much better.
  41. EndiHaxhi
    Apr 26, 2014
    5
    i must say, my first elder scrolls game was skyrim. i played it, liked it and then teso came out. when i heared it had a monthly fee, i thought: this guys had a success with sp only games, every one of them. heck, skyrim is the only game that is sp only that is played more then 50000 players everyday, which is bizzare. but bethesa is becoming money hungry. they want money and they want toi must say, my first elder scrolls game was skyrim. i played it, liked it and then teso came out. when i heared it had a monthly fee, i thought: this guys had a success with sp only games, every one of them. heck, skyrim is the only game that is sp only that is played more then 50000 players everyday, which is bizzare. but bethesa is becoming money hungry. they want money and they want to get it just like ea and activi$ion does. if the fee keeps running, i wont even bother with the new elder scrolls game. they let me down this time.… Expand
  42. eriksrevenge
    Apr 16, 2014
    5
    Pretty-ok single player experience with a ton of bugs. The quests are by far the most interesting of all theme-parks. Crafting is fun, armor and weapons look boring, inventory and bank space is a headache. The community is ok. The UI and chat are both awful, but there are mods out and mods to come. There is no auction, which can be good or bad depending on the player; but this is myPretty-ok single player experience with a ton of bugs. The quests are by far the most interesting of all theme-parks. Crafting is fun, armor and weapons look boring, inventory and bank space is a headache. The community is ok. The UI and chat are both awful, but there are mods out and mods to come. There is no auction, which can be good or bad depending on the player; but this is my review and in my opinion, it sucks. Quests involve you running around killing people/monsters, clicking on things, watching brief events unfold, then returning to the NPC; and usually climax with you entering a cave or a dungeon. When you enter the dungeon or cave(quest or solo dungeon), everyone else in the world is also entering, so when you get to the boss at the end, you're likely to find him dead with 30 people waiting for him to re-spawn. Grouping is horrible, everything is phased; you must be in the same part of the quest progression as everyone else, people get separated, bugged-out, yada yada yada. The quest lines can reward you with skill-points which I actually think sucks (more on that below). There are also collectible skyshards that give you skill points located on every map (which I think is awesome). The group dungeons are fun, but the veteran dungeons are really where it's at. The adventure zone is not out yet, so I cannot comment on the trials, but the 12 man will probably make the game a bit better. Cyrodiil is easily the best part about the game, but they nerfed the XP, and like I said above, quests give you skill-points, so leveling in Cyrodiil is just not in the cards. This is my biggest gripe about the game and ultimately why I won't play it until it's changed. The quests are cool but when they become the only way to level (and gain additional skillpoints), they become extremely boring and feel repetitive. Some TESO honeymooners will argue that they don't become boring or repetitive, because the lore is good; but this is my review, and I say it becomes boring and repetitive. The other good part about the game are the classes. You can mix and match and level different crafting/guilds/armor to obtain different spells/attacks, and bonuses. Overall it is a pretty good game, with a terrible grouping mechanism, and super lame forced questing. What can I say? If you're a PvP person, this game would've been for you if they hadn't nerfed the xp.… Expand
  43. NikolayG
    Jun 10, 2015
    7
    ESO has gone 'free to play' which of course doesn't mean it's free. It means that rather than having a monthly payment, you pay to purchase items to make playing more reasonable when you decide to do so. This in turn compromises the competitive nature of the game. Rather than increasing skills and abilities in comparison to other players, by pracitising those skills in the game, someESO has gone 'free to play' which of course doesn't mean it's free. It means that rather than having a monthly payment, you pay to purchase items to make playing more reasonable when you decide to do so. This in turn compromises the competitive nature of the game. Rather than increasing skills and abilities in comparison to other players, by pracitising those skills in the game, some things can simply be bought with real money, stamina, a nice horse, etc. with literal cash you use to buy these things - not in game cash you earn by playing the game. For me this reduces ESO significantly. Though it is still enjoyable and open world, another Skyrim but with a larger world.

    I have never understood why 'free to play' or as it is more accurately called 'free to pay' is so popular. A subscription based game enables a true even playing field whereas allowing people to buy elements that affect gameplay compromises the core of what makes an RPG enjoyable.    … Expand
  44. Netchy
    Apr 26, 2014
    6
    Can't even log into the game because it takes 30 minutes to log in. Quests bugs everywhere.

    There are some issues and bugs with the game that have been around since the beta or since the early days of the games release which still haven't been fixed.

    Do not buy or wait for the game to go F2P.
  45. willERROR343
    Apr 9, 2014
    6
    The game is an excellent MMORPG. It has all the features and easy control. But comparing it to an Elder Scrolls game, it sucks. The two elements don't mix well. Also, the business model is very bad. 60 dollars plus, 15 dollars per month. Nope. Not good.
  46. jimredtalon
    Apr 24, 2014
    5
    It's an okay single player RPG one moment, then an okay MMO the next. Which all in all makes for a mediocre game. For a title boasting the name of elder scrolls, a franchise known for setting the pace in the RPG genre, this one falls short of its predecessors, both in elder scrolls, and in MMO's.
  47. Assassin8813
    Mar 26, 2015
    7
    My old review in September 2014 gave this a 6/10 because making money was very hard and playing with friends was harder. However, the came has come a long way and I feel that I need to update the review. I give it a 7/10 now because the money making and friend playing is still more difficult than it needs to be, but with them dropping the subscription fee as well as fixing many of theMy old review in September 2014 gave this a 6/10 because making money was very hard and playing with friends was harder. However, the came has come a long way and I feel that I need to update the review. I give it a 7/10 now because the money making and friend playing is still more difficult than it needs to be, but with them dropping the subscription fee as well as fixing many of the issues at launch, it is definitely a fun game to play with your friends and worthy of your time.… Expand
  48. Xanatar
    Jul 7, 2014
    7
    First things first - I would give this game a 9 if there weren't some issues that could have been easily avoided. In short: Don't play ESO if you expect what in our days counts as typical mmo. So if you are the progress player type that grinds up his character as quickly as possible to the "endgame" and then expects to have fun in Raids and instanced pvp battlefields, this is not the gameFirst things first - I would give this game a 9 if there weren't some issues that could have been easily avoided. In short: Don't play ESO if you expect what in our days counts as typical mmo. So if you are the progress player type that grinds up his character as quickly as possible to the "endgame" and then expects to have fun in Raids and instanced pvp battlefields, this is not the game for you. Like "The Secret World" this is a game you actually should play like an RPG. If you expect a Skyrim, don't play it as well - It is NOT Skyrim.

    Negative:
    - The day 1 bot invasion, cheating and hacking, a nearly crashed economy, goldsellers and massive abuse of game systems - though to be honest they seem to get some of these problems solved.
    - Whoever designed this inventory - clutter - collection - nightmare which forces me to cycle through an inventory management tour every 10 minutes of gameplay should be forced to play it himself for a week - as it would seem he hasn't really played it for even 10 minutes. YES it is cool to find something in every drawer - NO it is not cool to have garbage like "foul hide" in x levels taking away an inventory slot each! And why for gods sake do glyphs not stack? And every other game has started to put useless trophies and stuff in seperate inventories... but no ... and so on, and so forth, in short, the inventory is a nightmare.
    - The lag - Yessss, I clearly avoided the red circle on the ground. oops, no I still was hit because of... LAG! Combat can become annoying at some point, you really have to "plan" blocking etc., any last second tries will probably end in the lag ignoring your effort. How they expect this system to work with console player wh
    - The game does not provide a MMO experience as you would expect an MMO
    - Not sure I like the endgame - there does not seem to be really so much to do apart from getting to veteran rank 12 and level all the crafting and stuff.
    - UI - you have to get some mods which help you read the battle or you will miss whats going on...
    - Crappy UI for features like guild auction house etc.

    Positive:
    - Although a lot of my predecessor writers have complained about the shallowness of the story and the NOT being Skyrim, I think they actually did a very solid job. Yes it is an MMO and some quests follow too much the classic mmo scheme (bring me 5 rat tails). But even then it never started to feel grindy like in SwTor, Tera or Wildstar. And some quest chains really shine, especially with really changing the world afterwards. Big plus is the complete synchro, with sometimes ironic to funny comments and dialogs.
    - The world is exceptionally well designed for an mmo. You find interesting hidden camps, chests and lore everywhere in the world. Environment feels very "natural" and "organic". Not just 10 pigs and 5 wolves running in always the same random paths around poorly placed trees and rocks. Yes it is not Skyrim or witcher, but I guess you have to make some compromises when designing an MMO.
    - Dungeons - if you actually find a group (tank and healer problem... again...) then all the instances I visitied were actually quite exciting.
    - Main Storyline, Mage guild and fighters guild story lines are solid, though a bit too linear.
    - Characters look ok, though sadly you see it was done with the HERO engine... Considering what other MMOs plan for character generation (have you seen black desert character gen... anyone?) this is just average.
    - Crafting has some interesting new ideas, though it has problems with the poorly designed inventory system
    - Combat is very interesting, though not as well done and as flexible as the real action combat of Tera. Still, with only 5+1 (x2) Skills, the combat certainly is above average.
    - The single player experience is well done, on the negative side group play is not much encouraged, making this somewhat flawed for an massive MULTIPLAYER online experience.
    - Where the quests are focused on single player, the RvsR system is certainly focused on massive multiplayer battles. Meaning if you don't want to do PvP in large groups, you better don't do PvP at all.

    Fazit:
    ESO certainly has potential - I really liked the clean view I can experience in this game, first time I haven't tons of different information bars and windows cluttering my view of the actual game. The world is wonderfully designed and a lot of effort was put into quests and atmossphere of the RPG part of the game. I am not sure this game will work on the long run though, especially as a subscription title. Too many flaws, too many bugs, not enough thoughts put into a clear vision of the endgame and a flawed multiplayer experience are the major points which will have to be addressed before this game can be successful in the long run.    … Expand
  49. Arcaroxx
    Jul 18, 2014
    5
    Ohhhhhh boy. ESO. What to say about this game...First of all, the amount of money you have to pay to play this game is simply out of this world. The gameplay the game provides you with doesn't justify the heavy costs. For the rest, well, its all meh...PvP has potential, but you often end up alone, bugged out or on foot. Oh and PvP without a horse is unplayable... The PvE is good oldOhhhhhh boy. ESO. What to say about this game...First of all, the amount of money you have to pay to play this game is simply out of this world. The gameplay the game provides you with doesn't justify the heavy costs. For the rest, well, its all meh...PvP has potential, but you often end up alone, bugged out or on foot. Oh and PvP without a horse is unplayable... The PvE is good old classic Elder Scrolls PvE, which is good. The problem is that you don't get the ONLINE feel in PvE... The game doesn't really favorise the Online PvE neither. Honestly, as a Skyrim player, this game is a huge letdown. If you want to discover the Elder Scrolls franchise, get Skyrim. This game isn't worth it.… Expand
  50. DegenCutter
    Jun 17, 2015
    7
    I wasn't really sure what to expect with ESO at launch. I enjoyed Skyrim but I wasn't a huge Elder Scrolls fan as I tend to prefer games that focus on storytelling over open world play. I'm also not generally a huge fan of MMOs although I've played and enjoyed some. Still, much of the game looked fun and I went in with an open mind. What I found was a mostly enjoyable if flawed experience.I wasn't really sure what to expect with ESO at launch. I enjoyed Skyrim but I wasn't a huge Elder Scrolls fan as I tend to prefer games that focus on storytelling over open world play. I'm also not generally a huge fan of MMOs although I've played and enjoyed some. Still, much of the game looked fun and I went in with an open mind. What I found was a mostly enjoyable if flawed experience. I loved the character creation and the way that character development worked in the game. I played through the Ebonheart pact plotline with a Nightblade character and enjoyed the experience.I found the story shallow in comparison to an MMO like Star Wars the Old Republic but significantly better than something like Guild Wars 2 which absolutely failed at storytelling in my opinion. What ultimately prevented me from staying with the game was the grind of acquiring Veteran Ranks after level 60, which just proved interminable for me. I have heard that the grind of that has been lessened, and perhaps some day I'll go back to check it out now that the game is free to play.… Expand
  51. Rudal
    May 30, 2016
    7
    Very good game for the first play through.
    Looks amazing, game play is at good level, story is engaging and good sound design.
    But as soon as you finish main story you are pushed to do the same thing again for another faction and you are separated from players of opposite factions.
    PvP is only allowed in designated areas.
  52. zyntor
    Mar 19, 2015
    7
    This was a fun game for me till I hit level cap. But after that, the PVP was hard to find. I would spend days trying to find someone to kill, and it was rare to get into a fun siege group. I quit the game out of boredom for that reason. It was very fun leveling and questing.. but the end game mechanics weren't working for me. I play video games for my personal entertainment... not toThis was a fun game for me till I hit level cap. But after that, the PVP was hard to find. I would spend days trying to find someone to kill, and it was rare to get into a fun siege group. I quit the game out of boredom for that reason. It was very fun leveling and questing.. but the end game mechanics weren't working for me. I play video games for my personal entertainment... not to wait days for something to do. Too bad the PVP didn't work... because it was fun for a bit… Expand
  53. asdfasdf12456
    Apr 12, 2023
    6
    The combat is too dull. The skill system is too simple, only some handful skills that is usuable. To kill a monster, just keep spamming the same skills over and over again. This makes the combat aged fast. It only lasts for 2 hours long of actual fun, then I have to repeat the same way to kill something because there's not enough skill diversity in the game.

    Feeling bored after playing    The combat is too dull. The skill system is too simple, only some handful skills that is usuable. To kill a monster, just keep spamming the same skills over and over again. This makes the combat aged fast. It only lasts for 2 hours long of actual fun, then I have to repeat the same way to kill something because there's not enough skill diversity in the game.

    Feeling bored after playing it for few hours because what I can do in the game is that doing some fetch quests and get the xp to level up. Killing monster gives me nothing useful, the xp is also neglectable when I am at a higher level. The item drop on the boss is laughable for getting all white and green items in a 15 minutes boss fight. Suprisingly the xp from the boss is also the same as I kill some weaker monsters.

    When I level up, I just don't understand why the attribute point can only increase the base stat instead of increasing the attack power, attack speed and such. There's so much potential content in the game, but everything seems so shallow without any depth to attract me to keep playing.    … Expand
  54. LounaCassair
    Feb 2, 2020
    7
    I've played this game since 2015 and enjoyed dozends of hours playing it. When i was new, i liked the fact that you could do this as a single player, focus on the stories and avoid other players. Later I came to enjoy the group content, the then "new" pvp battlegrounds and so on.
    So actually I'd say this is a game for almost everyone or at least it used to be.
    But and now comes the big    I've played this game since 2015 and enjoyed dozends of hours playing it. When i was new, i liked the fact that you could do this as a single player, focus on the stories and avoid other players. Later I came to enjoy the group content, the then "new" pvp battlegrounds and so on.
    So actually I'd say this is a game for almost everyone or at least it used to be.

    But and now comes the big but.: the longer you play the more bugs you will notice, bugs that block progress, make group content sometimes impossible to complete. And by now unfortunately in stead of focusing on fixing those issues and helping their current player base, Zenimax and Bethesda flood us with more DLCs bugged from day 1 and ridiculous micro-transactions, aiming for more players but without taking care of the ones actually playing the game. Or they come up with "class balancing" - ideas that do everything to simply move the "problems" of so called "OP classes" to other classes and races. In 2019 they changed abilities, races, passives, so often it was barely worth it to react to the changes, knowing in 3 weeks time they would have come up with more.... (Which gave me the final reason to stop playing and take a prolonged break from ESO)

    And then there is the lack of depth in their storytelling (honestly, every "decision" you can make will have exactly no impact on the world (which I can understand if you run a massive MMORPG but then again... I am still frustrated if i am offered a "choice" for example:
    *******SPOILER********
    In one quest you are given the option to "sacrifice" one of the main characters of a particular story arc: Razum-Dar . However, if you save him, well surprise: he lives, if you leave him in the collapsing cave, after a dramatic "leave me _ go on without me"- scene, he manages to escape on his own.

    This game simply offers you constantly 2 ways to achieve exatcly the same, which is kind of sad in my opinion.

    All in all, it is an ok game, which has suffered from a ton of bad dicisions lately. I can only hope for the best in 2020. However, if you are an easy-going, single player- person, you will most likely not notice any of those issues.    … Expand
  55. SgAkErRu
    Aug 13, 2021
    6
    Ну короче ММОРПГ. Гринд и квесты. Квестов много, большинство из них какой-то шлак. Гринд вроде не ядерный, но это я наверное просто недалеко со стартовых лок ушел. В принципе игра ничетак, но как-то не цепляет. Нудно как-то. Пвп не чекал. Пинг бесит, мобы дохнут с задержкой. Локаций много, но как они там заселены - не знаю. В общем, брать или нет решайте сами, на любителя.Ну короче ММОРПГ. Гринд и квесты. Квестов много, большинство из них какой-то шлак. Гринд вроде не ядерный, но это я наверное просто недалеко со стартовых лок ушел. В принципе игра ничетак, но как-то не цепляет. Нудно как-то. Пвп не чекал. Пинг бесит, мобы дохнут с задержкой. Локаций много, но как они там заселены - не знаю. В общем, брать или нет решайте сами, на любителя.
  56. Vitalick
    Sep 2, 2022
    6
    La entrada de la franquicia a los mmorpg no fue la mejor pero empezó a sentar las bases de lo que hoy es uno e los mejores del mercado
  57. GreenPufferFish
    Jan 12, 2021
    7
    not as good as skyrim but still a fun game to play its also quite cheap could play for a while withot getting bored
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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.
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