The Elder Scrolls Online

 PC
User Score
5.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 2703 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,210 out of 2703
  2. Mixed: 447 out of 2703
  3. Negative: 1,046 out of 2703
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  1. salamalajk
    Dec 29, 2014
    10
    Best MMORPG ever created. I understand some reviews at launch, however Elder Scrolls Online was never a bad game to begin with. It's launch was one of the smoothest ever, when you look at Warlords of Draenor and their struggles for 2 weeks, ESO launched in a perfect state. Also not to mention WoD is just a "small" expansion and not a full game like ESO.

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

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

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

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

    If you just came out of kindergarten though, then I recommend WoW.    … Expand
  2. bugnguts
    Apr 5, 2014
    10
    First I will get two important points out of the way.
    1. ESO is an MMO. This means if you don't like MMOs you will likely not like this game. If your haven't tried MMOs but are fans of the ES universe then you just might like it.
    2. Pay model is monthly subscription. You may or may not like it but rating a game up or down several points based on this alone is ridiculous. Rating    First I will get two important points out of the way.
    1. ESO is an MMO. This means if you don't like MMOs you will likely not like this game. If your haven't tried MMOs but are fans of the ES universe then you just might like it.
    2. Pay model is monthly subscription. You may or may not like it but rating a game up or down several points based on this alone is ridiculous.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    I rank ESO at a 9.4. Overall its an excellent game. It used to be Metacritic was a great place to see gamers opinions. Now too many axe grinding trolls found the site and flippantly give a 0 with little to no reasoning why. That leaves users users that actually care the choice to rank the game higher to offset the trolls or give what they honestly feel is a reasonable score.    … Expand
  3. game_over
    Jan 31, 2019
    8
    Poor inventory management, bad pings unless you happen to be close to their _one_ server location in the US, slow zoning, crates(gambling), slow loads (even with an SSD), and sometimes unforgiving group play.

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

    v.s.

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

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

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

    If you are a subscriber the inventory management hell is somewhat mitigated.    … Expand
  4. Enigma_Syrus
    Apr 4, 2014
    8
    I've played Daggerfall, Redguard, Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim. Elder Scrolls Online bears little in common with them aside from art and lore. With that said, it is still a unique game in its own right. I've seen people claim the leveling system is similar to other games, but it does allow a good amount of customization at the cost of grinding. It is very unlikely you'll find twoI've played Daggerfall, Redguard, Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim. Elder Scrolls Online bears little in common with them aside from art and lore. With that said, it is still a unique game in its own right. I've seen people claim the leveling system is similar to other games, but it does allow a good amount of customization at the cost of grinding. It is very unlikely you'll find two characters with the same build unless they're running a cookie cutter spec from a forum post. Quests are usually close together and generally have a story tied to them. Sure, there are fetch quests, etc. but there the story sets it apart from the elephant in the room (WoW). The quest/story concept has more in common SWTOR.

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

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

    ESO is a good game, but know what you're getting into. Don't believe the hype and safely ignore the whiny "it isn't what I wanted" group. Taken as its own game, it is an above average MMO and will consume a good deal of your time. Even if you don't plan on sticking around, it will hold you over until another game comes along. I don't believe the subscription model is obsolete, I believe commitment to a specific game is.    … Expand
  5. Musta
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    If you are going to play this like an MMO, you may not enjoy it. There is not a huge hotbar, the combat takes actual skill, there's no grinding, classes aren't that dedicated to a certain role etc. If you want an in-depth review, this is it. I've played about 50-60 hours in the game and am level 24 right now.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    If you are tired of the run-of-the-mill MMOs and are ready for a revolution in MMO games, this is the game. Elder Scrolls Online is the change the industry needed. I recently hit max level in WoW... again, and I realized that even at Endgame, it just was not fun at all. The journey to endgame is worse than the endgame. But ESO, it's actually a fun journey. It's basically an Elder Scrolls game (Specifically Skyrim), but online. I've played around 60 MMOs, and I have played nothing like this. It is truly worth the subscription fee and base price.    … Expand
  6. SamuelJJ
    Apr 16, 2014
    8
    I've been playing this game now since the launch date and it's an incredible experience, the amount of content involved in this game is phenomenal. However, the game does have its downfalls but they are minor, specially considering how bad people review this game. The game is being slated for such stupid reasons, therefore I am writing this review.
    Bad stuff first:
    Price you pay.. they    I've been playing this game now since the launch date and it's an incredible experience, the amount of content involved in this game is phenomenal. However, the game does have its downfalls but they are minor, specially considering how bad people review this game. The game is being slated for such stupid reasons, therefore I am writing this review.
    Bad stuff first:
    Price you pay.. they could at least make the game itself £30 or F2P after purchasing. Generally I do not like spending more than £20 for a game, though I made Elder Scrolls an accept ion and was pretty surprised. Yeah, it's good fun; but you should not buy this game if you're going in for "a new WoW MMO". You will be disappointed.
    I personally prefer playing this game alone and questing. The multiplayer is somewhat irrelevant, boring and frustrating at times, specially when players are doing the quests you are playing.

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

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

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

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

    I haven't reached max level yet so my opinion may change when I hit end game but I like what I've been playing during the past week (in early access through launch). Btw, smoothest launch of a major MMO ever?    … Expand
  11. anMMOplayer
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    The Good:

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

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

    The not so good:

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

    The Meh:

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

    I've been waiting for an Elder Scrolls game for a very long time and I am not dissapointed.
  13. RecoveryRx
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    Easily the best mmo I've played in many a year and definitely the most immersive one I've ever played period. Would give this game a 9 but I'm knocking off a point for somewhat questionable business practices in the fact that they locked a race behind the collector's edition and have a cash shop like a f2p game when they said they wouldn't do that.

    Game itself though - incredible.
  14. cooper76
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    Special game here. ESO has the best combat the genre has seen, and pvp the genre has not seen on a AAA level in many many years. There are so many things from Lore books to ruins the need discovery. Real exploration here, not the mark on the map garbage.
  15. Raidriar
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    The Elder Scrolls Online is a Fantastic game. The game is very immersive with a great world to enjoy. The game feels like a great hybrid between single player RPG's and MMORPG's. If you're a hardcore Elder Scrolls fan you may not like some of the compromises that were made in order to make the game an MMO, but by an large it doesn't in any way pull the game down. The game gives a greatThe Elder Scrolls Online is a Fantastic game. The game is very immersive with a great world to enjoy. The game feels like a great hybrid between single player RPG's and MMORPG's. If you're a hardcore Elder Scrolls fan you may not like some of the compromises that were made in order to make the game an MMO, but by an large it doesn't in any way pull the game down. The game gives a great sense of character progression that very much feels like you would be playing a single player game. Although it doesn't do to much to innovate the mmo genre it doesn't feel generic. So if you're tire of the same old Warcraft style MMO's, ESO may feel a bit more fresh. The main selling point of this game though is it's absolutely fantastic PvP.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    IMO one of the best MMO's in the last 10 years. Quests are fun, exploring is entertaining, and the story is great. Finally, PVP is all you could ask for in an MMO. I highly recommend this title.
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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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