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. Doombeldore
    Apr 7, 2014
    8
    I didn't come into this game expecting the sun the moon and the stars as I am an adult unlike some of the kids on here. ESO is far better than any of the recent mmo's I have played from day zero. Everyone easily forgets how unpolished and terrible the majority of mmo's are upon release. This game is the first game I have played in about 3 years where I couldn't put it down. True it needsI didn't come into this game expecting the sun the moon and the stars as I am an adult unlike some of the kids on here. ESO is far better than any of the recent mmo's I have played from day zero. Everyone easily forgets how unpolished and terrible the majority of mmo's are upon release. This game is the first game I have played in about 3 years where I couldn't put it down. True it needs more work and I am positive it will get more work but don't be put off my the negative nancies. This is fun and that's all there is too it...… Expand
  2. Dragonborne_777
    Apr 11, 2014
    9
    First off all I am an Elder Scrolls lore junkie and huge fan. I have played The Elder Scrolls Arena when is was first released and all subsequent titles thereafter, (Daggerfall, Morrowind, Redguard, Battlespire, Oblivion, Skyrim as well as the mobile games). Eso is not a perfect game but it is a good game. Most other positive reviews have covered the good points about the game so I won'tFirst off all I am an Elder Scrolls lore junkie and huge fan. I have played The Elder Scrolls Arena when is was first released and all subsequent titles thereafter, (Daggerfall, Morrowind, Redguard, Battlespire, Oblivion, Skyrim as well as the mobile games). Eso is not a perfect game but it is a good game. Most other positive reviews have covered the good points about the game so I won't go into detail about what I like.The only bad think I can think of is the quest phasing. If you and your said friend are not at the same phase in the main story and you are having trouble completing a storyline step, A.K.A boss mob, your friend cannot join your instance to help you with said boss. The only way said friend can help you is if he is on the same phase as you. This is my only complaint about the game and in my opinion needs to be fixed. All in all I understood this was an MMO and not a single player Elder Scrolls game. I understood some sacrifices had to be made regarding the game. Eso, is one of the better MMO's I have played since Vanilla WoW and I have had a lot of fun playing it so far. It is worth the buy. And yes I have played onter mmos such as Ultima Online, Everquest, Rift, Vanguard, Everquest 2 , World Of Warcraft, DOC, etc.… Expand
  3. Wyrmdale
    Apr 11, 2014
    10
    This game provides what true MMO-players were waiting for years. Where Age of Conan or Star Wars the Old Republic came close - Zenimax learned the lesson of their failures. Playing since headstart this is the best experience I've had in any MMO for years. Well done, Zenimax - keep rollin'.
  4. Acabar
    May 1, 2014
    9
    The game has had a pretty solid launch, especially in comparison to other MMO launches out there. I'll break things down into the game's look and the game's feel.

    LOOK: The game is very pretty and well optimized in my experienced. I've played this game using a dated graphics card (GeForce GTS 440) and a new card (GeForce GTX 760). The 460 ran the game pretty well on medium to medium    The game has had a pretty solid launch, especially in comparison to other MMO launches out there. I'll break things down into the game's look and the game's feel.

    LOOK:
    The game is very pretty and well optimized in my experienced. I've played this game using a dated graphics card (GeForce GTS 440) and a new card (GeForce GTX 760). The 460 ran the game pretty well on medium to medium high settings with some tweaks here and there. The 760 runs it pretty much at max with hardly any FPS issues.

    PvP also seems to be very well optimized from a look/performance aspect. I've spent a few hours in Cyrodil and find that even at higher settings, the FPS stays pretty stable with a a lot going on.

    Animations are good for the most part. Only complaint I have is sometime NPC animations, specifically when conversing with a NPC is somewhat awkward or clunky at times.
    Combat animations are nice and the collision you have with NPCs makes the combat feels more solid in comparison to over MMOs - abilities have some weight behind them.

    FEEL:

    Overall, the game seems nicely balanced and bugs, while there are some, are not too terribly wide-spread. What has impressed me the most is Zenimax's response to bugs. Yes, it has caused longer maintenance times or unannounced down times, but it's something to be expected from a game that has such a large scope.

    The classes have plenty of differences between them to keep things interesting and I absolutely love the skill system and how it works. You truly can build your character however you really like to and have that character fit a certain role or play style. It also allows a ton of customization in regards to play style in general - want to make a caster that can tank? Go for it. How about a rogue healer? Have at it. Many of these ideas are viable with the right skills and equipment.

    The stories are awesome, as is to be expected from Elder Scrolls and the voice acting is pretty decent. Dungeons provide a decent challenge and aren't just zerg-fests and have good side stories with them.

    OVERALL:

    The biggest issue people will have with the feel of this game is that its not a standard Elder Scroll experience and not really a standard MMO experience, but some mix of those things.
    The game plays great and has a ton to do. Dungeons are fun and the quests are a blast to go through.

    I'd recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the Elder Scrolls series and MMOs, with the understanding that its kind of a blend of each.    … Expand
  5. dodo
    Mar 31, 2015
    9
    I seriously can't understand the negative feedback this game got. I've played Oblivion and Skyrim before and been playing this since it went free to play. Considering other mmos this is a really good one that manage to capture a lot of the Skyrim feeling although being multiplayer. The multiplayer dimension even adds meaning to it I think. It's really fun to play with a lot of good loreI seriously can't understand the negative feedback this game got. I've played Oblivion and Skyrim before and been playing this since it went free to play. Considering other mmos this is a really good one that manage to capture a lot of the Skyrim feeling although being multiplayer. The multiplayer dimension even adds meaning to it I think. It's really fun to play with a lot of good lore and quests to be had.… Expand
  6. Aertos
    Apr 2, 2015
    8
    I get the bad reviews that this game got at the beginning because I was there for the horrendous loads of bugs, character set backs, item cloning expoits, bots etc. but this game made such a turn around with it's updates and the new business model.

    All animations are now fluid and combat feels heavy and just nice. There is now a dungeon daily with rewards you can't get elsewhere and the    I get the bad reviews that this game got at the beginning because I was there for the horrendous loads of bugs, character set backs, item cloning expoits, bots etc. but this game made such a turn around with it's updates and the new business model.

    All animations are now fluid and combat feels heavy and just nice. There is now a dungeon daily with rewards you can't get elsewhere and the justice system let's you rob houses and NPCs and adds an element of thrill to it, burglaring an altmer embassy and trying to run from the guards to the next hideout!

    My only complaint it that Zenimax did not manage to deliver on new content. They did change nearly every aspect of the core game, making it a brilliant title, especially now that it is coming out on consoles, but they showed off so much actual content that did not release yet. Basically veteran players got one new zone, Craglorn, and that zone was originally promised to be in the game from the start.

    Till now the game was a beta, or better an alpha for this game, and the re-release as Tamriel Unlimited finally made this game to the game it should have been.

    I would rate it a solid 9 out of 10, but because of the missing content and just this first year of bug fixing I reduce my score to 8.    … Expand
  7. analogkid280
    Apr 8, 2014
    8
    This is a mixed experience that comes out positive in the end. I have to say the familiar music and exploring really help the experience. This plays like something inbetween Oblivion and Skyrim as far a graphics go. The game play is great. I have not interacted with many other players but you sure see them wandering around you all the time. The whole experience goes best with thisThis is a mixed experience that comes out positive in the end. I have to say the familiar music and exploring really help the experience. This plays like something inbetween Oblivion and Skyrim as far a graphics go. The game play is great. I have not interacted with many other players but you sure see them wandering around you all the time. The whole experience goes best with this description for the old timers like me. Remember when SimCity had that one version that was made by a different company. It was still the same basic game it just felt different. That is how I feel about this one. It is great but different.… Expand
  8. valendren
    Apr 5, 2014
    8
    Im gonna start of with this before I lose any credibility in my review because im seeing a lot of fake/troll reviews giving it 10s saying its "sweeped the floor" "its perfect" anyways the game isn't perfect its not amazing by any means but is good IN COMPARISON to other subscription paid mmo games like world of warcraft eve etc. If you come from that crowd the game is ok However if youIm gonna start of with this before I lose any credibility in my review because im seeing a lot of fake/troll reviews giving it 10s saying its "sweeped the floor" "its perfect" anyways the game isn't perfect its not amazing by any means but is good IN COMPARISON to other subscription paid mmo games like world of warcraft eve etc. If you come from that crowd the game is ok However if you came from the single player fan base of eso then youl be disappointed things go really slow for me to recommend this as a single player game I just cant in fact youl be very disappointed if your looking for a single player tes experience because its not there for the most part.

    Im gonna give two reviews/scores for the game with a decent explanation as to why I gave them that

    If your from the tes Crowd (below this paragraph or so is the mmo side score)

    The game without emotionally weighting it as a fan its about a 6 its not horrible if you come from that crowd but it certaintly isn't what you're looking for and I just cant recommend the game if you come from that crowd.

    Reasons why:
    1.Its multiplayer players just get in the way of everything and its not something youd welcome in a single player game from the mmo crowd its like Eh whatever seen it before anyways but when you come in expecting a single player game and a swarm of players kill the boss right in front of you sometimes so fast you didn't even realize it was a boss it just frankly ruins most of the single player joy there is.
    2.The story isn't up to par with the single player tes games I mean its not bad and some of them are frankly kind of good but a good amount of them are cut off awkwardly and cant really explain it but if you compared it to Elder scrolls skyrim/oblivion it just transitions awkwardly between events.

    For the mmo crowd
    Its about an 8 theres a ton of content to go through and most of its pretty enjoyable I for one enjoy the combat system its got its own feel and I kinda like it anyways Eso brings back public dungeons theres some good and some bad to this the good is it captures a bit of that exploration feel and gotta say while the early lvl ones aren't great (mostly because they get mowd down because of other players) as you move on its actually pretty fun to go through them I typed out some more organized thoughts below.

    Youl probably like this game for the most part reasons why.
    1.Dungeons- they are all in my opinion very well done even some of the public ones theres just so much content to go through as your leveling and some times they even have there own mini stories which are decent/ok.
    2.Overworld pve. Eso's overworld pve content and zones which I have few gripes about most of which revolve around phasing but that doesn't get too much into the way atleast for me that is but anyways moving on when your out exploring youl find some pretty good group content/challenges these are most of the time reffered to as bandit camps which offer little bosses to fight meant for small groups but the earliest ones can be soloed if your smart anyways the bosses are challenging and really add to the game
    3.This might contradict a previous statement as to why I said I don't recommend this game to the tes crowd which is story. To be honest the stories aren't horrible some of them are actually pretty nice and if you slow down take your time and just enjoy they are actually pretty fun. Oh and to top it off most of them end in instanced boss fights which most of the time are really fun to fight a lot of times they are decently challenging not so much for the early lvl ones but as you move forward they get better and more unique
    4. Crafting this is a short one crafting in eso has so much options basically every piece of armor/weapon you make you give it a style glyph trait, stat bonus and if you go out in the wilderness there are special crafting stations you can use. To top it off you can craft items into the "legendary status" essentially making the best gear available.    … Expand
  9. Fhear
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    At frist, in BETA, i was very suspicious about the game - about how the game-mechanics work. I've played about 4 or 5 days and thought: Nahh... it won't get any long. But then in the next BETA i gave it another try and more and more I began to LIKE the game. The mechanics tempt you into trying new options and motivate for longer, the fights are challenging and you need to be active(youAt frist, in BETA, i was very suspicious about the game - about how the game-mechanics work. I've played about 4 or 5 days and thought: Nahh... it won't get any long. But then in the next BETA i gave it another try and more and more I began to LIKE the game. The mechanics tempt you into trying new options and motivate for longer, the fights are challenging and you need to be active(you cant go off the keyboard for 10 seconds and survive), the story is GREAT... But the best part ist still the RvR! I love it!… Expand
  10. TheSnowWolf
    Apr 13, 2014
    10
    I've been playing ESO since the beta and I have to say, I was very impressed with the development of this game, among other things, and I'm going to explain why.

    When I first began the beta I was not very impressed. It was very buggy, which was expected, but the beta testers were listened to and huge patches before release fixed many of the gamebreaking bugs. Bugs aside it was not    I've been playing ESO since the beta and I have to say, I was very impressed with the development of this game, among other things, and I'm going to explain why.

    When I first began the beta I was not very impressed. It was very buggy, which was expected, but the beta testers were listened to and huge patches before release fixed many of the gamebreaking bugs. Bugs aside it was not terribly engaging and difficult to get into. I barely gave the next beta weekend a shot, but I did. And that's when it started getting good.

    The world is rich and diverse, with a complex, involved crafting system that inspired me to create a dedicated crafter character for the first time in a game. The quest system began to improve and give me more varied, interesting tasks. The combat, which was a part of the game that really impressed me from the beginning, got even better.

    PvP is excellent. It's AvAvA style, with the entire province of Cyrodiil comprising the PvP zone (though don't think that means there's no plain-old-adventuring in Cyrodiil, as the province contains lots of crafting materials, in addition to PvE quests, cities, and ruins.) The three-faction war is always exciting and fast-paced - there were complaints of too much "zerging" during the beta, but small assassin groups (sneak works in PvP!), keep defenders, and scouts have come to really change the battlefield since - I have honestly never had more fun with an MMO PvP system!

    Exploring the world just for the sake of exploring it became a favorite pastime, and I know that here, there is a lot of discussion on whether or not this is a "true Elder Scrolls Game." I have to say that for me, honestly, it feels very much like an Elder Scrolls game. I have played Oblivion and Skyrim, and, while ESO possesses its own unique flavor, I am constantly fondly reminded of these games and feel very involved in the world of Tamriel. For those who want a single-player experience, the devs have taken great care to keep the "Elder Scrolls feel" intact in what is, for the series, a completely new genre - I found it quite simple to ignore the chat and play as though in a world that was simply more populated than before.

    All in all, I recommend this game very highly, both to those who typically play in the MMO genre, and to fans of the Elder Scrolls series. Anyone who dismissed it during the beta (as I almost did) should give it another look.    … Expand
  11. Vi-Pe
    Apr 12, 2014
    9
    The elder scrolls online is really good game. No it's not the best elder scrolls game, but easily one of the best MMO games.
    Graphically TESO is really beautiful game. The world is really colorfull and the graphic style is really pleasing. The sounds and music are also really good, the sound effects are pretty realistic and fit into the world. The soundtrack is also good old TES styled    The elder scrolls online is really good game. No it's not the best elder scrolls game, but easily one of the best MMO games.
    Graphically TESO is really beautiful game. The world is really colorfull and the graphic style is really pleasing. The sounds and music are also really good, the sound effects are pretty realistic and fit into the world. The soundtrack is also good old TES styled music which is awesome.
    The combat system in the game isn't that good. The idea is good, but they have messed it up. There is small delays when you are trying to hit enemies and some times they can hit you even tho you are far away. Also homing spells and arrows which do go through walls are rally annoying.
    The most of the quests are fun and aren't just quickly made. Lore is also pretty good and its interesting.
    No, the elder scrolls online is far from perfect but its still really good game. It's still missing lots of stuff which is incoming (criminality and karma and dark brother hood adm thieves guild) and I'm really waiting for them. Yes TESO is bit too expensive but I'd say its worth it if you have some spare money.    … Expand
  12. Formulka
    Apr 10, 2014
    10
    One of the best MMOs I have played in a long time. Fantastic meaningful quests with heavy persistent phasing. This changes everything. It means the world around you changes based on your decisions and stays that way, it feels great to save a village from a bunch of bandits and every time you go through its saved full of happy people thanking you for job well done. This also means you areOne of the best MMOs I have played in a long time. Fantastic meaningful quests with heavy persistent phasing. This changes everything. It means the world around you changes based on your decisions and stays that way, it feels great to save a village from a bunch of bandits and every time you go through its saved full of happy people thanking you for job well done. This also means you are given decisions that have huge impact on the world around you and they are not black or white either they are mostly gray vs gray and you have to think for a minute or two which is the one you really want. Do you want to save the souls of the past villagers or do you want to clear the place from hoards of undead making it safe for resettling? Exploration is heavily rewarded, you can find quests everywhere, you can search for collectibles or for lost treasure using a treasure map you've just found on a bandit. Several quests are even based around exploration not giving you any markers making you think and solve puzzles.

    The combat is fun and satisfying, you have 2 sets of 6 abilities (based on weapons and class) you can freely switch between plus light and heavy attack with blocking and rolling. Its fairly dynamic and just standing around even if you are a support is not the best option by far. The way you acquire your abilities is just like any other ES game - the more you use particular ability, the faster it grows in power and the faster you can morph it giving it some awesome side effect or completely changing it which you have to choose from two options. And sometimes, just like the quests, its fairly tough to decide.

    Classes seem clearly cut just like in most MMOs, you have a Sorcerer (mage), Nightblade (rogue), Dragonknight (warrior) and a Templar (paladin), but they are NOT. All of them can use all of the weapons and all of the armor both of which have their own skill trees. You can build a battlemage (battlesorcerer?) with a heavy sword and heavy armor for example, not all builds are viable but all of them are possible and you can make them work. And thanks to the huge number of available skill points not just from leveling but mostly from exploration, you can try a lot of crazy builds without gimping the character forever or without the need for constant respecing (which is available as well).

    I have yet to get into PVP but many claim its the best one in a long time, the potential is huge and the possible battles of hundreds of people in 3-way RvR sound great.

    All in all this is a fantastic game and after playing dozens of MMOs it feels so fresh and its so worth it. The questing and exploration alone will keep you around for months and I have only explored a fraction of one of the 4 huge worlds you can explore. There is so much content in the game it boggles the mind and none of it feels generic, every quest, every part of the map fits in the world and expands the lore of it. It is a worthy Elder Scrolls game and if you liked the Skyrim, Oblivion or Morrowind, you will love ESO as well.    … Expand
  13. Kaskako
    Apr 10, 2014
    10
    Ignore the haters and try it out, ask a friend for example to give it a try on his characters. It really is an awesome game.

    Amazing world, nice combat, awesome character building, nice story, epic pvp and fun pve. Crafting can be interesting. All this set in The Elder Scrolls universe.

    It has it's flaws, and bugs but they are being fixed constantly and improvements are sure to come.
  14. ajruls78
    Apr 11, 2014
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. What ESO is, is not an MMO, yet it is not a traditional RPG. It is its own unique, innovative game which this industry just simply has not seen yet. Therefore it is unfair to compare this game to anything else out there in the industry. ESO is best defined as a single player game in a multiplayer world which I have found to be one of my greatest gaming experiences so far. People are saying that this game has flaws. I say they are not flaws, they are what makes this game unique. It does not follow the traditional formula for an MMO, instead it writes its own set of rules. The developers built this game they way they wanted to, and it shows greatly.

    Graphics:
    ESO's graphics are unparalleled by any other game in the MMO industry. These are the greatest graphics I have ever seen in a MMO ever. Period. You will not be disappointed by the rocky slopes or the individual models for each and every tree. The water texture is spectacular, and even the sunlight has its own way of standing out. Character models are awesome. It feels "real." 10/10
    Music:
    The music of Elder Scrolls games has never ceased to disappoint, and it remains so in ESO. The music creates a unique feeling for every zone, and the sounds fit accordingly to each attack and movement parallel to each unique surface. 10/10
    Controls:
    The lack of buttons is understandable based on the fact this game will be available for console, however it would be nice to be able to have access to all of your abilities. However in turn the combat system is very good once one can get used to it. It involved dodging, LoS, and overall skill to generally win a fight. It takes some time to get used to, however the lack of keybinds will in the end lead to a more balanced game while at the same time giving up some degree of immersion. 8/10
    Gameplay:
    What stands out in ESO is the ability to play how you want to play. For example I can play a sorcerer, a traditional healing class, and instead become a plate wearing tank with offheals. You play this game how you want to play it, classes are barely a mold for how you should go about this.
    PvP has brought it to the table as well, the sheer amount of chaos which takes place in each warzone is astounding! Catapults, war machines, hand to hand combat, and the intense strategy going on in general chat. It is spectacular and brings something to the table which no other game before has managed to do, made World PvP fun for an entire game audience. The megaserver technology not only allows Cyrodil to become extensively populated at any given time of day, but each individual zone always feels active as well. Gone are the days of having to pay for server transfers to play with a friend!
    The world immersion is another quality which really struck me with the Elder Scrolls Online. Like its predecessor Skyrim, ESO strikes me as one of the most immersive games I have ever played. I'm not usually a lore junkie, but this game changed that. After hearing the individual voice acted quests, and the intense stories which took place inside them, I found myself compelled to not rush to max level, but to slow down, read the books on the book shelves, and smell the roses. It is noticeable that through all these things combined, the developing team has held themselves to a higher standard then ever before.
    One critique I have of the gameplay is the lack of direction. I would often times find myself questing in zones which would be 5 levels higher than me because I wouldn't have a direction on where to go next. There are quests everywhere, however directional quests are important and ESO does sometimes lack this. It is an easy fix, but well have to see what the team does about this.
    ESO does not come without its fair share of bugs. Although most low level quests are fine, as you progress upwards some quests are bugged and unable to complete. Issues like these often come about during game launches and can be the result of an overloaded server or an internal bug within the quest itself. Skyrim notably came with its fair share of bugs, something the Elder Scrolls Franchise has become famous for. Nevertheless it sold nearly 30 million copys.

    Conclusions:
    Overall ESO is a stand out game. The graphics, music, and storylines are unparalleled in any other game. The controls do take some getting used to but are useful after you understand how the games combat system works. PvP is an intrinsic experience alone, and PvE content is nonlinear. Overall Elder Scrolls Online has impressed a die hard WoW player like myself enough to cancel my subscription to World of Warcraft, and spend my $15 a month on this game instead. Elder Scrolls Online has redefined the MMO industry, and with new content coming just a month after release, it is evident that the developers care strongly about this game. Therefore it is my pleasure to reward The Elder Scrolls Online with a 9.25/10 and give it the title as one of the greatest games I have ever played.    … Expand
  15. Torain
    Apr 28, 2014
    10
    I never expected to say that: Elder Scrolls Online is one of the best games that I ever played!

    At first, I want to give you a summary of some positive aspects of Elder Scrolls Online: -great character creation! the best I've ever seen --- -great skill system with much depth in the end and no class restrictions --- -great gameplay --- -dynamic fights! --- -enjoyable quests, much    I never expected to say that: Elder Scrolls Online is one of the best games that I ever played!

    At first, I want to give you a summary of some positive aspects of Elder Scrolls Online:

    -great character creation! the best I've ever seen ---
    -great skill system with much depth in the end and no class restrictions ---
    -great gameplay ---
    -dynamic fights! ---
    -enjoyable quests, much variety
    -great immersion, athmosphere, game feels much more alive than any other MMORPG ---
    -beautiful graphics, better than any other MMORPG
    -beautiful sound
    -much more to explore than in any of the existing MMORPGs!
    -great PvP, even though much alike Guild Wars and DAoC
    -grouping is fun in dungeons and PvP
    -great crafting system, finally crafting is really worth paying attention to it!

    Reviews like Angry Joe's are extremely biased and just polemic in my opinion.
    For instance, graphics are criticized by many people for being not as good as in skyrim. But this is a MMORPG! Graphics are still the best of any existing MMORPG and even better than some single player games.
    There are only a few bugs. Don't get fooled by people, who claim that the game is totally bugged! The overall performance is much more stable than at the release of World of Warcraft, for example.
    Phasing and group questing is also not ideal. But I (and everyone else that I know!) never did grouping for quests in MMORPGs anyway. Groups are more important for visiting dungeons, doing PvP and trading etc and that works fine! So the social part of the game is not better or worse than in other MMORPGs when it comes to the decisive parts.

    Every game has its downsides!
    Still, the aspects that I listed in the beginning of this review really stand out.
    I liked World of Warcraft, Everquest and Guild Wars, but I enjoy Elder Scrolls Online even more.    … Expand
  16. Uberwolfe
    Apr 13, 2014
    8
    I firmly believe that Elder Scrolls Online is that game you hate but grow to love. As per many MMOs the starter zones are mundane (but skippable on secondary characters) and much of the first 10 levels is fairly ordinary too. But as you get beyond level 10 - things really begin to open up. PvP, dungeons, secondary weapon-wielding and more.

    There's much to like here. Usual launch bugs    I firmly believe that Elder Scrolls Online is that game you hate but grow to love. As per many MMOs the starter zones are mundane (but skippable on secondary characters) and much of the first 10 levels is fairly ordinary too. But as you get beyond level 10 - things really begin to open up. PvP, dungeons, secondary weapon-wielding and more.

    There's much to like here. Usual launch bugs aside, Zenimax have have done a stellar job on many aspects of the game. Having said that though, there are a few head-scratching design decisions that offset the game's positives to a significant degree - but nothing game breaking. My main concerns are the heavy-instancing, the lack of a global auction house, impractical communication tools and the claustrophobic feel of the maps. A few extra skill slots would have also been nice...

    But what you get for your money though, is a fun and extensive yet slow-paced romp through Tamriel that surely does justice to the Elder Scrolls as an MMO.    … Expand
  17. DigitalOz
    Apr 15, 2014
    10
    I played the 4 beta weekends and have played now for a couple of weeks. I have played Elder Scrolls games since Daggerfall and I love the Elder Scrolls world. I am an adult with a job and family, so I can only play for a few hours a week. So far, I think the game is outstanding. By far the best graphics in any MMO to date. I have long been waiting for a graphics refresh in the MMORPGI played the 4 beta weekends and have played now for a couple of weeks. I have played Elder Scrolls games since Daggerfall and I love the Elder Scrolls world. I am an adult with a job and family, so I can only play for a few hours a week. So far, I think the game is outstanding. By far the best graphics in any MMO to date. I have long been waiting for a graphics refresh in the MMORPG world. It has been needing it for a long time. I also like that the graphics are realistic style instead of cartoon oriented. There is voice acting throughout most quests. The game improves on the MMO formula in several ways, but two notable ones for me are: first, combat is no longer just a 'turn on combat mode and mash spell/activity buttons' affair. You can actually dodge, block and stun opponents, so combat requires more thinking and action during the combat and it becomes more interesting as a result. Second, they have done a great job moving away from pure grind for leveling. So far, I have never been without quests to complete and quests reward handsomely so that leveling results more from quest completion than just monster killing. Quests so far have included the usual kill quests and delivery/messenger quests, but also there have been a number of puzzle quests. I have enjoyed the variety of quests. Overall I am having a lot of fun and enjoying the breathtaking graphics.… Expand
  18. Dodgernalicium
    Apr 5, 2014
    10
    By far most graphic, lore and combat wise superior MMO in the world right now. Absolutely enjoying it. Don't listen to the haters and bad ratings, they probably don't even own the game.
  19. Lobane
    Apr 6, 2014
    9
    Its a very enjoyable MMO. It strives to be different, and for the most part succeeds. However, it is an MMO...if you're expecting it to somehow transcend the genre then your expectations are unrealistic. If you enjoy both Elder Scrolls games and MMOs (plural, as in not simply a WoW fan exclusively, but rather someone who enjoys the genre) then you will most likely enjoy this gameIts a very enjoyable MMO. It strives to be different, and for the most part succeeds. However, it is an MMO...if you're expecting it to somehow transcend the genre then your expectations are unrealistic. If you enjoy both Elder Scrolls games and MMOs (plural, as in not simply a WoW fan exclusively, but rather someone who enjoys the genre) then you will most likely enjoy this game immensely.

    For those giving it a 0-2, I honestly do feel bad for you. But lets be brutally honest here. The internet exists, and there is no shortage of info on this game. This is a financial investment, and almost nobody is going to buy this and commit to a subscription without a bit of research first. To say this game is a 0 or 2, is to admit to the world that you lack proper deductive and decision making skills, because this game is exactly as advertised. "I hate goats, and I can't stand simulators...what's this goat simulator game, I think I'll buy this and....oh man, what the hell?! This sucks!" Lol, they do look kinda cute when they eat paste they, don't they?    … Expand
  20. rawhide1970
    Apr 7, 2014
    10
    I'm going to give this a 10 to counter-balance the zeros. I'd actually give it about an 8.5.

    I think it's trendy to bash this game right now, but it's actually quite good. The character customization is reasonably deep, the quests are well done for an MMO, and has been pretty solid for me in terms of bugs (a few) and crashes (none). But where this really shines, and also where I    I'm going to give this a 10 to counter-balance the zeros. I'd actually give it about an 8.5.

    I think it's trendy to bash this game right now, but it's actually quite good. The character customization is reasonably deep, the quests are well done for an MMO, and has been pretty solid for me in terms of bugs (a few) and crashes (none).

    But where this really shines, and also where I see so few negative reviewers actually get to, is it's pvp - it's a must-see for MMO fans.    … Expand
  21. GoDMachine
    Apr 6, 2014
    10
    The Elder Scrolls Online is a polished, fresh, engaging, and extremely fun MMORPG experience. The PVE experience is engrossing and massive in scale. It encourages exploration which is what I've come to expect of any Elder Scrolls title. The massive PvP zone offers so much to PvP players, it mixes in older elements of mass PvP from games like Dark Age of Camelot, yet keeps everything freshThe Elder Scrolls Online is a polished, fresh, engaging, and extremely fun MMORPG experience. The PVE experience is engrossing and massive in scale. It encourages exploration which is what I've come to expect of any Elder Scrolls title. The massive PvP zone offers so much to PvP players, it mixes in older elements of mass PvP from games like Dark Age of Camelot, yet keeps everything fresh and modern with gorgeous visuals and siege warfare that actually feels like war. The combat system is smooth and intuitive and offers more room for tactical decisions by not relying on a tab targeting system. Crafting and gathering is an absolute joy to progress into because of the simplicity of the AI that eases players into the complexity that the system holds. All in All, I would recommend this game to anyone looking for something new, that does not rely on a lot of what makes so many other MMOs way too similar and bland.… Expand
  22. catflaps
    Apr 7, 2014
    10
    Great, fresh take on the MMO genre. Leveling is fun and the environments are huge and detailed. Although the release was hampered by bugs and last minute changes, it was actually pretty smooth for an MMO, and the devs really seem to listen to the players.
  23. KTLeander
    Apr 7, 2014
    8
    The game is not without some problems like the functionality of the guild AH's and guild functionality in general etc, but in general it manages to create a play experience that feels immersive and different from the other MMO's out there. The things that bother me the most at the moment are minor and can be updated in the future patches. The graphics are great, even thou I'm playing on aThe game is not without some problems like the functionality of the guild AH's and guild functionality in general etc, but in general it manages to create a play experience that feels immersive and different from the other MMO's out there. The things that bother me the most at the moment are minor and can be updated in the future patches. The graphics are great, even thou I'm playing on a laptop and cannot push the all the way up. If you have a medium- to high end rig you are definitely going to enjoy the graphics style of this game. No cartoony-graphics here.

    This game doesnt hold your hand as much as the others do. Some people give bad reviews because of this, but in my opinion its a good thing. Also the combat is comparable hard to other games. Especially dungeons. Tanking in this game is something else when you cannot just tab-target, but you need to aim the mob to taunt it while its running around. People complain about that too, but again I think its a good thing. The game is harder and manages to create a difficulty that is more about your own skills than min-maxing.

    Crafting in this game is also way more complicated and rewarding than in other mmo's. At the moment in low levels it feels that the quest and loot drops are second to what you can craft, but what I have read the game is more about skills & crafters than to get the most epic loot from the most epic boss. Don't know how that changes in the higher levels.

    In general, even thou the game is just out, it already feels a solid experience. I usually know from my first levels will I like mmo or not. ESO definitely gives that wipe.    … Expand
  24. aking23
    Apr 11, 2014
    10
    Elder scrolls online is a great game. While not being as good (not even nearly) as the previous elder scrolls games ESO is still a great game, just not as much when compared to the other games in the series. The game-play is fluid fast and keeps you involved (unlike other mmos, COUGH COUGH WOW) the item and crafting system requires you to actually get involved and pay attention (againElder scrolls online is a great game. While not being as good (not even nearly) as the previous elder scrolls games ESO is still a great game, just not as much when compared to the other games in the series. The game-play is fluid fast and keeps you involved (unlike other mmos, COUGH COUGH WOW) the item and crafting system requires you to actually get involved and pay attention (again unlike other mmos). The pvp is great and it takes time to get from point to point making deaths actually matter. The game is broken up into zones witch while that isnt that great the zones are still pretty nice looking and filled with content. Overall this game is probably one of the best mmos currently available if not THE best.… Expand
  25. retrobax
    Apr 13, 2014
    9
    I was a bit concerned after reading a lot of the negative comments, but after 2 weeks of playing I am pleasantly surprised by this game. The world is beautifully presented and the leveling process is fun and diverse. Combat is more about using your skills you have well rather than copying someone's uber build and mashing icons. The crafting system is unique and rewarding with crafted gearI was a bit concerned after reading a lot of the negative comments, but after 2 weeks of playing I am pleasantly surprised by this game. The world is beautifully presented and the leveling process is fun and diverse. Combat is more about using your skills you have well rather than copying someone's uber build and mashing icons. The crafting system is unique and rewarding with crafted gear the equal if not better sometimes than looted gear. There certainly are a few bugs that can be quite frustrating like not being able to finish some quests, but these are being fixed reasonably quickly. MMO's are not for everyone but I've played almost every MMO since Ultima online and this one is better than most of them.… Expand
  26. GoldAnt
    May 3, 2014
    10
    Great game. The people who are hating on this game are the ones treating it like an mmo where you blast through and try to level your character asap. The people enjoying this game are the ones actually doing quests, reading the lore, and immersing themselves in the incredible world that has been created here.
  27. Stolig
    May 13, 2014
    8
    When I first saw they were making an MMO version of Elder Scrolls, I was quite excited as I am a big fan of the series, especially Skyrim, Oblivion, and Morrowind, which I had spent hundreds of hours playing. However, after seeing early builds of the game and some random videos, I was beginning to doubt it. Now that I have played it, I must admit that while it lacks Skyrim's graphicalWhen I first saw they were making an MMO version of Elder Scrolls, I was quite excited as I am a big fan of the series, especially Skyrim, Oblivion, and Morrowind, which I had spent hundreds of hours playing. However, after seeing early builds of the game and some random videos, I was beginning to doubt it. Now that I have played it, I must admit that while it lacks Skyrim's graphical polish, it is a pretty fun game that I find myself drawn back to time and time again. After slightly more than a month playing, I already have a veteran level character and have finished the "main quest" of my faction and now spend my time in the Veteran level content enjoying that as well. If you like Elder Scrolls at all, and enjoy sprawling worlds to explore, then this game is definitely worth your time and effort. It is, however, far from perfect, and can sometimes be a bit buggy. But having played WoW since the closed beta, and a whole slew of other MMORPGs, I have to admit very few were flawless their first few months.… Expand
  28. valandor
    May 17, 2014
    8
    I'm sure everything that can be said about ESO, both positive and negative, has been said so I'll make this short and to the point. I give the game an 8/10 rating because of its current state which I think is still unfinished. On potential I'd give it a 10. As an MMO it takes a few liberties with the beloved franchise but I find them to be minimal. ESO is above all else an Elder ScrollsI'm sure everything that can be said about ESO, both positive and negative, has been said so I'll make this short and to the point. I give the game an 8/10 rating because of its current state which I think is still unfinished. On potential I'd give it a 10. As an MMO it takes a few liberties with the beloved franchise but I find them to be minimal. ESO is above all else an Elder Scrolls game. Yes it has many bugs, yes there are spammers and bots galore, yes to all of that and more BUT it is still the best MMO I have played in a long time, and that includes my experience in WoW, Guild Wars, Guild Wars 2, RIFT, Neverwinter and many other fantasy MMOs. ESO is fun and it is engrossing and I remain hopeful that it will only get better. If you're an Elder Scrolls fan, buy it. If you're not an Elder Scrolls fan I still recommend it but remember it is best played slowly with every nook and cranny explored (and every in game book read).… Expand
  29. Razier
    Apr 15, 2015
    9
    If youŕe looking for a good review to base your decision on about this game, I ask that you look for a newer review from 2015. When this game first came out, I will admit, it was not great. I played it right after it first came out and was not thrilled. The monthly subscription was too much and the game play lacked. Now with all of the recent updates and with Tamriel Unlimited beingIf youŕe looking for a good review to base your decision on about this game, I ask that you look for a newer review from 2015. When this game first came out, I will admit, it was not great. I played it right after it first came out and was not thrilled. The monthly subscription was too much and the game play lacked. Now with all of the recent updates and with Tamriel Unlimited being released, it is an entirely different game. The quests are captivating and very well written, the combat while perhaps lacking a little bit, is still very fun. The PvP is still remarkable. Walking around the world the graphics are truly remarkable. I am very excited for the future of the game and look forward to seeing the future improvements they have planned.… Expand
  30. jackel
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    this game is so good and bad ass ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
  31. Lirlore
    Apr 13, 2014
    10
    The game is so amazing the lvling it is enjoying i can't believe i am saying it yes you will enjoy to lvl . Every quest is a nice story :)
    The crafting is fun. Don't listen to those haters dont miss one of the best mmo out there :)
    Sorry for my bad English
  32. drstarling
    Apr 22, 2014
    10
    ESO is a very, very good MMO. When you read a review on this site from a user who has scored ESO zero, what you're witnessing is a threatened neckbeard; those wow players who are aware of three things:

    A) they've invested incredible amounts of time and energy into wow. Maybe they've achieved a lot of cultural capital and status on their server. B)Wow subscriptions are inflated, servers    ESO is a very, very good MMO. When you read a review on this site from a user who has scored ESO zero, what you're witnessing is a threatened neckbeard; those wow players who are aware of three things:

    A) they've invested incredible amounts of time and energy into wow. Maybe they've achieved a lot of cultural capital and status on their server.
    B)Wow subscriptions are inflated, servers are closing left right and center, and wow is dying.
    C) elder scrolls is the first MMO that can and will supplant wow as the world's favorite MMO.

    What these users are hoping to do is to bastardize ESO so that you--yes you, the potential wow player, or existing wow player, won't be tempted to leave azeroth. Ignore them; ESO is a better game than wow ever is, was or ever will be. It looks better. It isn't a grind. The combat is more fun and kinesthetically based--this means that no longer will you be beaten by some keyboard warrior who has ten thousand key bindings; it's a level playing field. No cookie cutter specs. No worrying about patches which will nerf the class you're spent a year building into oblivion.

    It's a fresh, new, beautiful world. I played wow from Vanilla, and ESO compared to vanilla wow is like comparing the horse and cart to the ship that landed at roswell. I mean ESO is just so, so much better than that. Yes it has some bugs, and yes they are systematically and rapidly being ironed out. And here's something the devs are doing that blizzard never did and never will do; listening to the community, and trying to work with it--not telling it what should happen. The game is young. It's already great, and it is going to get better. ESO is the most well executed MMO release in history.

    Don't listen to the neckbeards. Get a copy, and go play. The game really, really picks up after level 13. PVP is fantastic. Crafting is fun, not a chore. Profession grinding anybody? Gone. ESO let's you skip the parts you hated about wow, and play the parts you loved about it. It's a great achievement. Here's to the future!    … Expand
  33. Exokaz
    Apr 9, 2014
    10
    Ive played a few other elder scroll games before and ive always enjoyed what those games had to offer, lore, awesome battles, etc. This game isnt bad, but then again there will always be haters for everything. If you enjoyed WoW or the elder scroll games, check this one out. There's one mega server, people need to remember that...especially when they take the servers offline forIve played a few other elder scroll games before and ive always enjoyed what those games had to offer, lore, awesome battles, etc. This game isnt bad, but then again there will always be haters for everything. If you enjoyed WoW or the elder scroll games, check this one out. There's one mega server, people need to remember that...especially when they take the servers offline for maintenance. Worth it to see 100 v 100 v100 battles in pvp… Expand
  34. kurios
    May 16, 2014
    10
    The type of MMO I have been waiting for. One where I can play they way I want and explore where I want. The open class system is terrific, and should be implement in more MMOs, let me play they way I want vs. the way you think I should play. The world is open to exploration, and the NPCs you interact with have varied and interesting conversations. Also, a game that finally awardsThe type of MMO I have been waiting for. One where I can play they way I want and explore where I want. The open class system is terrific, and should be implement in more MMOs, let me play they way I want vs. the way you think I should play. The world is open to exploration, and the NPCs you interact with have varied and interesting conversations. Also, a game that finally awards crafters, by allowing them to produce the best gear, weapons, food, potions, enchantments available, vs solely bing in the province of the uber PvP or Raider.

    On the bad side those are the several quest bugs, group phase problems, and features for shopping at the guild store. For me these are minor problems, myself I only ran into one bug that was patched that week, and can find the stuff I need to buy in the guild store. Most areas are not instanced so you will not have to deal with groups being out of phase, but hopefully it will be addressed and allow the character who has already completed the phase drop back with his grouped partner.

    Overall I never expected them to able to replicate the deep complexities of the sand boxed Elder Scroll games, and was surprised they were able to get so close on MMO platform. I have found it to be very enjoyable, and believe that the future will hold even better things for this game, because the foundation game play is very solid.    … Expand
  35. Alexanderschwed
    Jul 20, 2014
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Für mich persönlich, mit Gw2 zusammen, eins der besten MMOrpg die es gibt.

    Die Atmosphäre und Detailgrad ist einzigartig.
    Die Quests sind Abwechslungsreich und mal Traurig und mal Lustig und immer sehr spannend!
    Das AvAvA ist grandios und für mich als Ex-Daocler ein Traum.
    Für mich kommt nur ein P2P Spiel in Frage,weil ich eigentlich jedes F2p durch habe und sie teilen sich eines "Schlechte Community" "L2P Kids" usw*
    Ich finde diese Paywall ganz erfrischend und finde es das beste Geschäftsmodell,denn im Leben gibt es nichts umsonst!
    Wer regelmäßig Content will,muss eben Zahlen.

    Ihr solltet es antesten und einfach ausprobieren und euch nicht an die Reviews halten. Denn ihr selber entscheidet !

    Ich bereue keinen Euro und zahle regelmäßig mein Abo seitdem es raus ist und habe viel Spaß im Spiel.    … Expand
  36. Plagued
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    All of the negative reviews I've seen so far are such BS. 1 guy claims this game is a WoW clone... this game is SOOOO far from a WoW clone it's ridiculous. If you think that an MMO that has leveling, and swords and magic is a WoW clone, I guess you're right.

    Another guy gives a negative review because of some Customer Support issues? Sure, it sucks to have bad customer service... but    All of the negative reviews I've seen so far are such BS. 1 guy claims this game is a WoW clone... this game is SOOOO far from a WoW clone it's ridiculous. If you think that an MMO that has leveling, and swords and magic is a WoW clone, I guess you're right.

    Another guy gives a negative review because of some Customer Support issues? Sure, it sucks to have bad customer service... but having issues the day of launch is expected, and putting a negative review because of something that isn't even related to any of the game's development, gameplay or anything... ludicrous.

    Does the game have problems, sure. Is the game 100% unique, pretty sure that it's been proven mathematically that there is almost 0 ideas that haven't been thought of before. Is the game fun? Definitely, and it gets far better after you put in more than 20 minutes into it. Exploration and unique play styles abound.    … Expand
  37. Toxicsix
    Apr 7, 2014
    10
    This will be a review in progress. Starting with a 10 because this game is the best i have played to date and I see so many zero's that it drives me crazy that people can even give something a score like that when they haven't even played through the content. Going to leave you with a few points that I posted on another discussion.

    1) You can play without being consumed by the HUD.    This will be a review in progress. Starting with a 10 because this game is the best i have played to date and I see so many zero's that it drives me crazy that people can even give something a score like that when they haven't even played through the content. Going to leave you with a few points that I posted on another discussion.

    1) You can play without being consumed by the HUD. Most immersive MMO to date.
    2) Voice acted quests that are well delivered. Don't want to be smacked in the face with walls of quest text any more? This could be for you!
    3) Crafting that is actually engaging and relevant.
    4) Character creation that is diverse enough that I don't see clones of myself everywhere. that what killed WS for me =(
    5) Combat system that actually requires you to think. I have played a tank in every mmo and the sword and board feel amazing.

    Currently Level 12 and I will update at 25, 50, and then post 50 impressions.
    I am huge into pvp and I havent even experienced it yet but will keep you posted.    … Expand
  38. TheSpiralAim
    Apr 10, 2014
    8
    The Elder Scrolls Online is an MMORPG following the Theme Park model started by Everquest back in the day. I wouldn't really call it a WoW clone since it's really just one way of presenting an MMORPG, and if you get down to it WoW is an EQ clone. That being said let's take a real look at TESO.
    TESO presents itself with some of the paradigms the game has had since TES III: Morrowind. It    The Elder Scrolls Online is an MMORPG following the Theme Park model started by Everquest back in the day. I wouldn't really call it a WoW clone since it's really just one way of presenting an MMORPG, and if you get down to it WoW is an EQ clone. That being said let's take a real look at TESO.
    TESO presents itself with some of the paradigms the game has had since TES III: Morrowind. It has the TES theme arranged in a new way but still familiar, and that is always a bonus. After the character is made and one's faction is selected you start... as a prisoner, go figure. The Player even has to find their way out of a starting dungeon, a thing that was a trend in four of The Elder Scrolls games. So I can give them bonuses for sticking to their tried and true model of throwing the player into the world.
    The villain of the game is one many TES fans should be familiar with and this will make most players smile a little hearing and seeing a familiar name. The story presents itself like a single player game and like any TES game might. Every few levels the player is summoned to speak with the Prophet and deal with the problems caused by the villain. The overland questing is fun, and doesn't really feel like the standard progress questing found commonly in Theme Park style MMORPGs.
    There are some beautiful charms to the game, as well as fantastic choices in voice actors. The best example of this is a gentleman named Cadwell that is met in the starter dungeon. He is voiced by John Cleese! The graphics are very impressive and fluid feeling for an MMORPG, with some exceptions on how the arrows look when fired from the bow.
    The game play is dynamic and fluid, which is a departure from most Theme Park MMORPGs. The fact one has to aim(Mostly) and move around a whole lot, has made the group dungeon content very interesting. There is also the ability to switch weapon, and with it your abilities chosen for your hot bar. This can become frustrating at times, since one only has five hot bar slots, and a lot more fun abilities to use than one can slot, even with the ability to switch weapons.
    The crafting is nice but, doesn't really feel that necessary until higher levels, and some of them are actually rather difficult to level up. One bonus to this crafting system is the ability to make armors and weapons that look like whichever race's style--providing you have the racial motif. There is a great deal of frustration involved with upgraded pieces as well, it seems that I destroy more than I upgrade, even when I have a 90% chance of success.
    While I haven't noticed too many things I don't like, other than way too many people being on around me, nothing stands out too sharply either, it's just a fun fluid feeling MMORPG. This is a great break from the older more standard models like WoW, EQ2, Rift, EQ ect... I'd recommend it to anyone who wants a Theme Park style MMORPG but more modern than previous examples.

    While fun I'm giving this an 8/10. When I find the perfect MMO I'll give it a 10 but, I have a feeling that'll never happen... EVER. Also nothing deserve's a 0... even SWG had merit to give it a score higher than not.    … Expand
  39. CountryPetInn
    Apr 7, 2014
    8
    It is fun to level and it seems like there is no grinding to speak of (gather 10 turtle shells). It's fun to explore and the npc character acting is decent too (LOTRO was missing that and was boring me to go to bed too early) I give it an 8 because there are still areas I'm having trouble trying to figure out.
  40. aXBlackDeathXa
    Apr 7, 2014
    8
    Ok wow where to start? Most of these reviews I'm reading are way off base (both positive and negative). Let me start with saying the MetaCritic score (83) - at this time - is a fair score for this game. The game is not a 10 and it's certainly not a 5 or lower.
    I am not paid, reimbursed, or work for anything "industry related". I’m a 30+ year old father of two who actually played the    Ok wow where to start? Most of these reviews I'm reading are way off base (both positive and negative). Let me start with saying the MetaCritic score (83) - at this time - is a fair score for this game. The game is not a 10 and it's certainly not a 5 or lower.
    I am not paid, reimbursed, or work for anything "industry related". I’m a 30+ year old father of two who actually played the last three beta's and purchased the Imperial Edition of the game.
    Having 200+ hours into Skyrim I can honestly say ESO does a fairly solid job mixing that Skyrim first person adventurer with that MMO feel. However what it does not do is excel at either. If you are a hardcore PvP player chances are you're not going to like ESO. You can’t just troll low level areas and “gank noobs”. If you are a hardcore Skyrim player chances are you may like ESO.

    What I like: Awesome PVE experience, areas, towns, dungeons are well laid out. The writing and acting for the quests is very well done. It's easy to navigate and the only real thing keeping you in one specific area from another, are the level of mobs around there. I have yet to see game breaking lag even in densely populated areas - including PVP / Cyrodiil. I REALLY enjoy the “look for group” feature. This is a great idea and its executed well. If you’re outside a dungeon or instance and looking for players to team up with…instead of spamming chat looking for folks you simply go into the group interface of the game, click the search icon, refine the search by filling out drop down menus related to size of group, areas, or specific dungeons / instances. You can even filter based on roles (tank, healer, dps, etc.) Like Skyrim you can get lost in the PVE experience and not even touch PVP if you so desire.
    What needs work: There are still some minor annoyances. Some quests are still bugged and prevent progress - this is exceptionally frustrating when you could be in the 5th part of a 6 part quest. However since go live I've only had one quest not fix itself by just logging out and back in. Another nuisance is having group members not in the same "game instance". Instead you see them just as a floating arrow. In fact what they see on their screen will actually vary from what you're seeing (in terms of lootable items, etc.) It would be nice to see some UI / inventory

    Neither here nor there: Since the game does not force you down specific class / race paths you are open to design your character essentially any way you see fit. One issue with this is if you’re looking to specialize in crafting the enormous amounts of resources involved quickly fill up pack and bank space. You will easily find yourself creating mule characters just to retain crafting materials.

    Conclusion: Did I buy the game – yes. Do I have any buyer’s remorse – absolutely not. Although Zenimax does offer some marginal discounts for buying advanced chunks of subscription time I was really hoping to see some sort of “family plan” implemented. For those old farts like myself who actually like to game with their kids, this title will break the bank! Three copies of the game ($120 – 180) 6 months subscription for 3 players ($250). 6 month sub discounted 13.99/mo = $83 per player every 6 months.
    ESO gets an easy 8 out of 10 from me.    … Expand
  41. geormigk
    Apr 11, 2014
    10
    Fantastic game fresh start to mmo genre and something different than click and play. Thegraphics are stunning and the quests deep...The pvp is also a great experience
  42. Spryngsnowstorm
    Apr 11, 2014
    8
    Preface

    In general, I don’t like MMORPGs. The auto-combat is boring. Grinding is boring. The quests are boring. Everyone looks the same. I’ve never gotten to end-game (because of the boring), but I have seen friends having epic 30 person fights with giant beasties and it seems more like doing math and less like playing a game. I’m just not into it. Therefore, this review is only    Preface

    In general, I don’t like MMORPGs. The auto-combat is boring. Grinding is boring. The quests are boring. Everyone looks the same. I’ve never gotten to end-game (because of the boring), but I have seen friends having epic 30 person fights with giant beasties and it seems more like doing math and less like playing a game. I’m just not into it. Therefore, this review is only applicable to the low levels of the game and my impressions thus far. I don’t have a lot of experience, but I want to explain why I like this MMORPG.

    I love the Elder Scrolls series, which I picked up at Morrowind and never looked back, so I was a sucker for the game world. That’s what convinced me to try it in the first place. I was hopeful but also skeptical. With nothing to lose (my roommate who loves MMORPGs let me make a character on his account to see how it felt), I dove in.

    Actual Review

    Character creation was a blast. It’s one of my favorite parts of a game. I had been disappointed with the limitations MMOs had concerning look. This time I was glad to see an aspect of ES games carried over (my strong hope being that much of the feel of the games translated [and it did]) in the character creation station. Oh, the glorious sliders! I’ve made 3 characters and they each took 30+ minutes to make and they don’t look like everyone else. I was off to a good start.

    The tutorial was a little ambiguous. Some things only brought up an explanation if you happened to click on it. Most of the tutorial was meant to teach you how to equip a weapon and fight with a rudimentary understanding of the battle system. The narrative broke down a little bit as I was being rushed through with this sense of urgency, but then there are 20+ urns with stuff to loot all over the place.

    So I got free and was in one of the faction’s starting isles. This was something that bothered me. I want to play a Kajit, but I wanted to be on the same team as my friend. It was not clear to me that the races can only be in their assigned faction (unless I had spent more money on an upgraded account), so I played this character for 5 levels before my friend tells me he never saw that island and I’m not on his team. Damn it! So I can either play the race I want OR play with my friend. I made another character.

    Time to talk about combat. This is one of the major selling points for me. It’s point and click per hit, rather than auto-fighting. It livens up the experience and requires more of my attention. Also, the first person option is another carryover I was happy to see. For a lot of the time it feels like playing single player as far as combat. The controls were already familiar to me, so I got the hang of it quickly. I’m not a fan of hotkeys, but it’s a symptom of not being able to pause which is my #1 hang up about MMOs, but there’s nothing for it.

    That leads me to my next smiley face, XP distribution, aka Freedom From Grinding. Killing things is fun and sometimes necessary, but that’s not going to get me levels or gold. Missions and little story lines are what this is all about. Yes, the missions start out somewhat trite, but they’re clever and cute and not “go get me 10 of these” level of banal. You know where you’re going, what you’re doing, and there’s an at least moderately compelling reason you’re doing it.

    Also in the realm of XP, I am so grateful for the shared kills. We get the same XP and the same loot if we take something down together, making this a co-op venture. There’s not petty squabbling about who gets the stuff or the kill. I feel a camaraderie when I see someone else is on the same path, killing the same things. We have each other’s backs because there’s no reason not to. There’s no more trepidation when I’m playing peak hours because, “Cool, other people to enjoy this experience with!”

    Crafting is another thing I love. At first I was daunted by all the huge amounts of instruction, but then I read through a bunch of forums and wikis. Turns out explaining the system is more complicated than the system itself. I was hoping for a little more visual customization, but there are enough mechanics (many, but simple) involved. (I saw someone in a Kajit helmet and I Want It!! I’ll be learning that racial armor style since I can’t be a Kajit because I’m broke [whine].)

    To sum up, EOS is a MMORPG I don’t hate, and that’s a glowing recommendation in my book. I’ve always wanted to be able to quest with my friends, but been too annoyed with game play to get there. Now if I can get my friend to stop leveling until I can catch up, I’ll be set.

    Thank you, Bethesda.    … Expand
  43. Risson
    Apr 23, 2014
    9
    I gave this game what I did because it is by far the best MMO I've played, and I've played a lot. This is an almost perfect MMO (besides a few things, payment, some generic quest, etc.). Although I am rating this as an MMO and not a Elder Scrolls game. As an Elder Scrolls player this feels nothing like one and is not near as good. 9/10 from an MMO standpoint.
  44. Auriakus
    Jun 1, 2014
    8
    I have played this game over 400 hours and I am comparing against the 20 years of mmorpg playing I have. This is a "very good" mmorpg. In my run through of over 200+ quests I have only discovered 2 with noticeable bugs, both which had work-arounds or were not catastrophic- so I'm not sure what the other people are seeing that claim this to be bugged. Here are the great things in theI have played this game over 400 hours and I am comparing against the 20 years of mmorpg playing I have. This is a "very good" mmorpg. In my run through of over 200+ quests I have only discovered 2 with noticeable bugs, both which had work-arounds or were not catastrophic- so I'm not sure what the other people are seeing that claim this to be bugged. Here are the great things in the game:
    Tons of content and dialogue with voice acting
    Tons of quests (group or fighting alongside other groups is handled wonderfully)
    Good crafting system that is rewarding and worthwhile
    Can play alone or group- THE GAME IS BALANCED (PVE) despite what some say
    Classes are all unique but offer great customization
    NO LEVEL GRINDING- this is an amazing things. The sheer number of quests and quest xp limits the need to xp grind to a point I thought unimaginable
    Respec'ing is costly, as it should be
    Much More

    Bad:
    Despite some great enhancements to combat botting, there are some farmers/bots around. Its obvious as some bot trains are allowed to operate. I know what this looks like, I have run botting software in other games...    … Expand
  45. stimpy77
    Feb 7, 2015
    8
    I played this just before the beta ended and the game was released, and then I bought it, but never played it, because I didn't want to pay a subscription fee. Now the subscription fees are ending (March 17, 2015) and the game will, like Guild Wars and the like, be free to play. Now I feel comfortable with firing up the game again and enjoying this game.

    My experience during the beta    I played this just before the beta ended and the game was released, and then I bought it, but never played it, because I didn't want to pay a subscription fee. Now the subscription fees are ending (March 17, 2015) and the game will, like Guild Wars and the like, be free to play. Now I feel comfortable with firing up the game again and enjoying this game.

    My experience during the beta was fairly positive. There's no point in comparing to other MMORPGs, what matters is "did I have fun?", and yes, I had some fun, although I was a bit frustrated at times by the difficulty of my early character, but in a way that's a good thing, it's not good for things to be too easy. That said, the game experience does feel watered down. It's not Skyrim, it's not even Oblivion, but being an MMORPG it is similar in mechanics to World of Warcraft, Lord of the Rings Online, and others, while retaining the art direction and lore of the Elder Scrolls.

    I'm really irked by those who keep repeating "P2W", etc., on every free-to-play game, like a broken record, I honestly don't give a crap about any of that, you're buying into a gaming experience that is primarily PvE not PvP and whatever floats your boat is reasonable here. I'm just happy that in a month and a half (in March 2015) I won't have to worry about monthly subscription fees, so I can pay the initial cost of the game and not $250 or whatever for two years of gameplay before realizing that the game isn't worth that much.    … Expand
  46. Jappp
    Oct 16, 2014
    8
    This not an Elder Scrolls (Skyrim) sequel. This is not meant to be a single player game you can finish in x hours.
    This is an MMO.
    I love elder scroll games, played them all through and through. I did not expect a similar game. Hence, I enjoyed this game from the start. With all its bugs, glitches and exploits (most of which have been fixed and weren't game breaking to begin with).    This not an Elder Scrolls (Skyrim) sequel. This is not meant to be a single player game you can finish in x hours.
    This is an MMO.

    I love elder scroll games, played them all through and through.
    I did not expect a similar game.

    Hence, I enjoyed this game from the start. With all its bugs, glitches and exploits (most of which have been fixed and weren't game breaking to begin with).
    Pve is quite immersive with a good story, phenomenal voice acting and challenging end game content. Last may seem repetitive but what you gonna do, it's at least on par with single player games these days. Nice thing is you can skip most if you really want. It's probably worth the initial payment, but you shouldn't buy this if you only enjoy single play RPG elements.

    Pvp was amazing. Balanced classes, interesting objectives providing different strategic angles and good enough reward system.
    Notice I say was as ZOS kinda killed it with the latest patch. They gave every alliance it's own campaign to dominate, which bores me to death.
    Sure they could have fixed some abilities faster than they did but perfecting stuff like that takes time and I personally think it's part of the challenge to figure out a way to weather this OP stuff.

    I definitely get that they need monthly payment to keep the servers up but its way too much for an unfinished game pvp wise. I should expect them to have balanced everything to perfection by now. I think I have the right to expect that as I have never paid as much for any other game.

    The game is great.
    The monthly fee is not.    … Expand
  47. Darthtux
    Jun 24, 2014
    8
    Elder Scrolls Online is a good MMO but it could improve in many ways. Elder Scrolls Online has a lot of bugs in quests and I was pretty disapointed in not getting my exp but anyways the missions are well done with voice acting and good story telling. The main story was short but it manages to keep a decent pace with the side missions. There's soo much to do in Elder Scrolls Online likeElder Scrolls Online is a good MMO but it could improve in many ways. Elder Scrolls Online has a lot of bugs in quests and I was pretty disapointed in not getting my exp but anyways the missions are well done with voice acting and good story telling. The main story was short but it manages to keep a decent pace with the side missions. There's soo much to do in Elder Scrolls Online like fighting world bosses and doing dungeons, those were fun when you play it with friends! The dungeons are amazing! Pvp was fun with people and go raid on bases and stuff...... Overall Elder Scrolls Online is a good MMO but with too much content it creates too many bugs and the game tends to get boring once you play it for a very long time......… Expand
  48. Hanilvor
    Jan 6, 2015
    8
    This is a great game - don't let the hype fool you. However - if you're expecting a game more like Skyrim give it a few months, once they fully implement the justice and champion systems the game will seem an awful lot more "Elder Scrollsy."

    I gave the game an 8 out of 10 because they still haven't quite managed to figure out how to promote more diversity in character builds. Yes you    This is a great game - don't let the hype fool you. However - if you're expecting a game more like Skyrim give it a few months, once they fully implement the justice and champion systems the game will seem an awful lot more "Elder Scrollsy."

    I gave the game an 8 out of 10 because they still haven't quite managed to figure out how to promote more diversity in character builds. Yes you can level with just about any build/style you want, but for end game content you can feel pigeonholed into having to choose one meta-build. Hopefully the new Champion System resolves this when it is fully implemented.    … Expand
  49. ghofmann
    Dec 1, 2016
    9
    The One Tamriel Update changed the whole game. The world has always been huge, but now you can quest/explore/hunt/grind anywhere at any time. Dropped gear sets that used to be tied to specific level ranges will now drop at your level, so the amount of gear choices and build customization has increased like 100 fold. Plus resource nodes and mobs spawn/drop items at your level, no matterThe One Tamriel Update changed the whole game. The world has always been huge, but now you can quest/explore/hunt/grind anywhere at any time. Dropped gear sets that used to be tied to specific level ranges will now drop at your level, so the amount of gear choices and build customization has increased like 100 fold. Plus resource nodes and mobs spawn/drop items at your level, no matter where you are in the game. While this does kill a little bit of immersion (what used to be a lvl 10 mudcrab in the beginner zone is now a max level [or whatever level you are] mudcrab, lol) it makes the whole world worth playing in. The starter zones are beautiful and full of interesting NPCs, so it's nice to be able to play there and still get optimum experience/rewards. Plus, it makes the leveling horizontal rather than vertical, which I've always been a fan of. Higher level characters have more skill options and access to passives that increase power, but not necessarily more raw power.

    It had a terrible launch and first year, but most of issues have been resolved. Cyrodil (PvP) still suffers from lag, but it's playable on most machines. -1 point.

    I don't like the class system. I'd rather have a classless system. But the game is really great as it is. I would subtract a point here as well, but there are a bunch of "0" scores that outrages me, because the reviewers have not been fair. Not liking the game or it not meeting your expectations does not warrant a score of 0.    … Expand
  50. Kawooster
    Apr 6, 2014
    8
    Quite unsure on where to start for this one. I can say that I have been greatly addicted to this game ever since the five day early access. It definitely brings a lot of new and great ideas to the MMO genre. Even if they have been done before it makes them feel new and exciting.

    To start off, the questing set up is amazing. No matter where you go in the game you're never more than a few    Quite unsure on where to start for this one. I can say that I have been greatly addicted to this game ever since the five day early access. It definitely brings a lot of new and great ideas to the MMO genre. Even if they have been done before it makes them feel new and exciting.

    To start off, the questing set up is amazing. No matter where you go in the game you're never more than a few minutes without a quest, I actually never really found myself without a quest at most times. They are set up easy and appear on your map as an arrow sort of symbol. If it's a quest you haven't done it will appear as black, and if it's a quest you're on it will be white. You can cycle through your current accepted quests with the T button. It makes it really easy because the one you select will make the arrow appear as white, so you know that's the quest you're on. You can also just as easily go into the J button, which will show all your quests in a little more detail. The quests are actually quite fun themselves. They didn't feel repetitive too often and it didn't feel like a big grind.

    The maps and areas are quite large, so it would take a rather long time to run out of land mass to explore. I found myself exploring new areas for a long time, It just didn't get boring. A lot of effort went into the scenery and it's great to look at.

    The voice acting is another amazing thing about "ESO" It has been done very well, and if I can remember right, every interaction with an NPC is voice acted.

    But what about the bad? Unfortunately I did come across a fair few hiccups along the way. They weren't entirely game ruining, but did tend to frustrate me a little sometimes.
    To start off with this, I'm going to mention, that I do know it's still in its early stages and should hopefully get better along the way.

    For the first annoying thing. I did mention before that the land mass was big and fun to explore. This is all true, but sometimes that was bad. I felt they didn't put down enough way points, Sure you can discover them and then go there when needed, But some were so far apart, and the specific place you need to go could be in the middle of two, very distant from each other. Sure you can just instant port there for a little over 70 gold, but the more you had to do it, the more it went up. I remember having to port for 600 gold at one stage. I understand why they do this, they want you to see the area for yourself, but once you keep going back and forth from area to area. You've seen enough and just want to get straight to where you want to be. This wasn't that bad, Just a little frustrating at times. You could always use the horse if you have one (still takes a little while) but not everyone got the imperial edition. In that case it's 17,000 gold to get a horse mount. I know this may seem like a petty complaint, and I feel it is, but it did get me fired up sometimes.

    I can complain about the broken and glitched quests all I like but everyone who has already played the game knows that. I'm still surprised as to why companies think it's okay to release a game that still has broken parts through it. It's becoming more and more the norm these days. Companies wouldn't of dared to do this even as little as ten years ago. Now it seems like more and more companies are resorting to it. "Don't worry, We will just have updates and patch everything" Is a pretty bad attitude. It's just not on.

    I could go on and on about the bad, Also the good. It kind of evens it's self out in the end. No game is perfect and I cant wait to see what it's like in a few months. I could also go about it not keeping true to the "Elder Scrolls" way, Just remember it is an MMO and a good one at that. Maybe it shouldn't be pay to play, maybe it's worthy enough for it. I'm sure we will all know in a few months.

    All in all, I actually do really like this game. I could go on and on about it. If you haven't already played it, I recommend giving it a good go, even if it's only for a month.

    Definitely deserves an 8 for what it is, People giving it a 4 and such, just doesn't make sense. You can see how much effort they have put into it and how versatile the game really is. Give it a shot I promise you will like it.    … Expand
  51. Swisschalet
    Apr 5, 2014
    9
    Elder Scrolls Online, the next big MMO that is so much depth even my butt hurts. You'll never want to play another MMO again.

    The best thing about Elder Scrolls Online is the depth of everything in the game, they managed to find the perfect balance of user friendly mechanics and managed to make it interesting and less cookie cutter. The skill line for example is very in-depth, you    Elder Scrolls Online, the next big MMO that is so much depth even my butt hurts. You'll never want to play another MMO again.

    The best thing about Elder Scrolls Online is the depth of everything in the game, they managed to find the perfect balance of user friendly mechanics and managed to make it interesting and less cookie cutter.

    The skill line for example is very in-depth, you can attribute skill points to a whole range of skills from armor, and dueling welding too racial features, and guilds. While they keep it simple and not overly complicated, its a near perfect balanced feel.

    Another huge bonus with EOS is the questing. It's not the same like in WoW where you go to fetch something all the time. Some/most of the quests actually give you a choice on how you wish to complete it. I even have come across quests that offer two choices but because I was thorough through the quest chain I discovered something and I got a more satisfactory 3rd option. It is MIND BLOWING. Not to mention the voice acting is top notch as per the Bethesda quota.

    Also unlike WoW, you will want to adventure around. It has lots of hidden goodies in each area that aren't initially on the map. From one man dungeons, to random books that start quests, or people, or areas of interest.

    There's so much right with the game I could go on for hours, (Like the combat..) but the final pro I have is that it looks and feels like an Elder Scrolls game. It is exactly what I thought it would be and more.

    Now for the negative. The game is still a little bit buggy, but it isn't game stopping. The bugs I've come across as minor ones and by Bethesda standard this is was near perfect release.

    The UI needs a little work, exp bar doesn't show my progress that well and the map functions are not great. Especially when queuing for group dungeons and no one knows where they are at. There's no way to warp to the specific location... why bother making the un-found dungeon entrances available?

    Overall

    If my complaints about the game involve the UI mainly and nothing else, you pretty much have a dam good game on your hands. I will as many others will be, hook on this game for a lot time. They haven't even implemented the crime aspect of the game. There's so much to this MMO my mind has melted. Most negative reviews probably played it during beta, or for about 1 hr. I say that because most of the issues raised in the reviews have been fixed or don't exist.

    This is not WoW. This is better.    … Expand
  52. mziu
    Apr 8, 2014
    8
    First question you need to ask yourself is: do I want to play an MMO? Second question is: do I want to pay a subscription? Third and last: do I like ES franchise?

    Most of negative reviews (come on, you may not like the game, but 0?! 1?! that's not being fair) are based on negative answers to questions 1 and 2. They have nothing to do with the game. It's a good game. If your answer to    First question you need to ask yourself is: do I want to play an MMO? Second question is: do I want to pay a subscription? Third and last: do I like ES franchise?

    Most of negative reviews (come on, you may not like the game, but 0?! 1?! that's not being fair) are based on negative answers to questions 1 and 2. They have nothing to do with the game.

    It's a good game. If your answer to the 3 questions is yes, you can give it a chance.    … Expand
  53. Nonforthem
    Apr 26, 2014
    10
    Fantastic game. Get TES world and the MMO genre together really well. Glad it's not a Skyrim 2, but an TES(may people don't know, but it is TESV not SkyrimV), glad the game did not take stupid things of the singleplayer series that would ruin the game(no way you can be all you want in this game, but everything RACIONAL that you want), glad they didn't ruined the lore(My biggest concern)Fantastic game. Get TES world and the MMO genre together really well. Glad it's not a Skyrim 2, but an TES(may people don't know, but it is TESV not SkyrimV), glad the game did not take stupid things of the singleplayer series that would ruin the game(no way you can be all you want in this game, but everything RACIONAL that you want), glad they didn't ruined the lore(My biggest concern) and glad you can not kill someone with one arrow in stealth. The game is really amazing, the PvP is just awesome, the dungeons are kinda good(just don't like dungeons that much) and the questline is good.

    Problems:

    Irrational skills-Not really a problem, but everyone who likes realism and logic will hate those wings coming from nothing and these "dark shards" that has never been in lore before, they could have made skills with the 6 schools of magic(yeah, there is one thing called "Mysticism") and some weapons ability.

    Stealth- It is really non-sense and works like you are REALLY invisible sometimes, and the system to PvE is just dumb, didn't seen any difference on stealth while in light or dark, neither the noises I made had difference, only the distance and enemies sight works.

    World- The world is wonderful and well-made, Daggerfall is just incredible, but there are some non-sense, they made the political concerns in the world just ok(well, way better than in Oblivion, if there was any politic in Oblivion), but I think they should had make the world darker and evil, people just seems to be cool, and there seems to be like a good side and evil side, when both should be evil-neutral and just with different points of view(e.g The Aldmeri Queen's brother seems to be evil, but for me his point of view is just right and he should take the throne back). OH, btw, Cyrodill isn't a jungle. And the races should have more differentiation in culture, architecture, art and religion, just the Dunmer and Nordics seems to be really different.    … Expand
  54. staki69
    Apr 14, 2014
    10
    Best MMO to come out ever! 10/10 for not doing the exact same thing every other one has done. Will be playing this for a long time. As long as they keep the content coming.
  55. Snivonim
    May 12, 2014
    8
    There have been some good MMO's to come out in the last 5 years and they have all had their strengths and weaknesses, but I think ESO is the best. Games like Rift, GW2, and NWN Online have all had some enjoyable moments and most of them have had good gameplay up until the dreaded.. ENDGAME.

    ESO has the most detailed, largest, and fully realized game world I have seen to date. The quests    There have been some good MMO's to come out in the last 5 years and they have all had their strengths and weaknesses, but I think ESO is the best. Games like Rift, GW2, and NWN Online have all had some enjoyable moments and most of them have had good gameplay up until the dreaded.. ENDGAME.

    ESO has the most detailed, largest, and fully realized game world I have seen to date. The quests are thoughtfully created and plentiful, though quest log never feels a burden. If you are a completionist, there is plenty to complete, but it is definitely not necessary to do every quest. And there is plenty of room to just explore and grind if you like.

    Combat is fluid and looks great. Bethesda has designed their combat system to be relatively simple with only 5 active combat buttons (and one quick slotted item) so that more emphasis can be made on tactics in combat. Dodging and movement becomes important. Personally I wouldn't mind another combat bar slot or two as I think it would add a bit more dimension, but I do enjoy the system as it stands.

    The crafting system is deep and rewarding, though some may argue to difficult to level - I'd say that crafting should have a significant investment in it.

    My only criticism of the game so far would be that I would like to see more race/class combinations (more races and more classes) and more variation within the models some, bigger, wider, shorter, etc. I really think this would add a great deal to the feel of the game and its longevity.

    I haven't hit 50 yet so I cannot speak to the end game, but so far I am enjoying the leveling immensely.    … Expand
  56. JoshuaRowan
    Apr 11, 2014
    9
    I've been playing MMO's since the beginning (Ultima Online in 1997) and have to say that ESO is on of the most refreshing to come along in quite awhile, primarily because of how open-ended the class & skill system have been set up. I like that I can essentially create ANY character that I want, based on the 4 basic styles (Warrior-type, Healer-type, Mage-type, Rogue-type), but turn themI've been playing MMO's since the beginning (Ultima Online in 1997) and have to say that ESO is on of the most refreshing to come along in quite awhile, primarily because of how open-ended the class & skill system have been set up. I like that I can essentially create ANY character that I want, based on the 4 basic styles (Warrior-type, Healer-type, Mage-type, Rogue-type), but turn them into literally anything. As an example, I created a Sorcerer that focuses only on Summoning, wears Heavy Armor, and uses only a Bow in combat, i.e. essentially a hybrid Hunter. Using the Healer (Templar) base, I was also able to create both a Paladin (Heavy Armor, Sword & Shield, only some healing abilities) and an entirely unique Cleric (Cloth Armor, Healing Staff, almost entirely healing abilities).
    However, the really difference here is that the game is significantly better quality storytelling in the great Questing system they've set up that puts it at a level that makes you feel like you have to make some real choices that will have a lasting impact on the world around you (from what I can tell, the environment literally changes around you based on what you decide.
    It's all the little things too - the fact that it feels so much like an extension of previous Elder Scrolls games, has absolutely gorgeous graphics & animations, beautiful music, more voice acting than I've ever seen in an MMO, a complex crafting system that allows you to create weapons and armor that actually look unique and are BETTER than what you find out in the world (at least so far), a Banking system that makes it SO much easier to share resources between all your characters (I'm the kind of player that can't stand playing any fewer than 6 characters at once), and a PvP system that feels very meaningful.
    The only thing missing that so far the game doesn't seem to have Housing! How do you NOT have housing in a game based on Elder Scrolls? Not to mention that so many other games either have it or will soon enough (even WOW is coming out with some kind of Garrison-type system I think).
    The bottom line is that I highly recommend this game to any fan of MMO's or of Elder Scrolls. All in all, yes the game has some minor flaws, but the positives far outweigh any of the annoyances (like the multi-hour updates that have already happened 3 times in the last week!).    … Expand
  57. littlebuddy
    Apr 11, 2014
    9
    as far as this game being the WOW killer. the only thing that is going to kill WOW is blizzard and they are doing a good job at it. but if your looking for a good game to leave it for then this is a game you should try. its a very good game. the quests are interesting and dont feel like a grind. so far im enjoying it and would recommend playing it.
  58. Paxter82
    Apr 11, 2014
    8
    My experience so far in ESO has been extremely enjoyable. I don't feel it is fair to compare eso to skyrim which is an offline game, MMO has a number of constraints which makes it close to impossible to match from game mechanics to graphic. So my comparison is more towards other mmos. The few things I like is the mega server, classes, pvp, the difficulty of the dungeons and the craftingMy experience so far in ESO has been extremely enjoyable. I don't feel it is fair to compare eso to skyrim which is an offline game, MMO has a number of constraints which makes it close to impossible to match from game mechanics to graphic. So my comparison is more towards other mmos. The few things I like is the mega server, classes, pvp, the difficulty of the dungeons and the crafting system. I will cover two of the things I like the most, the server n the class system.

    The server - the server phasing of the zone is remarkably seamless, which is great cause those around you are doing the same thing which allows progression at the same phase, you also will notice that the developers took the time to really craft each quest, and once you have complete it the world actually permanently change, for example I was asked to defend a town under daedra attack, when I started the town was burning, when we repealed the attack you saw corpses all over the town and fires being put out, once you kill the boss in a nearby cave and return the town was almost back to normal n the towns folk conversations actually change to reflect your actions, in my case I killed the traitor instead of arresting him, my action triggered a different outcome. That little details do give you the impression that you are changing your environment around you. In some zones ghosts for example turn neutral because of an outcome of a quest.

    Classes - the holy trinity is still there, non eso players have been complaining about how un imaginative the game is when it comes to the classes, in my opinion this is completely BS the 4 classes are a basic template from there you can practically build any class you can imagine n most probably very playable.

    A dragon knight is your typical tanker, yet you can build a dragon Mage which uses cloth armour and a flame staff n suddenly you are hurling fireballs and massive dot and AOE attacks, they can also be a berserker dealing massive damage, n stun locking your opponent, n pulling them to you ensuring the poor dude can't run away

    The night blade is your typical rogue, yet it has a whole tree which basically turns him into a warlock dealing with death magic, or a ranger, firing arrows that will make Legolas look like a newb

    The Templar is your healer, yet in actuality all the classes can actually be healers the night blade has a build that makes them viable healers in their own right, the Templar can also be a solar Mage using the power of the sun to become a Caster centered on AOE spells n debuffs, they also have a Dps build that rivals the damage of a dragon knight.

    The Mage can be a summoner which masters the art of minions or a tank Mage, fighting with a sword n shield

    Overall the class possibilities are actually endless n making you carefully decide on which abilities to use on your limited hot bar requires you to do some serious planning on what works n what doesn't.

    My only concerns is the supposed new content at a dlc quality content almost on a monthly basis I feel that it is quite ambitious of them, if it does follow through then they seriously have done very well for themselves, making the 15$ worth it. But if they don't I can't see my self playing it past the next six months. As it stands it's a very good mmo, especially the story n the immersion which puts it pretty high, on my list. It doesn't exactly bring something new to the mmo genre but it is very much refined with space to be better.    … Expand
  59. rdrunner10
    Apr 28, 2014
    10
    For the last few years I have felt WOW is just plain boring I have always hated the bad character models but have accepted it as a price for playing that game. While finally someone has made a game which better to play and also looks better. This is probably the best MMO since DAOC and probably will end up being even better then that game. Great job Zenimax.
  60. Bekah
    Apr 28, 2014
    10
    The best benefit of elderscroll is the skill system. They combined an skill based talentsystem with the elder scrolls learning by doing attempt. The result is an very free Skill system that gives you much place for individuality. The fights are much more dynamic than in other mmo and at some parts the fight are quite challenging. The voice acting and the lovely designed quests improves theThe best benefit of elderscroll is the skill system. They combined an skill based talentsystem with the elder scrolls learning by doing attempt. The result is an very free Skill system that gives you much place for individuality. The fights are much more dynamic than in other mmo and at some parts the fight are quite challenging. The voice acting and the lovely designed quests improves the leveling process. The groupcontent is quite good perhabs it's a bit to few in the early game, because leveling together is difficult because of the phasing ( it's more based on random grouping than focused on an leveling experience together). [bythe way mobbs grinding in openworld in an 4 headed group is the fastest way to level). The PvP is awesome, but it's nearly pointless to join it before max level, not because you can't to anything but because its slowdown your leveling process. Furthermore if you are low level your an to easy aim for small groups so you need a big group of 24+. In the PvP area are repeating pve quests, you can lvl quite fast there but it's still questing, the advatage this quests are not phased disadvantage the quest repeat randomly so it's some sort of grinding and not evera group member has the same one. But it's pretty fast way to do it together. one or two times an dgo to the next nexus of quests in cyrodil. The main Story is okay and quite typical for the TES series also it feels a bit more stretched because of the slow leveling process of the MMO genre. Crafting is awesome in this Game, it's simple flexible enough to support every build you come up with. But pvp raiding is very much fun and looks awesome. The instances are designed for 4 people. They are nothing new but there are a lot of it, because there are extended veteran versions of every instance of the low lvl areas. Every Instance gives you one skill point so and there is and skilltree you can only level with them, the loot is a bit to low open world mobs drops better. Concerning it is an MMO the bugs are quite few i have played now about 150 hours and have had 2 quest breaking buggs and one is fixxed already than a week. So overall the game is a pretty good MMO , the best thing about it is the skillsystem and the crafting everthing beyond this is MMO typical on a quite high niveau. I Substract one point because in of the unconfortable questing in groups.… Expand
  61. beeper917
    Apr 5, 2014
    10
    A positive spin on the MMO genre. You won't find boring quests like "kill ten rats" or anything like that. Other nice things are you can craft with all the materials in the bank, thus saving inventory space. Great graphics and story based quests with an Elder Scrolls feel. Definitely recommend this game.
  62. SwagSwag
    Apr 8, 2014
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The best leveling experience I have ever had. I have had quests that got so emotional I nearly cried, there are quests that have you build up a city from no inhabitants. There are multiple endings to some quests. Now if that was not cool, later in the game, some NPC's you chose to save help you out in a Final Battle.

    Another one of the features that sets this game apart is the PvP- You can hear the siege weapons Blasting into the ground, as you return fire with your own. You can lead a team of players over to enemy territory to cut off enemy reinforcements. Oh and did I mention that the PvP zone is a fully functional zone with quests and public dungeons too.

    The future of this game looks great too, they have a ton of free updates in the works, including the high level 4 - 12 player "Adventure Zone" , horse racing, a justice system, and more quest lines like the dark brotherhood and thieves guild.    … Expand
  63. SicDev
    Apr 5, 2014
    10
    Even though the game has it flaws it really is a diamond in the big scale. It needs time to adapt into the MMORPG genre, new features are bound to happen and more adventures to be discovered.
  64. Surg3on
    Apr 14, 2014
    8
    Its a good Elder Scrolls game that would be almost perfect if it had of been Single Player! The only big flaws are the MMO style 'public dungeons' and quests where the immersion is ruined by other players. There is a bit of a lack of truly gigantic dungeons as well. The actual quests are excellent, easily as well done as the ones in Skyrim only there are a hundred times more!.
    The    Its a good Elder Scrolls game that would be almost perfect if it had of been Single Player! The only big flaws are the MMO style 'public dungeons' and quests where the immersion is ruined by other players. There is a bit of a lack of truly gigantic dungeons as well. The actual quests are excellent, easily as well done as the ones in Skyrim only there are a hundred times more!.
    The graphics are excellent if you can run them, moddable single player game probably would have made them look even better! The voice acting is pretty good considering the sheer volume of it.    … Expand
  65. TheVindelator
    May 3, 2014
    9
    Buggy at times but wonderful in many ways. Graphics, quests and character progression are generally better than any mmo to date. It will take them some time before this game is perfect though.
  66. Jekkoo
    Apr 11, 2014
    9
    If you want an online game with great graphics and engaging story, this is the game you are looking for. I wanted to play an MMO for so long, but they were so outdated in graphics and the gameplay was soo casual, I thought I wasted my time and money.

    The game doesn't tell you to kill 10 monsters, bring 5 vials, and every other boring no brainer "tasks" you need to do. Every quest you    If you want an online game with great graphics and engaging story, this is the game you are looking for. I wanted to play an MMO for so long, but they were so outdated in graphics and the gameplay was soo casual, I thought I wasted my time and money.

    The game doesn't tell you to kill 10 monsters, bring 5 vials, and every other boring no brainer "tasks" you need to do. Every quest you are on will affect you emotionally, which will make the gameplay more fluid, which has been the reason we get satisfied for every great game we played.

    In addition, whatever you like to do more, you get more specialized in that area. If you like to play dual wield, you will have much better hit rate with dual wield. If you like bows, it will give you more bonus. Everything you enjoy to do defines your character, which is the main reason you become more attached to your character.

    There is no auction house, which makes everybody focus on production instead of money. You will not see farming like in the other MMO's, the more you make for yourself, the better stuff you will have, and a greater advantage will you have in both PVE and PVP.

    Combat is unique, where you can dodge, block, stun whenever you need to, feeling more control over your character than in the other MMO's.

    The monthly fee is definetely worth it, you will not feel robbed. I also insist you to update your PC so you can taste the environment to its full, and play in a beautiful atmosphere. This is the next-gen MMO game you were always looking for.    … Expand
  67. Xallus
    May 17, 2014
    9
    This game has all of the lore that any Elder Scrolls fan will love as well as real challenging hurdles in quest progression, as some of the negative posters have noted. It's not a button smashing game that most people having problems seem to think games should be, it is heavy on strategy and slotting the right skills to your limited action bar. PvP is a long haul, campaigns are 90 days,This game has all of the lore that any Elder Scrolls fan will love as well as real challenging hurdles in quest progression, as some of the negative posters have noted. It's not a button smashing game that most people having problems seem to think games should be, it is heavy on strategy and slotting the right skills to your limited action bar. PvP is a long haul, campaigns are 90 days, something that should be cut in half in my opinion. No one should be reviewing this game unless they have hit Veteran 10. I have played every major MMO in the last 11 years, the only one that wasn't from launch was EvE, and this is by far the best MMO release I have ever seen. Negatives are its an extremely CPU heavy game, they state minimum quad core, I'm running an 8 core and it sucks up 20%, so those running minimum will probably have a bad time. Which is also probably why console release has just been delayed 6 months, the game is too good for the platforms.… Expand
  68. Demikly
    Apr 14, 2014
    10
    Brilliant MMO with a healthy dose of excellent TES lore, story, PvP sieges and excellent combat.

    If you enjoy MMORPGs & TES games, there is no way you will not like this game. If you enjoy SP RPGs and TES games, try it out, and you may be surprised. I really rate the game at a 9 or 9.5, but have used 10 to balance the multitude of SP Skyrim nerdrage earlier in the ratings with their    Brilliant MMO with a healthy dose of excellent TES lore, story, PvP sieges and excellent combat.

    If you enjoy MMORPGs & TES games, there is no way you will not like this game.
    If you enjoy SP RPGs and TES games, try it out, and you may be surprised.

    I really rate the game at a 9 or 9.5, but have used 10 to balance the multitude of SP Skyrim nerdrage earlier in the ratings with their 'O' ratings.    … Expand
  69. Ani77
    Apr 9, 2014
    10
    best mmo ever. i am so glad i bought this one.Great graphics ,great quests and a great lore.Thank you Zenimax .It has some minor issues and bugs but it is just the beginning
  70. Wyleray
    Apr 5, 2014
    10
    Combat wise, very much like a mixture of a standard mmo (Aion, WoW, Etc.) and GW2. The Difference being the main attacks being executed the same way exactly as it would be in an Elder SCrolls game. The rest of the PVE content mimics an Elder Scrolls game very well, more than an MMO. The quests are emotionally driven and well fleshed out, diverse and interesting. Levelling up is fun andCombat wise, very much like a mixture of a standard mmo (Aion, WoW, Etc.) and GW2. The Difference being the main attacks being executed the same way exactly as it would be in an Elder SCrolls game. The rest of the PVE content mimics an Elder Scrolls game very well, more than an MMO. The quests are emotionally driven and well fleshed out, diverse and interesting. Levelling up is fun and challenging, and pvp is outstanding. Played correctly pvp is far better than any other mmo. Flaws in the game being its limits on things such as attack types and weapon mixture attack trees, not really flaws as they are to be expected of a newly released mmo but some people are stupid. Over time all systems in the game can easily be greatly expanded upon as well, the game has a long and exciting future and will most likely not go ftp any time soon :)… Expand
  71. kidl33t
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    This game is great. It's an excellent blending of the MMO genre with the Elder Scrolls series. The amount of detail, dialogue and lore in this game is astounding.

    Combat is a lot of fun too. It's very dynamic compared to most MMO's.
  72. utternerd
    Apr 10, 2014
    9
    While there are certainly issues to be worked out (the guild store lacks search functionality) and bugged quests, these are all typical launch issues in MMOs. They're also typical issues with any complex commercial software as well, gaming is not immune to these complexities. Overall, quite addictive and satisfying. I haven't wanted to play an MMORPG in a few years now, and this has filledWhile there are certainly issues to be worked out (the guild store lacks search functionality) and bugged quests, these are all typical launch issues in MMOs. They're also typical issues with any complex commercial software as well, gaming is not immune to these complexities. Overall, quite addictive and satisfying. I haven't wanted to play an MMORPG in a few years now, and this has filled the void for me. It was also a rather smooth launch to boot.… Expand
  73. DDraiman1990
    Apr 11, 2014
    9
    The Elder Scrolls Online is one of those rare, special MMOs you dont see very often. so why a lot of people are saying this is not a good MMO or a good Elder Scrolls game? because people got used to this lame gaming society. i LOVE that this game isnt obvious to play. i love that the combat system is simple yet adaptive. i HATE that people want the experience to be like WoW or Guild WarsThe Elder Scrolls Online is one of those rare, special MMOs you dont see very often. so why a lot of people are saying this is not a good MMO or a good Elder Scrolls game? because people got used to this lame gaming society. i LOVE that this game isnt obvious to play. i love that the combat system is simple yet adaptive. i HATE that people want the experience to be like WoW or Guild Wars because its "Bad Gaming" in my account. WoW started out as a wonderful game because it came out at a time we didnt have the internet to tell us what Builds we should get or what equipment we should pursue. nowadays we have Walkthroughs and Builds and Guides to help all the lazy players. ESO is one of those games that if you come with the above attitude, waiting for everything to be obvious and fast paced and easy - you wont enjoy it! i think ESO is a special experience that everyone should try and do it with no comparison in mind. the combat system is good, the exploring is fun and if you really make an effort to get invested in the story - it actually feels like an Elder Scrolls game. so stop complaining and start playing.… Expand
  74. corbindamasca
    Apr 11, 2014
    8
    A solid effort right out of the gate, ESO promises to deliver a unique experience in the MMO space that isn't just a cut and paste of previous offerings by other companies. It's not flawless and it's got some curious design choices at launch, but it's to be commended for trying to blaze a new trail in several areas. The biggest challenge it faces is trying to be enough of an MMO for theA solid effort right out of the gate, ESO promises to deliver a unique experience in the MMO space that isn't just a cut and paste of previous offerings by other companies. It's not flawless and it's got some curious design choices at launch, but it's to be commended for trying to blaze a new trail in several areas. The biggest challenge it faces is trying to be enough of an MMO for the MMO crowd (many of whom claim to want no more 'WoW clones', yet decry any game that launches without everything WoW has), and enough of an Elder Scrolls game for those coming from that fan base. Only time will tell if it creates a satisfying fusion of the two experiences, which is a challenge given that the Elder Scrolls games have always had a laser focus on the single player experience. There's plenty of content to justify an initial purchase and a few months of subscription time, but it remains to be seen if the content updates can keep up with the frantic pace that players tend to devour it. I've barely touched upon the PvP side of things, but so far it reminds me of how Guild Wars 2 handled it. You can throw yourself into it or it can be safely ignored, there's plenty to do otherwise.… Expand
  75. papiculos
    Apr 21, 2014
    10
    alright. so I've been playing TES for as long as i could remember. starting with dagger fall. now this game isn't your standard MMO. it will shock you how different this game is to other MMOs. now bugs and launch issues aside this has been without a doubt one of the best launches i have ever experienced. customer service genuinely cares and is expedient to your needs. now this game lets ualright. so I've been playing TES for as long as i could remember. starting with dagger fall. now this game isn't your standard MMO. it will shock you how different this game is to other MMOs. now bugs and launch issues aside this has been without a doubt one of the best launches i have ever experienced. customer service genuinely cares and is expedient to your needs. now this game lets u be anything you want to be. when i say that i mean ANYTHING. you want to be a sorcerer with full plate and use a two handed mace then go ahead. this game is a breath of fresh air to the MMO genre and i highly recommend to both TES and MMO vets. By the way, this is also the best PvP i have ever had the chance of experiencing… Expand
  76. Shrufire
    Aug 19, 2014
    10
    This game is good. Really good. It's not your standard MMO. The game plays like an elder scrolls game. You go around doing a lot of quests in a beautiful world. The way quests work are great. They aren't your normal quests with maybe a second part to it. Each quest is it's own story. It can be anything from a village being attacked by a swarm of daedra, to a noble being controlled by aThis game is good. Really good. It's not your standard MMO. The game plays like an elder scrolls game. You go around doing a lot of quests in a beautiful world. The way quests work are great. They aren't your normal quests with maybe a second part to it. Each quest is it's own story. It can be anything from a village being attacked by a swarm of daedra, to a noble being controlled by a daedra and sending out his soldiers to kill a peaceful group of people. You also have a lot more freedom with classes. You can make your classes use any weapon you want. I've seen people play a Nightblade (ESO version of a rogue) using a 2-handed sword and a healing staff. They were pretty good. The PVP is the best PVP I've played in an MMO. The PVP here is pretty much Planetside level. You've got a 3 way war and you're suppose to try to push enemies out of forts while taking them yourself. There have been some pretty cool battles. Grinding isn't a great option if you want to level fast. The fastest way to level is by doing quests while killing everything that moves. I got the game from a key retailer so I was able to get my copy for cheap, but even at full retail the game is worth the price. It's a great game that will keep you playing. It's pretty much Skyrim with multiplayer. The best part is that everyone is on one giant mega server. You also have the option to join 5 different guilds. There's just so much that you can do in this game it's just amazing. It's worth a play and with each faction having it's own storyline along with it's own different quests you have a lot of replay value here.… Expand
  77. Barzenak
    Jul 27, 2014
    8
    I have played many mmo's over the years starting with Asheron's Call beta, WoW, LoTR, D&DO, Rift and STO. I do love exploring and playing with family and friends and so I bought this for myself and my wife. I always loved Oblivion and Skyrim and even though this had mediocre reviews I finally picked it up on sale on steam for half off. I have to say I really fell in love with theI have played many mmo's over the years starting with Asheron's Call beta, WoW, LoTR, D&DO, Rift and STO. I do love exploring and playing with family and friends and so I bought this for myself and my wife. I always loved Oblivion and Skyrim and even though this had mediocre reviews I finally picked it up on sale on steam for half off. I have to say I really fell in love with the game's look and feel as it is familiar but new. The quest system is more alive feeling and the lands are full of things to see and do. I can not comment yet on the later or end game content and we will see how the larger group questing goes but so far so good. I highly recommend this game if you enjoy exploration and a more action oriented combat system. Graphically, it is one if not the best looking mmo's I have seen. Installation was flawless although on my wife's pc I had to do some messing with the setting to not get the black screen so many are complaining about. She has a Ati card as I do and the newest drivers but I have to switch it to sue direct x 9 instead of 11 to get it to run.… Expand
  78. Ultimx
    May 5, 2014
    10
    I dont know what the fuss is about the game, i kept hearing how bad it was but when i bought the game a couple weeks after the release it felt like an elder scroll game with other players in it.. So far ive been enjoying everything about the game, from the graphics to the character depth, the story, the quests, i got to say its very well done. The only problem i have is that there is noI dont know what the fuss is about the game, i kept hearing how bad it was but when i bought the game a couple weeks after the release it felt like an elder scroll game with other players in it.. So far ive been enjoying everything about the game, from the graphics to the character depth, the story, the quests, i got to say its very well done. The only problem i have is that there is no way to change the FOV so the first person might not appeal to some, but they are adding it soon, so im excited, and there is lots more to come in future updates, l theves guild and dark brotherhood :D… Expand
  79. MagnaKarp
    Jun 26, 2014
    10
    I would like to start off by disagreeing with everyone calling TESO "a standard MMO" as it clearly isn't. Zenimax and Bethesda have made great strides in the MMO world to provide us with that classic Elder Scrolls feel, but with all the amenities an MMO has to offer. People who don't understand the somewhat more single player feel while leveling but with added MMO options like group PvP,I would like to start off by disagreeing with everyone calling TESO "a standard MMO" as it clearly isn't. Zenimax and Bethesda have made great strides in the MMO world to provide us with that classic Elder Scrolls feel, but with all the amenities an MMO has to offer. People who don't understand the somewhat more single player feel while leveling but with added MMO options like group PvP, group dungeons, public dungeons, and newly integrated open world PvP zones, obviously aren't true fans that have been playing Elder Scrolls games for years. TESO is a true testament to ultimate customization of play in comparison to any other MMO I've come across (trust me I've played a lot recently). I finally don't have to keep surfing through the FTP MMOs out there to find one that fits my needs as a gamer; TESO on its own hits all the necessary criteria of a great game. I'd almost consider it to still be in Beta due to the multitude of content that has still yet to be released. I can hardly wait for content such as the Dark Brotherhood and the Thieves Guild to finally be here. Thank you Bethesda and Zenimax for doing it right.… Expand
  80. malto
    Jul 5, 2014
    9
    first off all the bad reviews for the most part are bs people for some reason wanted to hate this game and so people made up bs reasons to hate it such as "i lagged ones so im giving it a 1" or my favorite "this game is **** because the npcs dont go to sleep at night and wake up in the morning" most people wanted skyrim online. it was never going to be that. its a mmo and a good one atfirst off all the bad reviews for the most part are bs people for some reason wanted to hate this game and so people made up bs reasons to hate it such as "i lagged ones so im giving it a 1" or my favorite "this game is **** because the npcs dont go to sleep at night and wake up in the morning" most people wanted skyrim online. it was never going to be that. its a mmo and a good one at that a lot better then most of the **** thats getting crazy high ratings right now the graphics are good the combat is good the biggest problem is its under populated because of people being idiots. there was a review that said there where pay gates thats bs. the special edition gave you a mount and a new race. thats it. not needed you can still play fine with out it you can play as any faction just cant be a turn coat. all in all most of the bs on here is really idiotic and i hate to see a good game fail because people wanted impossible things/people hate it because everyone else hates it with out playing it them self… Expand
  81. KonanZbarbarian
    Jul 17, 2014
    10
    Kinda sad there are all these negative reviews for such a great game that is only becoming grander. There is a need for people to get over themselves every game has problems the first year if not longer look at WoW and its problems that still exist. Then every other MMO even close to raking in as much money as WoW is either the same game just a different paint job maybe a few minor tweaksKinda sad there are all these negative reviews for such a great game that is only becoming grander. There is a need for people to get over themselves every game has problems the first year if not longer look at WoW and its problems that still exist. Then every other MMO even close to raking in as much money as WoW is either the same game just a different paint job maybe a few minor tweaks in gameplay or presentation. This game has so much going for it the combat is engaging and sometimes unforgiving then there is the story which is as grand as any Elder Scrolls. Finally if you bring of balance issues go look at ANY game made in the past decade RPG FPS or otherwise it always has problems at launch months or even years after and no game will ever please 100% of people and have every single thing they want.… Expand
  82. cjkaine
    Aug 1, 2014
    10
    I thoroughly plunged through this game, as being a beta tester and such I rushed into it and fell in love with it. Now most people hate this game because its not Online Skyrim, which it very well is not. Such as Skyrim was nothing like oblivion and Oblivion much different from morrowind and then so on with the Rest of the series. Every game has told a new story in a new and unique way withI thoroughly plunged through this game, as being a beta tester and such I rushed into it and fell in love with it. Now most people hate this game because its not Online Skyrim, which it very well is not. Such as Skyrim was nothing like oblivion and Oblivion much different from morrowind and then so on with the Rest of the series. Every game has told a new story in a new and unique way with each game comes new ideas have the fans of the series become so blinded by skyrim?… Expand
  83. Naotsugu
    Apr 5, 2014
    10
    This game can be described in ONE word: HUGE!
    The quests are long and always tell a story about the map you're in; the crafting system is more complex than the normal MMO's crafting and is enriched with a nice old-style trade system (you can trade directly with pple near you, and you ''sign'' the items you craft) and guild store(not only a bank); combat is slow but tactic; char    This game can be described in ONE word: HUGE!
    The quests are long and always tell a story about the map you're in; the crafting system is more complex than the normal MMO's crafting and is enriched with a nice old-style trade system (you can trade directly with pple near you, and you ''sign'' the items you craft) and guild store(not only a bank); combat is slow but tactic; char progression is the most deep i've ever seen in MMOs; graphics is just good and ''fits'' the lore, without manga-style design or fancy lights all over etc.
    PvP is something fresh and it's like the crown on a king's head!    … Expand
  84. Osutin24
    Apr 15, 2014
    10
    I've played since beta and this game is like none other that I've seen before it. I've played Wow, SWTOR, LOTR online, GuildWars 2 and other MMO's and this one is like no other. A friendly reminder though, this game is not like it's predecessor in that it's an MMO, not a single player game. The game play is fun and I find myself enjoying the casual questing and foraging. The PvE is reallyI've played since beta and this game is like none other that I've seen before it. I've played Wow, SWTOR, LOTR online, GuildWars 2 and other MMO's and this one is like no other. A friendly reminder though, this game is not like it's predecessor in that it's an MMO, not a single player game. The game play is fun and I find myself enjoying the casual questing and foraging. The PvE is really cool and and offers allot more than what I actually thought it would when I had just heard of the game. I'd give this game a higher score, but with the amount of bugs to be fixed are quite staggering and a few balancing issues should be noted. All that aside I don't mind paying 15.00$ a month for this MMO because I know it's going towards fixing those bugs and balancing.… Expand
  85. keysmachine
    Apr 25, 2014
    10
    the graphics, music and sheer quality of game play makes this a solid experience, sure there are bugs and yes there's a butt load of bots right now making it exceptionally difficult to do public dungeons but those will be sorted soon. Also the amount of 0's this game is receiving on meta critic is hilarious. basically they're saying a Barbie game has more class and game play than thisthe graphics, music and sheer quality of game play makes this a solid experience, sure there are bugs and yes there's a butt load of bots right now making it exceptionally difficult to do public dungeons but those will be sorted soon. Also the amount of 0's this game is receiving on meta critic is hilarious. basically they're saying a Barbie game has more class and game play than this game. which is a total lie.… Expand
  86. outlived
    Apr 10, 2014
    8
    Though it isn't as graphically impressive as skyrim or as immersive I would still argue that this title is more then worthy as any of the previous elder scrolls, I be leave its one of the best mmorpgs I've played in awhil.
  87. YoyoMama
    Apr 9, 2014
    10
    Best MMO experience to be had in years.
    Great action combat. Incredible engrossing story-lines. Wonderfully done voice-overs. This game is just a joy to play for the Elder scrolls and MMO fans.

    There are still some bugs that need to be worked through, but that's to be expected with any new MMO.
  88. WaningMoon
    Apr 9, 2014
    10
    After the beta, I honestly did not know what to expect. I was unsure that the mega server would work, and that the game would deliver. I was wrong. It simply is the best mmo I have ever played. I cannot tell you how many times I have laughed at the antics of Shalador's nemesis Sheogorath and his perfect acting.
    Thanks guys superb job.
  89. Flatline1984
    May 4, 2014
    10
    Been playing MMO for 15 years this one by far is the best I've ever played. I'm so hooked I've stayed up for days just playing this game I'm current a veteran rank 7 and let me tell you if you thought this game will stop at level 50 you are so wrong it only opens up ten fold.. If your on the fence jump over trust me you won't regret it.
  90. garth344
    May 5, 2014
    10
    Beautiful game, never get tired of playing it. Currently Veteran rank 1.

    Best skill system in any mmo Ive played.

    Best crafting system in any mmo Ive played.
  91. Radikal
    Apr 10, 2014
    8
    So far it seems all the haters and bad reviewers were looking for something like WoW? My question to them is; why? This is Elder Scrolls and it is the first ever MMO version. Is it perfect? No; there are a handful of bugged quests still, occasional server issues and moderate imbalances here and there but hey...the game's been out for a whole week at the time of this review. What youSo far it seems all the haters and bad reviewers were looking for something like WoW? My question to them is; why? This is Elder Scrolls and it is the first ever MMO version. Is it perfect? No; there are a handful of bugged quests still, occasional server issues and moderate imbalances here and there but hey...the game's been out for a whole week at the time of this review. What you get is everything Elder Scrolls has always been: spectacular visuals, detailed character creation, beautiful soundtrack and the classic quest lore...all in an MMO environment. This franchise will only get better as time goes on and software/game is improved and the world is further developed via forthcoming game updates and patches. This one is going to get better folks so Elder Scrolls fans buckle up and strap in. The rest; if you came here looking for WoW...you should probably go back to it. You won't find any WoW business here.… Expand
  92. sstouby
    Apr 29, 2014
    9
    So at this very moment the User Rating is 6.2. I've just finished reading all of the review, and there is a lot ! (I'm studying computer-science with pc-games as my speciality!) ESO is a beautiful MMO and well designed, overall a great game and yet a medium User Score. If you don't know the game and came here to see if you should buy it, don't let the low User Score frighten you of.So at this very moment the User Rating is 6.2. I've just finished reading all of the review, and there is a lot ! (I'm studying computer-science with pc-games as my speciality!) ESO is a beautiful MMO and well designed, overall a great game and yet a medium User Score. If you don't know the game and came here to see if you should buy it, don't let the low User Score frighten you of. Guessing it's wow players last cry for help, bashing the game.
    Everyone is entitled to a opinion, but giving it 0 for being ugly, or for bugs(I've encountered 2 minor so far) or ''THERE ISN*T ANY DRAKES! WTF!", is just retarded. And I can honestly tell you, there is a lot of retarded people reviewing this game. Giving it 5 or 7 or whatever is understandable, and the game might not be what you expected, fine! But giving it 0-1 for being the worst game ever is just counterproductive.

    Stability:
    Anyway, so far I've played 20 hours of game time, and have experienced zero serverdown time, zero lag, zero waiting in queue time, which is pretty impressive -- 2 Points!

    Graphics:
    The graphics are of the chart. Really impressive, even close up and the spells looks amazing! And it's a freaking MMO !
    --2 Points!

    Gameplay:
    Many people of bashing haters will tell me otherwise. But the truth is that the combat feels way less clunky then Skyrim. The world feels alive, with NPC's sticking to rutines like you know for Bethasda games, and therefor the game doesn't at all seem static like other MMO's. The enemies are very alive and have have different abilities, which makes every encounter unique.
    --2 Points!

    Content:
    The Skill tree in this game is very unique for other MMO's. There arn't any specific path you must follow. Everything is open and possible.
    The crafting is very, very well designed and is one of the best crafting systems I've seen in recent MMO's.
    The world is huge, like you would expect in a MMO, and there is endless quests just waiting for you.
    - 2 Points!

    Replayablity:
    All quests are fully voiced which actually makes it playable as a single player game, without mindlessly grinding. Also like 30 % of quests come with an important choice which changes to quest completely. It's also worth mentioning the quests are beautiful written, like you would expect from Bethasda.
    --2 Points!

    Other:
    Great community always willing to help you out. So overall a great game. The only thing I have a little problem with is Bethasda aiming the ''big'' raiding party to be a 12-man raid.. And I'm a huge fan of huge raids like 25 people or so. This is of course just my opinion but that was a little bummer for me. (May come, we can't know)
    --1 Points!

    OVERALL SCORE = 9 POINTS!
    Great game, very well written/designed and well worth the money. I'm impressed you can buy a game this good for this low cost. There is a sub-fee to take into consideration before buying the game. But if you plus 2 months of sub-fee payment to the price of the game, you will be able to play it for 2 months and if it still intriges you, then it's well worth the sub-fee ! Great job Bethasda and ZeniMax Online !    … Expand
  93. Uberphat
    Apr 28, 2014
    10
    Been playing this game for about a month now. It's a very nice, fresh take on MMOs. Not sure why everyone is so upset, but me and many others are having a great time. Grouping up and doing quests is great, but if you are solo it's very nicely built so when u run into other people, if you are both attacking you both get credit for killing even tho you are not in the same party. Lots andBeen playing this game for about a month now. It's a very nice, fresh take on MMOs. Not sure why everyone is so upset, but me and many others are having a great time. Grouping up and doing quests is great, but if you are solo it's very nicely built so when u run into other people, if you are both attacking you both get credit for killing even tho you are not in the same party. Lots and lots of amazing lore, this game is rich in prophetic history and oozing with brilliant storytelling. UI is minimal, clean, and very elder scrollish. Bosses are fun, detailed, and surprise you from time to time. PVP is a glorious beast of its own. Massive raids storming multiple castles on multiple fronts. AvAvA Battles are incredibly exciting and amazing spectacles to behold, and partake in. Combat in itself is very fun and action driven, just like in all elder scrolls games. Make no mistake the graphics are beautiful. The art team deserves a special merit for spending the time to detail all the environments and capturing the essence of what elder scrolls is all about. Crafting is by far the deepest I've seen so far, on par with games like EvE. The only down side is the first couple weeks were riddled with bugs, and still a few left over. Also the game crashes quite frequently and unexpectedly at times. These things will be fixed down the road as with any other game. Overall, one of the best MMORPG I have ever played. Its fun, engaging and very exciting at times, while at other times its beautiful, serene, and really immersive.… Expand
  94. robzlol
    Apr 20, 2014
    10
    Nowadays it's really hard for a new MMO to get passed the first 6+ months without everyone saying its **** but i REALLY like this game alot, its very different when it comes to the leveling, in other mmos like yeah WoW SWTOR or FFXIV or whatever it always gets very boring to level up. In ESO its alot more fun couse there is so much more to explore while you level!!
  95. legit_khajiit
    Apr 21, 2014
    9
    A good counterpart to the Elder Scrolls, and great for fans of the other games as it includes everyone province, with decent gameplay.

    The online playing is great - but I find the enemies are often too hard to kill by yourself and when noone is online to play, you're screwed. Character creation has never been better, and a happy return of the class system. If you're looking for a    A good counterpart to the Elder Scrolls, and great for fans of the other games as it includes everyone province, with decent gameplay.

    The online playing is great - but I find the enemies are often too hard to kill by yourself and when noone is online to play, you're screwed.

    Character creation has never been better, and a happy return of the class system. If you're looking for a revolutionary MMORPG, here you are.    … Expand
  96. HiDef90
    May 1, 2014
    10
    This is my first MMO and I've had a blast learning this new style of gaming. So much fun in a world I know and already love. Bugs are sometimes frustrating however they are NOTHING like some of the reviews say they are. These are clearly die hard MMO fanboys just freaking out. If you want a new game to play and be addicted to, this is the one. Loving it :)
  97. DSX714
    Apr 6, 2014
    8
    The best MMO I have ever played. Don't listen to the bad reviews they don't know what they are talking about most of them want this to be something it's not or hate it just for being an MMO. This is not a WoW clone with an elder scrolls skin this very unique. I have played games like WoW and other mmos and they all play out the same way. Generic quests, boring combat, familiar controlThe best MMO I have ever played. Don't listen to the bad reviews they don't know what they are talking about most of them want this to be something it's not or hate it just for being an MMO. This is not a WoW clone with an elder scrolls skin this very unique. I have played games like WoW and other mmos and they all play out the same way. Generic quests, boring combat, familiar control mechanics. I played the Beta and loved it now with the full game I love it even more. It feels like skyrim, balanced and ironed out for multiplayer focus. Not everything is the exact same, you dont kill enemies and loot the exact armor they are wearing and there is barely any ammunition like soul gems and arrows. This is more balanced and requires more effort going through quests you will find things coming together: leveling, armor, weapons. Its not pick up and go like skyrim its more progress then pick up and go. The combat is just like skyrim no more boring watch you and the enemy fight while using a skill in mid combat. Grouping with others is even more fun, its a friendly and relaxing atmosphere this is one of the first online focused games i could see myself playing for over a year. Not everything is satisfying some things you will miss from skyrim like the persistent world with incredible AI where anything could happen, player housing, easier loot, etc. This feels so much like elder scrolls and it is similar to games like wow or guild wars 2. The quests feel more like elder scroll quests than generic mmo quests. There's so much more I could write but trust me this a fantastic mmo so far. I only worry about the end game which was big problem for GW2. But if you accept this game for what it is, It's a real treat for Elder scrolls fans who want to play with other fans, make guilds, adventuring off. Its very satisfying but there are flaws here and there like factions being seperated across the map. But this was the best mmo i ever played and I look forward to playing more of it throughout the year.… Expand
  98. Nithy
    Apr 22, 2014
    9
    This is a great game despite the number of bugs it currently has. The questing is refreshing compared to other MMOs I've played in the past and the PvP system borrows heavily from previous PvP MMOs that I've enjoyed (Dark Age of Camelot and Warhammer: Age of Reckoning).
  99. Podlif
    Apr 10, 2014
    10
    Absolutely Hated this game when I played the Beta. Things have changed. Is it as quality as a single player elder scrolls game? No. But God damn for an MMO it comes close. Leveling your character isn't a chore when you are lost in the fantastic world the developers created. It's buggy, and some wrong choices were made. But when things come together it feels like an amazing rpg experience.
  100. Koloski
    Apr 25, 2014
    10
    This is the best MMO, I've played since WoW. This game is well done and has me and my friends playing an MMO again. At 40 years old, I thought MMO's were a thing of the past for me and my group of gaming friends. But, for whatever reason this game works.

    I'm actually enjoying leveling and exploring. I haven't felt that way in a really long time. I don't feel the rush to cap my    This is the best MMO, I've played since WoW. This game is well done and has me and my friends playing an MMO again. At 40 years old, I thought MMO's were a thing of the past for me and my group of gaming friends. But, for whatever reason this game works.

    I'm actually enjoying leveling and exploring. I haven't felt that way in a really long time. I don't feel the rush to cap my level for the real game to start. There are some quest breaking bugs from time to time, or the oddity here or there. Some issues with guild banks, dupes etc... But, all that is just normal MMO release stuff.

    Every game has those issues on release. I don't care what anyone says. All games have problems, for the most part this game is completely playable and that is the key. It is almost impossible to completely test an MMO till it goes full production. I think in general they have reacted well to the issues and gave timely updates, which is key for communication sake.

    To me a true test of an MMO is enjoyment and longevity. I know me and I can grow tired of an MMO quickly. But, I can tell from the first month if I'm going to stick with it. Like Star Wars, I knew I was going to burn out on that game quick. But, it was a great ride for the first 30 to 60 days. This game has enough systems in place and the character development is so varied that, I know I'll be playing this for a long time.

    Lets be honest, Bethesda or whoever the parent company is called Zenimax or something just do things right. They will provide content, they will design better systems, they will perform. Just like they do with all their key franchises.

    I know the trend now is to give MMO lower scores, because sites have been burned in the past for giving great reviews early. But, this game is going to be a classic and will thrive. It deserves a 90+ and I'm sorry to see the low metacritic score on it overall. I was hoping that MMORPG would be one who actually took their time to give it proper praise and also appreciate what they tried to do here.

    Most reviews all praise how fun it is, but then give it a 70 to low 80 score. I don't get that. The graphics for an MMO are great, the sound is good, music good, quest design good, story good, extra systems good. The only real knock on it is the bugs right now and gold sellers. What game doesn't have those?    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Most Discussed PC Game of 2014
14
#14 Most Shared PC Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 64 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 64
  2. Mixed: 36 out of 64
  3. Negative: 1 out of 64
  1. CD-Action
    Jul 23, 2014
    60
    Eight years of development, a team consisting of even 250 people at some points, budget reaching hundreds of millions of dollars. It’s a pity that this ‘Skyrim Online’ disappoints both fans of previous Bethesda games and MMORPG veterans who expected some fresh air in the stale genre. [06/2014, p.44]
  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jul 8, 2014
    60
    A well done MMO that can lure players not familiar with the genre. But if you've played MMOs before, this one doesn't offer anything new, nor anything exciting.
  3. DarkStation
    Jun 16, 2014
    50
    60 days was more then enough time for me to determine that I would rather spend my time elsewhere.
    Read full review
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