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. Latorn
    Feb 25, 2019
    10
    Greatly improved since launch. One of, if not THE best MMORPGs of 2018/2019.
  2. neytirix77
    Sep 15, 2019
    10
    Interesting world
    Fun combat
    Great leveling experience Interesting and varied systems Really cool PVP Tons of quests that are ACTUALLY REALLY INTERESTING Lots of endgame content with tons of challenges for all the veteran kids! Lots of stuff to collect and hoard A very active trading market A very active community Super social! What else can I ask for? Been playing for 3 and a    Interesting world
    Fun combat
    Great leveling experience
    Interesting and varied systems
    Really cool PVP
    Tons of quests that are ACTUALLY REALLY INTERESTING
    Lots of endgame content with tons of challenges for all the veteran kids!
    Lots of stuff to collect and hoard
    A very active trading market
    A very active community
    Super social!

    What else can I ask for? Been playing for 3 and a half years.    … Expand
  3. Archemer
    Feb 13, 2020
    10
    It had issues at launch but the alternative games are definitely less enjoyable.
  4. Artok1488
    May 28, 2020
    10
    Советую играть только тем, кто не боится общаться с людьми. Потому что в соло игра откроется вам по другому.
    По поводу графики всё очень хорошо. Локаций много и квесты на 7. Но игре ставлю 10 потому что задания тут не главное.    Советую играть только тем, кто не боится общаться с людьми. Потому что в соло игра откроется вам по другому.
    По поводу графики всё очень хорошо. Локаций много и квесты на 7. Но игре ставлю 10 потому что задания тут не главное.
  5. Kamama
    Apr 15, 2023
    10
    Very cool MMORPG with a huge amount of quest and a beatiful open world. One of my favorites
  6. CollectorRed
    Jun 11, 2023
    10
    I uninstalled Diablo IV and repurchased ESO on steam. Previously I had it on pc. Immediately I am thrust into a huge open world, with players bustling around me. I was so happy that I could level and gain power, that I just ended up fishing for a few hours to get some perfect roe. Even fishing, I could get a valuable item that helped my character upgrade itself. Perfect Roe is worth aI uninstalled Diablo IV and repurchased ESO on steam. Previously I had it on pc. Immediately I am thrust into a huge open world, with players bustling around me. I was so happy that I could level and gain power, that I just ended up fishing for a few hours to get some perfect roe. Even fishing, I could get a valuable item that helped my character upgrade itself. Perfect Roe is worth a lot of gold at guild traders. What a breath of fresh air! To be able to enter an unexplored area, after previously leaving the game for 3 years, this is the type of fun I wanted. Epic crafting system, really good character customization, and social interaction. Thanks for welcoming me back, ESO.… Expand
  7. AAAStudios
    Jun 29, 2023
    10
    As a fan of The Elder Scrolls I am so happy to be able to finally play with friends with The Elder Scrolls Online!!! Thank you Zenimax Online Studios for all of your hard work!
  8. kheas
    Apr 28, 2014
    9
    I started playing this game in Beta and was immediately interested in pre-ordering the game. I am glad I did. This game gives me everything I liked about the single player Elderscrolls games but with a larger area to explore and more options than ever before. I am thoroughly enjoying myself and look forward to the future expansions to come.

    This is the MMO for fans of the    I started playing this game in Beta and was immediately interested in pre-ordering the game. I am glad I did. This game gives me everything I liked about the single player Elderscrolls games but with a larger area to explore and more options than ever before. I am thoroughly enjoying myself and look forward to the future expansions to come.

    This is the MMO for fans of the Elderscrolls series and play style. It is not the MMO to replace WOW but one that will appeal to those of us that like the solo game-play of Elderscrolls and would like the option to play with others. If Bethesda were smart they would market this game more toward the non-WOW players and try to bring on board people like myself, solo gamers.

    I cant give it a perfect 10 but it comes darn close (9.75 if I could). Great game, beautiful graphics, excellent controls and UI. A few glitches and bugs but overall I Love it.    … Expand
  9. MrMT
    Apr 15, 2014
    9
    This is the best new MMO to come along for some time. The skill system is excellently flexible, allowing a great range of playstyles with each of the 4 core classes. The world is enjoyable to explore and quest in, the crafting works well, the combat is meaty and satisfying. I would say this is a pip above Guild Wars 2 at this stage; we'll have to see how it feels in a couple of months.
  10. The_Ommadawn
    Apr 7, 2014
    9
    Good : Huge game, tons of content, action packed, varied locations, interesting skill trees, 1st and 3rd person play styles, simple interface, Elder Scrolls!, dodging and blocking matter, good storyline, intuitive menus, fully voice acted, colourful, high standard graphics, time vampire, perfect rescue from the real world, _________ Bad : Seen this style of game before, can beGood : Huge game, tons of content, action packed, varied locations, interesting skill trees, 1st and 3rd person play styles, simple interface, Elder Scrolls!, dodging and blocking matter, good storyline, intuitive menus, fully voice acted, colourful, high standard graphics, time vampire, perfect rescue from the real world, _________ Bad : Seen this style of game before, can be overwhelming, need MMO experience to get the most out of it, the usual people moan all the time, no auction house, gold sellers already, melee collision detection isn't the best, not enough gold to buy stuff, toon animation disappointing, quest bugs, server downtime, still not as good as WoW,… Expand
  11. 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
  12. DaveMo
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    After playing the first two beta weekends I had access to, I swore I would never buy this game. After the final two, I was in love. This is a truly amazing game. The combat is wonderful. This is impressive considering how I didn't care for it in the first beta. Modifications made it a keeper. There is a lot of timing and smart attack sequencing involved.

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

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

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

    This doesn't include the PvP which is also wonderful.    … Expand
  13. 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).
  14. RecoveryRx
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    Easily the best mmo I've played in many a year and definitely the most immersive one I've ever played period. Would give this game a 9 but I'm knocking off a point for somewhat questionable business practices in the fact that they locked a race behind the collector's edition and have a cash shop like a f2p game when they said they wouldn't do that.

    Game itself though - incredible.
  15. Mach1av3ll1
    Apr 12, 2014
    9
    tl;dr Give it time. It will grow on you like a cancer. But a lovely cancer. Not one of those bad ones.

    I made this review specifically to address a lot of the negative reviews on this game, as well as to balance out some of the overly positive one. I think there is enough coverage on the nitty gritty details of this game, so I want to look at it from a more meta perspective. This review    tl;dr Give it time. It will grow on you like a cancer. But a lovely cancer. Not one of those bad ones.

    I made this review specifically to address a lot of the negative reviews on this game, as well as to balance out some of the overly positive one. I think there is enough coverage on the nitty gritty details of this game, so I want to look at it from a more meta perspective. This review will be in three parts, to address those who are looking for a new elder scrolls game, those looking for a WoW successor, and the pace of the game. Be forewarned, if you are looking for a new, traditionally rooted, elder scrolls game, or a successor to WoW, and will not be satisfied if this game meets these criteria perfectly, this game is not for you.

    1) Those looking for a new elder scrolls game.

    A lot of the individuals who post negative reviews claim how traditionally MMO it is, and how it fails to live up to the elder scrolls standard. My initial reaction to this game was somewhat similar. At first glance, it is so incredibly not an elder scrolls game.Early on, you will often feel yourself clamped into certain paths, limited in a degree you are not comfortable with. The key to overcoming this is to let yourself feel comfortable with the fact that you could never pull off an elder scrolls game in an MMO environment. Elder Scrolls' experience is, at it's core, rooted in the way the player interacts with and changes the world. It is the space, and opportunities that lay waiting just for you. When you introduce other players into that environment, it's not feasible to expect it to flow in the way that elder scrolls does. It would leave you waiting for things to spawn, unhappy with the pace, frustrated with the concentration of players in different regions, and the server side requirements of instancing that much **** would be crippling in expense.

    2) It's not WoW

    If you treat this game like WoW, you will be sorely disappointed. So much of the game is left to you. The skills, crafting, and leveling systems are so much more open than the traditional mmo you will repeatedly be left feeling overwhelmed and confused, which is a frustrating experience for an MMO player. A big appeal, and a big part of the expense, is their attempts to create interesting story lines and quests that specifically aren't tedious. Failing to read these quests, which is easy to do, will make the experience feel incredibly hollow.

    From a meta perspective, this game is really awful in the first 10-15 hours of gameplay. I dont mean that it's actually awful, but the fact of the matter is that you will come into this game with expectations of MMOs, expectations of the Elder Scrolls, and you will dislike how it differs. You will feel simultaneously overwhelmed and uninterested in the world around you. You will view your gaming experience like a giant pile of bureaucratic paperwork, hoping that a raise lies at the end of it. This game does not hook you in right away.

    The first moment I suddenly felt any sense besides tedium was as I began to PvP. Entering cyrodiil, warping to a combat zone, and suddenly being involved in a gigantic siege was phenomenal. I died a lot. But I also saw trebuchets, walls falling, battering rams, and hundreds of players on each side. You feel part of something, and the size of this something is staggering.

    The value of the game comes as you invest in it. The more time you invest, the more chance you give to the story, and what becomes something you skip through instead becomes something you read. Suddenly you'll be faced with making decisions of moral ambiguity, and you'll have invested in the lives of this village, and their fate is in your hands. You begin to feel purpose.

    A similar experience happens with the crafting and leveling systems. The flexibility in these systems is incredibly overwhelming, and it's poorly explained. But as you carry on, you'll begin to find synergies, and where before you had an idea you were treating with casual disinterest, you'll suddenly be going on a 5 minute tirade of the strength of synergies in 2h tree with templar's Aedric Wrath tree.

    Most games these days don't ask anything of you. They do their best to suck you in, and try to put out long enough for you to not get bored. From the get go, it's a sense of "This is how you do it, now look, explosions!" ESO Does not do that. ESO asks things from you. It asks you to learn, and it asks for your patience. And if you give it these two things, you'll begin to uncover the incredibly rewarding game that lies underneath. So, I implore you, give it time. Get to the 20th hour. The feeling of surprise when you realize you care, you want to see more, you want to know more, and you want some more money to afford a goddamn respec, is incredibly rewarding.

    Thank you for taking the time to read the musing of a rambling old man.

    Love,
    Mach1av3ll1.    … Expand
  16. 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
  17. Alcapwn
    Apr 5, 2014
    9
    After reading through the negative reviews I can tell the majority of them are due to either the subscription model, pre-purchase incentives, or the reviewer played for 10 minutes and didn't get immediately hooked. I'm not going to talk about the preorder stuff even though I don't agree with what they did. The gameplay is what's important and it's fantastic. The quests have the greatAfter reading through the negative reviews I can tell the majority of them are due to either the subscription model, pre-purchase incentives, or the reviewer played for 10 minutes and didn't get immediately hooked. I'm not going to talk about the preorder stuff even though I don't agree with what they did. The gameplay is what's important and it's fantastic. The quests have the great writing and backstory that is familiar to elder scrolls fans and they are varied enough to keep things interesting. The problem is the weak beginning. The game didn't really hook me until level 15 or so which is disappointing since that is several hours into the game. The amount of content is crazy and couple that with one of the best crafting and pvp systems I've seen in a long time and I think this will be a very popular game with a hardcore following.… Expand
  18. xgamrx
    Apr 16, 2014
    9
    ESO is not your typical hack and slash MMORPG. It is a mix between Dungeon and Dragons Online, Age of Conan, Guild Wars, and World of Warcraft. I am not writing this review as a fan boy of Bethesda, but believe it is important that I chime in on the different perspectives of the game. The exploration and discovery component is enthralling to say the least. The battle engine could useESO is not your typical hack and slash MMORPG. It is a mix between Dungeon and Dragons Online, Age of Conan, Guild Wars, and World of Warcraft. I am not writing this review as a fan boy of Bethesda, but believe it is important that I chime in on the different perspectives of the game. The exploration and discovery component is enthralling to say the least. The battle engine could use some minor improvements but is adequate. The game play is really challenging and makes you think and prepare a plan before engaging in most battles. I have noticed no or minimal load times with absolutely zero in-game pop ups. The grinding is minimal while the character voice over, storyline and graphics are simply astonishing. It's a visceral treat and experience like no other. I will not comment on the PVP element since I am really not interested in that particular component. This review is coming from an extremely cynical gamer. Yes, ESO is not perfect and no game will ever completely meet or exceed our expectations, but it is still worth purchasing for any discerning gamer.… Expand
  19. Augustus75
    Apr 14, 2014
    9
    If not for the unfortunate amount of bugs, this game would be getting a much higher score. The PVE is interesting, and while following the same grammar of other mmorpgs they manage to create an engaging world and story line that seems fresh. The graphics are without any argument the best in the business, but again the immersion can sometimes be broken by clunky movement and those peskyIf not for the unfortunate amount of bugs, this game would be getting a much higher score. The PVE is interesting, and while following the same grammar of other mmorpgs they manage to create an engaging world and story line that seems fresh. The graphics are without any argument the best in the business, but again the immersion can sometimes be broken by clunky movement and those pesky launch bugs.
    Combat in this game is exciting, and moves the genre forward not only through versatile, dynamic builds, but also by implementing dodge and aim as opposed to basic tab targeting/macro mashing. The use of instances and similar zone hubs is disappointing, but the sheer size of each zone gives creedence to exploring. The guild stores are interesting compared to the standard AH, and being able to join up to 5 guilds ensures finding a speedy way to buy and sell; I would like the functionality to be more streamlined and easier to use, but hopefully as with Rift, these improvements will be implemented easily within the first year.

    To sum up, this game has some great mechanics behind it, good pvp, good crafting, good community, and beautiful world. The rocky launch remains unfortunate but the game is enjoyable despite. This might be the most grown up, mature mmorpg to date, and while not groundbreaking, it manages to revive a feeling of freshness to an increasingly stale, over-saturated market.    … Expand
  20. Kazlowe
    Jun 1, 2014
    9
    Maybe I tend to enjoy things that the more vocal gamers out there dislike, but I have found ESO to be the perfect blend of MMO and Elder Scrolls. It's also a highly innovative product, something most developers are reluctant to do. This includes a never before seen character construction that breaks all the rules by letting you play with nearly every type of skill in the game, in countlessMaybe I tend to enjoy things that the more vocal gamers out there dislike, but I have found ESO to be the perfect blend of MMO and Elder Scrolls. It's also a highly innovative product, something most developers are reluctant to do. This includes a never before seen character construction that breaks all the rules by letting you play with nearly every type of skill in the game, in countless combinations. The group content and dungeons are exciting and interesting, though questing in the larger world is primarily a single player affair. And the crafting game is very well done and supremely inventive.… Expand
  21. ChrisMattar
    May 9, 2014
    9
    The game is really amazing, the visuals are stunning, quests for the most part are really fun, Im a huge Elder Scrolls fan and Im loving each bit of it. NOW, if you notice all the people giving this great game a 0 which immediately discredits their opinions, and if you read what they say there are 3 kinds of naysayers:

    1. I HATE THIS GAME BECAUSE I WANNA REACH THE END FAST! Cries one    The game is really amazing, the visuals are stunning, quests for the most part are really fun, Im a huge Elder Scrolls fan and Im loving each bit of it. NOW, if you notice all the people giving this great game a 0 which immediately discredits their opinions, and if you read what they say there are 3 kinds of naysayers:

    1. I HATE THIS GAME BECAUSE I WANNA REACH THE END FAST! Cries one guy here, he complains that it takes to long to level, and sometimes quests have multiple steps OH NOES! That's horrible, you actually have to PLAY THE GAME. I feel your pain, you just want to reach cap level in 2 days and if you could skip the whole game you would, well, maybe you should!
    This game as many, is supposed to be played for the pleasure of enjoying it and discovering, not to skip your way thru a speed run to the end, it is all about Story immersion and discovery.
    Oh and lets not forget the followup QQ, there is no endgame content! Boohoo!
    The content as is is humongous and you were complaining about the leveling being to slow, so you did ever trick in the book to boost your XP and skip every story and conversation, so you can reach the game's end in a week and be some sort of oily haired hero sitting in his room and boasting to people you will never meet how awesome you are, then comes the realization that hey there is nothing to do now. Idiotic companies, they should hire a team the size of a country to make so much content that even you can swallow even if it costs a billion dollars and although you wont even see 1% of it because you'll be in a competition with your invisible friend to reach the finish line. you should play a racing game if that's your goal, he who complains about no endgame this early after release is no meant to play MMORPGs because his brain cannot possibly understand what its about. You know that when u see these words, its someone at the rock bottom of ignorance on the other side of the monitor.

    2. I HATE THIS GAME BECAUSE THERE ARE BUGSSSSS THEREFORE ITS THE WORST GAME EVER MADE ZERO!! Yeah an mmo with bugs at release, we should sue them for insulting us. its not like its an immense game with millions of quests npc conversations players intertwined. IT should work flawlessly form day one. That's a great argument! Because all other MMOs came out flawless! Its true what they say that people forget all the bad experiences and remember only the good. Makes for Nice survival instinct but horrible gaming opinions.

    I HATE THIS GAME BECAUSE ITS NOT SKYRIM OR NOT WORLD OF WARCRAFT! Well, Skyrim is a diffent game and a single player one, you want to show us how to make a SP game in an MMO word that feels the same and has the same choice/consequence system, that's a billion dollar idea, now all you have to do is unglue your ass form that poor chair and go create that game. Until then, treat them as separate games and great ones. Close your eyes, hold your breath, and separate the two in your mind.
    As for WoW its still there last time i checked, so.. no need to rage, save your money and invest in a panda, don't even bother with other games, ever. WoW is the best there is so why you even bother? and bother the rest of us. You are scared and annoyed by new concepts you dont understand them, its outside of your comfort zone, you wanna keep your same keyboard mapping, you are so brave and adventurous. Solution as mentioned above, take a chill pill and stay where u are. Dont move! you might get uncomfortable with progress. Order your cheese burger the new expansion is right around the corner.

    This game is great, its fun, it's entertaining, it oozes quality and its immerse. Sure it has issues but that's more than normal at this stage. The people that fall in the above group use those same excuses every game they play, because the problem isn't in the games, the problems are in their lives and heads.    … Expand
  22. 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.
  23. drogon1
    Aug 14, 2014
    9
    I have been playing ESO since launch. ESO had made some poor design decisions (essentially no XP in dungeons among others) that made the game unplayable for me (I do not play MMOs to primarily solo quest in). I gave the game essentially a big fat Zero.

    Now, after a couple of updates, I am thrilled with the direction the game is going in. It is now a 9/10 for me as far as MMOs go. I    I have been playing ESO since launch. ESO had made some poor design decisions (essentially no XP in dungeons among others) that made the game unplayable for me (I do not play MMOs to primarily solo quest in). I gave the game essentially a big fat Zero.

    Now, after a couple of updates, I am thrilled with the direction the game is going in. It is now a 9/10 for me as far as MMOs go. I honestly haven't had this much fun in an MMO since DAOC. If you're an MMO fan, I encourage you to try the game yourself and ignore the negative comments.    … Expand
  24. mrbeavis19
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    First off, all the hate coming at this game is totally undeserved. I played the betas and loved it, so I pre-ordered and have been happy with it thusfar. No MMO has ever launched without bugs and after Oblivion and Skyrim's shaky launches, you'd be an idiot to expect this game to ship in perfect condition. The gameworld is simply too big to catch every conceivable issue before theFirst off, all the hate coming at this game is totally undeserved. I played the betas and loved it, so I pre-ordered and have been happy with it thusfar. No MMO has ever launched without bugs and after Oblivion and Skyrim's shaky launches, you'd be an idiot to expect this game to ship in perfect condition. The gameworld is simply too big to catch every conceivable issue before the deadline. That said, I've encountered no game-breaking bugs in the 15 or so hours that I've played in early access, so I have no idea what everyone is whining about.

    Gameplay-wise, it feels far more like previous Elder Scrolls games than I had thought an MMO could. It's much like playing Oblivion or Skyrim. The environments are breath-taking, like seriously I stopped and stared and admired the detail of the sun rays cast through the pink tree canopy in the Dominion starting area for like 10 minutes, it's easily the prettiest MMO I've ever played. The combat is just as engaging, but more skill-based than the hack-and-slash approach taken in its single-player predecessors. The NPCs and storylines for each faction are interesting and pull you in to the gameworld.

    The crafting is just as fantastic as it was in Skyrim. I love that off the bat, with a new character, I can run out of the city limits, gather materials, and craft myself some nice equipment before carrying on with quests.

    Speaking of quests, I've seen "Wah, questing is the same as every other mmo" too much. **** This game is even better voice-acted than Skyrim, first off, each quest-giver delivering a convincing and interesting performance. That said, all the quests feel much more engaging and important than the WoW or GW quest systems this has been compared to. The instancing is also done fantastically. Showing you the devastation of a battle in an encampment that you chose not to defend and saw in fine condition minutes ago was a particularly poignant part of one quest. The experience system is one we've seen before, but too bad, it's a good system, why fix something that's not broken? It's a pillar of RPGs.

    In short, because of the Elder Scrolls' storied legacy, people expected far too much from this game and are now bashing on it for being a fun and well-designed MMO instead of some crazy new format of multiplayer gaming that no one has ever seen before. It's like hating on a Ferrari because it doesn't fly and give blow jobs.    … Expand
  25. 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.
  26. Derythor
    Jul 30, 2014
    9
    I think it's an excellent addition to the Elder Scrolls franchise, as well as an excellent MMO. I have a hard time staying onto MMO's due to the vanilla feel of many of them now-a-days. Definitely a nice reprieve from the over-generic "WoW" feel to everything. The crafting is a nice addition, as is the guild operations (guild stores add a much nicer feel than the auction house).I think it's an excellent addition to the Elder Scrolls franchise, as well as an excellent MMO. I have a hard time staying onto MMO's due to the vanilla feel of many of them now-a-days. Definitely a nice reprieve from the over-generic "WoW" feel to everything. The crafting is a nice addition, as is the guild operations (guild stores add a much nicer feel than the auction house). Honestly, the only negative I have against the game, is comparing it to the single player titles. I miss the exploration of ruins JUST to explore ruins. The game has much more potential, and I'll be eager to see how Zeni handles the franchise! 9/10… Expand
  27. X0R
    Apr 7, 2014
    9
    This is one of the first games in a decade that has kept me up all night, when I see the time that passed it shocks me. The gameplay & exploration bring me back to Asheron's Call & vanilla WoW, but the graphics are very neat. Is this game for everyone? Obviously not, but it fits what I crave. So many places to read reviews already, videos you can watch - so I'm not going to review itThis is one of the first games in a decade that has kept me up all night, when I see the time that passed it shocks me. The gameplay & exploration bring me back to Asheron's Call & vanilla WoW, but the graphics are very neat. Is this game for everyone? Obviously not, but it fits what I crave. So many places to read reviews already, videos you can watch - so I'm not going to review it myself blow-by-blow. It's always exciting running over the next hill to see what's over the ridge, the landscapes are brilliant with all settings maxed - which I get no lag but I see occasional crashes still. Work in progress like every other game at release. There are aspects I really like, and things that I hope they change. It's not as stupid-easy as WoW, so I hope the monthly fee keeps maturity-challenged slugs behind a fence for a while. For me, the box price & subscription are worth every penny. Will it survive more than a few years with a subscription? Go buy a magic 8-ball and we'll see.… Expand
  28. redfrick
    Apr 7, 2014
    9
    Finally! I’ve been waiting for a true successor to World Of Warcraft for a very long time. Now when I say a successor don’t get your panties in a bunch, I am merely speaking for me personally. Nothing will ever kill WoW except Blizzard themselves. The term “WoW Killer” should just go off and die already. For me Elder Scrolls Online feels a lot like the game that finally gets me offFinally! I’ve been waiting for a true successor to World Of Warcraft for a very long time. Now when I say a successor don’t get your panties in a bunch, I am merely speaking for me personally. Nothing will ever kill WoW except Blizzard themselves. The term “WoW Killer” should just go off and die already. For me Elder Scrolls Online feels a lot like the game that finally gets me off the WoW drug once and for all. Though I am a realist and I have been on the new MMO train many times before so I won’t really know for a few months. But man, right now nothing compares to ESO. The last time I had this much fun in an MMO was the beast itself, WoW.

    The graphics are great; the questing is fun and not your typical MMO drudgery. The crafting system is deep, incredibly fun and get this, actually useful. I also love the fact that I can be a mage tank or a warrior healer if I really want to. Tired of being melee and want to pick up a bow? Do it! Want to wear plate as a caster? Do it! The possibilities are amazing. And PVP, one word: epic.

    To make it short and sweet this game is the best MMO I’ve played since I first played WoW almost 10 years ago. It’s just fun. Plain and simple this game is incredibly fun.

    One last word on people complaining about there being a subscription fee: I’ve played almost every single major MMO that has been released in the past 10+ years and have not found a single free to play game that is anywhere near as good as subscription games. I am talking about true MMOs. Every free to play MMO I’ve ever played is so limiting in content at the free level it’s not worth even playing. As a matter of fact when I do play those games I end up paying a lot more than $15. You get what you pay for.    … Expand
  29. AstroCat
    Apr 8, 2014
    9
    The game is super fun so far, having a blast. I see playing this one for a long time.

    The subscription fee is refreshing, encourages positive development and discourages undesired players and buy to win schemes. The graphics are gorgeous and the art style right on perfect. The character development is really deep and very flexible. The quests and story are totally interesting and the    The game is super fun so far, having a blast. I see playing this one for a long time.

    The subscription fee is refreshing, encourages positive development and discourages undesired players and buy to win schemes. The graphics are gorgeous and the art style right on perfect. The character development is really deep and very flexible. The quests and story are totally interesting and the game really encourages exploration. It's the best mmoRPG I've played to date by far.

    There are some bugs, which can creep up but for an mmoRPG launch this is the smoothest I've ever encountered and I've seen a lot, going all the back to NWN, UO, etc..

    Importantly, of course some people are not going to like it, that's awesome in my book because if they did I probably wouldn't, plenty of other MMOs for their kind. If you don't like it, or just want to be "hipster hater trash" then I suggest moving on, because the game is solid and gonna disappoint you in your need to hate to feel good about yourself. ;)    … Expand
  30. 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
  31. Fabtech23
    Apr 5, 2014
    9
    Just shy of being, in my opinion, a perfect MMO. Some bugged quests and some quests that feel too "fetchy" remind me that this still an mmo at heart. Overall though Zenimax did a fantastic job translating the Elder Scolls universe in to the multiplayer world. Class creation is essentially limitless thanks to the unique skill trees and how they can evolve. Voice acting is superb and I neverJust shy of being, in my opinion, a perfect MMO. Some bugged quests and some quests that feel too "fetchy" remind me that this still an mmo at heart. Overall though Zenimax did a fantastic job translating the Elder Scolls universe in to the multiplayer world. Class creation is essentially limitless thanks to the unique skill trees and how they can evolve. Voice acting is superb and I never felt like I was grinding level, just nicely progressing a story. Each zone, like other mmos, is broken in to the level range. However, each zone itself is essentially a mini skyrim, and you are free to explore it as you see fit with no shortages of random dungeons, quests, bosses, chests, or crafting modes to find. Endgame content remains to be seen, but if what I have experienced so far is any consolation, we're in for a treat. PVP is extremely large scale and the auto-jump to level 50 is nice for low level players allowing them to complete quests and feel involved in the current conflict. Attacking/ defending towers as well as placing siege artillery feels purposeful and meaningful. Honestly the best mmo I have ever played and overall just a great game. It might not play out to be the WoW killer everyone is waiting for, but it's a solid game in a series with a massive fan base. $15 a month is worth the plethora amount of content you're getting, seriously we're talking hundreds of hours.… Expand
  32. Player1gamer
    Apr 5, 2014
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Absolutely solid multi-player RPG game, with real RPG elements that have been disappearing from games lately. Great character building/skill systems, lots of choices in the game that actually feel important to your character's progression.

    Pros:

    -Great music and audio effects, combat/weather sounds are impressive
    -Character creation process offers a ton of customization
    -Incredible aesthetics, art assets are exceptional, best looking MMO on the market
    -Skill/weapon/armor system is top notch, lots of possibilities
    -Story/writing are very well done
    -Crafting is an involved but fun process, not a useless chore
    -Combat involves real time aiming, blocking, interrupting, dodging, weapon swings, etc.
    -Collision detection
    -The game can actually be challenging at times while leveling, but isn't overly punitive
    -You can become a vampire or a werewolf, complete with various strengths and weaknesses
    -Overall extremely high production value

    Cons:

    -"Exploration" can sometimes feel like aimless wandering, not knowing what to do next
    -Experience rewards may need to be raised for pvp, dungeons, etc.
    -You can occasionally hit a brick wall in terms of progression, run out of quests, etc.
    -Some quest lines are occasionally bugged

    In my humble opinion, the best part of ESO is the skill system. Unfortunately there's been a trend in RPG gaming lately to dumb down or outright remove skill systems, resulting in more of an "action-arcade" type of experience. ESO bucks this trend, and features one of the most thorough, well thought out systems I've encountered.

    Any class can wield any weapon or armor type(s), resulting in many unique yet effective character builds. Melee sorcerers wielding huge 2 hand weapons, tanks with a caster-like fire spell focus, bow wielding Templars with burst healing; crazy yet viable combinations are plentiful. You can weapon swap on the fly too, which opens you up for a whole second bar of abilities and alternate play-style. Basically, you can create whatever type of character you want, and if you're smart with your choices, it should work. Ever wanted to play a melee warlock type of character that dual-wields swords and wears a mix of heavy and light armor? Go for it, it's entirely possible.

    Your character will gain skill points through quest chains, finding/collecting "Sky Shards", and leveling up. You can then invest these points into class skills, weapon skills, armor skills, racial passive skills, crafting skills, vampire/werewolf skills, mages/fighters guild skills, etc., etc.. If you're into theory crafting, or planning out and building rpg characters, there's a lot to get involved in with this skill system. It isn't so complicated or elaborate that a novice would be put off, but it offers a ton of depth which is really refreshing. The choices feel important, which is vital for a great RPG experience.

    Anyway, I'd highly recommend this to anyone who considers them self a real RPG fan. This is probably one of the best RPG titles released in the past several years.    … Expand
  33. GuruChaz
    Apr 30, 2014
    9
    I played in the beta and I wasn't sure I wanted to purchase this game. It felt like I was playing a flat single player game and just chatting with people online. I don't know what happened but about a month after release, I decided to trade a few PS3 games in at Gamestop, pay the difference, and get Elder Scrolls Online. I have to say that I am enjoying the release version of thisI played in the beta and I wasn't sure I wanted to purchase this game. It felt like I was playing a flat single player game and just chatting with people online. I don't know what happened but about a month after release, I decided to trade a few PS3 games in at Gamestop, pay the difference, and get Elder Scrolls Online. I have to say that I am enjoying the release version of this game way more than I did the beta version. There's a lot more polish and the game doesn't feel as flat. It's been enjoyable as both a Nightblade and a Sorcerer. Dungeon groups are fun and the story line and quests are abundant and well done. I'm a picky gamer and I will sincerely give this game a 9. I don't know who is giving it a 6.2 or whatever. That's ridiculously low...stupid low, in fact. It's really good if you like Elder Scrolls and especially the crafting system.… Expand
  34. Joryn282
    Apr 7, 2014
    9
    This game, I like it. I played the beta and it made me want to buy this game. It's fun, gives you enough Elder Scrolls to be satisfying, but enough new things to remain interesting. The character models look better in my opinion than the models in Oblivion and Skyrim, and the environments look pretty good. I look forward to seeing what they do next with this game.
  35. 1am4critic
    Apr 11, 2014
    9
    Probably the best mmo out there since world of warcraft and guild wars. As an mmo, I feel the game is really engaging albeit slightly on the easy side. PVP is really fun, at first I thought the idea of the constant Cyrodil power struggle would limit what you could do as a pvper, but the battles can get really awesome. The loot is pretty cool, and I like how there are so many skillProbably the best mmo out there since world of warcraft and guild wars. As an mmo, I feel the game is really engaging albeit slightly on the easy side. PVP is really fun, at first I thought the idea of the constant Cyrodil power struggle would limit what you could do as a pvper, but the battles can get really awesome. The loot is pretty cool, and I like how there are so many skill abilities, sometimes I find it difficult which to chose. Compared to combat in other mmorpgs, I actually like this. If you seriously want to see numbers and damages dealt, there actually is a mod for that, and yes, ESO actually has mods! (which I feel is another plus), although mods are more limited than the singleplayer games like oblivion and skyrim.

    This game does have a few things keeping it from a ten though. Firstly, if you wish to play this as elder scrolls VI, you may find it a little bit of a disappointment. It was difficult merging the immersion level of the single player games and the fun, action and sociability of mmorpgs, and although I felt they did a good job, there are some obvious things that stick out. MMORPG people may find the game a little bit too not straightforward, the lack of ui and hud may frustrate a mmorpg veteran, while an Elder Scrolls fan may not appreciate the fancy abilities and hack and slash feel. Another thing that I should mention is the bugs, you would think a quality franchise like bethesda would have solved this by now, but expect to run into a few when you play. Fortunately nothing has been game breaking for me yet.

    The game is extremely good, and for an mmorpg, it is quite revolutionary. However, the joining of the two video game genres, although fairly seamless, had its flaws. But despite these flaws, I would say this is one of the best games I've played to date    … Expand
  36. KillAllHumans
    Apr 15, 2014
    9
    From the start I was one of the haters of the entire concept of ESO. I just didn't think ES was meant for such a standard take on the MMO genre. I was glad to be proven wrong in most ways.

    The game is massive. In a few of the more recent MMO launches. I've often found myself greatly disappointed with map sizes in general. Zones often feeling like small bottle-necked canyons that lead    From the start I was one of the haters of the entire concept of ESO. I just didn't think ES was meant for such a standard take on the MMO genre. I was glad to be proven wrong in most ways.

    The game is massive. In a few of the more recent MMO launches. I've often found myself greatly disappointed with map sizes in general. Zones often feeling like small bottle-necked canyons that lead from point A to point B. That feeling is nowhere to be found. I'm still stunned at the size of the zones. Glenumbra for example a Daggerfall zone. Honestly feels like it could engulf almost the entirety of The World of Warcraft zone Northrend within its borders.

    The game is beyond gorgeous. Without a doubt the best looking MMO I've played to date. The environments are lush, the lighting is truly amazing. For matter of fact. The lighting is the single best thing about the look of the game. They've done such a good job with it. The contrast from Day to Night is noticeable. A good example of the lighting would be. Take one of the many Skyrim lighting mods with "Fantasy settings" mixed with highly saturated colors. This makes for some amazing sun rise vistas while exploring the world.

    The character models is where Zenimax really strays from typical Elderscrolls. Mainly they are appealing looking out of the box and not with having to add an array of body and texture mods to make your elves not ugly. Unless you're one of the many die hards that want their Elves ugly and their women manly. You will not be disappointed with this. With that said. I still want a few more options. Mainly with the face models. I would like to see some more preset options. I'm not really one to take and create the perfect face for my character. I usually like cycling through presets until I find one I like, then tweak that model slightly.

    The combat is a mixed bag for me. I feel like the amount of abilities is simply just not enough to really mix and match and come up with crazy builds. You have 1-5 and Q and R. Q being quickslot which can only have potions and other on use items. I would like to see the option to throw a spell in this slot. R is for your ultimate ability. 1-5 To me is really confining. I've been finding it very hard to create a build I truly enjoy. Weapon Swap helps a little bit with this but it's still not enough. Having 1-5 abilities is just not enough. I'm not a fan of having 26+ keybinds and it still not being enough. I feel like 10-12 Keybinds would be more ideal and I really hope they revisit the model they've developed in future expansions. MMO's are dynamic by nature after all. Otherwise the left and right click combat mechanics of swinging a sword, staff, using a bow, etc and blocking with right click. Works pretty well and is more fluid than I could've hoped for.

    The questing holds mostly true to the Elderscrolls style. I prefer to do the questing content solo. That way I can move at my own pace and enjoy the stories and getting the quest rewards at my own pace. Some things I don't like. I don't like how when I'm on this epic quest and I see 20 other people in the some dungeon, doing the same quest. I feel like this content should've been tuned towards single player and party content. The feeling of ES would've been much more intact. What I mean by that is. The questing dungeons should not all be public. It's just kinda strange. There are a ton of public dungeons that have a boss at the end that people can farm for loot and sometimes these will have a quest in them as well. Thats fine, but when I'm on a quest. I don't want to see everyone and their brother that is on the same quest in the same dungeon. It's really distracting.

    I haven't really got to try out the pvp much at all. So I don't have a lot of input on that. From what I've heard though, people seem to really enjoy it.

    ESO seems to have taken concepts from a few key games and mixed them all really well together.
    Games like Warhammer, Rift, Age of Conan and SWTOR. They have taken concepts from these games and wove them strongly into the fabric that makes ESO as a whole. This is where ESO really shines. The experience as a whole package. Which is something rare of some of the last MMO's I've experienced. I have that classic WoW feeling. That feeling when I know I'm taking part in a truly special game. The one thing people need to understand is, don't expect ESO to be like Skyrim, Something people often forgot about Elderscrolls games is. They each play a little differently and that's whats important to remember. ESO is simply an MMO take on the universe of ES. If you don't like MMO's already. You probably will not like ESO. If you like MMO's don't miss ESO.    … Expand
  37. mijxero
    Jun 16, 2016
    9
    I played this game on release day and I really didn't like it. I have returned recently and I have to say that it is really fun. As a buy-to-play MMO the microtransactions are not pay to win and are not shoved in your face. The DLCs are worth it, but you can still enjoy the game without them. All I have to say is that the combat is fun, the character building is unique, the quests areI played this game on release day and I really didn't like it. I have returned recently and I have to say that it is really fun. As a buy-to-play MMO the microtransactions are not pay to win and are not shoved in your face. The DLCs are worth it, but you can still enjoy the game without them. All I have to say is that the combat is fun, the character building is unique, the quests are actually very engaging, the dungeons are fun, and the community isn't terrible. I am sad to see so many negative reviews because I haven't had this much fun in an MMO since the original Everquest.… Expand
  38. windmillent
    Apr 7, 2014
    9
    There is so much to do, craft, and explore. The graphics are wonderful and doesn't look like Pixar or Disney, the armor is realistic and not silly looking and over-sized. The crafting system is simple, yet complicated and interesting to work with, it even takes the trait learning (offline leveling) from EVE, which adds even more flavor. There are quests everywhere, you just have to getThere is so much to do, craft, and explore. The graphics are wonderful and doesn't look like Pixar or Disney, the armor is realistic and not silly looking and over-sized. The crafting system is simple, yet complicated and interesting to work with, it even takes the trait learning (offline leveling) from EVE, which adds even more flavor. There are quests everywhere, you just have to get out and explore to find them, its a remarkably open world feel on the mainland. I started in beta in November and the game did not interest me at all; however, as the beta's trudged along the game improved dramatically. It is deep in lore, the megaserver means your never alone, the PVP is like nothing I have played in years, truly spectacular, even if your not a hardcore PVP'r. The dungeon mechanics are very fun and easy to learn. The skill tree is just complicated enough to make it feel like your choices really count and that your character is unique to you. I think with the modern MMO, ESO has stuck a very good balance. The launch went remarkably smooth; although, some of our guild did find bugged quests, there were work-arounds and they were quickly addressed by Zenimax. One recommendation I would make is to do your homework for this MMO, there is over 20 years of lore behind its story, and when I came into it and started playing I knew very little. This made the game very boring and confusing (for instance some characters call a race a dark-elf, another person might call them a dunmer, and there are 10 races), it doesn't hold your hand or tell tons of back-story. ESO expects you to know the races and their history already; however, I spent some time watching You-tube lore videos (which there are some excellent quality ones available) and suddenly the world made since and the game had much more depth. This is a game where the story matters and really helps the player to feel engaged in the world. If your wanting a fresh take on the MMO genre then give ESO a chance, it just might surprise you and give you an MMO home for years to come.… Expand
  39. 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
  40. uizueite
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    Would give a 10 if it the game wasn't shush a money grab fest. However ill pay the monthly fee cause its worth it more then wow that i played for 4 years. I'm actually reading all the quests texts from NPCs cause they are imersive. Game is what i expected and more. I know even there are a few bugs and the end game isn't still perfect i trust Bethesda to know that they will solve gameWould give a 10 if it the game wasn't shush a money grab fest. However ill pay the monthly fee cause its worth it more then wow that i played for 4 years. I'm actually reading all the quests texts from NPCs cause they are imersive. Game is what i expected and more. I know even there are a few bugs and the end game isn't still perfect i trust Bethesda to know that they will solve game issues. They worked hard to get the game at an acceptable level at the release and hearing the community was they banner.… Expand
  41. tafoya77n
    Apr 24, 2014
    9
    Great game, Zos has created a beautiful world with endless potential for great times. The quests are all beautifully voice acted and written. They really try to give the feeling of an elder scrolls game where you can change the world and that you are part of big events, the game defiantly does the best job of this out of any MMO I have played in the last 10 years.

    Classes are fun and    Great game, Zos has created a beautiful world with endless potential for great times. The quests are all beautifully voice acted and written. They really try to give the feeling of an elder scrolls game where you can change the world and that you are part of big events, the game defiantly does the best job of this out of any MMO I have played in the last 10 years.

    Classes are fun and customization, you really feel like you are building your own character, at least as much as a real MMO with this great of PvP can allow.
    There are endless things to do in the game, from dungon delving to massive Pvp battles with hundreds of players.
    This is a great MMO within the great elder scrolls universe and it absolutely does not disappoint.    … Expand
  42. Sloanster
    Jan 25, 2015
    9
    It's almost been a year since the game dropped, and ESO has changed. Yes, it was bugged at the start and there were some major gameplay issues corrupting everyone's experience. After a good amount of time, I can safely say TESO is one of my favorite MMOs I have played yet. The community is fantastic, and I find the questing to be very fun. Graphics aren't very important in an MMO, but theyIt's almost been a year since the game dropped, and ESO has changed. Yes, it was bugged at the start and there were some major gameplay issues corrupting everyone's experience. After a good amount of time, I can safely say TESO is one of my favorite MMOs I have played yet. The community is fantastic, and I find the questing to be very fun. Graphics aren't very important in an MMO, but they still look beautiful. If you can keep you mind open, and remember not to compare is to Skyrim or the previous Elder Scrolls games, you might actually enjoy yourself. I only give this a 9/10, because there are still some issues in gameplay mechanics, but the developers have promised fixes will be on their way.… Expand
  43. 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
  44. frankwithbeans
    Apr 5, 2014
    9
    I find it quite humorous that you don't have to verify that you own the game before writing a critique hence trolls giving it the bad scores, this is a great game with lots of varieties in equipment, quests, enemies and locations and it defenitivly deserves a high score. best game 2014 so far
  45. mysterybounty
    Apr 14, 2014
    9
    I see people giving this game a 0-5 score and those people need to realize what reviewing a game actually means. Even 5 years ago it was implausible to think an MMO could achieve some of the things Elder Scrolls Online manages to do. From making a better community by only having 1 MEGA Server, to somehow making the game feel like an action RPG that just happens to be online, Zenimax knocksI see people giving this game a 0-5 score and those people need to realize what reviewing a game actually means. Even 5 years ago it was implausible to think an MMO could achieve some of the things Elder Scrolls Online manages to do. From making a better community by only having 1 MEGA Server, to somehow making the game feel like an action RPG that just happens to be online, Zenimax knocks it out of the park with this game at every turn, Elder Scrolls Online is immersive, gigantic, and a blast to play, the first MMO in YEARS I have felt like I HAD to get back on everyday, anyone giving this game a score lower than a 6 is trolling I guarantee it.… Expand
  46. SoakingFall42
    Apr 8, 2014
    9
    This game is very fun. As a hardcore tes fan an someone who barely plays mmo games, I was expecting to be disappointed. Much to my suprise, I was not. I still purchased the game because of how much I love the series, and I am glad I did. While it does have it's fair share of bug, and is not "Skyrim Online" it still is worth a try. If you do not like the limited interface I have two thingsThis game is very fun. As a hardcore tes fan an someone who barely plays mmo games, I was expecting to be disappointed. Much to my suprise, I was not. I still purchased the game because of how much I love the series, and I am glad I did. While it does have it's fair share of bug, and is not "Skyrim Online" it still is worth a try. If you do not like the limited interface I have two things to say to you.
    1. Elder scrolls games have always had little interface for immersion purposes.
    2. If you want more ui info try a add on like foundry tactical combat.    … Expand
  47. Dragon_Fly
    May 29, 2014
    9
    I am updating my review from a 5 to a 9. Just over the past week they added in new content and upped the levels to Veteran 12. They also made all of the NPC's in Cyrodil Veteran 5 on steroids. It completely changed the entire tactics needed to win in PvP. Lots of players XP grind their way to Vet 12 in about a week killing fast spawning bosses in groups. Due to the level out of LevelsI am updating my review from a 5 to a 9. Just over the past week they added in new content and upped the levels to Veteran 12. They also made all of the NPC's in Cyrodil Veteran 5 on steroids. It completely changed the entire tactics needed to win in PvP. Lots of players XP grind their way to Vet 12 in about a week killing fast spawning bosses in groups. Due to the level out of Levels and a groups organized tactics, players can still put a hurting on the competition despite superior numbers against them... It has made PvP a bit more of a Guerrilla style of combat. PvP is now incredible. But, expect to have to use Voice Coms to get into the Successful Groups in PvP; at the very least expect to have Teamspeak to Listen to the battle plan. Otherwise you will be the first one kicked from these groups no matter where you go; it's a mutual need for all raid leaders in game to fill the entire group with Teamspeak players. One player who doesn't know what is going on in Teamspeak can get an entire group killed.

    There is still a lot of lagging issues within the game; All 3 factions effectively broke the Wabbajack Server for a day.; but it will improve once the Devs work out all of the bugs they created with the new expansion. Also, if PvP is something that excites you, then this game is just for you. But be warned, every class has the ability to win just by getting off the first shot; unless you are a tank. Tanks can be a nightmare in this game too; they are definitely not weak in the realm of DPS. Sorcerers can still shred a tank if the tank ignores them...    … Expand
  48. Musta
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    If you are going to play this like an MMO, you may not enjoy it. There is not a huge hotbar, the combat takes actual skill, there's no grinding, classes aren't that dedicated to a certain role etc. If you want an in-depth review, this is it. I've played about 50-60 hours in the game and am level 24 right now.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    If you are tired of the run-of-the-mill MMOs and are ready for a revolution in MMO games, this is the game. Elder Scrolls Online is the change the industry needed. I recently hit max level in WoW... again, and I realized that even at Endgame, it just was not fun at all. The journey to endgame is worse than the endgame. But ESO, it's actually a fun journey. It's basically an Elder Scrolls game (Specifically Skyrim), but online. I've played around 60 MMOs, and I have played nothing like this. It is truly worth the subscription fee and base price.    … Expand
  49. SadiusHunter
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    I honestly made an account just to say, it's really good game, I'm not much of a fan of MMO's, nor do I often enjoy them, However this is one of the few that really makes it really special, the world is beautiful, the combat is great, PvP has been awesome so far, it has quests that aren't always find or kill, it does vary, Character Creation is great, story plays out well and even theI honestly made an account just to say, it's really good game, I'm not much of a fan of MMO's, nor do I often enjoy them, However this is one of the few that really makes it really special, the world is beautiful, the combat is great, PvP has been awesome so far, it has quests that aren't always find or kill, it does vary, Character Creation is great, story plays out well and even the community is mature, the subscription fee does put people off but it's still great, I'd almost give it a 10 if it wasn't for the sub fee, I truly believe this is the MMO that Elder Scrolls deserve, that's coming from a fan who has been playing since Daggerfall… Expand
  50. mrsensa
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    Go into this game expecting Skyrim, expect to be hugely unsatisfied. However, if you come to ESO with a love for Elder Scrolls elements in an MMO setting, expect to be blown away. I'm only at level 17 so there's a lot more to discover. I feel the monthly fee has already been justified as i've clocked in almost 40 hours already. Granted, I'm not going to be able to put that much time in onGo into this game expecting Skyrim, expect to be hugely unsatisfied. However, if you come to ESO with a love for Elder Scrolls elements in an MMO setting, expect to be blown away. I'm only at level 17 so there's a lot more to discover. I feel the monthly fee has already been justified as i've clocked in almost 40 hours already. Granted, I'm not going to be able to put that much time in on an average week but if I can put that many hours in on a monthly basis, i'll be very happy. Best MMO on the market. Beautiful graphics for an MMO, but yes Skyrim does look a lot better even unmodded, but Skyrim doesn't have to render a whole world, it only renders what's around you so that's totally understandable. Anyway, can't give much of a review, need to get back to it.

    In a nutshell, if you want an MMO that trys and succeeds at new things (interesting quests, brilliant crafting etc) set in a beautiful looking world with Elder Scrolls elements, then definitely pick this one up.    … Expand
  51. Neness
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    Simply a great game !
    Goode PVE !
    Good lore !
    Good combat mecanics !
    Giant map !
    Good PVP !
    Giant PVP MAP !
    And it's Elder Scrolls, lore is so great !
  52. JonathanE
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    First, let me just say this is not an Elder Scrolls single player game, it just isn't. For one that would make for a terrible MMO. Could you imagine walking into a building and nothing is in it because you are allowed to pretty much steal everything? That sounds great on paper but once you make something an MMO in general you have to reduce a lot of the features in order to implement otherFirst, let me just say this is not an Elder Scrolls single player game, it just isn't. For one that would make for a terrible MMO. Could you imagine walking into a building and nothing is in it because you are allowed to pretty much steal everything? That sounds great on paper but once you make something an MMO in general you have to reduce a lot of the features in order to implement other features.

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

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

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

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

    These of course are just minor things in an overall great game. Hope it will keep my attention for a while.    … Expand
  53. cjwilke
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    Is this game for everyone? Apparently not, but it would be for a lot more people if they actually gave it a chance. People seem to be turning it away for minute issues such as the box fee, the sub fee, the cash shop, the Imperial Edition "locking away" a race, initial bugs in Beta, etc. I can see their points but this should not detract from them actually trying the game itself. This is byIs this game for everyone? Apparently not, but it would be for a lot more people if they actually gave it a chance. People seem to be turning it away for minute issues such as the box fee, the sub fee, the cash shop, the Imperial Edition "locking away" a race, initial bugs in Beta, etc. I can see their points but this should not detract from them actually trying the game itself. This is by far the best MMORPG I have played.

    Why?

    1) Story/Questing. There are hundreds of quests in this game and almost every one of them is comprised of multiple steps, each one a little mini adventure, and then many of them tying into the larger plot and lore of the region. I do not understand at all why people keep calling it a "WOW clone". Quests in WOW comprise of "go kill 10 of these" or "collect 15 of those". These quests are much more like what you would expect from a single player RPG, including Elder Scrolls games. Many involve multiple locations, multiple NPC's, investigating locations, etc. All of these stories are told with top notch voice acting. It doesn't have the cut scene approach of SWTOR but the quests are more involved and much less WOW like than SWTOR.

    2) Graphics. The textures are not as good as a recent RPG like Skyrim, but the world is much more varied and just appears for "magical". I got bored with Skyrim after a while with the constant drab colors and repetitive environments. The art design in my eyes is much more interesting than previous Elder Scrolls games and obviously the locales are much more diverse, from island towns to deserts to swamps to volcanoes to the old Skyrim environment. The lighting and shadows I think are even better than Skyrim and the character models, including NPC's and creatures, are incredibly beautiful and detailed. The armor can look "painted on" sometimes, especially lower level armor but there is a huge variety.

    3) PVP. Even the "haters" of this game admit that the PVP in this game is some of the best ever seen in a MMORPG. It is based on DAOC, which most gamers see as the epitome of PVP. Cyrodiil is huge, just as big as Oblivion, and not only offers RVR style PVP with siege weapons and keeps, but the zone offers PVE elements including crafting nodes, treasure maps, chests, dungeons, towns with quests, etc.

    4) Crafting. I've never seen such an interesting questing system in an MMORPG. There are 6 different crafting categories in this game, all with their own skill lines, something for everyone. Many other games involve picking a profession or two and as you level them by crafting, you can craft higher tier items...brainless. Provisioning involves finding recipes and then cooking at a fire. Alchemy involves experimenting with ingredients by tasting and combining to create potions. Enchanting involves discovering/translating runes and placing them into items. Woodworking/clothing/blacksmithing is the most involved, with multiple steps: Finding racial style books, researching traits from other items, using different materials, and upgrading the item, either quality or tier.

    5) Combat. Combo of real time, like Skyrim, and hotbars like traditional MMORPG's. You can block, roll, interrupt, hit hard, hit light, or use special ability skills from numerous skill lines (class, weapon, armor, guild, PVP, etc.). This makes for a very dynamic system that never gets boring. Combat is often not easy either...not just 1 button mashing.

    6) Character development. The game has a very involved character creation system with 10 different races and 4 different classes, with sliders for everything to add a unique look. You then gain XP which gains levels and grants a skill point and an attribute point. There are numerous skill lines including one for each class of armor and each weapon type, each guild (with more to come), PVP, each profession, and unique skill lines for if you become a vampire or werewolf. Any class can use any armor or weapon and can fill the role of DPS, tank, or healer depending on your decisions.

    7) Little touches and diverse content. There is so much to do in this world including dark anchors and fissures for group combat, solo dungeons, public group dungeons, instanced group dungeons, world bosses. There is fishing, lore books, notes/journals, small items to pick up, sky shards for extra skill points, locked treasure chests with its own lockpicking minigame, hidden treasure chests with their own treasure maps pointing to them, and small items to pick up like bottles and carrots.

    8) The future. ESO is against "raiding" which I love. ESO is going to offer "adventure zones" which are large outdoor areas for small to large groups offering more detailed quests, caves, dungeons, world bosses, etc., for end game, that can be repeated. The developers thus far offer "DLC caliber content release" every 4-6 weeks as well so it will continue to grow. It has its bugs and is not perfect, but like all MMORPG's at launch, it is in its infancy and will continue to improve/grow.    … Expand
  54. doublemints
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    There is a genuine efforts in creating a TES universe in a template of MMO. This game is visually appealing, with interesting storyline/quests presented by NPC with unique personality. The combat is fast-paced and action-packed. The world is rich with lore and details. Plus the add-on to customized your experience, this game offers something for causal and hardcore gamers alike. This gameThere is a genuine efforts in creating a TES universe in a template of MMO. This game is visually appealing, with interesting storyline/quests presented by NPC with unique personality. The combat is fast-paced and action-packed. The world is rich with lore and details. Plus the add-on to customized your experience, this game offers something for causal and hardcore gamers alike. This game provide the atmosphere to be an immersive single player game with social function to be a fully-fledged MMO. If the developers can keep delivering meaningful expansion as they promised, I can see this game easily justified its price tag. The game will offer player with lots of entertainment for a long time to come.… Expand
  55. froggiestone
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    During beta i was left unimpressed, but i decided to get the game anyway. Best decision I've made in a long time, the more you play the more awesome the game becomes, and i don't even like tes games.

    I feel they shouldn't had done the beta, because you really need to get up over lvl 15 or even 20 before the game really comes into it's own. I was pretty vocal about the game being bad    During beta i was left unimpressed, but i decided to get the game anyway. Best decision I've made in a long time, the more you play the more awesome the game becomes, and i don't even like tes games.

    I feel they shouldn't had done the beta, because you really need to get up over lvl 15 or even 20 before the game really comes into it's own.

    I was pretty vocal about the game being bad from beta experience, but every man can have a standpoint til he takes a new, and i'm glad i decided to get it anyway.

    i'm not a TES player although i did play through Skyrim, but i've played almost all (larger) mmorrpg on the marked, and not only is eso an awesome tes game but it is the best mmo i've experienced to date. whether or not this holds true many months from now i can't say, but it's definitely worth the box price.    … Expand
  56. 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
  57. Mordus
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    Many of the positive reviews go into many of the things that I agree with, so I wanted to focus on certain aspects and respond to other criticisms.

    Leveling is Fun - I don't feel the need to rush to max level. I explore the world looking for hidden NPC interactions, lore books, and loot. The combat is more challenging than any other MMO I've played. If you are a fan of Elder Scrolls and    Many of the positive reviews go into many of the things that I agree with, so I wanted to focus on certain aspects and respond to other criticisms.

    Leveling is Fun - I don't feel the need to rush to max level. I explore the world looking for hidden NPC interactions, lore books, and loot. The combat is more challenging than any other MMO I've played. If you are a fan of Elder Scrolls and know the lore, the story line from the beginning is full of fun references and meaningful plot developments from level 1.

    Why not a 10/10? - The game has a few bugs and technical issues that can get annoying.

    Response to Negative Reviews - A lot of the negative reviews on here are completely out of line with reality. They sound like they are coming from bitter players that didn't get the exact game they wanted.

    - ESO is NOT on rails, but it can play that way if you choose to. Just like in Skyrim you can choose
    to go right after the intro and follow the natural quest progression or you can go off and do your
    own thing and come back to complete that content later. The higher level you get the more it plays
    exactly like a traditional Elder Scrolls Game.

    - It is very much in the spirit of other Elder Scrolls games. The only difference is the archery
    mechanic and the limited skill bar which they needed for fast paced, dynamic, and diverse PvP

    - Most quests aren't kill 5 bears pick 10 flowers. They mostly have meaning to the story, if you have
    to kill an enemy it's because they are in your way or have something you need just like in Skyrim.

    - This is the least WoWish MMORPG ever... Those calling it a "Wow-a-like" must think every game
    with an avatar and an action bar is a wow clone...    … Expand
  58. HenryDane
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    I was absolutely floored by Elder Scrolls Online for one reason: it made me feel so much immersion I literally forgot where I was for hours at a time, to an extent no other MMO has done for me since Wrath of the Lich King. It has its flaws, glitches, its generic MMOness but this game has definitely done one thing right: it is thoroughly an Elder Scrolls game! I am a veteran of Oblivion andI was absolutely floored by Elder Scrolls Online for one reason: it made me feel so much immersion I literally forgot where I was for hours at a time, to an extent no other MMO has done for me since Wrath of the Lich King. It has its flaws, glitches, its generic MMOness but this game has definitely done one thing right: it is thoroughly an Elder Scrolls game! I am a veteran of Oblivion and Skyrim and after spending long hours of my youth slaying mudcrabs and reading about Lusty Argonian Maids, I had very high hopes for ESO. I can tell you this: if you are a Lore nazi, you will hate this game. It has a few glaring holes in its Lore consistency. However, if you can live with the explanation that maybe Sheogorath just wiped the memory of every historian living in the era because he felt like it, (which I hope most of you can, that Sheiogorath is a tricky fellow), then jump in and join a living, breathing Tamriel on the scope we have all dreamed of since those dark nights in our parents' basements, wiping cheeto dust from our fingers and staring at our screens in wonder thinking, "This would be so awesome if my friends could join me in Elder Scrolls!"… Expand
  59. putzler88
    Apr 5, 2014
    9
    Is it Skyrim II? No. If you are expecting an online version of Skyrim, you will be disappointed.

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

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

    I haven't reached max level yet so my opinion may change when I hit end game but I like what I've been playing during the past week (in early access through launch). Btw, smoothest launch of a major MMO ever?    … Expand
  60. bungler
    Mar 15, 2015
    9
    Post Update 6 Review:

    Pros:
    - Currently the best graphics out of any MMO
    - Solid combat system (post Update 6)
    - TONS of content
    - Excellent armor customization
    - Active and friendly community

    Cons:
    - PVP still needs work
    - Broken group finder
  61. Sturminator
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    It's no joke that, in recent years, the mmo genre has become over saturated and as a result become almost stagnant and dry. 2014 is turning out to be a hopeful year for mmo players, not only because of Wildstar or WoD, but because of the Elder Scrolls Online. By no means is the game perfect, but what if there is one word I would use to describe ESO it would be: Fun. The only reason IIt's no joke that, in recent years, the mmo genre has become over saturated and as a result become almost stagnant and dry. 2014 is turning out to be a hopeful year for mmo players, not only because of Wildstar or WoD, but because of the Elder Scrolls Online. By no means is the game perfect, but what if there is one word I would use to describe ESO it would be: Fun. The only reason I wouldn't give this game a higher score is because in its current state it is very buggy. Hopefully Zenimax can iron these problems out, but until then I will think of ESO as a very enjoyable game with a lot of potential.… Expand
  62. 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
  63. inoxcopia
    Apr 6, 2014
    9
    I could write many things about this game, but i don't want to over-analyze things. The most striking thing about ESO is the leveling experience and feeling. It's by far the best if have seen/felt in a mmo and this opinion comes from a person that is playing GW2 and WoW and has also played Star Wars the old Republic and Rift. I also want to mention that i really pushed myself really hard,I could write many things about this game, but i don't want to over-analyze things. The most striking thing about ESO is the leveling experience and feeling. It's by far the best if have seen/felt in a mmo and this opinion comes from a person that is playing GW2 and WoW and has also played Star Wars the old Republic and Rift. I also want to mention that i really pushed myself really hard, to level 2 characters in beta weekends in Wild Star and almost died from boredom. One final thing, Skyrim is one my favourite
    single player games.

    You will read very disappointing reviews/opinions about ESO, the funny thing is that most negative reviews are not from persons that are currently playing the game(!). I have read reviews from persons that have tried this game only in very early beta. I have read reviews from persons that gave this game 0/10 just because is not F2P and i have read reviews from persons that never ever played another mmo, but have the gall to give negative score to ESO only from the videos they have seen in YouTube(!)

    My advice, read carefully reviews and pay zero attention to those that come from people that didn't even scratch the magic of this game.    … Expand
  64. Echo-Legion
    Apr 7, 2014
    9
    This game is better than I thought it would be. While the bar that I had set for it was not very high, it sailed over it in the first couple hours lit it wasnt even the warmup lap yet. just getting its shoes slipped on and buttoning up its track pants.

    I started with the assumption that i was only going to play because my friends were playing and never play when they werent and then the    This game is better than I thought it would be. While the bar that I had set for it was not very high, it sailed over it in the first couple hours lit it wasnt even the warmup lap yet. just getting its shoes slipped on and buttoning up its track pants.

    I started with the assumption that i was only going to play because my friends were playing and never play when they werent and then the game would die off in a month or so like all the other mmos ive played the past couple of years. I have not played a single video game for an entire weekend since WoW came out.... forever ago. and This weekend; this grown ass man, with a day job, a girlfriend, a job, and 3 time consuming hobbies set everything aside this weekend and just let this game consume me.

    the only thing i can compare the newness and wonder to is vanilla wow. do you remember back then. when things were new and the systems that we have in place today werent even imagined yet. like duty finders? and crafting your own weapons at the lower levels wasnt utterly useless? remember when the story mattered? no? oh wait... the story doesnt matter in wow? oh ... shoot.. you're totally right.

    thats what this is like, but so much more. i truly believe that this is the mmo for me (for the next couple years as long as they keep updating it) to find out if its the mmo for you i think you have to play it. because to be completely honest i thought i was going to hate it. i even dogged on it. but after i played up to level 10 and was a part of an epic pvp battle I knew there was no going back to FFXIV (my previous mmo home away from home)

    you truly have to play it to form an opinion, but i believe you will be entertained for a while at the very least.    … Expand
  65. Wolfport
    Apr 16, 2014
    9
    This is the first MMO in recent years that seems specifically targeted for a gamer like me. I love The Elder Scrolls games and I also enjoy MMOs. I also feel like the RPG component is missing in most MMOs these days. Elder Scrolls Online provides an incredibly immersive experience with its beautiful visuals and artwork. The musical score is fantastic and I very much enjoy the level ofThis is the first MMO in recent years that seems specifically targeted for a gamer like me. I love The Elder Scrolls games and I also enjoy MMOs. I also feel like the RPG component is missing in most MMOs these days. Elder Scrolls Online provides an incredibly immersive experience with its beautiful visuals and artwork. The musical score is fantastic and I very much enjoy the level of detail put into this world. It is so beautifully crafted.

    In most MMOs it's common to skip the quest dialogue and rush ahead. One can truly savor this game by listening to the NPCs and following their stories. I have fallen in love with the lore of this game and players do get to make choices within quests that can change the outcome of events and NPCs may remember your choices and interact with you differently.

    Though there are only 4 classes to choose from, one can make any of the four classes a healer, a damage dealer or a tank. There are a tremendous amount of skill lines a player can pick and choose from and this already rich system will just become richer when future guild skill lines are added such as from the Thieves Guild and the Dark Brotherhood Guild.

    Usually I can take or leave crafting in an MMO, though I am finding crafting in ESO to be very enjoyable. As someone who is actively crafting in the game, there is a lack of storage space for crafting materials and players who craft will spend an inordinate amount of time dealing with managing their inventory. For this reason I am deducting a point from the score.

    For those who enjoy some Player Versus Player action, there is Cyrodiil. It's a vast area where a player can also do PvE, complete quests and explore. It is optional to enter Cyrodiil and no one is forced to if they don't enjoy fighting other players. I have had a blast in my time in Cyrodiil so far.

    For me this game has a great deal of longevity and so far the community is very good.    … Expand
  66. Izzy_C
    Apr 8, 2014
    9
    This game has definitely lived up to the hype surrounding it. As an avid World of Warcraft addict I had been worried about major similatarities between the two, but ESO has proved to be one of the best MMO's I have ever played. I enjoyed Skyrim but this game is such an improvement - the combat is the best I've seen, the character creation is more in dept, but this games best factor is theThis game has definitely lived up to the hype surrounding it. As an avid World of Warcraft addict I had been worried about major similatarities between the two, but ESO has proved to be one of the best MMO's I have ever played. I enjoyed Skyrim but this game is such an improvement - the combat is the best I've seen, the character creation is more in dept, but this games best factor is the superb voice acting. Skyrim and WoW felt as if ten people voiced the entire cast of characters, it may not bother some people but it bores me. ESO is worth buying, even though it's pricey. It's also dangerously addictive...… Expand
  67. ethaner63
    Apr 8, 2014
    9
    I have played Morrowind, Oblivion, some Daggerfall, and Skyrim. I have also played WoW, Rift, Guild wars 1/2, Lineage 2, EVE, and LotRO (only a little).
    I have thoroughly enjoyed ESO. I'll start with the combat/levelling. The evolution of skill paths is **** genius, it allows for tons of different combinations and it really feels like you could use just about any spec that you come up    I have played Morrowind, Oblivion, some Daggerfall, and Skyrim. I have also played WoW, Rift, Guild wars 1/2, Lineage 2, EVE, and LotRO (only a little).
    I have thoroughly enjoyed ESO. I'll start with the combat/levelling. The evolution of skill paths is **** genius, it allows for tons of different combinations and it really feels like you could use just about any spec that you come up with effectively. The combat has most of the aspects of skyrim (sneaking is similar, etc.) except you have a tool bar with skills that is similar to GW2. There are no cooldowns on the skills, it is all about your stamina/magicka, so there is a lot of skill behind ordering your attacks and doing appropriate combos. There is an active dodge mechanic which keeps you on your toes and you have to be ready for aoes and power attacks from the mobs. It isn't a hyper complex combat system with amazing AI but it is much better than any other MMOs. ESO does a good job of borrowing good ideas from other MMOs and making them unique to the game while removing flaws that were apparent in their inspirations. There are anchors (like Rifts) and world boss spawns, public dungeons that you find just by wandering the environment. It really feels like elder scrolls to me, there are times where I completely forget that I am playing online. I like the artistry the most in this game, once you get past the tutorial and into some of the cool questlines there are some fantastic animation sequences/artistry. The environments are amazing (in the main quest for the Pact you end up in hammerfell at a tomb that is just breathtaking. This game retains that "Elder Scrolls Vibe" where you are totally entertained just wandering about the world looking at things. I find that I hardly pay attention to my levels/skills because I am legitimately invested in the quest lines, stories, and environments. This is not to say that there aren't grinding quests, but they are set up in such a way that they are auxiliary to a main goal or mission and you can get them out of the way at the same time (2 birds one stone, kill X number of people on your way to Y objective for the main questline in the area). The voice acting is impressive, tons of speaking characters and they all have entertaining dialogue. I can go on and on but I think you get it.
    There are some issues though, here are the ones that I have come up with. There is no open world PvP, so you can't take your character from one alliance and go terrorize the towns of another. This is disappointing because I love to do **** like that, and also I would like to explore the other zones without being forced to make an alt. The ranged combat is a bit frustrating, once you target an enemy the bow sort of just auto-aims at it. you can jump and do 360s and still land shots every time. It sort of ruins the immersion having arrows aim like that. I would suggest aimable arrows with more power so that dodging becomes a factor. I can see how scripting every arrow would be a feat of programming, so I can't complain too much. Some of the collection related grindy-sidequests have non-instanced collectibles which can be a pain in the ass if you are with a herd of people all trying to do the same quest and competing for the same collectibles. I can't comment on the endgame content but the world PvP is pretty entertaining, it is similar to WvWvW except the land is much larger and the siege is built in a better way. I'll have to mess with it more.
    Overall, ESO is probably the best MMO I've played in years, simply because it actually feels like an adventure and I enjoy the exploration and questing more than I ever have. There are flaws, but most of them are flaws that you would find in any other MMO (especially the last 2 that I listed). The environments are what make me come back, and the lore is integral to the game. The fact that it's in the second era makes all of the story fascinating because you find yourself working with the tribunal and a bunch of historical figures that you only get to read about in the other games.
    As a critic of many MMOs, I would give this one a 9/10. Probably the best rating I have given out in years and years. Let me know if you want further detail on anything. Don't let the people hating on the game get to you, most of them only played the beta or didn't get past level 10. The quest stories for the leveling zones always have cool cutscenes and you often find yourself whisked away to other worlds/continents, this keeps you from feeling like you are restricted to your alliance's land.    … Expand
  68. GameroftheBeer
    Apr 10, 2014
    9
    This game is pretty great for someone who loves the Elder Scrolls universe and/or MMO's. That is not to say it is not without flaws, only that most flaws are bugs and not design/mechanics related. PvP is awesome and you truly feel part of a large scale battle at times, others you can be all alone scouting enemy territory. The graphics are somewhere between Oblivion and Skyrim.This game is pretty great for someone who loves the Elder Scrolls universe and/or MMO's. That is not to say it is not without flaws, only that most flaws are bugs and not design/mechanics related. PvP is awesome and you truly feel part of a large scale battle at times, others you can be all alone scouting enemy territory. The graphics are somewhere between Oblivion and Skyrim. Character customization is nearly infinite. The skill trees are seem linear but offer enough depth to truly be the type of player you want to be, a tank sorcerer, etc. While there is plenty to do in groups with friends in ESO, sometimes it seems if the quests want to separate parties into unique instances which is my only gripe currently with the PvE experience. Public Dungeons don't seem to have this problem but sometimes overcrowding can be the problem then.

    All in All, a great game and a nearly flawless launch compared to other recent online game launches.    … Expand
  69. Harlekin
    Apr 10, 2014
    9
    Some of the 'reviews', which are more subjective and unqualified opinions are not really suitable for a site like this. People turn towards these kind of sites to be able to get an idea about the game. Sad to see, that it is not really doable.

    Some people are trying to compare a MMO set in the Elder Scrolls lore with a stand-alone console / PC version, which has a different depth and a    Some of the 'reviews', which are more subjective and unqualified opinions are not really suitable for a site like this. People turn towards these kind of sites to be able to get an idea about the game. Sad to see, that it is not really doable.

    Some people are trying to compare a MMO set in the Elder Scrolls lore with a stand-alone console / PC version, which has a different depth and a different aim in general. People are trying to compare apples with pears here and it simply doesn't work.

    Nowadays many expect to have a free game, the graphics quality of the CryEngine 3 (so should like Crysis for example) etcpp. It simply is technically not feasible, so it would be good to gather information and understand first, before commenting like this on review pages. Further, people tend to forget the other MMOs out there and how they started out. Gazillion of bugs, technical issues, like lag, server crashes, packet losses and so forth.

    The game is actually fun. Of course it has its flaws as any other game too, but in regards to the big picture it does do a lot right. And I am not the biggest MMO player anymore. I quit more or less years ago. The game will receive its updates and improvements and will eventually grow over time.

    Sometimes I don't understand what people expect, when they say "it is nothing new" - well no, it is an MMO and there isn't much innovation that can be done in the first place --- look at the big screen or books --> same story there. The plot of many movies have existed for decades. They are visually pimped, have different actors and people like them, although there is not that much new to expect there as well.
    And for the costs? Paying a few bucks per month is no big deal to be honest. You simply can't neglect the running costs here - infrastructure, people, etc. It would be like going to Burger King and asking for free food. And a visit to the cinema already costs more nowadays. You can play 24/7/365 - that is more than you get for that money in many other fields.

    One thing for people who like to dismantle everything - it is easy to criticise something, but hardly anyone wirtes improvement points or suggestions. How would you make it better?
    Example: Someone cooks for you - you eat the food - you say: tastes like crap" ---> is that really valuabale information? I believe not! Something like:"you could have used these spices" or "cooked this a little longer" etc. is definitely more useful.

    Like that it is more like someone just complaining without having the knowledge to do so.

    My 5 cent.

    PS: No, I am not a fanboy, but I gave the rating due to so many unqualified '0's here.    … Expand
  70. 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
  71. 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
  72. 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
  73. 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
  74. 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.
  75. 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
  76. 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
  77. The88thknight
    Apr 12, 2014
    9
    This game deserves all the praise it gets and more. You can really see the effort and care that Zenimax put into making this game. It's such a good blend of traditional MMO play and Elder Scrolls play. If you completely expect one or the other then you are going to be disappointed. For once in an mmorpg I am just playing to adventure and learn about as much lore as I can. I hardly evenThis game deserves all the praise it gets and more. You can really see the effort and care that Zenimax put into making this game. It's such a good blend of traditional MMO play and Elder Scrolls play. If you completely expect one or the other then you are going to be disappointed. For once in an mmorpg I am just playing to adventure and learn about as much lore as I can. I hardly even look at what level I am. Feels less like a job or a chore to quest and more like an adventure.… Expand
  78. Bakfyre
    Apr 12, 2014
    9
    In "Open Beta", there were still bugs, and people complained. They weren't allowed to play Skyrim, and people complained. It took more than an hour and a half to reach level 10, and people complained. Sooooo...all in all, well done. Though Skyrim is an awesome game, it can't be 'the same' and be a MMO. The quests (though, yes there is some grinding), are interesting and actually fit inIn "Open Beta", there were still bugs, and people complained. They weren't allowed to play Skyrim, and people complained. It took more than an hour and a half to reach level 10, and people complained. Sooooo...all in all, well done. Though Skyrim is an awesome game, it can't be 'the same' and be a MMO. The quests (though, yes there is some grinding), are interesting and actually fit in the lore completely.… Expand
  79. 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
  80. Gabriellogan
    Apr 20, 2014
    9
    For starters this game is worth playing. I have been an avid PC computer gamer for 20+ years, played every MMO under the sun and played all the Elder Scrolls games.

    There are bugs and some are rather annoying but you can get over/around them 99% of the time. As I have seen written in another review " This game is not for everyone" I agree you really have to be a fan of TES and MMOs to    For starters this game is worth playing. I have been an avid PC computer gamer for 20+ years, played every MMO under the sun and played all the Elder Scrolls games.

    There are bugs and some are rather annoying but you can get over/around them 99% of the time.
    As I have seen written in another review " This game is not for everyone" I agree you really have to be a fan of TES and MMOs to get the most out of this game.

    As for a lot of people in the negative reviews I have just read, all I can see if people saying that it is too hard? seriously? I say make games harder give me a challenge I do not want to be spoon fed. I set myself challenges all the way through I would try to keep quests and enemies at least 3-5 levels higher than me, did I have a problem killing them or bosses solo? No not at all. I hate to be saying this but the people who are finding the game too hard perhaps you are not that good a gamer?

    Yes some quests are bugged and don't get me wrong it really annoys me that sometimes they are broken but there is so much content within the game that it really does not break the game, at least not for me.

    This voice acting in the main quest chains is great and I found myself really paying attention and taking in all the story, as I said before you need to be a Elder Scrolls fan and a fan of the lore.

    To another point the pvp is amazing fun from level 10 onwards you can join the war and you will be scaled up so you are not just a useless low level.

    The way the crafting system works is a real breath of fresh air, yeah it copies a few other systems from different games but it has enough of its own charm to really endear me to it.

    As for the lack of diversity in builds or how you form your class to your own playing style there is not much limitation at all, the only limitation you get is if you choose one class you get one set of three skill lines designed for your class but you have all weapon skill lines open to you, all NPC guild/faction skill lines open to you and goodness know how many combinations you can make to form what your perfect tool set is, ALSO you can at level 15 have two sets of weapons equip and you get another active skill bar for that weapon set, so your primary weapons and skill are exactly that, your primary, but the second set can be a "utility belt" idea so as far as not having enough active skill 10 is enough for me plus two ultimates.

    As for the quests being the "same old hat" I would say to the people saying that, you have obviously not explored the game I have found some hilarious quests and some really cool ones.

    To sum up this game is worth it and remember as with any MMO it IS the community you play with/against that marks a great MMO.    … Expand
  81. 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
  82. invizo
    Apr 22, 2014
    9
    For TES lore lovers and Graphics enthusiasts this game is a masterpiece. For this newer generation of gamer that prefers LoL, Plants and Zombies, and other crap Indies this is not for you. Only reason I don't give a 10 is for the bugs/hiccups
  83. 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.
  84. Pieman2901
    Apr 27, 2014
    9
    Elder Scrolls Online is a fantastic effort by Bethesda. The game looks amazing and the combat is fluid and exciting. Improving on the usual block and slash mechanic, Elder Scrolls Online also gives you abilities and spells to use in the heat of battle, without having to select it through a series of menus. The character creation is also very improved. You have more options, but it isElder Scrolls Online is a fantastic effort by Bethesda. The game looks amazing and the combat is fluid and exciting. Improving on the usual block and slash mechanic, Elder Scrolls Online also gives you abilities and spells to use in the heat of battle, without having to select it through a series of menus. The character creation is also very improved. You have more options, but it is easier to use and create a character that looks how you want. During character creation, you select a class as well. These classes choose what abilities you have, but do not limit your weapon choice. The world is incredibly open and while your exploring you can find old temples, shrines, and quests everywhere. The PvP is where this game shines the most. Once you are level 10, you can join the alliance war, and fight for the throne of emperor. The sieges are exciting and fun especially with the siege engines that you can purchase. My only complaints are that on some alliance war servers (called campaigns in game) there are people who raid while everyone is offline and take all the keeps. The game also can get a little stale if you play too much at a time. The subscription fee is outrageous as well, having to pay for a 60 dollar game with another 15 dollars. Overall, Elder Scrolls Online is a fantastic MMORPG that will please MMO fans and Elder Scroll fans alike.… Expand
  85. Liquidfire
    Apr 27, 2014
    9
    Lovely game, A fresh look upon MMOs, and one that has caught my attention after my last MMO (Wish).
    Exploring is awesome, not feel to rush to level 50. There are a few down sides though, but I am sure they fix them soon.
    1. Auction House + Bots and goldsellers(but that's just programmer vs programmer). 2. Some minor bugs, which can easily happen in complex games like this. A lot of    Lovely game, A fresh look upon MMOs, and one that has caught my attention after my last MMO (Wish).
    Exploring is awesome, not feel to rush to level 50. There are a few down sides though, but I am sure they fix them soon.

    1. Auction House + Bots and goldsellers(but that's just programmer vs programmer).
    2. Some minor bugs, which can easily happen in complex games like this.

    A lot of people are whining here, because they don't have patience. It's by all means not a bad game, and don't let the negative review, let you think that.    … Expand
  86. Neizir
    Apr 28, 2014
    9
    Here's my review:
    Questing: Can be either good or bad depending on whether or not you care about a game's story. If you actually care about the story, you're in for a real treat with questing in ESO. Every quest is fun and immersive if you listen to the story. Simple fetch or kill quests (There are very few of these, by the way.) will actually have some meaning towards them and sometimes    Here's my review:
    Questing: Can be either good or bad depending on whether or not you care about a game's story. If you actually care about the story, you're in for a real treat with questing in ESO. Every quest is fun and immersive if you listen to the story. Simple fetch or kill quests (There are very few of these, by the way.) will actually have some meaning towards them and sometimes don't even feel like they're "grindy" quests at all even though they clearly are. For example, "Kill 6 bandits because they killed my family." feels like less of a chore than "Kill 6 bandits because pigs can fly.". If you just whiz through the dialogue and go straight to the objective, you won't like questing and everything stated above will just go ahead and contradict itself, feeling like a typical MMO grind. In my opinion questing is good fun if you're not a rusher who skips as much as he can to get to the end of the game. 8/10 for Questing.

    Combat: For a real-time system, ESO's combat is sort of a mixed bag. Melee combat is excellent. Hits feel like they have an impact, thanks to screen shaking and collision detection and "Ouch"-sounding sounds. Blocking and interrupting, however, don't really feel that necessary, except when the enemy charges up a special attack. Bow and Staff combat isn't brilliant and feel like they need to have more of an impact through both sound and sight. Combat is generally fun but more can be worked on regarding ranged combat. 7/10 for Combat.

    Graphics and Visuals: Aboslutely stunning, the only other MMO I can think of that looks better is Planetside 2, and that uses something along the lines of the Unreal Engine. The textures are very high quality, and shading and lighting can't get any better than what they are now. Even in PVP, where there are hundreds of players and effects on the screen, my R9 270X, the equivalent of a GTX 660 Ti, maintains a solid 30 FPS. The art style, however, really hinders how visually appealing ESO really is. If the art style were on par with Skyrim, ESO would easily beat Skyrim by a country mile in terms of graphics. 9/10 for visuals.

    Exploration and World Design: Exploration is one of ESO's greatest strengths. There is no sitting in cities waiting for an LFG queue to pop, in fact sitting in a city at all gets you to somewhere equivalent to where a penguin would get if it tried to fly (In short, nowhere at all.). Even if you use the game's built-in LFG tools, you and your group still need to walk to the entrance of the dungeon and need to discover it before teleporting to it again. The game's brilliant megaserver helps make this possible. Sure, if you just wander off for miles you won't really get anywhere either, but level scaling like in the other TES games isn't possible in an MMORPG. There's still lore books, skyshards, quests every step you take, solo dungeons, world bosses and more. There's an infinite supply of content in this game.
    Speaking of the megaserver, I think it really promotes that sense of community in the game and brings me back to the old days of WoW, where someone who was found trolling or being nooby was called out and never got invited to a group. Plus the technology embedded into it prevents overcrowding while at the same time maintaining a healthy number of players in the game space. 10/10 for exploration.

    PvP: Absolutely nothing negative can be said about PvP in this game. It's just...literally flawless. Seriously, how can you dislike hundreds of players battling it out for hours over a single fortress with siege weapons like trebuchets and their faction's might? A single castle isn't all; there's 18 forts across the 16 square mile area for you to ransack, as well as ancient Ayleid ruins, NPC towns, Dark Anchors etc. Thanks to these PvE objectives, you don't have to march with all your factions' might to another keep, you may unexpectedly find a player of the opposing faction in the town or ruin you're exploring encouraging small-scale PvP for those that want it. It's also balanced perfectly, maybe thanks to ESO's nearly-classless style of character building. You don't even have to be a high level to be viable, you can go in at Level 10 and have your stats boosted to match a level 50s, bar maybe a few passives. 10/10 for PVP.

    Game Systems
    There are still a plentiful amount of bugs in the game, and bots and gold sellers run rampant throughout the zones (particularly Stonefalls, Glenumbral, Auridon and Coldharbour). Customer Support itself is very responsive and I know they do alot of things to stop these bots. I've even seen a Game Master physically manifest in a dungeon and caused bots to disappear. However, the amount of bugs and bots are not good at all. 6/10 for Game Systems/Customer Service

    Endgame and Longevity
    Raids that are actually hard, Heroic Dungeons, Adventure Zones, Veteran Rank questing, PvP, lorebooks, Skyshards, questing... What else is to be said? There's a ton of things to do in ESO. 9/10 for Endgame.
    9/10.    … Expand
  87. Butrflis
    Apr 28, 2014
    9
    Absolutely the most stunning MMO Ive played and Ive beta tested many and played most of them. A few bug remain hence the 9/10 rather than 10/10. You definitely have to be intelligent to play though. This is not a game for the lazy who want an easy grind or those with less brain power. It requires you to think. Give our current population of gamers this may be a problem and a reasonAbsolutely the most stunning MMO Ive played and Ive beta tested many and played most of them. A few bug remain hence the 9/10 rather than 10/10. You definitely have to be intelligent to play though. This is not a game for the lazy who want an easy grind or those with less brain power. It requires you to think. Give our current population of gamers this may be a problem and a reason for neg reviews only coming from the user population and not the critics so much.… Expand
  88. toaster00
    Apr 28, 2014
    9
    Incidentally, I'm willing to accept that scores from maybe 3-8 are honest expressions of opinion which differ from mine. But scores of 0? Please. That's just preposterous. Even if I only looked at the (rapidly disappearing) bugs and not the solid fundamentals, this game can't seriously be rated below a 5. Scores of 0 smack of an organised campaign by WOW neckbeards to keep people playing aIncidentally, I'm willing to accept that scores from maybe 3-8 are honest expressions of opinion which differ from mine. But scores of 0? Please. That's just preposterous. Even if I only looked at the (rapidly disappearing) bugs and not the solid fundamentals, this game can't seriously be rated below a 5. Scores of 0 smack of an organised campaign by WOW neckbeards to keep people playing a dying game.
    This game is, at worst, an acne-spotted teenager who has a good future if things go right. WOW is a senile old man that smells of cheese and whines on and on about the old days.    … Expand
  89. dsheik
    May 25, 2014
    9
    In all honesty this game felt like a bit of a let down right at first,but once I got past "this isnt Skyrim" and just played it its pretty fun. If you compare it to a MMO i think its really good. If you try to play it as a Morrowwind, Oblivion, Skyrim game its not going to live up to that single player RPG experience. I find it funner to play then the other supposedly top MMOs outIn all honesty this game felt like a bit of a let down right at first,but once I got past "this isnt Skyrim" and just played it its pretty fun. If you compare it to a MMO i think its really good. If you try to play it as a Morrowwind, Oblivion, Skyrim game its not going to live up to that single player RPG experience. I find it funner to play then the other supposedly top MMOs out there. With updates and expansions it will only get better. I think the low scores dont reflect the true overall play of the game. Wow, GW, Lotro, ive played a lot of them for long durations. I dont see how those are rated highly and TES online isnt. This is better, but if your not into MMOs then skip it and wait for the next great single player RPG. This does play closer to that then the other MMOs though.… Expand
  90. 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
  91. tmacdonald
    May 3, 2014
    9
    The Elder Scrolls Online is a great game which manages to make staple game features feel fun and fresh, and provides a world full of interesting places to explore. Everyone should take it upon themselves to play this marvellously crafted MMORPG
  92. philginge
    May 6, 2014
    9
    Really enjoying this game, if anything the more I play the better its getting! Currently VR2 and enjoying the game far more then I did 1-50! Looking forward to the Adventure zone content, but I have got lots to explore and do before all that! :)
  93. coeus2k
    May 9, 2014
    9
    Loved Skyrim and hate Warcraft. This game will do for me. I like that you can still play as a solo player but join in multiplayer if needed. Only on lvl 7 so still getting used to it but for me.. though the graphics are a lower level than Skyrim its still marvelous. A good all round game.. pricey though (but I'm quite rich).
  94. Khondor
    May 12, 2014
    9
    Not sure why this game garners so much hate and discontent. People who are saying "been there, done that" might as well be complaining about having to shoot in an FPS. ESO is actually a solid addition to the Elder Scrolls universe. Do what you want game play, meaningful crafting, large open world, and a tremendous amount of lore. The road to max level is LONG which is a welcome changeNot sure why this game garners so much hate and discontent. People who are saying "been there, done that" might as well be complaining about having to shoot in an FPS. ESO is actually a solid addition to the Elder Scrolls universe. Do what you want game play, meaningful crafting, large open world, and a tremendous amount of lore. The road to max level is LONG which is a welcome change to the recent trend in MMOs that have people at level cap in two days. These same folks then complain about the lack of end game and then rage quit. In ESO, the leveling IS the game, or a least a major part of it. Questing in ESO is it's strength and although some quest bugs were prevalent at launch, they have mostly been addressed. If your a fan of Elder Scrolls games, then you should give this one a shot. You won't be disappointed.… Expand
  95. GFBStarWars
    May 12, 2014
    9
    This will be my review for "The Elder Scroll Online", I'll try to be objective and to explain pro and cons in a simple but detailed way.
    "The Elder Scroll Online" isn't the classic MMORPG on the market and from what I've seen by playing, look more like a hybrid between a MMO and a single player RPG.
    The first thing anyone will notice when starting the game is the character creation which    This will be my review for "The Elder Scroll Online", I'll try to be objective and to explain pro and cons in a simple but detailed way.
    "The Elder Scroll Online" isn't the classic MMORPG on the market and from what I've seen by playing, look more like a hybrid between a MMO and a single player RPG.
    The first thing anyone will notice when starting the game is the character creation which have a massive amount of customization and give the choice to choose a race (and Alliance) and a class. Those are the only skill line and passive    … Expand
  96. 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
  97. gidora
    Jul 18, 2014
    9
    The Elder Scrolls Online is the most epic of all MMORPGs out there. You are able to choose on a wide scale of how you want to play each time you log into the game. The graphics quality also makes the game very immersive no matter if your in first of third person view. I believe they even out did themselves to their own Skyrim game because the leveling feels a lot more balanced in ESO.The Elder Scrolls Online is the most epic of all MMORPGs out there. You are able to choose on a wide scale of how you want to play each time you log into the game. The graphics quality also makes the game very immersive no matter if your in first of third person view. I believe they even out did themselves to their own Skyrim game because the leveling feels a lot more balanced in ESO. There are really only two flaws to this game. One is that there seems to be a lot of technical issues such as crashes and lagging. The other is that there is no way to complete the group quest as a single player. The reason i say this is a downfall is because there are times where there are not enough players playing non-PVP to get a group together. So if this is the quest you want to do you are diverted by the fact that it is impossible to beat alone. There should be different levels of difficulty base on, how many people enter the dungeon together, so that not enough players being online does not become an issue.… Expand
  98. taijutsumike
    Jun 7, 2014
    9
    This is an early play review, but I thought it important to put out there based on all the mixed reviews so far.

    Installation This was a really simple deal. Much like any other MMO, you download the 130mb launcher and then sign in so it can download the other 23gb. There is a security feature, different from others i've seen where it will ask you for a code if you log in from an    This is an early play review, but I thought it important to put out there based on all the mixed reviews so far.

    Installation
    This was a really simple deal. Much like any other MMO, you download the 130mb launcher and then sign in so it can download the other 23gb. There is a security feature, different from others i've seen where it will ask you for a code if you log in from an unfamiliar IP location... the client and website does that, so if you forget your password there are some extra security steps that can seem frustrating.

    Also the client downloaded 23gb, installed it then wanted to download another 5gb. I can't be sure if they were doing this because the second 5gb was an additional patch, some people are reporting that the client / patch system is a little off right now. so dont pay too much attention to the % bar.

    Looks
    Let it be noted that this is the first game in MMO history that gave me the best settings for my laptop, off the bat. I did adjust the graphics up a little, but even on medium settings the game looks pretty. It has oblivion style graphics with a skyrim interface... its not super mind blowing pretty, but it looks pretty good. I haven't been to Daggerfall since '97, so seeing it rebuilt here was really refreshing. I've been to Daggerfall, Stros M'Kai and some alied ruins, which all look like they should from their respective games. Its worth noting, that for me, the first log in time and one time when I changed a graphic setting, it took a long time to get into back into the game (maybe 2 - 5 mins or so)

    Gameplay
    My major fault with pretty much every MMO - especially with SWTOR - is that in order to survive the main storyline, you have to do every single quest just to be able to participate in the main story line. When I left the first location I found a woman who wanted to chat (these use Skyrim "undiscovered markers" to let you know that someone can give you a quest). Turns out this was one of main story quests. We went on a good 2-3 hour series of quests that led me back to daggerfall. Sometimes the quests can seem kinda basic and the quest locations kinda linear, but the plus side to that is that once you get done with a minor quest, you are ready to get back out there into something else.

    My main gripe with a lot of MMO's is that either you don't know what you're supposed to be doing (WOW gives you a solid quest line for the first 5 levels then just puts you out there feeling lost) or I get completely anxious because I am running around for hours on side quests while everything is focused on end game content for the people that get to the level cap in three days. ESO doesn't feel like that - I have been happily running quests, bumping into the occasional person and not feeling worried about what I might be missing out on.

    Combat is pretty awesome so far. Its not quite like skyrim where a block guarantees a blocked attack, but you can block the major - interruptable attacks. Im playing with a dragonknight and a happy with the sword and shield combat style, fire based attacks I have chosen. Part of me wonders if I should have gone for a healer type for later stuff... but again I don't get class envy that I have in other MMOs.

    ESO doesn't have the complete freedom that Elderscrolls games usually boast... yet. But I don't feel like thats anything I need to feel concerned about. There is plenty going on.

    I'm really enjoying my time here so far and have had nothing but positive experiences. Yes its a little on the expensive side, but its new... and It feels worth every penny.    … Expand
  99. The_Grim
    Jun 11, 2014
    9
    To be honest, it is shocking that this game has an average user rating of 5.9. To put this in perspective, this is a significantly lower rating than Marvel Heroes, TERA, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, Darkfall: Unholy Wars and Dungeons and Dragons Online received. All of which are *vastly* inferior to the gaming experience of Elder Scrolls Online.

    As an MMO fan since around 1999, this is    To be honest, it is shocking that this game has an average user rating of 5.9. To put this in perspective, this is a significantly lower rating than Marvel Heroes, TERA, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, Darkfall: Unholy Wars and Dungeons and Dragons Online received. All of which are *vastly* inferior to the gaming experience of Elder Scrolls Online.

    As an MMO fan since around 1999, this is far and away the best MMO that has released since World of Warcraft came out in 2004 (that includes the Secret World...which is another MMO I was very fond of). It is has kept my interest similar to how my favorite MMOs to date have: 1) Asheron's Call, 2) Dark Age of Camelot, 3) World of Warcraft, 4) City of Heroes and 5) The Secret World all did when they came out. It is too premature to say if it will crack that top 5, but it certainly has the potential to do so. If you are an MMO fan and have not played this, you are truly missing out on a very entertaining MMO gaming experience.

    There has been a ton of misinformation regarding this game. I wanted to address several of the common incorrect things that have been stated regarding this game based off my experience playing it since pre-launch:

    - The game is not even remotely as buggy as people claim it is. I have encountered (through yesterday) 4 bugged quest through approximately 525 completed. Of those 4, there were 3 that were fixed 2 days after the official launch of the game and 1 (introduced a week and a half ago) that was fixed this Monday.

    - The bot situation has been over exaggerated greatly. Botting was an issue but primarily occurred (but not limit to) the lower level zones. It was unlikely, but not impossible to see them outside of those areas. In the two months I have played, I have seen a total of 5 bots. That number does not indicate a rampant problem, but it was something that did need to be addressed. This is something that Zenimax has been working on and I haven't seen a bot in a few weeks at this point.

    - As a big fan of the Elder Scrolls game (especially Oblivion and Skyrim), it is not a standard Elder Scrolls game, but honestly...that would be difficult to do in an MMO format. The reason being is that it is hard to provide a level based progression in a true sandbox environment (that was something that the Secret World was able to kind of get around while leveling by just rewarding skill points). However, this is a great Elder Scrolls game as a MMO. It is important to make that distinction.

    - The questing while leveling is actually fun and the story line provide some very interesting lore to help drive and form what your doing. This combined with the huge game map and incredible graphics as well as sounds provides some a great immersive game experience.

    - The combat and specialization options provides a different and unique approach to the standard MMO genre conventions. The combat is more resource limited with active combat elements (such as blocking, dodging) with no true global cooldowns. In addition, there is a ton of different specialization options for your characters...with very few true cookie cutter builds (most that are obviously superior have been getting carefully and methodically adjusted). The ability to build your character around your preferred gaming style is very refreshing. However, this is a caveat to this when you get into the Veteran Ranks that I will mention below).

    - The reason this game is currently getting a 9 (instead of a 10) from me is due to the undefined way that Veteran Ranks are being handled. They don't seem to have a clear concept (or haven't shared it with the user community) of how those will be utilized to provide further progression in the game. This lack of clarify and currently implementation makes the leveling for the Veteran Ranks more grindy and less rewarding that the 1-50 experience. In a recent newsletter, they did say they were looking at ways to improve this, but there are no specifics as of yet. That is my primary concern for this game at current. If they can develop a good system for this that fits into character progression, this game will be amazing.

    In closing, I would recommend if you are an MMO fan that you check this game out when the opportunity arises and that you do not buy into the hyperbole regarding this game. If you are wary of buying it (only $30 on Amazon in the US right now), I would recommend waiting for a sale on it, a friend pass or a trial if it becomes available to see for yourself. This is the best MMO to become available on the market in a long time and don't let someone else's misinformation steer from trying a great game.    … Expand
  100. DeciusFrecentis
    Jun 22, 2014
    9
    I must say, the negative reception this game has received has absolutely floored me. Maybe it's because I'm not an MMO buff. Maybe its because I really came to ESO looking for another single player game. But eitherway, I have not had so much fun since Oblivion.

    The only other MMO I have to compare this with is World of Warcraft. A friend got me into WoW and while it was passably fun    I must say, the negative reception this game has received has absolutely floored me. Maybe it's because I'm not an MMO buff. Maybe its because I really came to ESO looking for another single player game. But eitherway, I have not had so much fun since Oblivion.

    The only other MMO I have to compare this with is World of Warcraft. A friend got me into WoW and while it was passably fun while he was my companion, I found it too boring to continue alone. ESO is better by a mile! Where did ESO go right where I felt WoW was lacking? Well...

    The worlds are beautiful. Simply exploring and absorbing the vibrancy can be a joy. The quests have interesting stories and can emerge spontaneously. The actually have a modicum of depth...heck, sometimes I grow a genuine affection for them. And, even though you share the game world with other players, Zeni does a fantastic job of making it feel like yours, as you make choices that determine if other characters live or die, what kind of assistance you'll see in the future, and even watch major sections of the game world change as you progress.

    Also, the combat. Combat is evolving, visceral, strategic, and keeps you on your toes. Where as in WoW, you could literally fight with your eyes closed.

    There are things I don't like. Ingroup voice chat would be nice. There are no RPing servers which is also sort of disappointing. And too often dungeons are public when they should be private, and occasionally the reverse.

    But this is the most fun I have had since Oblivion. Maybe it's not a great MMO, because the cooperative and PVP aspects of the game are probably the most disappointing. Cyrodiil, for instance, is either extremely laggy or achingly empty. But it is, without a doubt, a marvelous experience that leaves me feeling like a kid in a candy store.    … 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

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Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 64 Critic Reviews

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