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. Dimocracy
    Jul 6, 2023
    8
    It's not the best MMORPG, because we all know it's World of Warcraft, but it's a good game!
  2. Ansatsu83
    Apr 7, 2014
    7
    This review is based upon the issues at launch.

    The game has a ton of potential, IT DOES NOT PLAY LIKE ELDER SCROLLS!!! If you cannot accept that its not like skyrim, you wont like this. On launch, it is beyond buggy, it should still be in beta. They have had two patches to fix broken quests in the starter areas in the first three days of launch. Their beta testing had failed miserably    This review is based upon the issues at launch.

    The game has a ton of potential, IT DOES NOT PLAY LIKE ELDER SCROLLS!!! If you cannot accept that its not like skyrim, you wont like this. On launch, it is beyond buggy, it should still be in beta. They have had two patches to fix broken quests in the starter areas in the first three days of launch. Their beta testing had failed miserably and testers were not given enough time to report bugs. The company still pushed a half finished game out the door and... honestly.... the bugs, at launch, really break it. So far I have encountered six quests where I cannot progress. Since I play in the form of a completionist and not a power leveler I cannot complete a zone and that reduces my play time... Despite the completely unacceptable, buggy, and pathetic release the game is not bad. The real issue is balance, balance in pvp and pve is a joke in this game, it makes wow look halfway decent, in terms of balance... as bad as that sounds. Two handed weapon damage is a joke, there is little point to using two handed weapons. Every other weapon type, in the game, deals a lot more damage... There are no excuses for half of this, just none. If you want to release a beta at least be ready for some very harsh criticism. That having been said, it is still fairly fun and will give you several hours a week of enjoyment... Now hopefully they will fix the bugs before the end of the first month...    … Expand
  3. malbec
    Apr 4, 2014
    7
    Meh, it's okay. Much better than SWTOR, moderately worse than the original WoW. I'll be getting it to play in the down time when there's not some other, better game on my plate. The writing is decent, the voice acting is above average, the graphics are good, and the exploration is average for an MMO. I am curious to see what they do with item/questing balance, adjustments to PVP, groupMeh, it's okay. Much better than SWTOR, moderately worse than the original WoW. I'll be getting it to play in the down time when there's not some other, better game on my plate. The writing is decent, the voice acting is above average, the graphics are good, and the exploration is average for an MMO. I am curious to see what they do with item/questing balance, adjustments to PVP, group dungeons, and end-game. I'd recommend it to a friend, but only barely.… Expand
  4. Fursnake
    Apr 12, 2014
    7
    Having played MMO's for almost 20 years since the days of Asheron's Call, Everquest and Ultima Online, I have played and tested so many MMO's I have lost count of them all. I'm a big MMO fan, but I am pretty picky these days about MMO's. After going through a bunch of MMO's that felt like lackluster WoW clones, TESO is the first one in awhile that doesn't feel like WoW. It has actionHaving played MMO's for almost 20 years since the days of Asheron's Call, Everquest and Ultima Online, I have played and tested so many MMO's I have lost count of them all. I'm a big MMO fan, but I am pretty picky these days about MMO's. After going through a bunch of MMO's that felt like lackluster WoW clones, TESO is the first one in awhile that doesn't feel like WoW. It has action combat akin to GW2, TERA and Neverwinter. Some feel the combat is clunky, but it feels better to me than GW2 or Neverwinter. Having a stamina bar and no cooldowns on skills changes things up nicely and avoids the pitfall of boring skill rotations. You have dodging, blocking and interrupts all stamina based to add to the combat tactics.

    The gameworld makes me want to explore more than any MMO since SWG, aside from the MMO standards of locations to discover there are little flavor encounters you can participate in as well as treasure chests, lorebooks, skill ups and other goodies scattered around the world to find. The questing doesn't feel like there is much in the way of boring kill/fetch quests and overall the questing immerses me more than other MMO's. The overall questing and gameworld has some decent phasing.

    The game has a race/class system but once you pick a race and class it opens up more and you are not constrained to one single thing based on your class. I have a paladin/cleric type character that can main tank or main heal equally well, not even level 20 yet. Character level really only matters as far as what you can equip and getting that all too important extra skill point. Classes are not restricted to armor types and one can have a heavy armor wearing mage if they want.

    PvP is pretty enjoyable and this coming from someone who does not really care for MMO PvP. I enjoyed RvRvR in Dark Age of Camelot, I enjoyed the more open world PvP of SWG, I enjoyed the WvW in GW2 and I like the triple faction, large map based PvP of TESO. Plenty of MMo PvP boils down to small map, epsorts-esque grind fests with little to no impact on the overall game and just results in a PvP gear grind. TESO's PvP is more about the three factions vying for control of a big ole territory with plenty of keeps, temples and other objectives to battle over.

    I also find crafting fairly engaging and I don't much care for crafting in MMO's in general; most of the time crafting in other MMO's crafting has felt like a real grind where I didn't really use it until end level, In TESO I find myself crafting much more and using more of what I craft. Crafting can be somewhat complicated to figure out, but once you do there is a good deal to it and plenty of appearance varieties and things to do to improve crafted gear.

    Personally I enjoy the game enough that it is a solid 9 subjectively. But from a slightly more objective sense there are some issues with it that will and do frustrate/turn off people. The game is buggier than Zenimax Online wishes it was. I have not run into any game breaking bugs or serious bug issues like other players, but they are there. Inventory and bank management is a pain even for someone who has been through all kinds of MMO inventory systems. It would a real PITA if I wasn't accustomed to MMO inventory systems already. The lack of a public auction house does not bother me, but it is a turn off to some. One can screw up character development if they don't pay attention to how they build their character and where they put skill points; respecs can be costly. There is not much in the way of a user interface, but add-ons are allowed and there are some great add-ons being made by players/modders already and plenty of add-ons provide good interface additions.

    It is rough around the edges and it was released a bit too early, but has enough depth and individuality as an MMO for me. Only time will tell if it will retain enough subscribers to remain a sub fee based game, but I will be subscribing to it for some time to come.    … Expand
  5. Xon
    Aug 20, 2014
    7
    Not the worst game ever, but nowhere near the standard set by Skyrim or Oblivion. That said, I have never before played a MMO and probably wouldn't have if not for ESO.
  6. Kucha
    Apr 23, 2014
    7
    his is a good MMO that I am playing and plan to continue to play because I'm enjoying it. Having said that, I admit that it's not revolutionary, but one that does most things right. Overall, I'd say that ESO is an Elder Scrolls single player and MMO hybrid. You got some, but not all parts of both. If you are OK with sacrificing some of your beloved Elder Scrolls single playerhis is a good MMO that I am playing and plan to continue to play because I'm enjoying it. Having said that, I admit that it's not revolutionary, but one that does most things right. Overall, I'd say that ESO is an Elder Scrolls single player and MMO hybrid. You got some, but not all parts of both. If you are OK with sacrificing some of your beloved Elder Scrolls single player experiences for the opportunity to play with others, then this game is just for you. If you are inflexible and demand a full Elder Scrolls and MMO game, then you will probably be disappointed.

    PROS

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

    CONS

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

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

    My personal opinion is that these issues have not kept me from playing this game. I've enjoyed most of my experiences in this version of Tamriel and I look forward to ZeniMax fixing the bugs and stabilizing the game experience (i.e., hunting down the spammers/exploiters). If you like both Elder Scrolls and MMO's, then you will be doing yourself a disservice if you don't give this game a shot.    … Expand
  7. Phatsnake
    Apr 5, 2014
    7
    The MMO genre has become stale and is in dire need of an overhaul. Unfortunately, The Elder Scrolls Online is not it. TESO is torn between trying to follow in the footsteps of the single player experience of Skyrim and its predecessors while combining the boring mechanics of MMOs that we're too familiar with. In its defense, the game has some of the most gorgeous environments I've seen inThe MMO genre has become stale and is in dire need of an overhaul. Unfortunately, The Elder Scrolls Online is not it. TESO is torn between trying to follow in the footsteps of the single player experience of Skyrim and its predecessors while combining the boring mechanics of MMOs that we're too familiar with. In its defense, the game has some of the most gorgeous environments I've seen in an MMO, but aside from that the core of the game is lacking.… Expand
  8. Swordguy
    May 29, 2014
    7
    I originally gave this game a better score, but after playing for 2 months, I can say without a doubt that the game at launch is missing a lot of elder scrolls features, but then new features like fishing, which have no reward beside the activity itself, instead of things like crime, thieves guild, dark brotherhood, etc..

    This game needs another year of development, or at the very least    I originally gave this game a better score, but after playing for 2 months, I can say without a doubt that the game at launch is missing a lot of elder scrolls features, but then new features like fishing, which have no reward beside the activity itself, instead of things like crime, thieves guild, dark brotherhood, etc..

    This game needs another year of development, or at the very least 6 months, but at the rate they are developing the game, I'm leaning toward a year.    … Expand
  9. Rudal
    May 30, 2016
    7
    Very good game for the first play through.
    Looks amazing, game play is at good level, story is engaging and good sound design.
    But as soon as you finish main story you are pushed to do the same thing again for another faction and you are separated from players of opposite factions.
    PvP is only allowed in designated areas.
  10. NikolayG
    Jun 10, 2015
    7
    ESO has gone 'free to play' which of course doesn't mean it's free. It means that rather than having a monthly payment, you pay to purchase items to make playing more reasonable when you decide to do so. This in turn compromises the competitive nature of the game. Rather than increasing skills and abilities in comparison to other players, by pracitising those skills in the game, someESO has gone 'free to play' which of course doesn't mean it's free. It means that rather than having a monthly payment, you pay to purchase items to make playing more reasonable when you decide to do so. This in turn compromises the competitive nature of the game. Rather than increasing skills and abilities in comparison to other players, by pracitising those skills in the game, some things can simply be bought with real money, stamina, a nice horse, etc. with literal cash you use to buy these things - not in game cash you earn by playing the game. For me this reduces ESO significantly. Though it is still enjoyable and open world, another Skyrim but with a larger world.

    I have never understood why 'free to play' or as it is more accurately called 'free to pay' is so popular. A subscription based game enables a true even playing field whereas allowing people to buy elements that affect gameplay compromises the core of what makes an RPG enjoyable.    … Expand
  11. Anyas_Dad
    Apr 9, 2014
    7
    I am really not a fan of metacritic simply because trolls like to bash games they have never played OR dislike due to pricing. I decided to do this review for two reasons: 1. Offset the fake reviews with a real one. 2. To let others who unsure about spending the money that it is a good game and worth the investment AS LONG AS YOU LIKE ELDER SCROLLS. Everything about the game seems toI am really not a fan of metacritic simply because trolls like to bash games they have never played OR dislike due to pricing. I decided to do this review for two reasons: 1. Offset the fake reviews with a real one. 2. To let others who unsure about spending the money that it is a good game and worth the investment AS LONG AS YOU LIKE ELDER SCROLLS. Everything about the game seems to catch my attention. Graphics, dialogue, music and lore. I have played MOST major mmo games and have to say this is the closest to giving me that same sense of "magic" that WoW did when I was playing daily. The biggest issues I have with the game are: Glitches (naturally due to infancy), NO AUCTION HOUSE and the usual gold buying spammers. Also the when you set up your account you need to authorize $14.99 using credit cards paypal and debit. You DO get this back in a day or two. It's just their way of stopping fraud I assume.… Expand
  12. Vandral007
    Apr 7, 2014
    7
    ESO is a passable MMO which competently recreates the world of Tamriel. There is unfortunately very little here to distinguish this from it's competitors in this market, and while it does nothing wrong, it does nothing to make it stand out. The content is solid, but I very much doubt I will be renewing my subscription with this game, when I can play Guild Wars 2 with more content and noESO is a passable MMO which competently recreates the world of Tamriel. There is unfortunately very little here to distinguish this from it's competitors in this market, and while it does nothing wrong, it does nothing to make it stand out. The content is solid, but I very much doubt I will be renewing my subscription with this game, when I can play Guild Wars 2 with more content and no monthly charge.… Expand
  13. Darkhearts
    Mar 27, 2015
    7
    It would be a 5 or 6 if wasn't buy to play now. They have made a lot of changes since beta/launch so I'd give it a try for the $40-60 you can find the game for. If anything wait for a steam sale!
  14. Exoaria
    Apr 30, 2014
    7
    The Elder Scrolls Online does not, by any means, break any molds in its vanilla construct. It is one of the most innovating releases in the online gaming industry that I have seen, but is failing in more than one aspect. You need to come to the game without any fresh expectations of the previous games.

    There is no opportunity to be a part of the community. Exploring a new town or city    The Elder Scrolls Online does not, by any means, break any molds in its vanilla construct. It is one of the most innovating releases in the online gaming industry that I have seen, but is failing in more than one aspect. You need to come to the game without any fresh expectations of the previous games.

    There is no opportunity to be a part of the community. Exploring a new town or city does not feel any different to exploring the last one, and quests are seldom entertaining or bringing anything new to the table. The level of progression and gameplay is definitely a step back from the console versions; but to look at it for what it is (an MMORPG) it is far more invigorating than most grind-fests on the market today. There is an extensive amount of lore and dialogue in the game to keep it fresh.

    Combat is severely stunted by your internet connection. The lack of Oceanic servers have made it very hard for Australians like myself to fully enjoy the game as there's at least a 300ms delay in all actions— whether that be attacking, rolling, sprinting, or just generally activating items or NPC's... it begins to feel very disconnected. Obviously I can't base the review on my own internet inadequacy, and so I definitely have to say that all fighting in the game is backed up by a solid amount of mechanics. Fighting enemies, especially in groups requires tactics and is far from something where you're simply menacely clicking and mashing numbers.

    The 5-slot skill limit gives a solid backup to the extensively customization available when building your character. Of the 4 classes to choose from, there is a lack of meta which is made up in the fact that by morphing your abilities you can effectively play any role with any class.

    The visuals are ground-breaking for any MMO that I have seen so far. However, the world still feels oddly disconnected and there's an inherent lack of any life. Bird's don't fly away when you walk near them, and everything does tend to feel very static. This does a disservice to the amazing quality of graphics, but does not take too much away from the level of beauty Zenimax has created.

    Endgame does not appear to have much content outside of PvP, but Zenimax appears to be very well committed to constant updates and content being added to the game. I am enjoying it thoroughly so far and intend to look at my subscription as a level of support to that dedication.
    The Elder Scrolls Online is not particularly innovative in light of the series, but for an MMORPG definitely takes some steps into new grounds which I'm most pleased to see. I will continue playing for some time.    … Expand
  15. Eruptox
    Apr 23, 2014
    7
    Reviews here are too long, I'll just summarize it. (Intermediate MMO player here)

    Pros - Great Voiceovers (Not as good as SWTOR imo) - Soundtrack. - If you want to play an MMO. - Amazing Landscapes Cons - Combat - Not the best, a little dumb down version of GW2 - Skyrim - Nothing like Skyrim V, not even close. - Terrible Quest Achievement - Short Quests that doesn't feel    Reviews here are too long, I'll just summarize it. (Intermediate MMO player here)

    Pros
    - Great Voiceovers (Not as good as SWTOR imo)
    - Soundtrack.
    - If you want to play an MMO.
    - Amazing Landscapes

    Cons
    - Combat - Not the best, a little dumb down version of GW2
    - Skyrim - Nothing like Skyrim V, not even close.
    - Terrible Quest Achievement - Short Quests that doesn't feel rewarding.
    - No Auction House (Yet)

    If you're a person who rates it by its launch week, you're honestly not a gamer. No MMO has ever been released with no problems at all. All games go through the same phase.

    TL: DR

    - MMO player: you may like it, it's simplistic, and has an ESO theme.
    - RPG player: Not really a good RPG, especially if you hope it's like Skyrim V.    … Expand
  16. xTobyMc
    May 4, 2014
    7
    The game is great, but I just feel the price to play the game and repetition of gameplay isn't worth my time anymore. I've been playing the game since beta and from initial release, but exactly one month later I'm quite frankly bored of the game. The look and feel of Elder Scrolls is definitely there, but it lacks the interesting NPC's and everything feels too non-interactive andThe game is great, but I just feel the price to play the game and repetition of gameplay isn't worth my time anymore. I've been playing the game since beta and from initial release, but exactly one month later I'm quite frankly bored of the game. The look and feel of Elder Scrolls is definitely there, but it lacks the interesting NPC's and everything feels too non-interactive and unrealistic. For example, characters show no facial expression and the quests they give you aren't interesting at all. It quite literally consists of speaking to someone, walking somewhere, collecting some stuff, killing a few people, then going back to the person you talked to. This is all the PvE seems to offer, over and over again. Personally I'm not a WvW or PvP fan either, so that doesn't interest me anyway. I'm also a solo gamer, and this game is definitely tedious if you don't have friends to play it with.

    I'm not going to slate the game and give it 1/10 just because I don't get along with it, because I know that many people will enjoy this game and I'm sure in a few years it'll be a very solid game. However, I would rather not be paying the subscription fee for what it's worth. If it was like Guild Wars 2 without subscription fees, I'd definitely reconsider playing it. I think I'll probably leave the game for a good few months and perhaps see how it progresses over time, perhaps they'll reduce/eliminate fees or make vast changes to the game.    … Expand
  17. zyntor
    Mar 19, 2015
    7
    This was a fun game for me till I hit level cap. But after that, the PVP was hard to find. I would spend days trying to find someone to kill, and it was rare to get into a fun siege group. I quit the game out of boredom for that reason. It was very fun leveling and questing.. but the end game mechanics weren't working for me. I play video games for my personal entertainment... not toThis was a fun game for me till I hit level cap. But after that, the PVP was hard to find. I would spend days trying to find someone to kill, and it was rare to get into a fun siege group. I quit the game out of boredom for that reason. It was very fun leveling and questing.. but the end game mechanics weren't working for me. I play video games for my personal entertainment... not to wait days for something to do. Too bad the PVP didn't work... because it was fun for a bit… Expand
  18. Nyxious
    Jul 27, 2014
    7
    I still have a subscription... because I had to buy game time in order to get my free time, the game store only had two month cards available. I just logged on after not playing for 2 weeks to see if it had improved, I have not crashed for awhile but the game still seems just boring. I tried to ignore the buy in price of 120 when I got it just so I could see if I like it, I tried to ignoreI still have a subscription... because I had to buy game time in order to get my free time, the game store only had two month cards available. I just logged on after not playing for 2 weeks to see if it had improved, I have not crashed for awhile but the game still seems just boring. I tried to ignore the buy in price of 120 when I got it just so I could see if I like it, I tried to ignore the first two weeks when I was constantly being dropped and having issues that didn't seem to exist in bug forums. But then i kept playing and I just got bored.

    Near the end of my playing I wasn't even reading what the missions were anymore, just check my map run there do whatever, get small reward, repeat. This does not feel like Elder Scrolls, the pvp was amusing for awhile and if it goes free to play might be worth it just for that, but I feel I am wasting time that could be better spent on games I will enjoy. Won't renew, might try again some day if they do a reboot like ffxiv did but otherwise I will just hope they still come out with single player games.

    ps the pvp was pretty good but not worth the near 120 price(game + time + tax) and hours of boredom to get to.    … Expand
  19. drschuster555
    Apr 10, 2014
    7
    Yes it is a good MMO, but not The Elder Scrolls. The people who only Skyrim, Oblivion and TESO have played, DO NOT know what I mean. The Elder Scrolls was a game that has set on exploring THE gaming world. This was in Oblivion but replaced by quest markers. That was the biggest process of casualization of the Elder Scrolls. Now Bethesda and Zenimax want to make even more money by nowYes it is a good MMO, but not The Elder Scrolls. The people who only Skyrim, Oblivion and TESO have played, DO NOT know what I mean. The Elder Scrolls was a game that has set on exploring THE gaming world. This was in Oblivion but replaced by quest markers. That was the biggest process of casualization of the Elder Scrolls. Now Bethesda and Zenimax want to make even more money by now targeting with the same system as in Skyrim and Oblivion also MMO players. The charm of the Elder Scrolls has always been to find your own way through the world. But in order to achieve a higher value on the market, Bethesda and Zenimax have to ignore the fans and the wishes of the fans and promote its game ultimately. That works with unfair Imperial Editions and Imperial benefits. Bethesda going to be EA.

    Sorry for translation errors, ive don this with Google Translate.    … Expand
  20. Assassin8813
    Mar 26, 2015
    7
    My old review in September 2014 gave this a 6/10 because making money was very hard and playing with friends was harder. However, the came has come a long way and I feel that I need to update the review. I give it a 7/10 now because the money making and friend playing is still more difficult than it needs to be, but with them dropping the subscription fee as well as fixing many of theMy old review in September 2014 gave this a 6/10 because making money was very hard and playing with friends was harder. However, the came has come a long way and I feel that I need to update the review. I give it a 7/10 now because the money making and friend playing is still more difficult than it needs to be, but with them dropping the subscription fee as well as fixing many of the issues at launch, it is definitely a fun game to play with your friends and worthy of your time.… Expand
  21. Zenzukai
    Jun 20, 2014
    7
    Played since launch. Good, but incomplete. Game crashes frequently, and has so many hair pulling bugs.

    Many core mechanics are inspired and fun, but the game built on top of those mechanics isn't complete. Another game rushed to retail unfinished. PROS: Good core combat mechanics, great pvp mechanics, very fun group play in Cyrodiil. Pretty graphics. CONS: -No balancing, two    Played since launch. Good, but incomplete. Game crashes frequently, and has so many hair pulling bugs.

    Many core mechanics are inspired and fun, but the game built on top of those mechanics isn't complete. Another game rushed to retail unfinished.

    PROS:
    Good core combat mechanics, great pvp mechanics, very fun group play in Cyrodiil. Pretty graphics.

    CONS:
    -No balancing, two classes that are good, two classes that are very bad.

    -BUGS, so many quests will go unfinished, even main ones. Expect this a lot.

    -Closed world. Feels less open than every mmo and every Elder Scrolls game I have ever played. Big zones with invisible walls everywhere, don't expect immersion that comes from other Elder scrolls games or other MMOS.

    -Cheaters, with so many bugs running in the game it's no surprise some of those bugs got abused by players to get a head. Many first guilds used exploits to max characters day one, no punishment for any of those. This is because they lost so many subscribers early on if they kicked the cheaters they would probably cut down player base by half.    … Expand
  22. Ser_Riggers
    Apr 17, 2014
    7
    As a person who has been playing World of Warcraft since 2007 and hopping MMORPGs for a little longer, I can honestly say that Elder Scrolls Online is a breath of fresh air. That being said, there are areas that it definitely can improve on, the bulk of which are unpolished and bugged quests which block progression in certain areas. These bugs can definitely put you off the game entirely,As a person who has been playing World of Warcraft since 2007 and hopping MMORPGs for a little longer, I can honestly say that Elder Scrolls Online is a breath of fresh air. That being said, there are areas that it definitely can improve on, the bulk of which are unpolished and bugged quests which block progression in certain areas. These bugs can definitely put you off the game entirely, but if you can look past what Zenimax are working on fixing, the game is a definite look-at. The days of one-button-spam and win is over. This game is a genuine challenge, and as you level up the mobs become progressively harder and greater in number, and require more thought and tactic to overcome.

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

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

    This game deserves a solid 7/10, and I've waited until I hit the max level to write this review, so that way I had a better grasp on the game than people that release a review two days after it's release. Zenimax needs to address the issues within the game, and if they do so, this game could very well be around for a long time.    … Expand
  23. fsujoseph
    Apr 20, 2014
    7
    I think when you buy ESO you're getting a ton of content. Personally, I don't agree with the 60$ price tag, but I coughed it up and am having a lot of fun! It's a little clunky overall, and I am a little lost to some mechanics, it has been pretty enjoyable and I can't wait for dungeons with my friends. This game is far from perfect, but if Zenimax polishes it up and keeps new contentI think when you buy ESO you're getting a ton of content. Personally, I don't agree with the 60$ price tag, but I coughed it up and am having a lot of fun! It's a little clunky overall, and I am a little lost to some mechanics, it has been pretty enjoyable and I can't wait for dungeons with my friends. This game is far from perfect, but if Zenimax polishes it up and keeps new content coming I could see myself playing for awhile.

    It's not the best game, but it is a good MMO and provides good value as well as a friendly community. Don't listen to all the trolls, but it's also not "Zomg 10/10 best game evar". It's solid!    … Expand
  24. Nesj3
    Apr 4, 2014
    7
    From Skyrim to this, im not quite sure about how to put this.. the combat, graphics, the firstperson and thirdperson, in skyrim i only played in firstperson because of the beautiful looks and textures. In ESO, the firstperson is kinda, ****
    Haven't played it that much yet, but i hope it will improve.
  25. Chomag7
    Apr 5, 2014
    7
    I was really excited about this game, I even flamed haters and naysayers but my opinion of this game has changed drastically since headstart.

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

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

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

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

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

    I am now going to join the haters who say the game will be f2p in 6 months. Sorry but it's my genuine feeling. ESO is simply lacking Fun.    … Expand
  26. armyranger173
    Apr 5, 2014
    7
    I am loving this game so far. It is a great marriage of Elder Scrolls and MMO's, that being said if you are looking for the next chapter in Elder Scrolls this is NOT it, it is a completely different genre. I have played through several BETA's and Early Access. This is the most graphically stunning MMORPG I have been apart of. The leveling and progression system is innovative. CraftingI am loving this game so far. It is a great marriage of Elder Scrolls and MMO's, that being said if you are looking for the next chapter in Elder Scrolls this is NOT it, it is a completely different genre. I have played through several BETA's and Early Access. This is the most graphically stunning MMORPG I have been apart of. The leveling and progression system is innovative. Crafting is complex and engaging. I have enjoyed exploring using treasure maps, searching for skyshards, and going through dungeons. The battle system is dynamic blocking, dodging, counter attacks, and really focusing and the abilities you use. PvP is the best I have ever seen, giant war, so much fun.

    This is a MMORPG so again if you are looking for the next Skyrim or Morrowind this isn't for you. If you enjoy social gaming of MMORPG and are a fan of Elder Scroll Lore this is amazing.

    It is a brand new release so don't be surprised that there are some bugs, it is a lot smoother than the release WoW, SWTOR, LoTR. And I have not seen end game yet. Because of those to I am giving 8/10. To be revised in a month or so! :)    … Expand
  27. gofesnadra
    Apr 7, 2014
    7
    The only MMO I've put tons of hours in and got totally hooked on in the past is WoW. I have tried Rift and Guild Wars 2 but was disappointed in those and didn't play them more than a few hours.

    Elder Scrolls Online is the only MMO after all these years that I have totally got hooked on. The leveling is fun and different, the PvP in Cyrodiil is amazing. I've done a few dungeons and    The only MMO I've put tons of hours in and got totally hooked on in the past is WoW. I have tried Rift and Guild Wars 2 but was disappointed in those and didn't play them more than a few hours.

    Elder Scrolls Online is the only MMO after all these years that I have totally got hooked on. The leveling is fun and different, the PvP in Cyrodiil is amazing. I've done a few dungeons and they've been fun as well. The playerbase so far seems to be more mature too. Also the launch was the smoothest launch of an online game that I've ever been part of.

    Sure, there's a few bugs that they will probably fix in the first patches, but nothing gamebreaking.

    I would highly recommend this game to everyone who likes MMO's and Elder Scrolls and urge you to play to at least level 10 before judging so you can try Cyrodiil and the dungeons!

    It's sad that most of the negative reviews here are written by people who haven't played this game for more than a few hours at most and haven't seen any real content at all. They only judge the game because it plays different from your average MMO. MMO's in general also get a lot of hate and sometimes in justice, but I for one will gladly be paying the monthly fee for this game. It's well worth it.    … Expand
  28. CarM21
    Apr 12, 2014
    7
    It by some standards is dissapointing with the amount of hype this game had,if you like everyone else wanted skyrim with other people this is it.Great for what it was meant to be,lacking for what is was thought to be
  29. DegenCutter
    Jun 17, 2015
    7
    I wasn't really sure what to expect with ESO at launch. I enjoyed Skyrim but I wasn't a huge Elder Scrolls fan as I tend to prefer games that focus on storytelling over open world play. I'm also not generally a huge fan of MMOs although I've played and enjoyed some. Still, much of the game looked fun and I went in with an open mind. What I found was a mostly enjoyable if flawed experience.I wasn't really sure what to expect with ESO at launch. I enjoyed Skyrim but I wasn't a huge Elder Scrolls fan as I tend to prefer games that focus on storytelling over open world play. I'm also not generally a huge fan of MMOs although I've played and enjoyed some. Still, much of the game looked fun and I went in with an open mind. What I found was a mostly enjoyable if flawed experience. I loved the character creation and the way that character development worked in the game. I played through the Ebonheart pact plotline with a Nightblade character and enjoyed the experience.I found the story shallow in comparison to an MMO like Star Wars the Old Republic but significantly better than something like Guild Wars 2 which absolutely failed at storytelling in my opinion. What ultimately prevented me from staying with the game was the grind of acquiring Veteran Ranks after level 60, which just proved interminable for me. I have heard that the grind of that has been lessened, and perhaps some day I'll go back to check it out now that the game is free to play.… Expand
  30. Timp2700
    Apr 15, 2014
    7
    My initial look into TESO was guarded but anxious to say the least. I've played tons of MMO's ranging from Ultima, WoW, Tera, and SWTOR. I've long been waiting it's release, being a big fan of the Franchise and the developers as well. What I saw was a game that sought to separate itself from other MMO's in very unique ways. The crafting system for instance can be very time consuming and inMy initial look into TESO was guarded but anxious to say the least. I've played tons of MMO's ranging from Ultima, WoW, Tera, and SWTOR. I've long been waiting it's release, being a big fan of the Franchise and the developers as well. What I saw was a game that sought to separate itself from other MMO's in very unique ways. The crafting system for instance can be very time consuming and in depth... and all-together it offers an entirely new facet to play. You could spend (if you wanted) an entire day trying to hunt down resources to create the perfect potion, or the right runes to create a glyph for your chest piece. Another appealing feature is the stability of the player economy. Whereas many games have resorted to the Free to Play method (with pay to win being a large factor in many of the aforementioned equations), TESO sticks to subscription. Unfortunate, but when you realize what they've done in terms of limiting players ability to rapidly acquire resources through paying to win... It seems well worth it. There is no public auction house, and returns from crafting and selling to vendors are minimal at best (so minimal at times that it's truly frustrating and seemingly unfair). The purchasing end is just the opposite, usually resulting in a very empty gold purse. This system encourages players to seek the selling and buying wares from one another as oppose to getting them from vendors.

    These systems are how they separate themselves and try to stay true to a dedicated and undiluted play experience, which has my deepest admirations in it's practice. Now, as far as playing the game is concerned... this is where you experience the most setbacks. I really enjoy playing the game, it's awesome and some might refer to the combat system as "Clunky". Instead of the traditional "spam tab" to switch between targets, they resorted to a free aim combat system like TERA's. So in other words, dodging and finding your target is left up to your eye hand coordination. While it isn't as polished, it's still just like Skyrim in the sense that your moves will go where you point them. If you can't handle the prospect of free aiming your fireballs and arrows at targets, don't play this game. The game is still in it's birthing stages, barely above release... so of course it's going to need dedicated user feedback and ideas to make it that much better.

    Now, the most important part, and my second biggest gripe.... the bugs. I was willing to let most of the first ones I encountered over my first few days of play slide. After more days of play however, I encountered more bugs... and more bugs. It reminded me of the console release of Skyrim all over again. Once I got above level 15 and to the second area is when they really started becoming frequent. So much so that I grudgingly started submitting user feed back, switching my attitude from constructive to very frustrated, to seething. After encountering bug after bug, and seeing others experience the same in zone chat, I started to wonder if they even really tested the quest lines let alone the areas themselves.

    This of course leads to my biggest gripe. Downtime. A game that offers a entirely new MMO experience is one that I will gladly attach myself to for hours a day. Especially on my days off. As any seasoned MMO player is aware, most MMO's have scheduled downtime. TESO doesn't. They drop the servers whenever they feel like and it can be anywhere from two hours to six hours. Unless you regularly check the forums for spontaneously scheduled maintenance, there's no telling when you might be met with the dreadful "The EU and NA Megaservers are currently down" message. My days off vary widely, never being set from week to week. Yet, as long as I've played this game, they've managed to do maintenance on every single one. So when I wake up, looking forward to the progress I'll make on my character, I'm brought to a grinding halt by the announcement that I can't play as intended. This has happened on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday so far. I'm sure that if I have an off day on Wednesday next week, it will be then too.

    I really would like to rate this game higher, but the gripes I presented hinder the gameplay so much I can't bring myself to do so. It's long past time developers stop peddling their wares when they haven't been properly tested and even finished. When I go to a car dealership, I don't expect to buy a new car without windows and airbags with the promise of their installation in the following weeks. Why should this be any different.

    If you can look past it's faults however, and ignore the bugs and downtime... this MMO is a goldmine of potential. They just need to dig a little deeper, and stop being so reckless with the excavation.    … Expand
  31. Garfoodle
    Apr 1, 2015
    7
    With the launch of Tamriel Unlimited, I can finally say that TESO is at least worth trying out. The lack of a subscription fee, the ability to steal, kill NPCs and some other minor things make it an alright game. Don't get me wrong, TESO is still the worst modern ES game to date. Without full modability, ie making costume armors, weapons and maps, we are in fact stuck with whatever theWith the launch of Tamriel Unlimited, I can finally say that TESO is at least worth trying out. The lack of a subscription fee, the ability to steal, kill NPCs and some other minor things make it an alright game. Don't get me wrong, TESO is still the worst modern ES game to date. Without full modability, ie making costume armors, weapons and maps, we are in fact stuck with whatever the Devs want us to have. This usually results in very drab weapons, armor and mounts. In addition, the combat is still dull at best. There isn't a whole lot to say here exept that a lot of the game is, in fact, governed by the server and your ping. The cash shop isn't too overbearing. So far, you can purchase mounts, pets, and a few potions, if your so inclined. The whole stealing mechanic dosent seem worth it just yet, though. The skill bar for that still progresses incredibly slowly, and the rewards for pilfering someone's pocket normally don't add up to some food and a Barbie that you can sell for 30 gold. Killing is, much like stealing, pointless, because you will be at a loss for gold soon after your first kill. That, and guards are overpowered as hell. But I'm digessing, quite a bit. The point is that at the very least. TESO is worth picking up for $30 on sale. Don't expect too much, but don't set your expectations too low, either,… Expand
  32. EdicusMaximus
    Apr 20, 2014
    7
    As a long time fan of the Elder Scrolls series, I would have to say this game is good, really good, but not great. While it is impossible to please both the Elder Scroll fans and the MMORPG fans, they gave it a really good try.
    Some of the highlights here are the open world and the immersion. One reason I kept going back to WoW instead of all the pop-up MMORPGs that came along is because    As a long time fan of the Elder Scrolls series, I would have to say this game is good, really good, but not great. While it is impossible to please both the Elder Scroll fans and the MMORPG fans, they gave it a really good try.
    Some of the highlights here are the open world and the immersion. One reason I kept going back to WoW instead of all the pop-up MMORPGs that came along is because I felt connected to that little cow running around casting spells. One thing ESO got right is that they kept that deep immersion that all Elder Scrolls games since Morrowind are known for. If this game beats WoW hands down in anything, it's the immersion. Also the incentive to not just go from quest to quest but rather explore the world is awesome and fresh for an MMORPG. Once again this is a trademark of the series, and the people that complain about the quests are probably missing out on all the content in between. The world looks good (not great) and is fun to explore.
    For the bad there is plenty, but a few really put me off. First there is like one healer class capability amongst all the classes. I'm not sure why the went against the typical Elder Scrolls model of fighters, mages, and thieves. They could have used these as master classes with sub classes in between. They could have gotten really creative (like the fighter class that uses bandages to heal, or the mage who uses force-fields and barriers to tank). Not saying the classes aren't neat and different, but I think this could have been so much better.
    Another down is the grueling questing and fighting you have to do for minimal reward. This actually is a trademark of the Elder Scrolls games, but in the past we just modded it to our liking and went about our business. Obviously this isn't a possibility when playing an MMORPG. I think the missing persuasion /intimidation system (once again, a trademark of the series) could have provided max flexibility for the series.
    Finally, I want to say the provisioning system sucks. Who goes around rooting in barrels and crates looking for stuff to make meals? The Elder Scrolls series has always been about being able to peek into every crate and barrel, but this is one area where I think they could have been a little more "WoW-ish" about how they do things. No point in reinventing the wheel.
    There are other big likes and many many other little dislikes (the potion crafting system, the long waits for research, etc., etc., etc.) but all in all I think if you like to control a little guy who performs mechanically in a dungeon than WoW and it's millions of copycats are your deal. If you are more the role player, then ESO will be your game. I think once the MMORPG-driven people fall of the server and the standard-for-every-game introductory bugs are worked out (along with a bit of process improvement) ESO will be an awesome experience!    … Expand
  33. nikkonymous
    Apr 21, 2014
    7
    I'm a bit disappointed with the game. PvE is barely stable, especially those on the quests. Encountered several annoying bugs and glitches. But still pretty much worth a shot. Love the unique dynamic combat style, crafting, exploration, good story and many more. That's why I could never hate this game, since I'm a big fan of the series since TES 2 Daggerfall and MMO games. Still hopingI'm a bit disappointed with the game. PvE is barely stable, especially those on the quests. Encountered several annoying bugs and glitches. But still pretty much worth a shot. Love the unique dynamic combat style, crafting, exploration, good story and many more. That's why I could never hate this game, since I'm a big fan of the series since TES 2 Daggerfall and MMO games. Still hoping zenimax devs could figure out faster ways to fix the current content.… Expand
  34. pr1v1t
    Apr 28, 2014
    7
    This is my first review on Metacritic, so bear with me. I'm old school (from the days when CJayC still ran GameFAQs), so I'll be giving separate scores for each category.

    My score ranges are: 9-10: The best on the market, or pretty close to it (because nothing's perfect) 7-8: Good / Very good. With a few tweaks here and there, could have been a 9-10. 5-6: Decent. Not bad. Not great. A    This is my first review on Metacritic, so bear with me. I'm old school (from the days when CJayC still ran GameFAQs), so I'll be giving separate scores for each category.

    My score ranges are: 9-10: The best on the market, or pretty close to it (because nothing's perfect)
    7-8: Good / Very good. With a few tweaks here and there, could have been a 9-10.
    5-6: Decent. Not bad. Not great. A lot of generic stuff that is both unoffensive (read: not terrible) and uninspired falls here
    1-4: Varying levels of suck. Something is inherently broken, blatantly bad, or just plain not fun.
    0: A game so terrible that it rivals the awfulness of both E.T. and Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing games

    Overall score: Not an average, but usually pretty close. The overall score is just my overall opinion of the game. It may or may not be an average, as sometimes games are more (or less) than the sum of their parts.

    Graphics: 8. The graphics aren't exactly the best on the market, but they ARE the best I've ever seen in an MMO. Given the size of the zones and scaling issues inherent in MMOs, the ESO team did a great job. From a technical standpoint, the graphics are great. From an artistic standpoint, they're pretty good, but could have had a bit more flavor.

    Story: 7. This one was a tough call between a 7 and 8. The story is relatively derivative, as many ES titles are. The voice work is hit or miss. However, the fact that the entire game is voice-acted and (to an extent) interactive pushed it over the edge for me. It's by no means a GREAT story, but it is better than you'll find in most MMOs.

    Gameplay: 8. The combat system is in the vein of TERA, albeit a bit more sluggish. The crafting system is a nice change of pace from the "create all" and wait game of a certain other MMO I used to play, and the questing is a nice change of pace from "kill/fetch X of Y". That being said, the quests could have been more varied, as so many of the quests involve the same basic premise (if you play it, you'll understand; otherwise, I'd rather keep this spoiler-free). Also, while the game is a themepark MMO, it actively promotes exploration through level-appropriate zones by way of offering extra skill points for those that do. The character creation is great, and the game supports add-ons much the same way WoW did. The bad news? The skill bar is ridiculously short (five slots, one reserved for "ultimate" abilities). Grouping, while fun for endgame, PvP, and dungeons, is broken for open-world leveling/questing due to the manner in which the phasing system was implemented.

    Bugs: 4. It's an MMO launch. There are tons of bugs. Nothing breaks immersion and fun like having to re-log because the item you need for your quest either won't work or won't show up on the screen. That being said, these bugs are being fixed quickly. I'll update this in about a month in order to reflect any progress made. While the dev team is fixing bugs quickly, that doesn't change the fact that many are still there and annoying as hell.

    Overall: The game doesn't feel like an Elder Scrolls title, but it IS a solid game in its own right. It's not the best MMO ever, but it's definitely not bad. It also has quite a bit of potential, which is not reflected in the review score (potential != current state). If you're looking for a fresh MMO to add to your collection, definitely give ESO a shot.... just wait a month or so for them to work the kinks out first.    … Expand
  35. HotGeekCity
    Apr 29, 2014
    7
    Wow. Harsh reviews are harsh. The game isn't amazing, but it's an MMO in it's FIRST THREE WEEKS. Lol. Calm down there, haters. ;) It's far from perfect, yes. Many bugs still, and the game seems to almost want you to play solo except for dungeons and raid instances, and I can't even comment on the PVP yet as I've only rolled 2 low end characters, but the game is fun! Big, prettyWow. Harsh reviews are harsh. The game isn't amazing, but it's an MMO in it's FIRST THREE WEEKS. Lol. Calm down there, haters. ;) It's far from perfect, yes. Many bugs still, and the game seems to almost want you to play solo except for dungeons and raid instances, and I can't even comment on the PVP yet as I've only rolled 2 low end characters, but the game is fun! Big, pretty vistas. Good, solid combat. Quests are semi interesting and not just your usual MMO fetch or kill quests all the time. There's definitetly some things that could be fixed or tweaked, like the sense of realism they try to bring to the game sometimes makes playing it difficult (why can't we find vendors on the map?!? Why is there no auction house?!?) but for the most part the game works well. Feels a lot more like an Elder Scrolls game if you play in 1st person, but I almost never seem to find myself doing that as it's a bloody MMO and I can see more in 3rd person. Lol

    Overall, it's worth checking out if you're an Elder Scrolls or RPG fan. Good, but room to improve. Even if you just get it on sale and only pay for a month of game time, I'm sure you'll have fun. :)    … Expand
  36. JudgementisMine
    Apr 29, 2014
    7
    I found Elder Scrolls Online to be flawed but nowhere near as flawed as some of the ignorant criticism it has attracted. It is a good, solid Elder Scrolls story that has been bent badly in places to fit MMO requirements and conventions.. It has more bugs than it should, but these are slowly being mastered. Its chief faults are quests that are sometimes rigid and over-scripted, problemsI found Elder Scrolls Online to be flawed but nowhere near as flawed as some of the ignorant criticism it has attracted. It is a good, solid Elder Scrolls story that has been bent badly in places to fit MMO requirements and conventions.. It has more bugs than it should, but these are slowly being mastered. Its chief faults are quests that are sometimes rigid and over-scripted, problems with balance (too hard/too easy), and problems hitting the right level of complexity in such things as crafting, neither too convoluted nor too simple. The hostile reaction it has received from some parts of the gaming community is frankly childish. One noted "critic" attacked its "boring" quests by putting up a graphic of a Khajiit that was saying "Boring, boring, boring." There was literally no other argument than that. That's the level that some people are conducting the discussion on. In a way, the incoherent spite is revenge on Bethesda for not making every one of its games exactly the same as Morrowind, which enjoys a fervent-a-little-over-the-edge-of-sanity fanbase that I have dubbed "Morrowwindbags." Another sore point is the subscription fee. Even though this works out to about 50 cents a day for the first year and less thereafter, and even though new content is already being added to the game, less than a month after it was released, the very idea that they pay for anything additional seems to throw certain people into hysterics. But no free lunch, children, no free lunch. Complain if you don't get enough for your money. Don't mewl and whine because you have to pay. The only thing that ought to be free is bug fixes.… Expand
  37. Ipara
    May 2, 2014
    7
    First my background. Played WoW for almost 7 years, was involved in the Rift Beta, SWTOR, Tera, and currently involved in the Beta of Wildstar, I've always enjoyed the Elder Scrolls series, so what's not to like with ESO? Well, for me, it's quite a bit. Having been a part of several of the Beta weekends before launch I, as well as others, had several issues which were never reallyFirst my background. Played WoW for almost 7 years, was involved in the Rift Beta, SWTOR, Tera, and currently involved in the Beta of Wildstar, I've always enjoyed the Elder Scrolls series, so what's not to like with ESO? Well, for me, it's quite a bit. Having been a part of several of the Beta weekends before launch I, as well as others, had several issues which were never really addressed until after the game went live, but as of today, May 1st, there're still correcting issues that should have been corrected before launch. In fact some issues even got worse before release and the worse part is the developers never really listened to us Beta testers since the survey forms never changed and there was no forum to voice our opinion on what was going on. First of all the graphics are amazing, the voice acting is good. The way the quests are handled, etc. is just like playing a Elder Scrolls game, so it's real easy to jump in and start playing, however... Everything seems to be the same color palate. Armor, buildings, other people, all seem to be made up of the same color combinations, boring and lifeless. Combat, to me, is really badly done. As stated by others, you only get 5 combat options, and it seems everyone is a magic user. It doesn't matter if your a staff user or a warrior, everyone it seems has some sort of ranged attack. On the surface it may seem good, but it isn't! Combat is really bad in the game. The combat reminds me of WoW, but worse. Tera on the other hand has a great combat system, but has other issues. Fighting one on one is not a big deal, but when you face several bad guys at once you'd better be very good on your feet and have health potions or you'll die, and die ALL the time, even though they're at your level. Good luck killing that "boss" person to complete that chain quest. You get my point! There's no combo attack moves, even weapons don't seem to be much different from each other. I love challenges, but I find the combat system lacking. Quests are still being fixed, my favorite being a character who appears and talks to you in German... Crafting in the game is really boring. I feel the game has promise, but most people feel they "rushed" the game to market. I think if they spent another 6 months on the game it would be a lot better then it is currently. The flip side is Wildstar! The game doesn't release until June, but the game is rock solid at this point with very very few bugs of ANY sort.… Expand
  38. Zargor
    May 8, 2014
    7
    ESO issues that made me unsub after a month:

    - No EU servers, no timeline for the move - Bugs ("Loading" anyone?), Exploits, Unbalance - just too many of them - Unresponsive combat, especially the weapon switch, especially in PVP - Bad PVP map/keep design - No real incentive for PVP - no point in taking or holding scrolls and keeps, everything is so easy there's no meaning to it -    ESO issues that made me unsub after a month:

    - No EU servers, no timeline for the move
    - Bugs ("Loading" anyone?), Exploits, Unbalance - just too many of them
    - Unresponsive combat, especially the weapon switch, especially in PVP
    - Bad PVP map/keep design
    - No real incentive for PVP - no point in taking or holding scrolls and keeps, everything is so easy there's no meaning to it - emperorship is a joke
    - VR content is recycled and unbalanced other faction's content that kills replayability and faction pride
    - VR content is a pure grind without any progression, it is meaningless and extremely boring
    - grouping tool is horrible and discourages group play
    - daedric invasion is a joke, dark anchors are repetitive and pointless, why should anybody care about closing them?
    - poor communication from ZOS, horrible maintenance practices, ridiculous statements about future content without any timeline - they're basically trolling people with vague statements
    - on rails questing which doesn't do much to promote exploration
    - bad inventory design and management
    - lacking UI
    - bots, bots everywhere
    - players, players everywhere - instancing done very poorly and making most quests pointless or impossible to do in the "proper" way - an engaging story is cool but what's the point if 10 people come by and wreck chaos on everything, fart, barf and dance around - this is single player design failing badly in a MMO

    All in all, ESO has very little new (which is badly designed) and much old (badly designed as well). The game has very little of TES and feels a bland, generic fantasy MMO.
    Last but not least, it appears it's going for 18£ with 60 days game time included.
    I have shelled 49£ for it during preorder and feel deeply insulted by this.    … Expand
  39. Cyanthrax
    Oct 28, 2014
    7
    Thought I would make an update of my review from when the game first released. To this day it's still a pretty decent game.

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

    The positives:

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

    The negatives

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

    Other thoughts

    They're adding a new system that has a massive new line of talents. So massive in fact it would take a player 6 months to complete and that's if you play the game more than the average and if ZoS doesn't add more to it...I love the fact that means more choices and more progression for my character, but I truly disagree that whoever plays the most should have a much high advantage over someone who's more skilled.    … Expand
  40. maniac1982
    Jun 10, 2014
    7
    Its a great MMO unique style of game play and I like the combat system. However like with any MMO at least for me you tend to get bored of it once you hit the high levels. It was fun for about a month or two now its just the same old. Still great company and great games they come out with
  41. RedFoxDelta
    Jun 22, 2014
    7
    This game is NOT a bad game. That said, this game was... disappointing. Being an "Elder Scrolls" MMO meant a compromise between the beloved elder scrolls game mechanics and the mechanics necessary to make an MMO work. Unfortunately, this compromise ended with almost nobody happy. The MMO crowd- or specifically, the WOW crowd, was actively cheering for this game to die from the inception.This game is NOT a bad game. That said, this game was... disappointing. Being an "Elder Scrolls" MMO meant a compromise between the beloved elder scrolls game mechanics and the mechanics necessary to make an MMO work. Unfortunately, this compromise ended with almost nobody happy. The MMO crowd- or specifically, the WOW crowd, was actively cheering for this game to die from the inception. The Elder Scrolls crowd was disappointed by the lack of player housing, a crime system, the Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild. And of course, the game had its share of bugs. It had the stability issues found commonly in Bethesda games, with random crashes to desktop. It has the latency issues inherent in MMOs, with players missing blocks and counter attacks they should have gotten. It has, in true Elder Scrolls fashion, random incredibly imbalanced NPCs in solo missions. Then, of course, we have the glitches with unspawned NPCs or objects you need to interact with, which can only be fixed by relogging. You can and will fall through the floor. Getting stuck is also a common occurrence. Then of course, there is the infamous duping glitch, which ruined the in-game economy. From the standing of somebody who played (and was ambivalent to) Guild Wars 2, the game seems to be actively inconveniencing you. None of those convenient things like Trading Posts or 'deposit all collectables' buttons exist in this game. There is no option to dye your armor, or transmute your gear (unless you bought the Imperial edition, in which case you can transmute some of it). Most damning in my opinion, however, is the weak endgame. After you save the world (shocker), you are sent to another faction's area to do their mind- numbing faction quest-line, without the incentives of the main or guild stories to keep you going.. There is just no motivation to continue playing, and no reason to pay the subscription fee for another month. The "veteran dungeons" are simply the normal dungeons, with higher leveled enemies. The faction war is, depending on the server you chose, either a zergfest filled with AOE-spammers where battles are decided by sheer numbers, or it is a ghost town.
    However, not everything in this game is bad. The combat is more skill- based than many other MMOs, although there is still no substitute for grinding gear in order to win. The game is immersive, fully voiced (which is a must for me), and with a good soundtrack. The quests are well-written, if somewhat... underwhelming at times. The graphics are nice, although not ground- breaking. You can choose between first and third-person, a choice between immersion and combat effectiveness. The crafting is an interesting system, although it can be tedious. The game has a nice soundtrack, and a large diverse world.

    So in the end, the game is... decent. Definitely not bad, but not great. 7/10    … Expand
  42. Xanatar
    Jul 7, 2014
    7
    First things first - I would give this game a 9 if there weren't some issues that could have been easily avoided. In short: Don't play ESO if you expect what in our days counts as typical mmo. So if you are the progress player type that grinds up his character as quickly as possible to the "endgame" and then expects to have fun in Raids and instanced pvp battlefields, this is not the gameFirst things first - I would give this game a 9 if there weren't some issues that could have been easily avoided. In short: Don't play ESO if you expect what in our days counts as typical mmo. So if you are the progress player type that grinds up his character as quickly as possible to the "endgame" and then expects to have fun in Raids and instanced pvp battlefields, this is not the game for you. Like "The Secret World" this is a game you actually should play like an RPG. If you expect a Skyrim, don't play it as well - It is NOT Skyrim.

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

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

    Fazit:
    ESO certainly has potential - I really liked the clean view I can experience in this game, first time I haven't tons of different information bars and windows cluttering my view of the actual game. The world is wonderfully designed and a lot of effort was put into quests and atmossphere of the RPG part of the game. I am not sure this game will work on the long run though, especially as a subscription title. Too many flaws, too many bugs, not enough thoughts put into a clear vision of the endgame and a flawed multiplayer experience are the major points which will have to be addressed before this game can be successful in the long run.    … Expand
  43. Look444
    Mar 13, 2016
    7
    Long story short: if you're looking for an MMO look somewhere else, especially if you're a pvper. If you're looking for an Elder Scrolls with MMO components then it's fun enough. Not the best, but I didn't get bored.
  44. Godric
    Aug 2, 2014
    7
    OK so the game isn't Skyrim lets just make that clear, Now that we are past that hurdle lets rate this game objectively without harking back to the over hyped and much beloved skyrim. (Not saying its a bad game just think we could stand to loose some of the Fan boy mentality when playing new games and rate them on its own merits.)

    This is an MMO which carries with it a subscription    OK so the game isn't Skyrim lets just make that clear, Now that we are past that hurdle lets rate this game objectively without harking back to the over hyped and much beloved skyrim. (Not saying its a bad game just think we could stand to loose some of the Fan boy mentality when playing new games and rate them on its own merits.)

    This is an MMO which carries with it a subscription charge and this for many is a fairly major issue.

    The benefits of that subscription charge however are significant and it must be understood that this game requires an immense infrastructure to provide the MMO experience you as consumers expect.
    Not only does your subscription get you the use of the infrastructure though, you also get the support when you have difficulties (Support I rate very highly from personal experience). Now I also realize this cost can be prohibitive, particularly for younger gamers without a stable income, however when you take into account the aspects of the service I just mentioned It really isn't that much, you could easily spend more on magazines or fast food or other luxuries, it's just a matter of what you want to spend your money on. Falling in at just £7 (I calculate that at around $12) a month for the 6 month subscription option I find that pretty reasonable and this is literally the exact same monthly cost when compared to other leading MMO's such as EVE online or the industry leader World Of Warcraft. The only other viable industry standard for a mainstream MMO of course being the free to play profit by micro transaction option and I could see many angry Elder Scrolls "Pay to win" reviews coming from that alternative scenario..

    So with that cost implication covered what do we get for our money other than the use of the game and the support?

    Well, you get a vibrant and visually stunning first person MMO with a rich and varied array of characters and Lore to bring the universe to life. The voice acting is fantastic and really draws you in to the story in a way other MMO games have failed to do for me in the past.

    The game play feels distinctly Elder scrolls and the art style is sympathetic to previous incarnations of the game firmly cementing the idea in your mind that this is Tamriel the continent gamers have loved for years.

    I have found myself Levelling without really thinking about levelling, this is because I am more engrossed in what I am doing than in what is to come. This unique feeling is something I haven't encountered in an MMO to date with the daily "Grind" in other games feeling more like a chore than a fun and engaging experience. Safe to say there is more to this game than going in to the woods and "Killing Boars" for 50 levels.

    The first person combat suffers from the same difficulties it has experienced in previous entries in the franchise however when compared to other MMO games you feel much more involved and in control rather than mindlessly clicking through your abilities to optimize your damage.

    The world itself is sufficiently varied and works to keep the player interested. Enemy mobs are scarce enough not to hamper exploration without leaving the wilderness "safe" for unwary travellers.

    Here come the drawbacks.

    The game feels "staged" in places and your exploration is limited by your level progression. The areas are enjoyable but I feel that there is very much a "plan" for how the designers intended the player to progress and this detracts from the sandbox experience I had hoped for.

    Much of Tamriel cannot yet be explored and I can see various expansions coming in the near future to add these areas.. at a cost.

    The return of the popular races of tamriel offers a great choice during the wonderfully varied character creation stage. However limiting the races to there "home" factions may lead to conflict among friends who wish to play together but find themselves in opposing camps (The pre-order "explorer's" pack negates this however it appears this option for any race in any faction will not become available for general consumption)

    Fast travel is instantaneous and cheap, it may just be me but there is something special about real time travel which show cases the wonderful world you have created soaring on the back of a griffon or other means of travel rather than just “fade to black” then reappear somewhere else.

    There is no “Free” trial period which to me seems counter productive. If a company has faith in its product it should offer a sample in the hopes to entice possible buyers rather than closing its doors to criticism from the wider public.

    But in light of these flaws I intend to continue playing this game and remain hopeful that future additions and expansions will enhance my already enjoyable experience in ESO. Happy gaming.

    Regards,

    GODRIC    … Expand
  45. UncleTopher
    Aug 17, 2014
    7
    In all fairness I am not sure The Elder Scrolls Online ever stood a chance with all the hype that surrounded this MMO release. So many fans of Morrowind and Oblivion and Skyrim were simply frothing at the mouth in anticipation on this one. I do not think the game has lived up to the hype. BUT...the game is still young. I have been playing it since beta and I will say TESO has made a steadyIn all fairness I am not sure The Elder Scrolls Online ever stood a chance with all the hype that surrounded this MMO release. So many fans of Morrowind and Oblivion and Skyrim were simply frothing at the mouth in anticipation on this one. I do not think the game has lived up to the hype. BUT...the game is still young. I have been playing it since beta and I will say TESO has made a steady upward climb. I enjoyed playing several toons into their mid 30's but with each one I seemed to hit a wall. There is still work left to be done on this one as far as engaging the players. Also the developers need to take more chances rather then taking the safe road and firmly entrenching the game in mediocrity. I think Zenimax started with a few strikes against them in the hype as well as creating a themepark MMO in the first place. The only way this game will climb out of the middle of the pack is to take some chances and explore new ideas.… Expand
  46. Lexx2015
    Mar 16, 2015
    7
    This game requires a high end graphics card and processor. If you like PvP, it's as good as it gets, but be prepared for groups that exploit game mechanics to create lag. This makes for "lag battles" that are won by the group that spams the greatest amount of lag creating skills. This is a regular event on the most populated pvp "campaign," but can be avoided by staying away from the lagThis game requires a high end graphics card and processor. If you like PvP, it's as good as it gets, but be prepared for groups that exploit game mechanics to create lag. This makes for "lag battles" that are won by the group that spams the greatest amount of lag creating skills. This is a regular event on the most populated pvp "campaign," but can be avoided by staying away from the lag groups. There are smaller campaigns, but the times of day that they are active are limited (few US AM and late night players).

    For PvE, it's the best graphics of any MMORPG, but the progression is extremely linear, and the end game content limited. Overall, I'd say it's a great game, but the lag in PvP and linear questing leave much to be desired. I also hate the world of Tamriel.    … Expand
  47. mirg
    Oct 3, 2018
    7
    The game focuses more on story rather then gameplay, the combat system feels abit dated and restrictive, oh and the graphics remind me of 2000's era games.

    Outside of that, the story and voice acting is top-notch plus the amount of content to do is remarkable. Each 'zone' is unique in both story and scenery, also the community is actually rather tame for mmo standards. The developers    The game focuses more on story rather then gameplay, the combat system feels abit dated and restrictive, oh and the graphics remind me of 2000's era games.

    Outside of that, the story and voice acting is top-notch plus the amount of content to do is remarkable. Each 'zone' is unique in both story and scenery, also the community is actually rather tame for mmo standards.

    The developers of the game take player feedback seriously, unlike some companies, and they take great strides in pleasing the player-base for the game. But the company lacks in knowing what's more important to focus on fixing and they tend to lean heavily in releasing more stuff like mounts, costumes, and dlc's in the cash-shop rather then the opposite.

    Overall though:
    If you like a game with rich story and a game that is filled with stuff to do and has pretty vista's, this is for you.    … Expand
  48. LounaCassair
    Feb 2, 2020
    7
    I've played this game since 2015 and enjoyed dozends of hours playing it. When i was new, i liked the fact that you could do this as a single player, focus on the stories and avoid other players. Later I came to enjoy the group content, the then "new" pvp battlegrounds and so on.
    So actually I'd say this is a game for almost everyone or at least it used to be.
    But and now comes the big    I've played this game since 2015 and enjoyed dozends of hours playing it. When i was new, i liked the fact that you could do this as a single player, focus on the stories and avoid other players. Later I came to enjoy the group content, the then "new" pvp battlegrounds and so on.
    So actually I'd say this is a game for almost everyone or at least it used to be.

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

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

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

    All in all, it is an ok game, which has suffered from a ton of bad dicisions lately. I can only hope for the best in 2020. However, if you are an easy-going, single player- person, you will most likely not notice any of those issues.    … Expand
  49. hypnopaedia
    May 1, 2020
    7
    Though this game had a rough start in 2014, I can safely say in 2020 that the game is playable, stable, and actually quite fun.

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Now, on to the negatives.

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

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

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

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

    Ignoring Bethesda/Zenimax as money-grubbing companies who have proven themselves to be nothing but slaves to their corporate overlords, and ignoring the absolute departure from the Elder Scrolls as a whole, ESO is a really fun, standout MMO with unique systems and a beautiful, realized world. The biggest shame is how long it took to get here; I can only imagine the reception this game would've received if it was released as it is now.    … Expand
  50. PatMc1896
    Aug 1, 2020
    7
    A lot of content definitely improved since release , crown store crates and that with rng can be annoying and basically having to purchase eso plus to experience things better isn’t great but I still enjoy the dungeons etc can be challenging and fun
  51. GreenPufferFish
    Jan 12, 2021
    7
    not as good as skyrim but still a fun game to play its also quite cheap could play for a while withot getting bored
  52. csesium
    Apr 11, 2014
    6
    When I first heard ESO was going to be made, my first thought was it was going to be impossible to properly turn an Elder Scrolls game into an MMO. When I finally got into the beta I felt I was wrong, and that they had actually done a fairly decent job of the translation. I preordered it and was in the 5 day early access, and I can safely say my first thought was the correct one.

    I    When I first heard ESO was going to be made, my first thought was it was going to be impossible to properly turn an Elder Scrolls game into an MMO. When I finally got into the beta I felt I was wrong, and that they had actually done a fairly decent job of the translation. I preordered it and was in the 5 day early access, and I can safely say my first thought was the correct one.

    I really, really wanted to like this game. And for the first several days I enjoyed playing it. But then the problems started flowing in, and by problems I mean design flaws.

    Pros:
    -Pretty good looking for an MMO. Graphics are good and the environment is well done.
    -It feels very good playing in first person, unlike many of the other MMOs I've tried, though there's no way to change the FOV.
    -Music is excellent and fits the environment well
    -Voice acting is excellent, except where they made last minute changes to the dialogue and used different voice actors to make up the difference, creating a jarring effect when one paragraph is voiced by one person and the next by a different person
    -Stories for the quests are above average

    Cons
    -Dungeons are completely linear and go the same way every single time. You find a dungeon, any dungeon, and open the map: it's just a square. You reach a fork and you turn right every single time, because the left side is where you exit the dungeon to head back to the entrance. Because of phasing half way through the dungeon you will find the "boss" area, where a named NPC resides dead on the floor in a pile of copies of itself, with 12 people standing around it all trying to get one hit in before it's killed so they can get the completion acknowledgement and move on to the next quest or dungeon. The boss lasts no longer than 4 seconds.

    -There is no central auction house to trade goods. Instead. each guild has a store where its members and only its members may post up to 30 items at a time to sell to other guild members. There is a 25% cut when you list an item which becomes a hefty fee very quickly. Now, because there is no central auction house you can only reach a maximum of 300 players for any given item you are attempting to sell using the store. You can be a part of 5 different guilds, but you must choose which guild you list your item and that is it. This has led people to spamming every single general zone chat with trade requests because there is no trade chat, and it has overwhelmed any other discussions attempting to go on. The fact is, if you want to sell your item you want to reach the most amount of people, and that means selling it in general chat, not one of the guild stores where you will only get 75% of what you're asking.

    -Inventory management is a complete nightmare. You are able to level any or all professions at will; you aren't locked into picking just one or two. However, crafts like provisioning and enchanting have A LOT of different items used to craft, and you only start with 60 bank slots. If you try and level provisioning alone you will use up almost 100 slots with just different types of crafting materials, leaving room for absolutely nothing else! There are trinkets and pets and other things you might want to keep, but now you have to use bank alts and THEIR specific inventory just so you can have room to level other professions, or keep those special trinkets you get in game, or hell, another set of armor.

    -Enchanting is a joke. Almost all of the enchantments that you can use only go on jewelry, which you can't craft, and most of the rings and amulets you find have enchantments on them already that can't be overwritten. You need 3 different kinds of runes, but aspect runes appear in the game about 10% of the time compared to the other 2, meaning leveling it is godawful slow. However, leveling any profession in the game goes faster by deconstructing any item you find, NOT crafting. There is essentially no point in actually crafting a single item in any profession until you hit max level because you will outlevel it too quickly and it doesn't provide enough experience to level your profession to make it worth it.

    -PvP is mostly just running around for 10 minutes in empty fields to hopefully the next battle, because as far as I can tell there is no way to know if a capture point is in conflict or not. Seriously, PvP is mostly running from point A to point B with nothing inbetween, then it doesn't matter if you win or lose because what comes next is another 10 minute run. The map is too big. Seriously.

    These are just a few of the criticisms. If you really, really want to give the game a try, WAIT a few months for things to get settled, because it's just not worth the $15 a month they are asking for you to be waiting for things to get sorted out.    … Expand
  53. JonnyBigBoss
    Apr 4, 2014
    6
    If you enjoy reading lore in your MMOs, you're going to love this game. Otherwise, you're going to be bored out of your mind.

    I didn't care for it very much. It lacks a lot of modern MMO standards. As a matter of fact, it feels like games I played in the 90s.
  54. SchroederRock
    Apr 12, 2014
    6
    First, Bethesda Softworks DID NOT DEVELOP Elder Scrolls Online. ZeniMax Online Studios is credited but Metacritic has somehow missed this point (as of the writing of my review). ESO is merely a shadow of its truly brilliant predecessors. Instead of coming off as a cohesive MMORPG that features a vast and quality-driven universe set in Tamriel, Elder Scrolls Online ends up beingFirst, Bethesda Softworks DID NOT DEVELOP Elder Scrolls Online. ZeniMax Online Studios is credited but Metacritic has somehow missed this point (as of the writing of my review). ESO is merely a shadow of its truly brilliant predecessors. Instead of coming off as a cohesive MMORPG that features a vast and quality-driven universe set in Tamriel, Elder Scrolls Online ends up being disjointed and a bit dull. It's sad because I was obsessed with Skyrim and had hoped a better translation to MMO territory would have taken place. The combat system doesn't ever feel right due to the heavy reliance on precision for a game that makes it hard to be precise. The online experience also felt a bit unpolished, as if cooperative play was touted so much yet was treated as an afterthought to this game. Nothing feels organic and expertly crafted. Still, the sheer size and breadth of Tamriel and its history can help diehard fans of previous games swallow the numerous imperfections and perhaps eventually enjoy the experience. If only the final product had more in common with other high profile MMORPGs this might have been the biggest deal since World of Warcraft.… Expand
  55. defive
    Apr 18, 2014
    6
    A decent game marred by some truly terrible design decisions.

    ESO is fun, graphically gorgeous and rather engaging. Unfortunately terrible public dungeon design, poor loot mechanics, a non-existent economy and ZOSs seeming inability to deal with exploting and hacking take the shine off what would have been an otherwise outstanding MMO.
  56. Jimbob2k666
    Apr 6, 2014
    6
    I cant help but be left confused every time I login to this game. There are so many different aspects to the game, and it definitely is not "pick up n play". I feel totally uninspired when I play. Yes it's new but basic things like name tag options are missing. The crafting is confusing and this is coming from a veteran top end crafter in the old days of SWG which was complex if youI cant help but be left confused every time I login to this game. There are so many different aspects to the game, and it definitely is not "pick up n play". I feel totally uninspired when I play. Yes it's new but basic things like name tag options are missing. The crafting is confusing and this is coming from a veteran top end crafter in the old days of SWG which was complex if you wanted to excel at it......I have played all the Elder Scrolls games, but this one might be something I end up leaving well before the free 30 days are up.… Expand
  57. DaChunK
    Apr 5, 2014
    6
    A very STATIC and GRIND game. By static I mean it does not give me anything unexpected. By all intensive purposes it's a generic MMO. Creatures do not attack unless very close or you attack first which I find very boring, there are NO dynamic random encounters, all characters are placed and stay there to an effect, questing is meaningless and crafting is a overly complicated and longA very STATIC and GRIND game. By static I mean it does not give me anything unexpected. By all intensive purposes it's a generic MMO. Creatures do not attack unless very close or you attack first which I find very boring, there are NO dynamic random encounters, all characters are placed and stay there to an effect, questing is meaningless and crafting is a overly complicated and long winded affair.

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

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

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

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

    I'll most likely enjoy it for a while but not subscribe and not play the obscene amount of hours to reach end game.    … Expand
  58. strangermoon
    Sep 27, 2019
    6
    its kinda between morrowind and oblivion quality if it can be played like alone. enemies like every poinless mmo just sit there you can carfully and after while always run or going around the corners. ı feel like star wars old repbulic mmo in this game not more than 7 ı think if you play alone.
  59. z1RoadRunner1z
    Apr 4, 2014
    6
    I dared to think it would be something different. I was wrong, same old MMO you have already played if you have played any others. Boring generic quests. Poor graphics but not bad compared to competition, however the tone and style is the most dull feeling thing I have ever seen, could use some colour and is so much worse than other MMOs in that regard. First person is nice, but combat isI dared to think it would be something different. I was wrong, same old MMO you have already played if you have played any others. Boring generic quests. Poor graphics but not bad compared to competition, however the tone and style is the most dull feeling thing I have ever seen, could use some colour and is so much worse than other MMOs in that regard. First person is nice, but combat is horrible and clunky and not smooth at all. Also the free month playtime is being mis-sold to an extent. You still have to let them charge you for the month even though I am under the impression you receive your money back, it still means you have to have another $15/£9 to spare, which is extremely unfair on users with less money to throw around at an already expensive game. Good customer support. Poor voice acting, but at least all quests are voice acted. Good crafting system.

    In short, sickeningly average. I smell corporate greed taking over bethesda.    … Expand
  60. JoeCool
    Apr 26, 2014
    6
    Forget all the 10/10 reviews from launch day, they're not just worthless, they're misleading. The game isn't a good Elder Scrolls game, and it's not a good MMO. It's more of an average MMO with an Elder Scrolls skin slapped onto it.
    There are still many, many bugs. Partying up is simply not recommended as it'll harm your own advancement in PvE. Questing grouped is horrible. Many things    Forget all the 10/10 reviews from launch day, they're not just worthless, they're misleading. The game isn't a good Elder Scrolls game, and it's not a good MMO. It's more of an average MMO with an Elder Scrolls skin slapped onto it.
    There are still many, many bugs. Partying up is simply not recommended as it'll harm your own advancement in PvE. Questing grouped is horrible. Many things that have become standard for an MMO are just not there. PvP is reasonably good, it's just a bit pointless.
    It's just not worth the money, let alone a sub.    … Expand
  61. Jirki88
    Apr 19, 2014
    6
    While the game certainly feels it have good sides and huge potential, it also feels like it's stuck in limbo. It's a game that tries to cater both to the typical MMO crowd, and the typical Elder Scrolls crowd, which in essence results in a lackluster game stuck in the middle, not really catering to anyone.

    Lets start with positives: + The graphics are nice. Some very nice views and the    While the game certainly feels it have good sides and huge potential, it also feels like it's stuck in limbo. It's a game that tries to cater both to the typical MMO crowd, and the typical Elder Scrolls crowd, which in essence results in a lackluster game stuck in the middle, not really catering to anyone.

    Lets start with positives:
    + The graphics are nice. Some very nice views and the game generally looks very good.
    + Storywriting, as far as it exists, are good. The quests overall is well written and executed.
    + The class and skill system is innovative and fun, opening lots of possibilities.
    + The crafting system feels quite good.

    Then we can take the negatives:
    - A majority of every dungeons etc you won't actually feel like or remember doing, because everything will be dead in them when you jog through, and almost every dungeon mini boss will be camped.
    - Bots, bots everywhere. The game is abound with bots camping spawns, bots selling gold, bots harvesting resources, bots doing everything. ZOS apparently didn't even consider the possibility of bots.
    - The trading system - you will mostly not want to trade at all unless someone tries to buy something from you. There's ridiculous 25% fees on guild stores and even more ridiculous fees on CoD. The entire system was made by someone with a major hard-on for WTS/WTB/WTT chat spam. By extent it makes it so you really won't be selling particularly much stuff at all.
    - The hugely limited active skills. While I'm glad they didn't go down the WoW route of 60 skills in 4 skillbars, only 5 skills certainly are way too limiting. It makes you set up a very short rotation and then stick to it, which makes combat nothing short of terribly boring after a while. The weapon switch at level 15 don't really help, especially not for some classes such as a Sorc with Daedric Summoning focus, since the slots will have to be occupied by the same still, basically.
    - Idiotically timed maintenances and no communication by ZOS (it's more rule than exception nowadays that they put their maintenances on times when a majority of EU players play, and then don't inform as to why they even put a maintenance then).
    - The grouping system which at best is haphazard and poorly implemented. Often you will find yourself in different phases from your group mates, and there's quite some quests that can't be done in group but you won't even know until you stand in there and can't see your groupmembers. And even if it can be done in group you don't always end up in the same group. A bad system.

    All in all, as I mentioned, it's a game with potential. But it needs to choose a direction because where it's heading right now is down a route where they try to please everyone, and that just won't succeed considering how different the SP ES players and the normal MMO players are.    … Expand
  62. Shiranai
    Apr 9, 2014
    6
    Full-disclosure I am a reviewer. Not from a big site at all, and honestly I haven't reviewed anything in well over 2 years. I just say this to call out something underhanded many of the bigger publications are pulling right now.

    Think about this for a moment. When have you ever seen a game this big have so few reviews close to release date? Usually a handful of early reviews will slip    Full-disclosure I am a reviewer. Not from a big site at all, and honestly I haven't reviewed anything in well over 2 years. I just say this to call out something underhanded many of the bigger publications are pulling right now.

    Think about this for a moment. When have you ever seen a game this big have so few reviews close to release date? Usually a handful of early reviews will slip through the cracks maybe 48 hours or so before the game's official review embargo (when we are allowed to post reviews) has passed. So why is it that a game that hundreds of reviewers of major online and print publications have only come up with 8 reviews worldwide amongst them?

    Having played the game I will tell you why. Bethesda is offering some kind of incentive to either delay or "re-review" ESO. See the developers are sent copies of the review before it releases with big games like this. There was a guy who worked for Gamespot who got FIRED for giving a bad review to Kane and Lynch Dead Men a good 6 years or so ago.

    Anyone who has reviewed this game under a certain score is getting some kind of incentive to either delay their review or "rework it", and that is a despicable practice that Bethesda has engaged in for as long as I can remember.

    The actual review? This game isn't amazing, and it isn't horrible, The character customization is amazing it truly is endless with the options of what you want to create, the graphics are incredibly bad for a next gen title I mean painfully awfully bad. Which they justify as saying this is because the world is so large. Really? What about Aion? What about Final Fantasy XIV: A realm reborn? What about Destiny. The game isn't horrible, and it isn't amazing but these deliberately withheld reviews make me sick to my stomach.    … Expand
  63. Nataraja
    May 11, 2014
    6
    This is a revised review given time to play this large MMO more fully and therefore give it a more apt review.

    I am a confessed Elder Scrolls junky - well RPG junky really and a sucker for good lore and story - which is present in this game. The score should be 6.5, but half points are not provided on Metacritic. To fairly review this game one must recognize that THIS IS AN MMO and is    This is a revised review given time to play this large MMO more fully and therefore give it a more apt review.

    I am a confessed Elder Scrolls junky - well RPG junky really and a sucker for good lore and story - which is present in this game. The score should be 6.5, but half points are not provided on Metacritic. To fairly review this game one must recognize that THIS IS AN MMO and is only tangentially related to its single player predecessors. However, the standard of the impressive Elder Scrolls games cannot and should not be set aside.
    -
    Be warned - THIS IS NOT A SOLO EXPERIENCE EXCLUSSIVELY. In that way it is not fair to compare it to Skyrim or Oblivion, for example. Its an MMO and with that is a big sacrifice to the Elder Scrolls experience. Gone is opportunity for quiet reflection looking over a vista (ala Skyrim...) or that feeling of being the one true hero, despite the moments it provides in the main quest line. So if you are looking for Elder Scrolls VI - its not here. This is definitely an Online Massive Multiplayer version and needs to be viewed and reviewed as such.
    -
    With that said the game is mediocre and suffers from an identity crisis. It had a very smooth launch with the megaserver technology, acceptable graphics for an MMO, lots of quests and events, tons of things to do with crafting and fighter, mage and undaunted guilds. PVP is well done and deep (better than GW2 in my book) and as s solo experience its decent EXCEPT it is NOT solo and the solo parts are ruined by the introduction of MASSIVE people doing the same things CONSTANTLY. That is its biggest drawback - it wants to give in depth personal experiences of Elder Scrolls but is unable to deliver. The phasing makes it impossible to group and play with friends in any consistent way as they will never appear to you if you are in separate stages of a quest. Sharing of quests is pointless as if you have done step one but your friend has not gotten the quest yet you are forever separated and unable to play together.
    -
    The issues are Zenimax/Bethesda's occasional technical hiccup and the lack of communication and application of standard IT best practices that hampered the early access experience. The boards were afire during the early access and communication with players was not good. Hopefully that will change.
    -
    My initial thoughts were that ESO would be measured in years of play - not minutes, hours, days or weeks - but the phasing and how the game is structured completely destroyed that possibility.

    Crafting: There is not a good balance there for those who like to craft between materials access and storage. Also absent is a general auction house - instead you must join a guild to be able to sell your wares to other guild members. Quite annoying. Crafting is the only way to get the best gear and that makes craftsmen valuable and crafting valuable (but they really need an auction house - although there are already pure commerce guilds forming).
    -
    Combat is decent and the dungeons require skill when they work. First person is horribly hampered by the very narrow and claustrophobic field of view and third person is just awkward.
    -
    If you want some pleasant but not entirely fresh MMO air this could be it. It is different but is no different enough to justify a subscription. The multiplayer aspects are very poorly implemented, quest breaking bugs have been present since launch and some are a horrible mess. The best part of the game is the PvP but its too vast with underpopulated campaigns which leaves huge open areas and nothing new to offer nor any better than Guild Wars 2 that has NO SUBSCRIPTION.

    This is game had a lot of promise but like Star Wars the Old Republic it simply fails as a multiplayer experience. For one of the first times ever I really have to agree with Angry Joe - skip it or wait for it to go to buy to play and if you miss it entirely you won't miss much. Far better to stay in Skyrim and enjoy the free mods from the vast community that has formed around that game. Or better yet, anticipate the next installment of Fallout or perhaps Elder Scrolls 6 as I hope they will return to what they do best - free roaming player driven narrative games and not this poorly designed MMO.    … Expand
  64. Netchy
    Apr 26, 2014
    6
    Can't even log into the game because it takes 30 minutes to log in. Quests bugs everywhere.

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

    Do not buy or wait for the game to go F2P.
  65. Alsvha
    Apr 25, 2014
    6
    Decent attempt at a MMO but ultimately falls short leaving a mediocre experience.

    The good; Crafting is good, but whether it's useful outside food buffs and potions I'm not so sure about. But crafting from the bank so you don't have to haul materials around - nice. Shared bank. But this should really be a mainstay 'quality of life' feature by now anyways, so I'd say if it wasn't there    Decent attempt at a MMO but ultimately falls short leaving a mediocre experience.

    The good;
    Crafting is good, but whether it's useful outside food buffs and potions I'm not so sure about. But crafting from the bank so you don't have to haul materials around - nice.
    Shared bank. But this should really be a mainstay 'quality of life' feature by now anyways, so I'd say if it wasn't there it'd be a detractor.

    The potentially good;
    PvP has potential but whether it becomes more than ranged zerg vs ranged zerg with quick death is the crux. The PvP is also hurting due to the lack of combat feedback in the game. (Reliance on mods from the community to make the game playable).
    The class system seems interesting but while the game boasts of 'play as you want', cookie cutter setup is still going to be a focal point for 'end game' giving the feeling that there's not enough skills in the game per class.

    The bad:
    Questing is dull and feels grindy. I found myself speed clicking through the dialogue because it was just a few lines of chatter before I had to start running after quest markers.
    The UI is awful. Yes, I know they wanted it "minimalistic" and wanted the users to make the quality UI, but its a bad idea for a MMO. The lack of feed back makes combat dull and disconnected for example. And while you can use mods to make it better it shouldn't be up to the community to actually make the UI. They should just add flavour to it. Relying on the community to make the game playable seems more lazy than minimalistic.
    The lore is like questing rather dull and the fact that pre-orders can be any race in any alliance just further waters out any distinctiveness of choosing a side which is not so good.
    There's also the distinct problems for the developers to keep on top of gold sellers and bots which ruin much of the starter zones for everybody.
    The economy is hard on new comers due to very low reward for killing mobs (which adds to the grindy feeling of the game).

    All in all a mediocre MMO which greatest achievement is making me want to play previous MMOs again for the various parts. I - like many other - do suspect a F2P future for this game within a relative short time span (from a MMO point of view), and especially when the next Elder Scrolls single player game comes out.

    So - in my opinion it's a 6/10 game.
    Stay away unless you're REALLY into MMOs and need a new one to try out or you're really into Elder Scrolls game and just has to play them all.    … Expand
  66. SenshudoTV
    May 13, 2014
    6
    I tried to give ESO a fair shake. After a disappointing beta experience, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed some aspects of the game. PvP is a lot of fun when you're with a group and will only get better as more people reach max level. Some of the PvE content is enjoyable when you're not doing the same quests you've done in every other MMO with an Elder Scrolls flavor. Those experiencesI tried to give ESO a fair shake. After a disappointing beta experience, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed some aspects of the game. PvP is a lot of fun when you're with a group and will only get better as more people reach max level. Some of the PvE content is enjoyable when you're not doing the same quests you've done in every other MMO with an Elder Scrolls flavor. Those experiences are few and far between and thats a shame. Zenimax had a great opportunity here to buck the trend and create an engaging game. What we're left with is another generic MMO with an Elder Scrolls cover. Its nowhere near as deep or expansive as the single player Elder Scrolls games, nor is it as satisfying as other MMO's on the market. ESO reaches for the moon, and lands among the garbage pit.… Expand
  67. DRMtookMYlife
    Apr 26, 2014
    6
    The big question here is: Is it worth the price? In short, no. $60 up front and $15 a month thereafter is not a fair price for the quality of this game. The game isn't bad certainly but the bugs can be seriously aggravating. There are few things I can think of that are as extremely frustrating as dying because my attack inputs weren't responding. Because the series is known for havingThe big question here is: Is it worth the price? In short, no. $60 up front and $15 a month thereafter is not a fair price for the quality of this game. The game isn't bad certainly but the bugs can be seriously aggravating. There are few things I can think of that are as extremely frustrating as dying because my attack inputs weren't responding. Because the series is known for having bugs is no excuse when this much money and effort was put into producing the game. Combat is a bit too drawn out and not quite fun enough for me. The most enjoyment I get out of this game is exploring the vast world. The cities are large and interesting and I'm excited to see more of it. I just wish combat breaking bugs and slow leveling were addressed better.… Expand
  68. Rumblefish
    Apr 24, 2014
    6
    Well, what to say about this game? Firstly, I am a massive Elder Scrolls fan and used to be a big fan of MMOs for many years but have been shaken off by the pervasive free-to-play model and by watching developers dilute the integrity of their own IPs by pandering to self-entitled players.

    So, the biggest plus I can say for ESO is that it has got me playing an MMO again. Other    Well, what to say about this game? Firstly, I am a massive Elder Scrolls fan and used to be a big fan of MMOs for many years but have been shaken off by the pervasive free-to-play model and by watching developers dilute the integrity of their own IPs by pandering to self-entitled players.

    So, the biggest plus I can say for ESO is that it has got me playing an MMO again. Other positives are that the graphics (on maximum settings) are beautiful; lighting, particle effects and the day/night cycle are all the best I have seen in any MMO. Zenimax have successfully created the atmosphere of an ES game, the player is immersed in Tamriel and it's a joy to explore the world and meet its inhabitants.

    There's much to admire. The implementation of class skills and also weapon and armour skill lines means that any class of character is free to fill any role. Are you a heavy armour wearing Dragonknight tank? Well simply respec, pick up a staff and start a new career as a spellslinger or healer. The combat is engaging, with dodging, blocking and interrupting adding elements to the encounters. However, fighting in ESO does suffer a bit from lag and a feeling of imprecision and weightlessness. A player can often move out of the way of a spell or ability only to be struck when they thought they were safe.

    Crafting is very interesting in ESO, it's quite intricate and requires dedication to slowly level up. Armour and weapons can be created, improved and enchanted in a myriad of ways and styles and crafting is actually a viable source of income. Damaged armour is expensive to repair and I absolutely love the fact that this introduces an actual negative repercussion to death.

    All quests are very professionally voice acted and are a cut above the usual "collect ten bear pelts". However, I did find that all the different groups, characters and comrades one meets along the way become indistinguishable from each other and are by and large forgettable. PvP can be engrossing and addictive but the lack of any world pvp takes away a lot of immersion. PvP action in Cyrodill is all manufactured fare and is only slightly better than the "usual jerg, dead, rez, repeat" that no other MMO seems to have been able to innovate on.

    However, there are negatives to this game also and boy are they large and numerous. The thing about an ES game is that you are the focus of a living breathing world. Can you break into an NPCs house, pick their pocket whilst they sleep, steal their dinner and then murder them and permanently remove them from the game? Yes, yes you can. This is not the case with ESO. Here, you are in a facade of a world. Everything is laid out in front of you and if you squint hard enough, you could believe that you're in Nirn. But peek behind the curtain and realise it's a sham. This is the proverbial theme park. Go here, speak to him, go over there. It's linear in the extreme and there is no real opportunity to fashion your own adventures or stories.

    Many useful features, staples of the genre are missing from ESO. You cannot inspect another player, or duel them. There is no worldwide auction house - and whilst I understand the reasoning behind this, the current guild store simply doesn't work. It's inaccessible and unappealing. Inventory space is a premium and most of your time during the first 20 levels will be spend managing bag and bank space. Although, ironically, there is no way to collect the books you find during your journeys.

    And then there are the disasters. The gold spam in this game is like nothing you will have ever experienced before. It is pervasive and intrusive all day long. The world is plagued with bots, either teleporting from node to node or standing in open world dungeons (surely the worst idea ever to grace an MMO) endlessly battering and looting the same poor mini-boss all day long. It's just not good enough. The game crashes regularly and the economy has already been destroyed by those who have exploited bank glitches. Clearly, a lot of work has gone into ESO but, ultimately, not enough.

    And the same can be said with the amount of thought that went into the social aspect of the game. As I've said, public dungeons are the most disastrous, immersion-breaking events in any MMO, but simply grouping up to quest with others is similarly flawed. Quests are phased, so if your partner is not on exactly the same stage of a quest that you are, then they will not even be able to see the NPCs you are tasked with killing (and therefore can offer no help). The game seems to make actions within it as inconvenient as possible. I've already mentioned trading in this regard but any social interaction can become confusing because people chat in zone/group chat etc under their character name, but appear in guild chat and in the dungeon finder etc as their account name.

    The game could have been a lot better, I hope it improves but it's probably already too late.    … Expand
  69. JoshW
    Apr 25, 2014
    6
    Pros

    * Lore - Story is amazing * Voice Acting - The best of any MMO, by far * Crafting (Very detailed, lots of options to customize) * Addons - Whatever gaps there are in the UI, users are fixing it and making game more manageable. Graphics (with SweetFX enabled) * Incredibly Immersive * Support - ZOS has responded to 90% of my tickets, very polite and very responsive. * Questing    Pros

    * Lore - Story is amazing
    * Voice Acting - The best of any MMO, by far
    * Crafting (Very detailed, lots of options to customize)
    * Addons - Whatever gaps there are in the UI, users are fixing it and making game more manageable.
    Graphics (with SweetFX enabled)
    * Incredibly Immersive
    * Support - ZOS has responded to 90% of my tickets, very polite and very responsive.
    * Questing - Quests are plentiful and fun

    Cons

    * Micromanagement - From inventory to repairs, it consumes a lot of time (When I'd prefer spending that time playing rather than managing it). If you love micromanagement, this is for you.
    * Chat interface - I find it clumsy and outdated. Hard to notice when someone's talking to you.
    * Questing in group - This is the biggest let down... if you've already completed the quest you won't be able to see where your buddy is going. If you're the one completing the quest, your friend will feel like a hireling; if your buddy is completing the quest you'll find yourself thinking "There are better and more effective ways to grind".
    * Key Mapping - Yes, you'll have to manually setup each and every char... Unless you're sticking to Zenimax' default setting.
    * Replayability - Once you reach 50 you'll have to go PVP or you'll feel like you've got little else to do (Unless you really love the lore and you want to complete all quests and play with different factions, which’s not my case)
    * Customization - Crafting is really fun and very complex. That's where you'll be able to customize your existing char, because as of today, you can't change skins nor dye your armors and weapons.
    Monthly Fee - I prefer F2P with a game store... I usually spend more than 15 a month, if the items offered make a difference (customization, commodities, benefits)
    * Upgrades - Did you click on the wrong Horse upgrade? Suck it up and either discard the horse or just cope with it. I personally made 2 mistakes and that was it, I'm stuck with those mistakes.
    * Daily stuff - This is my personal opinion but I don't like how the game forces into connecting to it (or fall behind) with your chores. This is not an issue with ESO alone... most MMOs I've played have the same problem.

    Bottom line, this is an innovative game that has an awesome lore and it feels like a fresh start compared to other MMOs. However, it's not awesome enough to keep me playing it on a subscription model. I have already cancelled it and the game has been uninstalled.    … Expand
  70. Uxz
    Apr 11, 2014
    6
    The game starts out nicely, but once you start reaching higher Levels bugs upon bugs will ruin you game experience, at this moment in this you cannot Reach max Level (You will get about half ways there). Veteran Ranks are being blocked by a main story quest that is not possible to do, this has been bugged for 7 days now and there is no fix in sight. Several thousands of players are campingThe game starts out nicely, but once you start reaching higher Levels bugs upon bugs will ruin you game experience, at this moment in this you cannot Reach max Level (You will get about half ways there). Veteran Ranks are being blocked by a main story quest that is not possible to do, this has been bugged for 7 days now and there is no fix in sight. Several thousands of players are camping the zone without any content to do as they are blocked. The customer service offers little to no information and no solutions. This is not just a bug affecting one player, but all -early rushers and levelers managed to get past before the quest bugged out.… Expand
  71. TheMeph
    Apr 24, 2014
    6
    The game breaker for me is the phasing system. You can't play with your friends or family unless you are all in the exact same step of the exact same quest, otherwise you all get separated into your own little realities and it becomes a solo quest. My son was disappointed that even tho we were grouped i could do nothing to help him kill the elite mob I had already killed before, and heThe game breaker for me is the phasing system. You can't play with your friends or family unless you are all in the exact same step of the exact same quest, otherwise you all get separated into your own little realities and it becomes a solo quest. My son was disappointed that even tho we were grouped i could do nothing to help him kill the elite mob I had already killed before, and he had to wait till a random person came by to try to duo it together. Completely ruined it for me, not being able to play with family. Not re subbing.… Expand
  72. Barbzilla
    Mar 10, 2015
    6
    Normally I don't feel the need to write a review unless I'm completely blown away by how awesome a game is, and when I do write said review, it is usually on another site or Steam. This game deserves a special award however, and so I am here to let everyone know.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    There is a lot wrong with the game, but it can be good if the developers would just spend some quality time and money on a good QA group.    … Expand
  73. armoredchimp
    Apr 30, 2014
    6
    I don't know. It's definitely a little disappointing, I really get the sense they couldn't quite decide on how much to go in the traditional MMO direction and how much to try to retain the singelplayer Elder Scrolls feel, and in the end they try to accomplish both fully but satisfy neither.

    First of all, the good: The graphics are very pretty, and don't require new hardware (although    I don't know. It's definitely a little disappointing, I really get the sense they couldn't quite decide on how much to go in the traditional MMO direction and how much to try to retain the singelplayer Elder Scrolls feel, and in the end they try to accomplish both fully but satisfy neither.

    First of all, the good: The graphics are very pretty, and don't require new hardware (although running it on new hardware makes it look much prettier). The fact that the whole game is voiced makes it feel like a complete product, although after awhile you start noticing the same voice actors (not nearly as bad as Oblivion however, which had like 4 people do all the voices). The crafting system is enjoyable and is probably my favorite aspect of the game so far, you need to invest skill points into a trade if you want to actually become proficient at it. Instanced dungeons are also pretty fun, although I think the loot system for instances in Wow was far better (in this everyone gets their own loot, and in instanced dungeons it is always the same stuff so there is no point in running them again). Combat in general is fine, although at earlier levels it is pretty brainless.

    The quests are well written for an MMO, and they definitely try to make you feel like you are doing something important, but after a while you realize you are just running to talk to NPC A, running here to kill NPC B, run back to NPC A to tell him, then run to NPC C for some reason because they felt like that quest wasn't long enough and you needed to travel a litlte more. And a lot of these quests take 20 or so minutes and barely nudge your EXP bar at all, but you don't get as much EXP from grinding mobs like in other MMO's so you basically are always running around talking to NPC's who always act like YOU are the sole savior of Tamriel and are incredibly important, but it's an extremely fragile illusion when you have 10 people clustered in one room waiting for the boss to respawn so they can finish the quest. Another thing that massively breaks the immersion is the constant, 24/7 gold spamming, they even email you in your private box. My ignore list was over 40 after just a few days of playing yet it did nothing to stop the endless flood of gold spam, forget about interesting conversations in zone chat because it just doesn't happen (maybe in higher lvl zones it does)

    I played it feverishly for the first 10 days or so after I bought it and haven't touched it in about 10 days since. I'm going to pick it up again soon (mainly because I paid for 3 months subscription.....if I had just done a free trial I would not have been impressed enough to subscribe). It just doesn't quite draw me in enough at the moment. I think this does have the potential to be much better than it is, but as of right now I am definitely regretting spending $100 on it.    … Expand
  74. archonome
    Sep 14, 2014
    6
    I really wished this game was going to be good and it had the potential...

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

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

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

    Negatives:

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

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

    Sorry running for 15 minutes to find myself following a zerg like GW2 is boring... what's the point of capturing keeps... it's NOT fun. After you've done this 100 times, it's exactly the same as PLANETSIDE.    … Expand
  75. xVinci
    Apr 5, 2014
    6
    Definitely worth trying out for yourself. No MMO was perfect on launch and a lot will depend on where Zenimax is going with this and what content will be delivered, but I for my part was immediately immersed and I hope that you will too, you will miss out on something if not :)
  76. Untouchable763
    Apr 10, 2014
    6
    This is the most average MMORPG you will ever play in your life. The game is riddled with bugs and while you instantly think I'm being too hard on the game, I'm not. This game has so many bugs that just pull you completely out of the experience to the point of just logging off when they occur.

    Pros: -Quests which avoid the normal pick up 10 items for the most part. -Voice overs are    This is the most average MMORPG you will ever play in your life. The game is riddled with bugs and while you instantly think I'm being too hard on the game, I'm not. This game has so many bugs that just pull you completely out of the experience to the point of just logging off when they occur.

    Pros:
    -Quests which avoid the normal pick up 10 items for the most part.
    -Voice overs are beautifully done.
    -Crafting is what makes this game playable IMO.

    Cons:
    -The UI which is an embarrassment to all MMO's
    -The sheer amount of bugs which places this game around early beta in reality.
    -$15 Subscription to beta test their game
    -Graphics which were a huge disappointment. This game looks like it was made around consoles because the graphics are very dated. Feels like you're playing oblivion when you're questing sometimes.
    -The trading/guild store/guild bank. To begin the trading in this game is a complete pain especially selling items through the guild store. Using the guild store is really your only way of selling items but the problem is that it doesn't have a SEARCH BAR. You will spend over 50% of you time in the guild store just trying to price check items or buy a specific item that you cannot find. Finally lets go over the guild bank where you will deposit your items and 10% of them will magically vanish.

    To conclude the only reason I'm playing this game right now is the fact that I have 30 days free. Other then that from what I see right now it was the biggest waste of $80 I've ever spent on a video game.    … Expand
  77. Anoners
    Apr 4, 2014
    6
    Totally addicted already. I'm not sure why people are so angry about the sub. If that's a problem, don't buy the game? Not fair to give it a low score based on that. I play pretty much all the MMOs that are out there, and this one is def. one of the best.
  78. Incrementum
    Apr 4, 2014
    6
    Like other reviewers have mentioned, ESO is not a terrible game - it's just incredibly disappointing considering it uses the Elder Scrolls name. It really is just another WoW clone with a PvP system similar to the one used in Dark Age of Camelot. The voice acting is surprisingly good and the graphics are as well. Everything else falls short though which makes me wonder they this gameLike other reviewers have mentioned, ESO is not a terrible game - it's just incredibly disappointing considering it uses the Elder Scrolls name. It really is just another WoW clone with a PvP system similar to the one used in Dark Age of Camelot. The voice acting is surprisingly good and the graphics are as well. Everything else falls short though which makes me wonder they this game was made in the first place. If Skyrim sold like hot cakes, why not just make another game in the main Elder Scrolls series? I really wonder if the developers are actually proud of their finished product. There's just nothing new or unique here. MMO's don't have to be EverQuest / WoW clones to be successful. Not every MMO has to be a theme park ride that holds your hand at every moment. ESO should have offered more freedom than this.… Expand
  79. Bdado24
    Apr 7, 2014
    6
    I wanted to like this game; I tried to like this game but in the end, I just couldn't like this game. The idea of an "Elder Scrolls" multi-player is genius but the delivery is the problem. The game's clunky combat, lackluster graphics and repetitive quests are it's biggest faults.
    The combat is terrible, Bethesda had a fluid system of combat with "Skyrim". The hits looked natural and    I wanted to like this game; I tried to like this game but in the end, I just couldn't like this game. The idea of an "Elder Scrolls" multi-player is genius but the delivery is the problem. The game's clunky combat, lackluster graphics and repetitive quests are it's biggest faults.
    The combat is terrible, Bethesda had a fluid system of combat with "Skyrim". The hits looked natural and the the system was simple yet efficient. In a fast paced game it is best to apply the K.I.S.S. method to the attack system and try to make the fighting as simple as possible. With ESO, this was blatently ignored. Instead, the developers seemed to designer the ultimate "Mortal Combat"/RPG failure. Power attacks coming from a nord with a claymore do very little in opposition to my hot keyed "special move number three button attack" which looked like yellow "Wolverine" claw marks across my screen. What the attack was supposed to be? Not a clue, but it did more damage than a driven power attack from a sword designed around it's own weight so whatever. On top of that, they added a dodge function; which in principle is great idea but never seemed to work when multiple enemies randomly respawned and surrounded me; thus killing me before I could register what happened.
    Now we come to the graphics; when buying this game, I had a bit of worry in regards to my 3 yr. old stock Toshiba PC handling the game. Don't worry though, because I was okay thanks to the latest graphics that the year 2004 had to offer. Though, in ESO's defense, it doesn't look as bad as "Star Wars: The Old Republic".
    Lastly, I have to say that the quests are my biggest complaint. The friendly NPC's of my faction seemed to be the most inept people in existence (though, if they were able to actually complete their missions then there wouldn't be a game). How one would expect your faction to survive in reality when they can't even stop bickering as to who gives who first aid during an enemy attack is beyond me. I understand that Bethesda didn't want to make a "kill 100 enemies" game but it's as if they think that their fanbase has the IQ of a six year old child. Also, this isn't like other sandbox style games where you can (normally) kill minor quest giver NPC's if you don't like them, such as a racist dark elf.
    In closing, if you want freedom this isn't your game; but if you're cool with goofball combat and a beat to death plot then this is the game for you.    … Expand
  80. Qahina
    Apr 8, 2014
    6
    You will either love it or hate yourself for paying money. ESO is a mixed Blessing really. The are some really bright ides and new on the one Hand but massive technical Problems (thanks Bugthesda) lacking of instancing in the gaming world (you kann hear other Player jumping or door closing noices throughout the whole building) and the hated really uninformative skyrim UI which standYou will either love it or hate yourself for paying money. ESO is a mixed Blessing really. The are some really bright ides and new on the one Hand but massive technical Problems (thanks Bugthesda) lacking of instancing in the gaming world (you kann hear other Player jumping or door closing noices throughout the whole building) and the hated really uninformative skyrim UI which stand against it. ESO is fresh and new but also completely ignores standards in UI accessability or quest mapping which most other MMOs abide by nowadays.… Expand
  81. willERROR343
    Apr 9, 2014
    6
    The game is an excellent MMORPG. It has all the features and easy control. But comparing it to an Elder Scrolls game, it sucks. The two elements don't mix well. Also, the business model is very bad. 60 dollars plus, 15 dollars per month. Nope. Not good.
  82. MaxxPanada
    Apr 18, 2014
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Among the several MMORPG's I have payed over the years, this title brings the excitement of the Elder Scrolls series and the online world, together for the first time.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    In the end it is just an average game, with the same questing as before but now it is communal. 6 rating.    … Expand
  83. BlindingBright
    Apr 28, 2014
    6
    It's like Skyrim and Guild Wars 2 had a baby.... but Skyrim found out that Guild Wars 2 was cheating on it with Dark Age of Camelot, and now Skyrim is left to raise their illegitimate child. You wanna love it, but every time you look down at it's cute little face you're reminded of how that B*&#h Skyrim cheated on you.

    This is the first MMO that has gotten me to turn off the background    It's like Skyrim and Guild Wars 2 had a baby.... but Skyrim found out that Guild Wars 2 was cheating on it with Dark Age of Camelot, and now Skyrim is left to raise their illegitimate child. You wanna love it, but every time you look down at it's cute little face you're reminded of how that B*&#h Skyrim cheated on you.

    This is the first MMO that has gotten me to turn off the background noise and to focus on... *gasp* playing it versus tuning it out or making me stare at a spreadsheet in motion. Other people cover the gripes pretty well; I'm still a loyal player, just frustrated. Currently dealing with CTD's, broken grouping, bugged quests, non-connecting combat, and weird disconnects. I'll re-re-review when this little runt gets older and learns how to walk without falling on it's face.    … Expand
  84. Shellback
    May 2, 2014
    6
    The best thing about ESO is the music and sound effects.On the negative side it takes hundreds of hours to unlock weapon traits (800 hours total for all traits). This is obviously a tool used by the developer to keep people playing for months so they can get subscription fees. If you played Skyrim and thought the melee combat didn't give you the feeling of a hard enough impact on aThe best thing about ESO is the music and sound effects.On the negative side it takes hundreds of hours to unlock weapon traits (800 hours total for all traits). This is obviously a tool used by the developer to keep people playing for months so they can get subscription fees. If you played Skyrim and thought the melee combat didn't give you the feeling of a hard enough impact on a Drauger's skull, then this game is an improvement. The sound effects and impact of weapons are better. However, the quests can be confusing. Sometimes I had to restart the game in order to activate an item or quest. It's buggy.The player does not have that "Hero" feel of Skyrim. Once again I got suckered into the pre-game hype. For those of you contemplating buying this game, Listen to the reviews. If you are not an MMO fan don't waste your money. Go play play Skyrim again. I leveled 3 characters over level 20. I wanted it to sinks its claws into me like Skyrim did and have me wanting more. It never happened. The game is very buggy. If you do decide to waste your money I highly recommend the High Elf Sorcerer. Auridon's music and environment is much better then the other two guilds. The Sorcerer is super powerful with morphed perks. It wouldn't suprise me if Bethesda is just using this game as a test platform for the new single player Elder Scrolls game that they are rumored to be working on. I own every triple AAA game made in the past 10 years. I've been gaming since DOOM came out in 1993. If you are not an MMO fan don't waste your time and money.… Expand
  85. jay6426
    Aug 31, 2016
    6
    Originally many negative reviews came from players who wanted another ES game and not a MMO. I was very excited at the start and played for a couple months, but the game failed to deliver the gameplay in quests, dungeons, pvp and exploring that other games have offered.
  86. Stargher
    May 4, 2014
    6
    I really wanted to like this game, but apart from character customization options, the story just couldn't keep me interested. I managed to play through all the starting areas, but the game lack the freedom and the spirit of the other Elder Scrolls games. Choices are meaningless and leveling is a chore. Quests are average and the whole thing feels lifeless. It is however an adequate MMO,I really wanted to like this game, but apart from character customization options, the story just couldn't keep me interested. I managed to play through all the starting areas, but the game lack the freedom and the spirit of the other Elder Scrolls games. Choices are meaningless and leveling is a chore. Quests are average and the whole thing feels lifeless. It is however an adequate MMO, just nothing special.… Expand
  87. FrenziedRoach
    May 4, 2014
    6
    Solid combat system and character development save this game from being a disaster. They've been very good about cracking down on bots. However......

    Very group unfriendly at this time, making it impossible to help friends who come in late to "catch up" with you. If you get out of syc with your partner, be prepared to listen to them struggle on a quest that would of been a breeze for    Solid combat system and character development save this game from being a disaster. They've been very good about cracking down on bots. However......

    Very group unfriendly at this time, making it impossible to help friends who come in late to "catch up" with you. If you get out of syc with your partner, be prepared to listen to them struggle on a quest that would of been a breeze for the two of you.

    I'd wait a couple months for a few more bugs to get ironed out. There's potential here, but it's too early to tell if it will ever be worth the 60 bucks plus subs.    … Expand
  88. ItsFrootLoops
    May 27, 2014
    6
    I guess it is just a generic MMO with a little bit of Elder Scrolls in there. My score was low because the developers made it out to be something its not but the game would be fun for someone who had never played elder scrolls games it seems. Even if you know the story of Elder Scrolls games it can be fun be mostly frustrating and boring when it comes down to it, its main feature that isI guess it is just a generic MMO with a little bit of Elder Scrolls in there. My score was low because the developers made it out to be something its not but the game would be fun for someone who had never played elder scrolls games it seems. Even if you know the story of Elder Scrolls games it can be fun be mostly frustrating and boring when it comes down to it, its main feature that is enjoyable is the PvP but other than that it is pretty boring.… Expand
  89. Rowrin
    May 15, 2014
    6
    The game is a diamond in the rough (well, really rough, but a diamond none-the-less). Going past the launch issues (the worst of which appear to have been fixed), which arguably were some of the worst seen in a game launch (players logging into other players accounts by accident, banks and inventories being completely wiped, main quests not working etc), the game still has some very coreThe game is a diamond in the rough (well, really rough, but a diamond none-the-less). Going past the launch issues (the worst of which appear to have been fixed), which arguably were some of the worst seen in a game launch (players logging into other players accounts by accident, banks and inventories being completely wiped, main quests not working etc), the game still has some very core issues.

    At the moment, PvP, the fight for Cyrodiil and the right to sit upon the throne is very lacking. The zone has a lot of potential, but the way campaigns are set up at the moment, and the lack of smaller objectives have most of the zone completely empty. Worse yet, most of the campaigns are completely dead, with no one playing on them. This is largely because everyone moves to the campaign where their faction is dominating, and all other campaigns are ignored. There is a lot of potential to be had in Cyrodiil, but at the moment it is a missed opportunity.

    The game also suffers from a plethora of bugs still. None quite nearly as game breaking as what was seen in the first month, but still annoyances. Class abilities and tool-tips are either broken, incorrect or do not work (such is the case most evident with Nightblades). Several quests are still broken as well.

    Bugs completely aside, the game also lacks some key features and concepts. For instance, grouping with friends becomes a total disaster due to phasing (which Zenimax is working on now). But there are several other design philosophies that are archaic. For instance, having quest objectives non-player instanced. What this means is that in some areas where you have to gather x objects laying around the world, you will be competing with every other player around you, including your friends. This type of mechanic has since been removed in many games since 2007 and it is boggling to see its return.

    What the game does right however is the story, writing and voice acting. Playing through 1-50 and doing the quests were the best parts of my play through. The story and atmosphere experience was enough for me to keep playing, even through the harshest bugs during launch (I personally had my banked wiped twice and was mistakenly banned by the automated system).

    That said: unfortunately, after doing the main quest, I have very little incentive to put up with the additional bugs and lack-luster PvP at the moment. The rest of the game just is either too broken, empty or uninteresting to play after absorbing all the story and voice acting.    … Expand
  90. blammo
    Jun 3, 2014
    6
    Disclaimer: I hate PVP so I never experienced that part of the game at all.

    There are many good things - the crafting, the voice overs for every single dialogue, a huge world of exploration, and it's all very good looking. The random treasure chests and treasure maps are my favourite. I never once spent any time grinding, everything was fresh and never stale. But nothing made me    Disclaimer: I hate PVP so I never experienced that part of the game at all.

    There are many good things - the crafting, the voice overs for every single dialogue, a huge world of exploration, and it's all very good looking. The random treasure chests and treasure maps are my favourite. I never once spent any time grinding, everything was fresh and never stale.

    But nothing made me want to stop and get involved. Despite the appearance of an open sandbox, you're corralled from one giant open area to the next and it's "the most open on-rails experience you can have". Run along and click-click through the dialogue and the arrow points in the direction where you have to go and kill something. By the end you're tired of twisted hellish-floating-rock-islands.

    In summary, it's failed to grab me after playing it for a month now and giving it a fair shake, I really really wish it did because I've been an Elder Scrolls fan since Daggerfall came out.

    Worth it to try it out for the price of the game, you'll get your moneys worth for sure but I imagine many people will drop subscription after the first month or two not because it's bad, just because there's no big draw to stay.    … Expand
  91. hullhy
    Sep 10, 2014
    6
    If you are going to play this game, put every Elder Scrolls game that you played aside, forget that you knew what an Elder scroll even is and you just might enjoy it. Just might, but if you are like me and cant do that, you are going to be disappointed.
  92. tormentor55
    Nov 29, 2014
    6
    Elder scrolls online can be pretty fun at times but it always has its sights on your wallet. The game forces you to spend $60 AND a monthly subscription, (that's already more money needing to be used than WOW) and you have to grind like crazy to get goods with in-game currency instead of paying. This game could have been SO much more tolerable had it been F2P or a one time payment. In thisElder scrolls online can be pretty fun at times but it always has its sights on your wallet. The game forces you to spend $60 AND a monthly subscription, (that's already more money needing to be used than WOW) and you have to grind like crazy to get goods with in-game currency instead of paying. This game could have been SO much more tolerable had it been F2P or a one time payment. In this day and age monthly subscriptions are an unwelcome form of payment. For elder scrolls fans stick to skyrim or pray that the cost to enter this game goes down.… Expand
  93. HeavyFalcon
    Jun 29, 2015
    6
    I'm writing this review pretty late in the game, but I am glad I waited. (sort of) Debated on getting this for the PC or PS4. I regret getting it for the PC due to the patches. I will cover more of that later. Besides the lore, the combat of this game is it's main appeal. I have played multiple MMOs and consider myself a casual player. I was tired of the clicking and watching...andI'm writing this review pretty late in the game, but I am glad I waited. (sort of) Debated on getting this for the PC or PS4. I regret getting it for the PC due to the patches. I will cover more of that later. Besides the lore, the combat of this game is it's main appeal. I have played multiple MMOs and consider myself a casual player. I was tired of the clicking and watching...and watching... mechanic so many MMOs choose to have. ESO is great because it requires active attention and skill in order to defeat certain enemies. Fighting sequences do not just involve pressing skills in specific orders to dish out damage or buff yourself. Timing attacks, dodges, and skills make every battle more fulfilling in the end. This is what drew me into ESO. Also, the fact that there is no longer a subscription.

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

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

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

    It seems ESO is trying to compensate for its new free to play (with purchase) system. This game would be far better if it was not hindered by the unnecessary updates. ESO is lucky the console version did so well.    … Expand
  94. asdfasdf12456
    Apr 12, 2023
    6
    The combat is too dull. The skill system is too simple, only some handful skills that is usuable. To kill a monster, just keep spamming the same skills over and over again. This makes the combat aged fast. It only lasts for 2 hours long of actual fun, then I have to repeat the same way to kill something because there's not enough skill diversity in the game.

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

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

    When I level up, I just don't understand why the attribute point can only increase the base stat instead of increasing the attack power, attack speed and such. There's so much potential content in the game, but everything seems so shallow without any depth to attract me to keep playing.    … Expand
  95. JinxterMeta
    May 13, 2019
    6
    Seems like Bethesda is incapable of developing a game which has a high technical polish and good designs. As always we need to install a tone of add-ons to give game proper functionality and make it a bearable experience. Sure there are good things about ESO like the story, questing, world exploration or character development but then everything is ruined by utterly difunctional UI, crappySeems like Bethesda is incapable of developing a game which has a high technical polish and good designs. As always we need to install a tone of add-ons to give game proper functionality and make it a bearable experience. Sure there are good things about ESO like the story, questing, world exploration or character development but then everything is ruined by utterly difunctional UI, crappy character gear implementation and failure to properly design materials like metal so gear won't look like plastic rubber. Bethesda is doing halfassed job with expectation that we players will fix their game.… Expand
  96. SgAkErRu
    Aug 13, 2021
    6
    Ну короче ММОРПГ. Гринд и квесты. Квестов много, большинство из них какой-то шлак. Гринд вроде не ядерный, но это я наверное просто недалеко со стартовых лок ушел. В принципе игра ничетак, но как-то не цепляет. Нудно как-то. Пвп не чекал. Пинг бесит, мобы дохнут с задержкой. Локаций много, но как они там заселены - не знаю. В общем, брать или нет решайте сами, на любителя.Ну короче ММОРПГ. Гринд и квесты. Квестов много, большинство из них какой-то шлак. Гринд вроде не ядерный, но это я наверное просто недалеко со стартовых лок ушел. В принципе игра ничетак, но как-то не цепляет. Нудно как-то. Пвп не чекал. Пинг бесит, мобы дохнут с задержкой. Локаций много, но как они там заселены - не знаю. В общем, брать или нет решайте сами, на любителя.
  97. Vitalick
    Sep 2, 2022
    6
    La entrada de la franquicia a los mmorpg no fue la mejor pero empezó a sentar las bases de lo que hoy es uno e los mejores del mercado
  98. duveit
    Apr 10, 2014
    5
    Very nice visuals, sort of free to explore the world. Different classes doesn't feel all that different, not at lower level anyhow. The gameplay is sort of.., not engaging. Perhaps it will grow into something. But the lack of focus on endgame content like raids, leaves the whole affair undesired, at least from my point of view. If you want a truly *different* mmo, try out Secret WorldVery nice visuals, sort of free to explore the world. Different classes doesn't feel all that different, not at lower level anyhow. The gameplay is sort of.., not engaging. Perhaps it will grow into something. But the lack of focus on endgame content like raids, leaves the whole affair undesired, at least from my point of view. If you want a truly *different* mmo, try out Secret World rather. Unless you're one of the treehugging elf-lovers.… Expand
  99. santiagodraco
    Apr 14, 2014
    5
    A word to the wise... if you see a review that refers to ESO as a "Warcraft reskin" realize two things. One, the author of said review is a complete idiot and two the author is a complete idiot.

    ESO has it's faults but a Warcraft clone it ain't. It has the best storytelling and quest narration of any MMO ever, the combat and skill systems are very unique and the game world and audio    A word to the wise... if you see a review that refers to ESO as a "Warcraft reskin" realize two things. One, the author of said review is a complete idiot and two the author is a complete idiot.

    ESO has it's faults but a Warcraft clone it ain't. It has the best storytelling and quest narration of any MMO ever, the combat and skill systems are very unique and the game world and audio is nothing but spectacular.

    Issues exist however and many are game breaking. Zenimax coded many boss fights to instant spawn and drop loot every time. So you just sit and farm bosses and get loot galore. What's funny is how long they let this go on, just long enough to allow the Zenimax developers to get their toons to Vet 10 and then they are patching. Seems to be a common occurance.

    Oh and let's not forget all the broken quests that halt progression for many of us past 50 and they have not once tried to fix it for any player.

    A great game with major bugs. I can't decide if I should love it or hate it.    … Expand
  100. intruder313
    May 4, 2014
    5
    Very average in most respects but the myriad broken quests (reported broken in Beta but launched anyway) bring it down further.
    The world may be large but I found it barren and as I'm not a big PvPer there was not much to do beyond the usual, turgid quest line.

    Needs more time in development to add content, but first they need to fix the stuff that they knew was broken at launch.
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 64 Critic Reviews

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