The Elder Scrolls Online

 PC
User Score
5.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 2703 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,210 out of 2703
  2. Mixed: 447 out of 2703
  3. Negative: 1,046 out of 2703
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  1. Latorn
    Feb 25, 2019
    10
    Greatly improved since launch. One of, if not THE best MMORPGs of 2018/2019.
  2. neytirix77
    Sep 15, 2019
    10
    Interesting world
    Fun combat
    Great leveling experience Interesting and varied systems Really cool PVP Tons of quests that are ACTUALLY REALLY INTERESTING Lots of endgame content with tons of challenges for all the veteran kids! Lots of stuff to collect and hoard A very active trading market A very active community Super social! What else can I ask for? Been playing for 3 and a    Interesting world
    Fun combat
    Great leveling experience
    Interesting and varied systems
    Really cool PVP
    Tons of quests that are ACTUALLY REALLY INTERESTING
    Lots of endgame content with tons of challenges for all the veteran kids!
    Lots of stuff to collect and hoard
    A very active trading market
    A very active community
    Super social!

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

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

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

    I cant give it a perfect 10 but it comes darn close (9.75 if I could). Great game, beautiful graphics, excellent controls and UI. A few glitches and bugs but overall I Love it.    … Expand
  9. MrMT
    Apr 15, 2014
    9
    This is the best new MMO to come along for some time. The skill system is excellently flexible, allowing a great range of playstyles with each of the 4 core classes. The world is enjoyable to explore and quest in, the crafting works well, the combat is meaty and satisfying. I would say this is a pip above Guild Wars 2 at this stage; we'll have to see how it feels in a couple of months.
  10. The_Ommadawn
    Apr 7, 2014
    9
    Good : Huge game, tons of content, action packed, varied locations, interesting skill trees, 1st and 3rd person play styles, simple interface, Elder Scrolls!, dodging and blocking matter, good storyline, intuitive menus, fully voice acted, colourful, high standard graphics, time vampire, perfect rescue from the real world, _________ Bad : Seen this style of game before, can beGood : Huge game, tons of content, action packed, varied locations, interesting skill trees, 1st and 3rd person play styles, simple interface, Elder Scrolls!, dodging and blocking matter, good storyline, intuitive menus, fully voice acted, colourful, high standard graphics, time vampire, perfect rescue from the real world, _________ Bad : Seen this style of game before, can be overwhelming, need MMO experience to get the most out of it, the usual people moan all the time, no auction house, gold sellers already, melee collision detection isn't the best, not enough gold to buy stuff, toon animation disappointing, quest bugs, server downtime, still not as good as WoW,… Expand
  11. Acabar
    May 1, 2014
    9
    The game has had a pretty solid launch, especially in comparison to other MMO launches out there. I'll break things down into the game's look and the game's feel.

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

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

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

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

    FEEL:

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

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

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

    OVERALL:

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

    I'd recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the Elder Scrolls series and MMOs, with the understanding that its kind of a blend of each.    … Expand
  12. DaveMo
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    After playing the first two beta weekends I had access to, I swore I would never buy this game. After the final two, I was in love. This is a truly amazing game. The combat is wonderful. This is impressive considering how I didn't care for it in the first beta. Modifications made it a keeper. There is a lot of timing and smart attack sequencing involved.

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

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

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

    This doesn't include the PvP which is also wonderful.    … Expand
  13. Nithy
    Apr 22, 2014
    9
    This is a great game despite the number of bugs it currently has. The questing is refreshing compared to other MMOs I've played in the past and the PvP system borrows heavily from previous PvP MMOs that I've enjoyed (Dark Age of Camelot and Warhammer: Age of Reckoning).
  14. RecoveryRx
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    Easily the best mmo I've played in many a year and definitely the most immersive one I've ever played period. Would give this game a 9 but I'm knocking off a point for somewhat questionable business practices in the fact that they locked a race behind the collector's edition and have a cash shop like a f2p game when they said they wouldn't do that.

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

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

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

    1) Those looking for a new elder scrolls game.

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

    2) It's not WoW

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Love,
    Mach1av3ll1.    … Expand
  16. Vi-Pe
    Apr 12, 2014
    9
    The elder scrolls online is really good game. No it's not the best elder scrolls game, but easily one of the best MMO games.
    Graphically TESO is really beautiful game. The world is really colorfull and the graphic style is really pleasing. The sounds and music are also really good, the sound effects are pretty realistic and fit into the world. The soundtrack is also good old TES styled    The elder scrolls online is really good game. No it's not the best elder scrolls game, but easily one of the best MMO games.
    Graphically TESO is really beautiful game. The world is really colorfull and the graphic style is really pleasing. The sounds and music are also really good, the sound effects are pretty realistic and fit into the world. The soundtrack is also good old TES styled music which is awesome.
    The combat system in the game isn't that good. The idea is good, but they have messed it up. There is small delays when you are trying to hit enemies and some times they can hit you even tho you are far away. Also homing spells and arrows which do go through walls are rally annoying.
    The most of the quests are fun and aren't just quickly made. Lore is also pretty good and its interesting.
    No, the elder scrolls online is far from perfect but its still really good game. It's still missing lots of stuff which is incoming (criminality and karma and dark brother hood adm thieves guild) and I'm really waiting for them. Yes TESO is bit too expensive but I'd say its worth it if you have some spare money.    … Expand
  17. Alcapwn
    Apr 5, 2014
    9
    After reading through the negative reviews I can tell the majority of them are due to either the subscription model, pre-purchase incentives, or the reviewer played for 10 minutes and didn't get immediately hooked. I'm not going to talk about the preorder stuff even though I don't agree with what they did. The gameplay is what's important and it's fantastic. The quests have the greatAfter reading through the negative reviews I can tell the majority of them are due to either the subscription model, pre-purchase incentives, or the reviewer played for 10 minutes and didn't get immediately hooked. I'm not going to talk about the preorder stuff even though I don't agree with what they did. The gameplay is what's important and it's fantastic. The quests have the great writing and backstory that is familiar to elder scrolls fans and they are varied enough to keep things interesting. The problem is the weak beginning. The game didn't really hook me until level 15 or so which is disappointing since that is several hours into the game. The amount of content is crazy and couple that with one of the best crafting and pvp systems I've seen in a long time and I think this will be a very popular game with a hardcore following.… Expand
  18. xgamrx
    Apr 16, 2014
    9
    ESO is not your typical hack and slash MMORPG. It is a mix between Dungeon and Dragons Online, Age of Conan, Guild Wars, and World of Warcraft. I am not writing this review as a fan boy of Bethesda, but believe it is important that I chime in on the different perspectives of the game. The exploration and discovery component is enthralling to say the least. The battle engine could useESO is not your typical hack and slash MMORPG. It is a mix between Dungeon and Dragons Online, Age of Conan, Guild Wars, and World of Warcraft. I am not writing this review as a fan boy of Bethesda, but believe it is important that I chime in on the different perspectives of the game. The exploration and discovery component is enthralling to say the least. The battle engine could use some minor improvements but is adequate. The game play is really challenging and makes you think and prepare a plan before engaging in most battles. I have noticed no or minimal load times with absolutely zero in-game pop ups. The grinding is minimal while the character voice over, storyline and graphics are simply astonishing. It's a visceral treat and experience like no other. I will not comment on the PVP element since I am really not interested in that particular component. This review is coming from an extremely cynical gamer. Yes, ESO is not perfect and no game will ever completely meet or exceed our expectations, but it is still worth purchasing for any discerning gamer.… Expand
  19. Augustus75
    Apr 14, 2014
    9
    If not for the unfortunate amount of bugs, this game would be getting a much higher score. The PVE is interesting, and while following the same grammar of other mmorpgs they manage to create an engaging world and story line that seems fresh. The graphics are without any argument the best in the business, but again the immersion can sometimes be broken by clunky movement and those peskyIf not for the unfortunate amount of bugs, this game would be getting a much higher score. The PVE is interesting, and while following the same grammar of other mmorpgs they manage to create an engaging world and story line that seems fresh. The graphics are without any argument the best in the business, but again the immersion can sometimes be broken by clunky movement and those pesky launch bugs.
    Combat in this game is exciting, and moves the genre forward not only through versatile, dynamic builds, but also by implementing dodge and aim as opposed to basic tab targeting/macro mashing. The use of instances and similar zone hubs is disappointing, but the sheer size of each zone gives creedence to exploring. The guild stores are interesting compared to the standard AH, and being able to join up to 5 guilds ensures finding a speedy way to buy and sell; I would like the functionality to be more streamlined and easier to use, but hopefully as with Rift, these improvements will be implemented easily within the first year.

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

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

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

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

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

    This game is great, its fun, it's entertaining, it oozes quality and its immerse. Sure it has issues but that's more than normal at this stage. The people that fall in the above group use those same excuses every game they play, because the problem isn't in the games, the problems are in their lives and heads.    … Expand
  22. TheVindelator
    May 3, 2014
    9
    Buggy at times but wonderful in many ways. Graphics, quests and character progression are generally better than any mmo to date. It will take them some time before this game is perfect though.
  23. drogon1
    Aug 14, 2014
    9
    I have been playing ESO since launch. ESO had made some poor design decisions (essentially no XP in dungeons among others) that made the game unplayable for me (I do not play MMOs to primarily solo quest in). I gave the game essentially a big fat Zero.

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

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

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

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

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

    In short, because of the Elder Scrolls' storied legacy, people expected far too much from this game and are now bashing on it for being a fun and well-designed MMO instead of some crazy new format of multiplayer gaming that no one has ever seen before. It's like hating on a Ferrari because it doesn't fly and give blow jobs.    … Expand
  25. kidl33t
    Apr 4, 2014
    9
    This game is great. It's an excellent blending of the MMO genre with the Elder Scrolls series. The amount of detail, dialogue and lore in this game is astounding.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Importantly, of course some people are not going to like it, that's awesome in my book because if they did I probably wouldn't, plenty of other MMOs for their kind. If you don't like it, or just want to be "hipster hater trash" then I suggest moving on, because the game is solid and gonna disappoint you in your need to hate to feel good about yourself. ;)    … Expand
  30. dodo
    Mar 31, 2015
    9
    I seriously can't understand the negative feedback this game got. I've played Oblivion and Skyrim before and been playing this since it went free to play. Considering other mmos this is a really good one that manage to capture a lot of the Skyrim feeling although being multiplayer. The multiplayer dimension even adds meaning to it I think. It's really fun to play with a lot of good loreI seriously can't understand the negative feedback this game got. I've played Oblivion and Skyrim before and been playing this since it went free to play. Considering other mmos this is a really good one that manage to capture a lot of the Skyrim feeling although being multiplayer. The multiplayer dimension even adds meaning to it I think. It's really fun to play with a lot of good lore and quests to be had.… Expand
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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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