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. VieriRoma
    Apr 5, 2014
    10
    For an Elder Scrolls fan, or a fan of MMOs in general, this game is a dream. Immersive, staggering amount of attention to detail, and just flat out fun to play. There is a ton of content in this game, and I just wish Zenimax had been more forthcoming with their information leading to release, but once you delve into the game, it is just massive. The combat is fun and engaging, and theFor an Elder Scrolls fan, or a fan of MMOs in general, this game is a dream. Immersive, staggering amount of attention to detail, and just flat out fun to play. There is a ton of content in this game, and I just wish Zenimax had been more forthcoming with their information leading to release, but once you delve into the game, it is just massive. The combat is fun and engaging, and the freedom to create builds with your characters is so much fun. I can only imagine what else is coming down the road with new weapon skill lines or class skill lines, or even new guilds. The graphics and the world are beautiful, and it manages to nail that Elder Scrolls feel of exploration and wonder. The quests are actually interesting, and not boring turn 10 of these in, come back, rinse and repeat. An amazing game overall, and most importantly, a smooth launch compared to some other big mmos in the past couple of years, with developers that actually are listening and fix things. Don't let the naysayers and trolls make you think this game is not worth it, because it most certainly is. A highly polished, fun, experience in a world you can lose yourself into for hours, I will be in Tamriel for the long foreseeable future.… Expand
  2. joanjett
    Apr 6, 2014
    10
    Wow is all i can say! This game has it all from pve to pvp. I've seen some people
    talk about how you can't explore? Bull...you even have runes for better exploration!
    And my god the game is huge! I started last sunday for the 5 day head start and i'm now at level 24 and i have been putting 10-12 hours a day in. There are some people who have max but thats your die hards who were beta    Wow is all i can say! This game has it all from pve to pvp. I've seen some people
    talk about how you can't explore? Bull...you even have runes for better exploration!
    And my god the game is huge! I started last sunday for the 5 day head start and i'm now
    at level 24 and i have been putting 10-12 hours a day in. There are some people who have max
    but thats your die hards who were beta tester's from when the game was in alpha and
    know all the tricks and did no crafting or exploring lol! And i love finding chests and trying to open em.

    The game graphics are top notch and the music is great! The combat is about same i've seen in games
    so nothing special there but thats ok with me. UI top notch! And the pvp area is not just for pvp as
    there are resources there for crafting and dungeons all over the place! LOL! Just make sure you got a good horse cause its freaking big! Don't understand the hate for this game....must be the kiddies cause they like
    everything to be free lol!    … Expand
  3. Ipico
    Apr 19, 2014
    8
    Giving this game some more time and Have to say I am really enjoying it, my last reviews was honestly based on the beta and a lot of improvements have come now still a lot of bugs but the game feels better now, maybe its the change of faction who knows but the game just feels and plays better to me now.
  4. A7ibaba
    Apr 22, 2014
    0
    This game sucks so hard ,it's beyond my comprehension to spend my words to describe this awfull piece of software. Combat is disgusting,texture are low ress, AI is bugged, enemy bosses are ridiculously unimaginitive and boring, world exploration is plain awful. This is ruined copy od Elder Scroll Skyrim with unoptimised online component full of glitches and software bugs.On top of thatThis game sucks so hard ,it's beyond my comprehension to spend my words to describe this awfull piece of software. Combat is disgusting,texture are low ress, AI is bugged, enemy bosses are ridiculously unimaginitive and boring, world exploration is plain awful. This is ruined copy od Elder Scroll Skyrim with unoptimised online component full of glitches and software bugs.On top of that monthly fee is required to play this garbage. I think 0 (Zero) is fair score for this game, just because of pure existance and to show the world how the games not should be made for future reference.… Expand
  5. realtonit
    Apr 10, 2014
    10
    I`ll give it a 10 because it made me quit WoW, finally.

    It`s better than WoW in almost every aspect, they just need to improve the game phisics, other than that its perfect, specially the PvP system. Castle wars are just too fun to describe. I`d play them everyday.

    10 out of 10 for ESO
  6. tariyaki
    Apr 22, 2014
    0
    Too much money for clunky animations, boring quests, bad graphics and a system that discourages you to play with other people considering it's an MMO.
    This game feels like it has been made by amatures while using the series good name to feed off the $$$.
    Stay away. not worth the money or the time.
    Replay Skyrim with mods instead.
  7. ethaner63
    Apr 8, 2014
    9
    I have played Morrowind, Oblivion, some Daggerfall, and Skyrim. I have also played WoW, Rift, Guild wars 1/2, Lineage 2, EVE, and LotRO (only a little).
    I have thoroughly enjoyed ESO. I'll start with the combat/levelling. The evolution of skill paths is **** genius, it allows for tons of different combinations and it really feels like you could use just about any spec that you come up    I have played Morrowind, Oblivion, some Daggerfall, and Skyrim. I have also played WoW, Rift, Guild wars 1/2, Lineage 2, EVE, and LotRO (only a little).
    I have thoroughly enjoyed ESO. I'll start with the combat/levelling. The evolution of skill paths is **** genius, it allows for tons of different combinations and it really feels like you could use just about any spec that you come up with effectively. The combat has most of the aspects of skyrim (sneaking is similar, etc.) except you have a tool bar with skills that is similar to GW2. There are no cooldowns on the skills, it is all about your stamina/magicka, so there is a lot of skill behind ordering your attacks and doing appropriate combos. There is an active dodge mechanic which keeps you on your toes and you have to be ready for aoes and power attacks from the mobs. It isn't a hyper complex combat system with amazing AI but it is much better than any other MMOs. ESO does a good job of borrowing good ideas from other MMOs and making them unique to the game while removing flaws that were apparent in their inspirations. There are anchors (like Rifts) and world boss spawns, public dungeons that you find just by wandering the environment. It really feels like elder scrolls to me, there are times where I completely forget that I am playing online. I like the artistry the most in this game, once you get past the tutorial and into some of the cool questlines there are some fantastic animation sequences/artistry. The environments are amazing (in the main quest for the Pact you end up in hammerfell at a tomb that is just breathtaking. This game retains that "Elder Scrolls Vibe" where you are totally entertained just wandering about the world looking at things. I find that I hardly pay attention to my levels/skills because I am legitimately invested in the quest lines, stories, and environments. This is not to say that there aren't grinding quests, but they are set up in such a way that they are auxiliary to a main goal or mission and you can get them out of the way at the same time (2 birds one stone, kill X number of people on your way to Y objective for the main questline in the area). The voice acting is impressive, tons of speaking characters and they all have entertaining dialogue. I can go on and on but I think you get it.
    There are some issues though, here are the ones that I have come up with. There is no open world PvP, so you can't take your character from one alliance and go terrorize the towns of another. This is disappointing because I love to do **** like that, and also I would like to explore the other zones without being forced to make an alt. The ranged combat is a bit frustrating, once you target an enemy the bow sort of just auto-aims at it. you can jump and do 360s and still land shots every time. It sort of ruins the immersion having arrows aim like that. I would suggest aimable arrows with more power so that dodging becomes a factor. I can see how scripting every arrow would be a feat of programming, so I can't complain too much. Some of the collection related grindy-sidequests have non-instanced collectibles which can be a pain in the ass if you are with a herd of people all trying to do the same quest and competing for the same collectibles. I can't comment on the endgame content but the world PvP is pretty entertaining, it is similar to WvWvW except the land is much larger and the siege is built in a better way. I'll have to mess with it more.
    Overall, ESO is probably the best MMO I've played in years, simply because it actually feels like an adventure and I enjoy the exploration and questing more than I ever have. There are flaws, but most of them are flaws that you would find in any other MMO (especially the last 2 that I listed). The environments are what make me come back, and the lore is integral to the game. The fact that it's in the second era makes all of the story fascinating because you find yourself working with the tribunal and a bunch of historical figures that you only get to read about in the other games.
    As a critic of many MMOs, I would give this one a 9/10. Probably the best rating I have given out in years and years. Let me know if you want further detail on anything. Don't let the people hating on the game get to you, most of them only played the beta or didn't get past level 10. The quest stories for the leveling zones always have cool cutscenes and you often find yourself whisked away to other worlds/continents, this keeps you from feeling like you are restricted to your alliance's land.    … Expand
  8. saulot
    Apr 7, 2014
    5
    I wanted to like this game. This is like elder scrolls in name and setting only. Combat seems so slow and grindsome. Graphics are poor, only 4 classes, pretty much like all the other mmos buts its not elderscroll
  9. bluesnacks
    Apr 15, 2014
    8
    I'm saddened by these reviews, as many of the negative reviews are for silly reasons. "Bugs?" Come on guys. Give me an MMO that didn't have these at launch. By the way, they're fixing a ton of those bugs mentioned below me with a patch coming out today.

    "PvE is unbalanced." Really? That doesn't make sense. It's been out for a week, I'm surprised you've already made it to veteran level    I'm saddened by these reviews, as many of the negative reviews are for silly reasons. "Bugs?" Come on guys. Give me an MMO that didn't have these at launch. By the way, they're fixing a ton of those bugs mentioned below me with a patch coming out today.

    "PvE is unbalanced." Really? That doesn't make sense. It's been out for a week, I'm surprised you've already made it to veteran level and tested. Oh, wait.

    In all seriousness, it's a great game. If you enjoyed Elder Scrolls, and are an Elder Scrolls fanatic, maybe it's not for you. If you're looking for an awesome game to play though, this is it. It has engaging stories, fun combat and a myriad of things to do. Crafting is amazing; and this is coming from someone that has historically *hated* crafting. I was apathetic playing the betas, almost disappointed, but the game really has blown me away so far, and it doesn't deserve people down voting it because of bugs.

    As of this writing, 8 out of 10, things could be better, but it's still damn good.    … Expand
  10. Ixoziel
    Apr 13, 2014
    5
    When I first heard of The Elder Scrolls Online (mentioned as TESO from now on), I thought it would be fantastic. A few months prior I had mentioned to my friends that an online Elder Scrolls game would be awesome. I got invited to closed beta... and it was just disappointment after disappointment.

    The graphics are worse than Skyrim, and Skyrim came out in 2011. Why? I'm not big on    When I first heard of The Elder Scrolls Online (mentioned as TESO from now on), I thought it would be fantastic. A few months prior I had mentioned to my friends that an online Elder Scrolls game would be awesome. I got invited to closed beta... and it was just disappointment after disappointment.

    The graphics are worse than Skyrim, and Skyrim came out in 2011. Why? I'm not big on graphics... it's just very annoying to me, when you have a game in a series that comes out three years later and the graphics are worse. I loved morrowind, but trying to play it after Skyrim / Oblivion is tough for me because of the unimpressive graphics. I just don't understand the huge step BACK... if you're worried about everyone being able to play, just make it downscale well at lower settings.

    The combat tries to make you think it's action, but it's really just typical MMO fare. It has the "appearance" of having to aim your abilities, but WoW has aimable abilities too (AoE)... and that doesn't make it more exciting. Shooting with a bow is auto aim, spells are auto aim, it's just horribly boring. At least WoW has 25-30 spells usable at once, while in TESO you're locked to 5 because of the stupid limited spellbars.

    Now the business practices... Day 1 pay for power (horses): check. Have to pay extra money to play all races in all alliances, which ruins the lore: check. monthly fee, massive up front cost, AND a cash shop: check.

    I have spent HUNDREDS of hours each on morrowind, oblivion, and skyrim... and this game just bores me to tears. Literally every part of it is a step down from skyrim. The combat, the graphics, the immersion, the sound... the only upside is multiplayer.

    They tried too hard to please everyone, and they're caught in the middle now. Every part of the game is "OK" and nothing is fantastic. With oblivion / skyrim, the strong parts of the series were exemplified, now they're nonexistent, so you're just stuck with a bunch of "meh". And "Meh" isn't good enough for a game that wants you to pay money for horses, 80$ upfront, and 15$ a month.    … Expand
  11. orctown-troll
    Apr 11, 2014
    5
    Reading through the reviews here there is no doubt that most of the 10/10 scores have been written from development team members God-bless-them! The game is pretty good. It would be ok as free to play. Truth is that it is not easy to make a MMO that is going to be truly interesting for everyone. The need to drag the play out with deliberate grinding is going to deter most people in theReading through the reviews here there is no doubt that most of the 10/10 scores have been written from development team members God-bless-them! The game is pretty good. It would be ok as free to play. Truth is that it is not easy to make a MMO that is going to be truly interesting for everyone. The need to drag the play out with deliberate grinding is going to deter most people in the end. For this game $60 up front and then subscription represents pretty poor value for money. Most of us would be better of playing RIFT. Just as Bioware wasted millions making a mediocre game in SWTOR, Zenimax has wasted big bucks on a game that is simply not a good investment for most players. I suggest avoiding this game till it is free to play. Let's hope that rather than mediocre MMOs Zenimax actually puts some effort into greatly improving their single player games and evolving that model with co-op and multiplayer elements.

    Orctowngrot.    … Expand
  12. Onimor
    Apr 12, 2014
    10
    It doesn't take long for a player to understand that they are in the mists of playing something very special. The art work in the game is the magnus opus of mmo-rpgs. Having played many of them in the past, ranging from vanilla wow, age of conan, TSW, Terra, Rift, TOR etc etc. This game manages to ignite a feeling in playing an MMO that had long since been jaded in my mind. The explorationIt doesn't take long for a player to understand that they are in the mists of playing something very special. The art work in the game is the magnus opus of mmo-rpgs. Having played many of them in the past, ranging from vanilla wow, age of conan, TSW, Terra, Rift, TOR etc etc. This game manages to ignite a feeling in playing an MMO that had long since been jaded in my mind. The exploration in this game is its biggest strength. I love playing this game. People who hate it, are rating it for the wrong reasons (connections issues, bugs, I suspect they are trying to play it on a rust bucket tin can machine). This is a solid game, very well made. I would recommend it to any Next Gen User also, as I suspect like Diablo 3 it was transition very well.… Expand
  13. eroeru
    Jul 18, 2014
    0
    The game is a boring MMO piece of ****. I'm not surprised though that there have appeared bots/employees that deal a perfect score here, having not reviewed anything prior. Yet from a Bethesda-related game I'm disappointed.

    The game is first and foremost a boring cash-cow with nothing as advertised and only the per-month greedy monetizing of an essentially f2p game - the mechanics are    The game is a boring MMO piece of ****. I'm not surprised though that there have appeared bots/employees that deal a perfect score here, having not reviewed anything prior. Yet from a Bethesda-related game I'm disappointed.

    The game is first and foremost a boring cash-cow with nothing as advertised and only the per-month greedy monetizing of an essentially f2p game - the mechanics are usual cheap mmo ones, there's no freedom nor exploration other than that found in games like wow, the "massive battles" and "great sieges" are just bland walk-through-a-corridor scenes where the usual inert couple of "fighters" scattered on the road, here and there, having only the function of holding a sword and greeting you for a good day.

    The game is far worse than TOR even. A prime example of why no franchise can be trusted to go the MMO road. Even if the devs have good intentions, investors make the game a shell of an experience. Nothing to see here, move along.    … Expand
  14. 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
  15. 1am4critic
    Apr 11, 2014
    9
    Probably the best mmo out there since world of warcraft and guild wars. As an mmo, I feel the game is really engaging albeit slightly on the easy side. PVP is really fun, at first I thought the idea of the constant Cyrodil power struggle would limit what you could do as a pvper, but the battles can get really awesome. The loot is pretty cool, and I like how there are so many skillProbably the best mmo out there since world of warcraft and guild wars. As an mmo, I feel the game is really engaging albeit slightly on the easy side. PVP is really fun, at first I thought the idea of the constant Cyrodil power struggle would limit what you could do as a pvper, but the battles can get really awesome. The loot is pretty cool, and I like how there are so many skill abilities, sometimes I find it difficult which to chose. Compared to combat in other mmorpgs, I actually like this. If you seriously want to see numbers and damages dealt, there actually is a mod for that, and yes, ESO actually has mods! (which I feel is another plus), although mods are more limited than the singleplayer games like oblivion and skyrim.

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

    The game is extremely good, and for an mmorpg, it is quite revolutionary. However, the joining of the two video game genres, although fairly seamless, had its flaws. But despite these flaws, I would say this is one of the best games I've played to date    … Expand
  16. streamlap
    Apr 8, 2014
    10
    Beside from the opening mission, questing is actually fun it doesn't feel as a grind at all.
    I really love the way you have total freedom over the way you develop your character and the way your frequently used skills and spells improve and you can morph them into something better and more personal it really makes you feel unique, this is surprisingly cause there is only 4 base classes to    Beside from the opening mission, questing is actually fun it doesn't feel as a grind at all.
    I really love the way you have total freedom over the way you develop your character and the way your frequently used skills and spells improve and you can morph them into something better and more personal it really makes you feel unique, this is surprisingly cause there is only 4 base classes to choose from.
    On top of that I think the pvp is amazing, even somewhat strategic at times also the use of siege weapons makes it ton of fun.
    On top of that the graphics are stunning.
    Overall I feel that this is one of few Mmo 's out there that does it right!    … Expand
  17. Arkeden
    Apr 21, 2014
    4
    Compared to many MMO's that set the standard for what a great multi-player online role-playing game should be, Elder Scrolls Online falls short in multiple areas.

    1) The spell animations, design, and variations are extremely limited. Ex: A Mage can only use Fire, Ice, and Lightning Spells. The ONLY true healer class/spells are holy. Many players like to see cool and colorful spell    Compared to many MMO's that set the standard for what a great multi-player online role-playing game should be, Elder Scrolls Online falls short in multiple areas.

    1) The spell animations, design, and variations are extremely limited. Ex: A Mage can only use
    Fire, Ice, and Lightning Spells. The ONLY true healer class/spells are holy. Many players like to see cool and colorful spell animations that make them feel powerful. ESO's spells are on the more subtle side.    … Expand
  18. gerar
    Apr 25, 2014
    1
    Laugh out loud at the 10's. They could only come from corporate shills or people with the lowest of low standards. This game is a train wreck and the bodies are piling up fast.

    Endless load screens Progress ending quest bugs Accounts banned for no reason Potentially economy destroying duping bugs Disappearing bank slots and items It really feels like bots and gold sellers are 20%    Laugh out loud at the 10's. They could only come from corporate shills or people with the lowest of low standards. This game is a train wreck and the bodies are piling up fast.

    Endless load screens
    Progress ending quest bugs
    Accounts banned for no reason
    Potentially economy destroying duping bugs
    Disappearing bank slots and items
    It really feels like bots and gold sellers are 20% of the player base
    Constant client crashes
    Combat is clunky at best (how anyone can say this is fluid is beyond me)
    Graphics are nice but the color schemes are bland at best
    Character creation is great until you realize how generic every single race looks when it is the same re-skinned skeleton
    Zerg-fest PvP
    Tedious PvE

    Of course the shills and low standard folk will scream "But but but it's an mmo they never have a smooth launch"

    And I will say " It's 20-fricken-14!"

    They have years of past mmo successes and failures to research and they put out this? A generic mmo with The Elder Scrolls slapped on it to sell some copies? A shame really.

    I did give it a "1" because it installed and uninstalled pretty easily.    … Expand
  19. Player1gamer
    Apr 5, 2014
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Absolutely solid multi-player RPG game, with real RPG elements that have been disappearing from games lately. Great character building/skill systems, lots of choices in the game that actually feel important to your character's progression.

    Pros:

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

    Cons:

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

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

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

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

    Anyway, I'd highly recommend this to anyone who considers them self a real RPG fan. This is probably one of the best RPG titles released in the past several years.    … Expand
  20. Poisonthemonkey
    Jun 9, 2014
    0
    Waste of time! Not a lot of thought or heart was put into making this game, just a big budget. The combat is meh. It should get better as you get further in, but it doesn't. The dungeons are VERY poorly made, especially compared to other MMOs out on the market right now. Most importantly, there's little reason to trust the devs--they've hidden major beta bugs (dupes, quest progressionWaste of time! Not a lot of thought or heart was put into making this game, just a big budget. The combat is meh. It should get better as you get further in, but it doesn't. The dungeons are VERY poorly made, especially compared to other MMOs out on the market right now. Most importantly, there's little reason to trust the devs--they've hidden major beta bugs (dupes, quest progression bugs, etc) and pretended they only found out about them after release. How can you trust that the developers/producers will act with the player's interest in the long run? I can't, so I unsubbed.… Expand
  21. PixelCritic
    Apr 9, 2014
    10
    A delightful game.

    Story: It's compelling and immersive. Something refreshing, similar to SWTOR, but in a TES flavor, and unlike SWOTOR, this one comes with a great gameplay. Music: Amazing and inspiring. Even walking around cities will make you feel like buying the Soundtrack. Gameplay: Combat and animations are superb, the crafting system and open dungeons are a great experience    A delightful game.

    Story: It's compelling and immersive. Something refreshing, similar to SWTOR, but in a TES flavor, and unlike SWOTOR, this one comes with a great gameplay.
    Music: Amazing and inspiring. Even walking around cities will make you feel like buying the Soundtrack.
    Gameplay: Combat and animations are superb, the crafting system and open dungeons are a great experience without the frustration brought by other MMORPGs. Even regular combat feels epic.
    Social Interaction: This is where there is plenty of room for improvement. The Chat system makes it a bit difficult to keep track of players around you, and I would strongly suggest them to create RP phasing. The game uses a single server where people "phase" between instances by being paired with friends and guild members. The same should be done with Roleplayers. Roleplayers are often Elder Scroll fans who delve deep into the lore of the games. They prefer better communication and interaction and thus should get a "instance phasing" of their own.

    The game would get a 9, however I added an extra point to offset what I believe are unfairly low scores from users that really can't elaborate their reviews well at all.    … Expand
  22. GameroftheBeer
    Apr 10, 2014
    9
    This game is pretty great for someone who loves the Elder Scrolls universe and/or MMO's. That is not to say it is not without flaws, only that most flaws are bugs and not design/mechanics related. PvP is awesome and you truly feel part of a large scale battle at times, others you can be all alone scouting enemy territory. The graphics are somewhere between Oblivion and Skyrim.This game is pretty great for someone who loves the Elder Scrolls universe and/or MMO's. That is not to say it is not without flaws, only that most flaws are bugs and not design/mechanics related. PvP is awesome and you truly feel part of a large scale battle at times, others you can be all alone scouting enemy territory. The graphics are somewhere between Oblivion and Skyrim. Character customization is nearly infinite. The skill trees are seem linear but offer enough depth to truly be the type of player you want to be, a tank sorcerer, etc. While there is plenty to do in groups with friends in ESO, sometimes it seems if the quests want to separate parties into unique instances which is my only gripe currently with the PvE experience. Public Dungeons don't seem to have this problem but sometimes overcrowding can be the problem then.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    My 5 cent.

    PS: No, I am not a fanboy, but I gave the rating due to so many unqualified '0's here.    … Expand
  24. Endenium
    Apr 30, 2014
    10
    This is easily the best MMORPG I have ever played. Its a fairly balanced hybrid classic ES gaming and classic MMORPG formula. It brings many new ideas to the genre, but then borrows too many dated clichés. Some of the quests are brilliant. Others are bland, grocery list, grocery shopping quests. Get this. Get that. However, with the seemingly 1000s of quests in the game, I seriously cannotThis is easily the best MMORPG I have ever played. Its a fairly balanced hybrid classic ES gaming and classic MMORPG formula. It brings many new ideas to the genre, but then borrows too many dated clichés. Some of the quests are brilliant. Others are bland, grocery list, grocery shopping quests. Get this. Get that. However, with the seemingly 1000s of quests in the game, I seriously cannot blame them for eventually running low on great ideas. Perhaps they just shouldn't have made the leveling process quite as long? Maybe. Maybe not. They had to appease such a wide variety of players. There's no doubt that even if they cut leveling time in half that people would just **** about not having enough single player material. No one should complain though as there is truly something in this game that should satisfy anyone and everyone. There is so much content packed into it that it is just straight up astonishing. IMO any gamers that hate this game were probably former hard core MMORPG players that burned themselves out playing WoW or something, and are bitter nerdos that just can't seem to allow themselves to enjoy anything that doesn't recreate that experience in the exact same way. Its like those old bitter men that complain about "kids these days" and new music that comes out. They keep comparing it to a time when they were just generally happier in life, PERIOD. And they blame the new game or new music for their own failure or capacity to have fun or enjoy something.

    ESO is fun as **** if you approach it with an open mind, an open heart, and a willingness to make the best of something that reaches so far in so many different directions. It is quite enjoyable, just as long as you don't compare it to the glossy nostalgia of biased memories. It will never compare to the memory of your favorite dream from long ago. It will however, be completely fulfilling and rewarding if you allow yourself to embrace something new in your life instead of resenting anything and everything that isn't exactly what you once had.    … Expand
  25. AdamE
    May 4, 2014
    10
    I was hesitant to buy this game because of the subscription. However, after taking the plunge and buying it, I would totally recommend it. The game looks great and the world is enormous. There are also tons of interesting quests to do. Overall, I imagine I'll spend a huge amount of time playing it.
  26. Fabtech23
    Apr 5, 2014
    9
    Just shy of being, in my opinion, a perfect MMO. Some bugged quests and some quests that feel too "fetchy" remind me that this still an mmo at heart. Overall though Zenimax did a fantastic job translating the Elder Scolls universe in to the multiplayer world. Class creation is essentially limitless thanks to the unique skill trees and how they can evolve. Voice acting is superb and I neverJust shy of being, in my opinion, a perfect MMO. Some bugged quests and some quests that feel too "fetchy" remind me that this still an mmo at heart. Overall though Zenimax did a fantastic job translating the Elder Scolls universe in to the multiplayer world. Class creation is essentially limitless thanks to the unique skill trees and how they can evolve. Voice acting is superb and I never felt like I was grinding level, just nicely progressing a story. Each zone, like other mmos, is broken in to the level range. However, each zone itself is essentially a mini skyrim, and you are free to explore it as you see fit with no shortages of random dungeons, quests, bosses, chests, or crafting modes to find. Endgame content remains to be seen, but if what I have experienced so far is any consolation, we're in for a treat. PVP is extremely large scale and the auto-jump to level 50 is nice for low level players allowing them to complete quests and feel involved in the current conflict. Attacking/ defending towers as well as placing siege artillery feels purposeful and meaningful. Honestly the best mmo I have ever played and overall just a great game. It might not play out to be the WoW killer everyone is waiting for, but it's a solid game in a series with a massive fan base. $15 a month is worth the plethora amount of content you're getting, seriously we're talking hundreds of hours.… Expand
  27. WreckBeard
    Apr 5, 2014
    10
    This game is simply awesome. There are a few bugs that are slightly annoying, but it is all normal for a game that just launched. It has that Elder Scrolls feel, but with the ability to join a large community with it.

    I would recommend this game to all of my friends.
  28. bravo872
    Apr 24, 2014
    0
    In the interest of full disclosure I should point out that I am no longer able to Log in to ESO.

    If your looking for, a Skyrim sequel, an elder scrolls multiplayer, a better feel than SWTOR, this unfortunately isnt it. It all started like any other MMO, lots of down time, bugs, and many many patches. Problem is that it did not get better and its growing pains only seemed to worsen.    In the interest of full disclosure I should point out that I am no longer able to Log in to ESO.

    If your looking for, a Skyrim sequel, an elder scrolls multiplayer, a better feel than SWTOR, this unfortunately isnt it.

    It all started like any other MMO, lots of down time, bugs, and many many patches. Problem is that it did not get better and its growing pains only seemed to worsen. Patches to fix one problem would just cause more issues. The guild banks had to be taken down, long log in times became login time out errors. New content and TV ads cant fix the flow of retreating customers.    … Expand
  29. Jilted
    Apr 28, 2014
    0
    I can see Zenimax is really fighting to hold their flagging scores. Just the day before yesterday the reviewer score was at a 74 and now some unknown "review" site pumped it up a point back into the green, not on what the game is, but what they "hope it could become". Then you have all these first post 10's in the user reviews which rattle off the same points just in different orders.I can see Zenimax is really fighting to hold their flagging scores. Just the day before yesterday the reviewer score was at a 74 and now some unknown "review" site pumped it up a point back into the green, not on what the game is, but what they "hope it could become". Then you have all these first post 10's in the user reviews which rattle off the same points just in different orders. They've also gone on the attack for reviewers like Angry Joe, Francis/Boogie, and many others, saying that it's just now the "Hip(ster)" thing to do, and bash on their game. Then they go around on fake accounts posting things like "try it for yourself, why would you trust some unknown reviewer?" like like $100+ just to try their shoddy game is chump change. Suck it up Zenimax, you failed and failed hard. It's not because it's just "cool" to hate your game, it's because you didn't listen to anyone who fairly criticized your game during beta and keep trying to blame everything from WoW to Hipsters for your failure. This is the third time I've said pretty much this, let's see if this one sticks without mysteriously disappearing.… Expand
  30. fluffybunny
    Jun 24, 2014
    0
    Game is let down by the most extreme incompetence in both the developer vision, the incompetence of the coding team for patches, and the incompetence of the terrible customer support.
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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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