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. 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
  2. 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
  3. Meshuggah06
    Apr 10, 2014
    2
    Disclaimer: I played all of the open beta weekends and I am basing my score of 2 out of 10 on it. You may say, "hey that isn't fair to criticize a game based upon a beta build!" Normally you'd be correct, but since the last build was from 2 weeks before launch and it was just that terrible, there's no way i'd waste $60 on it much less the sub fee.

    The game had a terrible amount of    Disclaimer: I played all of the open beta weekends and I am basing my score of 2 out of 10 on it. You may say, "hey that isn't fair to criticize a game based upon a beta build!" Normally you'd be correct, but since the last build was from 2 weeks before launch and it was just that terrible, there's no way i'd waste $60 on it much less the sub fee.

    The game had a terrible amount of bugs. I had 15 quests in my questlog when I quit playing during the last free weekend because I couldn't complete them because they were either bugged or so high level there was no way for me to complete it. The graphics are ok, although it was more colorful than Skyrim. But the game is broken up into hub areas, so you can't explore the entire map the way you could in Skyrim. The loot drops are terrible. You can only get anything of worth as a quest reward. Literally every monster drop 1 or 2 gold coins and that was it.

    This game also suffers from some of the drawbacks in other elder scrolls games as well as in MMOs in general where NPCs aren't really NPCs they're just there to tell you to go somewhere for a quest or stand around all day waiting for you to buy something. This is something that I've grown tired of video games. The leveling system is basically, "here's another attribute point. here's another skill point. Now you have a level 4 skill!" This game has a much more generic RPG leveling system than what you would be used to in previous Elder Scrolls game.

    What this game amounts to is an extremely generic RPG set in an Elder Scrolls themepark. I can't come up with any reason why someone would pay a sub fee for this game unless you like flushing money down the toilet. Is it even worth $60? I'd say no, but if you're a hardcore Elder Scrolls fan then maybe it's worth paying $60 and trying it for a month. Like I said, I quit playing it when it was free for me to play because I found it so bad. So I think that says it all. If this game at launch was totally free, I'd still rather play other F2P games like Path of Exile that I think are more enjoyable and of better quality than this game.    … Expand
  4. Formulka
    Apr 10, 2014
    10
    One of the best MMOs I have played in a long time. Fantastic meaningful quests with heavy persistent phasing. This changes everything. It means the world around you changes based on your decisions and stays that way, it feels great to save a village from a bunch of bandits and every time you go through its saved full of happy people thanking you for job well done. This also means you areOne of the best MMOs I have played in a long time. Fantastic meaningful quests with heavy persistent phasing. This changes everything. It means the world around you changes based on your decisions and stays that way, it feels great to save a village from a bunch of bandits and every time you go through its saved full of happy people thanking you for job well done. This also means you are given decisions that have huge impact on the world around you and they are not black or white either they are mostly gray vs gray and you have to think for a minute or two which is the one you really want. Do you want to save the souls of the past villagers or do you want to clear the place from hoards of undead making it safe for resettling? Exploration is heavily rewarded, you can find quests everywhere, you can search for collectibles or for lost treasure using a treasure map you've just found on a bandit. Several quests are even based around exploration not giving you any markers making you think and solve puzzles.

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

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

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

    All in all this is a fantastic game and after playing dozens of MMOs it feels so fresh and its so worth it. The questing and exploration alone will keep you around for months and I have only explored a fraction of one of the 4 huge worlds you can explore. There is so much content in the game it boggles the mind and none of it feels generic, every quest, every part of the map fits in the world and expands the lore of it. It is a worthy Elder Scrolls game and if you liked the Skyrim, Oblivion or Morrowind, you will love ESO as well.    … Expand
  5. Dreycraft
    Apr 10, 2014
    10
    If you're tired of the same old mmorpgs to hit shelves, if you're tired of mmorpgs promising innovation but just end up being a huge letdown, and if an mmorpg that encourages you to explore a gorgeous world and feels old-school with modern mechanics of the genre sounds right up your alley, The Elder Scrolls Online is your game, period. Very few people even know just how massive this gameIf you're tired of the same old mmorpgs to hit shelves, if you're tired of mmorpgs promising innovation but just end up being a huge letdown, and if an mmorpg that encourages you to explore a gorgeous world and feels old-school with modern mechanics of the genre sounds right up your alley, The Elder Scrolls Online is your game, period. Very few people even know just how massive this game is, certainly not the haters, they just pretend to know so they can give it ridiculously undeserved low scores because for some reason the game just pisses them off. Let me put it this way, if you played Oblivion, you know the land of Cyrodiil quite well, this game has the entire province of Cyrodiil from Oblivion, it's the same size, and the entire map is a PvP playground. When I first learned that, my jaw hit the floor, and when I finally experienced it in-game myself, my jaw hit the first story floor of my house. The PvP in this game is unmatched, and that's just one aspect of what this game has to offer. You can build a character however you want, wear whatever armor you want, and use whatever weapon you want. For some reason you want to be a rogue-type class(Nightblade) that wears heavy armor and wields a massive two-handed battleaxe? No problem, you have that option, and that just popped in my head, it may not make sense but who cares, that's why ESO rules. Then there is the crafting, you don't have to train to get them and aren't limited to only a few crafts, you can master them all at once, and you can immediately go out and gather any materials you find and begin experimenting with them to create instantly useful items. ESO's combat is just awesome, it uses what is called reticle-targeting action combat meaning you can miss your enemies if you don't have the reticle aimed on them, and everyone can dodge, block, interrupt, and sneak. The main story and other quests have been very clever and entertaining as well, even the low level ones. I could go on forever, there's so much this game has to offer, it's just ridiculous. If you love this genre and pass on The Elder Scrolls Online, you just robbed yourself. IGNORE THE HATERS!… Expand
  6. timt
    Apr 10, 2014
    5
    Objective Review:
    It is not terrible, but it is not great either. If you are looking for a game that will provide an amazing experience - this is not it. If you are looking to kill time, then this might do the trick.

    I would never give this a 10. I have no idea how some have. I also would not give this a zero - it is not that bad. 5 out of 10 is more reasonable, but
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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.
  10. spazzkidd3
    Apr 9, 2014
    10
    Elder Scrolls Online is most likely the best MMORPG to be released in a long time.

    This game is content rich, and makes you want to keep playing to finish the stories you've started while questing. Now if you want to get the full experience out of this game playing levels 1-50 then Veteran Rank 1 - 10 then you have to take it slow the developers made this game with everyone in mind    Elder Scrolls Online is most likely the best MMORPG to be released in a long time.

    This game is content rich, and makes you want to keep playing to finish the stories you've started while questing.

    Now if you want to get the full experience out of this game playing levels 1-50 then Veteran Rank 1 - 10 then you have to take it slow the developers made this game with everyone in mind they crafted these stories to give everyone entertainment. whether that be finishing a dungeon or even running down a road to have a random person stop you and ask for help in the nearby village.

    I love the compass, action bar and attribute bars. The HUD UI is great and it fades away when not in use to give you a more immersive feel to the game. You can play in both Third and First person. So anyone will be able to play the way they would like.

    PVP - 10/10 (AMAZING)

    PVE - 8/10 (Can get repetitive but thats only if you speed through it all and don't follow along with the story.)

    Dungeons - (Bosses really challenge you, and make you figure out how to defeat them.)

    Play this game if:

    You like to play with other an dare willing to join a decent guild.
    You like to take everything one at a time and actually pay attention to what is happening.
    If you enjoy large scale PvP.
    Like to use quality game crafting systems.
    Love the Elder Scrolls
    Love MMO's

    Don't play this game if:

    You don't like earning everything you get and have to work for it
    You don't want to deal with player based economy because believe me everything is player based.
    You don't like other people or playing in guilds.

    This is a short review int he coming months I will have more things to talk about with further patches. Give the game a try, you have to pay it 60 bucks for the game but at least the first 30 days are free and that will give you a feel of the game. Do not judge it based on questing from 1-10 actually do everything you can to get a full feel for the game    … 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. Exokaz
    Apr 9, 2014
    10
    Ive played a few other elder scroll games before and ive always enjoyed what those games had to offer, lore, awesome battles, etc. This game isnt bad, but then again there will always be haters for everything. If you enjoyed WoW or the elder scroll games, check this one out. There's one mega server, people need to remember that...especially when they take the servers offline forIve played a few other elder scroll games before and ive always enjoyed what those games had to offer, lore, awesome battles, etc. This game isnt bad, but then again there will always be haters for everything. If you enjoyed WoW or the elder scroll games, check this one out. There's one mega server, people need to remember that...especially when they take the servers offline for maintenance. Worth it to see 100 v 100 v100 battles in pvp… Expand
  13. Crowsticks
    Apr 9, 2014
    1
    At first I was really enjoying this game but as the week went on I started feeling disappointed that I even spent the money on it. There's a lot of bugs and there's so many features they could've added but didn't. Like chat bubbles and not having to press alt in order to use the basics of the UI. I HATE having to press a button just to type in chat. It seems like they tried to make theAt first I was really enjoying this game but as the week went on I started feeling disappointed that I even spent the money on it. There's a lot of bugs and there's so many features they could've added but didn't. Like chat bubbles and not having to press alt in order to use the basics of the UI. I HATE having to press a button just to type in chat. It seems like they tried to make the game as complicated as possible and this automatically makes new players not want to continue.
    My gf sat there last night fuming over a quest and her mailbox. Why when the map is open can't you click on the quest title to the right and open it? You have to press an other button to open your quest log.
    Why can't you try on gear? What about professions?? I went into blacksmithing and without an hour of research on Google, I would've never figured it out. Hell even now I'm still confused. It's just ridiculous.
    I also don't like how any class can be anything. Why have classes??? Why have a caster that can wear heavy armor and a shield and be a tank?? It's just dumb. I'm going right back to WoW.    … Expand
  14. augh18
    Apr 9, 2014
    0
    Plays like Dragon Age 2 as an MMO. Spend more time running around than doing anything, and when you *are* doing something it's extremely boring. All interiors look the same, even when you get to a new quest zone (which will take you about 24 hours of /played per zone). Dungeon layouts are always the same, house layouts are always the same, there are only two or three tilesets throughoutPlays like Dragon Age 2 as an MMO. Spend more time running around than doing anything, and when you *are* doing something it's extremely boring. All interiors look the same, even when you get to a new quest zone (which will take you about 24 hours of /played per zone). Dungeon layouts are always the same, house layouts are always the same, there are only two or three tilesets throughout the game. Giving you flashbacks of Dragon Age 2 yet?

    Quests are boring, they try really hard to keep it interesting with the fully-voiced quest dialogue, but that doesn't remove the problem of going into the same layouts with the same tilesets over and over and over again.

    Group dungeons are abysmal, as the "Holy Trinity" mechanic (tank/dps/healer) has pretty much no depth. There aren't aggro tables, tanks can't hold aggro on anything, which means they're pretty much useless in dungeons. Range is best here because they can kite mobs endlessly, if you're a melee DPS or healer expect to die over and over because they didn't bother to build a proper PvE experience for groups. PvE in this game is really just a crappy single-player experience with a $15/month fee, which I view as a single player game that charges you for its DRM.

    PvP is the laggy zergfest that Dark Age of Camelot was, the difference is DAoC came out in 2001, this is 2014, why can't ESO do any better?

    The game is called "Elder Scrolls" but doesn't feel like "Elder Scrolls" at all. There's no Crime system in the game, Stealth is abysmal so if you like playing Thief types in the other ES games, you won't enjoy it here. The Mage and Fighter guilds are criminally underutilized. The skill system feels like Guild Wars. It doesn't have the sandbox feel of the ES franchise, this is another linear MMO that's trying to keep the mass of people in the same herd and shuffle them along to endgame. Loot upgrades are boring and almost all of the equipment looks the same. The game isn't very good at delivering a sense of progression.

    There is no central Auction House in the game, instead the game has Guild Stores. Each guild can have a maximum of 500 members, you can be in 5 guilds at a time, but if you list something in Guild A's store, Guild 2 - 5 will not see it. This means you're only ever listing items that 500 people can ever see (assuming all 500 members are active players). Because of this, you're better off vendoring most of the stuff you'd otherwise be listing in the Auction House in a proper MMO.

    Tons of progress-stopping bugs and glitches. Some people have no issues, others seem to be getting nothing but issues. This has been a problem with RPGs since the beginning, but in an MMO, you can't just wait, your subscription is ticking. Can't finish a quest? Move on to the next one. But all too commonly, you move on from one glitched quest to find another glitched quest to find another glitched quest. You can't even grind to try and get a sense of progression when your quest book is filled with broken quests, because monster XP is abysmal - you can't even grind group dungeons for XP because you only get 1 xp per monster kill. They did this because they wanted you to be out in the world questing and going through their storyline, not grinding mobs to get to 50 ASAP and skipping through all their work. This wouldn't be a problem, except what they *want* everyone to do be doing, is what's broken most of the time.

    Last time a big-name video game company released an MMO this broken because they thought they were so big they didn't think they needed to care, they had to fire the original staff, take the game off the shelves, tell everyone they were "sorry", and spend two years rebuilding the game. That saw the game re-released into something that was *much* better, and that's pretty much what I feel Elder Scrolls Online needs to do. This isn't a matter of issues that can be ironed out with some patches or addressed with a major content patch or expansion, it's that the entire game is in such a terrible state that the only way to fix it is to take everything apart and try again. This is just an abysmal piece of work, and I wouldn't trust anyone who had a hand in the making of this game with serving me my morning coffee.    … Expand
  15. 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
  16. konvice
    Apr 9, 2014
    0
    The worst MMORPG which i played. TES is good as single game, but in MMO it doesnt work. This is rubbish! Guys! wait for free2play!!! dont waste your money for this !
  17. WaningMoon
    Apr 9, 2014
    10
    After the beta, I honestly did not know what to expect. I was unsure that the mega server would work, and that the game would deliver. I was wrong. It simply is the best mmo I have ever played. I cannot tell you how many times I have laughed at the antics of Shalador's nemesis Sheogorath and his perfect acting.
    Thanks guys superb job.
  18. basadd
    Apr 9, 2014
    8
    fun, fresh implementation of online RPG genre. average level of bugs and other problems standard for this type of game. has potential for future staying power, given rich source material.
  19. Ani77
    Apr 9, 2014
    10
    best mmo ever. i am so glad i bought this one.Great graphics ,great quests and a great lore.Thank you Zenimax .It has some minor issues and bugs but it is just the beginning
  20. InsidiaGaming
    Apr 9, 2014
    3
    First of all if you are going to compare this to WoW you are going to have a bad time. WoW has had nearly a decade to get things right, tweak things here and there to find out what works and what doesn't work.

    If you played the ESO beta you'll remember bugs in it (as you do in beta) and some of those bugs are still there. Several times now I've logged out in frustration because of quest    First of all if you are going to compare this to WoW you are going to have a bad time. WoW has had nearly a decade to get things right, tweak things here and there to find out what works and what doesn't work.

    If you played the ESO beta you'll remember bugs in it (as you do in beta) and some of those bugs are still there. Several times now I've logged out in frustration because of quest bugs (such as the boss is supposed to jump down from a balcony to fight you, and ends up getting stuck and floating in mid air). The game is riddled with bugs here and there, putting it simply you'll run into some form of bug probably every 10-15 minutes whether it be a graphics bug, npcs half fallen into the floor, npcs that are "stuck" in combat, audio bugs you name it. This is the main reason why i'm giving it a low score, harsh possibly for bugs but there are that many bugs and at the moment Elder Scrolls Online is flawed and is heading in the same direction as other MMO's. At this rate it'll be free to play in around 8-10 months just in time for everyone to stop playing anyway and play the next WoW expansion when it's released at the end of the year.

    People should not be paying 39.99 for a game, then 8.99 on top of that for a monthly subscription for a bug riddled game from what is meant to be a top studio.

    The graphics are nice, but I've failed to see anything that captures you like that of Skyrim.

    The combat system is buggy, at times I've had to re-position myself because my blade just kept going through the mob and not hitting it (although naturally it could hit me). Even as a caster it just doesn't feel right.

    Character Creation, nothing more than average. Not bad, but nothing special either with a load of wasted templates you'd never use.

    Conclusion: You are not missing anything and chances are you won't gain anything at present only a forever burning hole in your wallet. Big let down from Bethesda who should know better than this, they had the betas, they had the players for it, they had the feedback and it's still ****    … Expand
  21. Nomum
    Apr 9, 2014
    2
    Hey all. I am so disappointed with this game so I made an account just to write this review.

    I've played this game for a week. I really want to like it but every time I play it I want to quit. I like Elder Scrolls, and I like the idea of an mmorpg, but the way they mixed it it does not work. As usual you are this guy that will save the world, a chosen one, but there are hundreds    Hey all. I am so disappointed with this game so I made an account just to write this review.

    I've played this game for a week. I really want to like it but every time I play it I want to quit. I like Elder Scrolls, and I like the idea of an mmorpg, but the way they mixed it it does not work.

    As usual you are this guy that will save the world, a chosen one, but there are hundreds other chosen ones running around doing exactly the same quests as you. This makes any attempt at immersion fail. As the story is concerned you are the lone hero everything revolves around you. The game does not introduce other players into the story in any way. Other players are just messing with your game. There is no game world or story logic explaining other players around you. Your best bet is to pretend you're alone.

    Skill system and character development – completely uninspiring. When you look through the skills it's just blend. Nothing to look forward too. There is no builds that you can look at and say 'wow that sounds really cool' everything is 'meh'.

    PvP is an entirely different map that could have been an independent game. There is no thrill of encountering a real life enemy in a 'normal' game.

    PvE is for the most part not needed. There are some dungeons/bosses that require it but its not really that fun. I hope it will get better though, it is the only justification to continue playing for me.

    The game is rather expensive without even having a trial. Don't buy it.    … Expand
  22. tdebug
    Apr 9, 2014
    0
    It is a very bad idea to sell MMO game for the price of regular single-player game (50€ in the EU) and then charge players with monthly fee.
    It is OK of course if game require monthly payments, since it's MMO game, but I should have opportunity to try it at least for a day or so, to decide whether I want to continue and buy monthly subscription. As of now it is clear that many people    It is a very bad idea to sell MMO game for the price of regular single-player game (50€ in the EU) and then charge players with monthly fee.
    It is OK of course if game require monthly payments, since it's MMO game, but I should have opportunity to try it at least for a day or so, to decide whether I want to continue and buy monthly subscription. As of now it is clear that many people don't like the gameplay, but anyway they purchased game client they cannot use w/o subscription.
    It is speculation on Elder Scrolls series, nothing else. Reminds of another speculation - Diablo 3, when totally positive critic review complement by totally negative user review, as most people bought it just because they played previous games, but realized this game has nothing to do with those.    … Expand
  23. AeonAmadi
    Apr 9, 2014
    4
    I really wanted to like the game but it just turned out being what you expect.

    The fun part about Skyrim was exploring the world, opening treasure chests and collecting loot - and you can TOTALLY do that in TESO.... Only with the added stipulation of thousands of other players beating you to it. The crafting system is amusing at first but eventually just turns into a chore as even if    I really wanted to like the game but it just turned out being what you expect.

    The fun part about Skyrim was exploring the world, opening treasure chests and collecting loot - and you can TOTALLY do that in TESO.... Only with the added stipulation of thousands of other players beating you to it. The crafting system is amusing at first but eventually just turns into a chore as even if you became the best blacksmith you can be, you can't use the gear you create without being a certain level.

    PVP in Cyrodil seems promising at first but then you realize the subtle nuances of how aggravating it can really be. Going in at level 10, you're automatically doomed to lose any solo PVP you encounter as level 50+ (veteran ranks) can solo three or more level 10s and a level 27 can ace you; even with HP and Damage ratings all being balanced out to level 50 regardless of level. It even gives you a cheeky little warning saying that you'll be at a "slight disadvantage" because you haven't maxxed out your skills but it doesn't really matter because the PvP is practically designed around being level 50. Which is interesting because you don't gain XP from participating in PVP.

    Beyond that, PVP also has another annoying aspect in the form of logistics. In order to get close to the battlefield, you often times need to spawn at a Home Base (an area for your alliance to spawn at) which is more annoying/frustrating to use than necessary. You have to find a flat piece of ground which can't be anywhere near a graveyard, keep or other landmark - presenting you with the problem of: "Holy ****, why did level design make Cyrodil a giant ****ing hill that I can place this thing on". Assuming you manage to get past that irritating aspect, there's the factor of it costing the same amount as SIX TREBUCHETS and only having enough spawns for 20 people. Which wouldn't be so bad if you could rez people with any sense of ease but good luck with that considering that in order to rez people you need a filled Grand Soul Gem, regardless of their level. Healers have no way of rezzing people, and all this adds up to one big Walking Simulator with intermittent, frustrating combat that isn't at all enjoyable unless you've gone through every quest in the rest of the game to get to level 50.

    Questing is about as annoying as one might expect from an MMO. "Fight 6 of these" and "Go here to get the next part of the quest just to walk back" are rampant with dungeons having absolutely no loot (at least as far as I saw). There are a few that are really interesting and captivating as the Elder Scrolls usually has, but the rest are bland, boring and uninspired. To exacerbate this irritating factor, the regions seem needlessly open and spread out, being as there's usually nothing of interest that doesn't revolve around questing and if it is of interest, there won't be anything of value in it.

    These sort of things wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the fact that you can't access the forums without invitation and sending in suggestions to the developers is done through a website which has a non-functional 'send' button. For $60 + $15/month subscription, it's a terrible buy.    … Expand
  24. YoyoMama
    Apr 9, 2014
    10
    Best MMO experience to be had in years.
    Great action combat. Incredible engrossing story-lines. Wonderfully done voice-overs. This game is just a joy to play for the Elder scrolls and MMO fans.

    There are still some bugs that need to be worked through, but that's to be expected with any new MMO.
  25. Brav22
    Apr 9, 2014
    10
    ИГра крутая пацаны отвечаю, вот так такой экашааана капец, играешь там капец, вот, потом кароче, идёшь такой, там оп, мне там такие ну как я такой вот,
  26. MMOGUY2014
    Apr 8, 2014
    4
    I was expecting more honestly... Just plays like all the other cookie cutter mmo's nothing great about this game.... Wish I could return it and get my money back honestly... Boring.....Levels easily....Not going to last a year..... Kinda pissed off they hyped this game like they did... not the greatest, not the worst.... but definitely not worth monthly subscription... canceling it beforeI was expecting more honestly... Just plays like all the other cookie cutter mmo's nothing great about this game.... Wish I could return it and get my money back honestly... Boring.....Levels easily....Not going to last a year..... Kinda pissed off they hyped this game like they did... not the greatest, not the worst.... but definitely not worth monthly subscription... canceling it before it renews... tossing to a friend and letting them play it.… Expand
  27. Peter_Bollwerk
    Apr 8, 2014
    8
    I'm a big fan of Skyrim and I enjoy various MMOs, so I was excited to learn about this and have been waiting a long time for it.
    In a nutshell, it's definitely a good base for them to start on. There is definitely room for improvement, but I'm having a blast playing so far. It is too early to determine if it will have the staying power to keep a subscription model, but time will tell. I'm    I'm a big fan of Skyrim and I enjoy various MMOs, so I was excited to learn about this and have been waiting a long time for it.
    In a nutshell, it's definitely a good base for them to start on. There is definitely room for improvement, but I'm having a blast playing so far. It is too early to determine if it will have the staying power to keep a subscription model, but time will tell. I'm optimistic.    … Expand
  28. Kitruck
    Apr 8, 2014
    3
    Prácticamente falla en todo. Debería haber sido un Skyrim pero masivo, mismo tipo de misiones, cazas de dragones y otros monstruos en raid, aventuras cooperativas en grupo, etc.
    Pero en lugar de eso, es un MMO que prácticamente falla en todo. Resulta repetitivo, y lo que más debería divertir en un MMO, explorar, te aburre increiblemente cuando llevas un par de horas jugando. Tiene una    Prácticamente falla en todo. Debería haber sido un Skyrim pero masivo, mismo tipo de misiones, cazas de dragones y otros monstruos en raid, aventuras cooperativas en grupo, etc.
    Pero en lugar de eso, es un MMO que prácticamente falla en todo. Resulta repetitivo, y lo que más debería divertir en un MMO, explorar, te aburre increiblemente cuando llevas un par de horas jugando. Tiene una interfaz muy poco intuitiva, unos gráficos peor que su antecesor, y desde luego se aleja mucho de ser un Elder Scrolls.
    Sin duda el juego merece un pago inicial de 40/50 €, pero NUNCA una suscripción. Dentro de unos meses cuando la gente se haya ido, porque se irá, y lo pongan gratis, quizá juegue, mientras no me aburra...    … Expand
  29. 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
  30. 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
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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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