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. 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
  2. tysonwritesel
    Apr 6, 2014
    4
    Boring Boring Boring. The music is overrated, the voices are annoying. Game looks like Myst or something. Nothing of interest here even to fantasy people, I say this one belongs on the Dragon Age heap. Yeah, if you were a Dragon Age freak you might like this. Once the spell wears off in about 6 hours... well just keep your $60. Oblivion was top, Skyrim was a notch lower with thatBoring Boring Boring. The music is overrated, the voices are annoying. Game looks like Myst or something. Nothing of interest here even to fantasy people, I say this one belongs on the Dragon Age heap. Yeah, if you were a Dragon Age freak you might like this. Once the spell wears off in about 6 hours... well just keep your $60. Oblivion was top, Skyrim was a notch lower with that stupid interface... this doesn't even chart. Enjoy your $60 Zenimax, hopefully the game will be fun next time.… Expand
  3. telefoonboek
    Apr 19, 2014
    0
    Very bad, bought a ingame horse and it said I would receive ingame mail with instructions to get it. 2 hours later still waiting. When you contact customer support you get walled with standard responses without someone actually reading what u typed.

    This left a very bad taste
  4. Masterpulha
    Apr 21, 2014
    3
    Im a mmo lover, played all big titles and unfortunately this is not the game i was expecting. I was expecting a fun game, exciting, tons of things to discover, a game that would glue me to the screen for months .. instead i got a game that made me bored in 1 week game play. 1 week, that's how long you will play this game before you get UBBER bored of questing and farming .. cause that'sIm a mmo lover, played all big titles and unfortunately this is not the game i was expecting. I was expecting a fun game, exciting, tons of things to discover, a game that would glue me to the screen for months .. instead i got a game that made me bored in 1 week game play. 1 week, that's how long you will play this game before you get UBBER bored of questing and farming .. cause that's all you can do. Wow took me months to get bored, even Aion was more fun than this game. Huge disappointment for someone who pre-ordered Imperial Edition.… Expand
  5. zongi
    Apr 21, 2014
    8
    This is a very good game, perhaps a 10, but you should buy it in about three months or so (lets say around July 2014). The frequent maintenance make it frustrating to play as instead you sit around and refresh the support page to find out when would it possible for you to actually play the game. in the past week the game went down several times and for hours each time.
    so far Bethesda    This is a very good game, perhaps a 10, but you should buy it in about three months or so (lets say around July 2014). The frequent maintenance make it frustrating to play as instead you sit around and refresh the support page to find out when would it possible for you to actually play the game. in the past week the game went down several times and for hours each time.
    so far Bethesda has not offered any compensation to subscribers, stating only "we are sorry, we are new"... well, that is simply not good enough, I paid money, I want to play, if your product is not good enough, don't ask me to buy it.

    The game itself is vast, addictive, with very few problems (The inability to change skill points except later in the game and for a stiff price is one huge flaw which I guess will be fixed at some point).    … Expand
  6. Stikkers
    Apr 21, 2014
    1
    Jesus Christ I've never been more disappointed in Bethesda. Well done.
    Give everything to Obsidian now please. And don't **** up Fallout or you will lose your whole fanbase.
  7. enut_butter
    Apr 16, 2014
    2
    Just really disappointing in literally every way.

    Combat is wonky, the game feels barren, the bow animations are SO bad that I cringed every time I used one, and the most serious offense this game commits, it doesn't even remotely feel like an Elder Scrolls game. I didn't buy this game thinking it was gonna be Skyrim 2.0 or anything like that, but I assumed there would be SOME    Just really disappointing in literally every way.

    Combat is wonky, the game feels barren, the bow animations are SO bad that I cringed every time I used one, and the most serious offense this game commits, it doesn't even remotely feel like an Elder Scrolls game.

    I didn't buy this game thinking it was gonna be Skyrim 2.0 or anything like that, but I assumed there would be SOME feeling of an Elder Scrolls game. Well, there is NONE. This feels like any other mediocre MMO I've played over the last 10 years.

    Would not recommend, and really wish I could get a refund. This is a $200 million dollar abortion.    … Expand
  8. Cineck
    Apr 16, 2014
    5
    I am giving ESO a 5 out of 10 because it has a potential. The crafting for once is a useful thing, I wish it was in more MMOs, the storyline is great and the quests are interesting. The problem with it is the clunky interface, horrible animations and sadly just terrible gameplay. I wish I spent the money on Wildstar instead, it's in beta but it's so much better.
  9. doser
    Apr 24, 2014
    8
    Probably the second best MMO ever made, after Dark Age of Camelot.

    Obviously there's a little campaign going in certain circles to write negative reviews with no substance to them. Ignore that nonsense, if you're going to pay a subscription fee, spend it on this... not that other out-of-date, cartoony - PvP-less game.
  10. e7seif
    Apr 23, 2014
    10
    As a long time Elder Scrolls fan, I was very skeptical when ESO was first announced. But Zenimax/Bethesda has pulled of a very enjoyable balance of both the Elder Scrolls world and an engaging MMO.

    I have played many MMOs (Neverwinter, Rift, Allod's Online, Tera, LOTRO, FF11, Vindictus, EverQuest II and more...) By far, ESO is my favorite. It is a world I simply enjoy existing in, and    As a long time Elder Scrolls fan, I was very skeptical when ESO was first announced. But Zenimax/Bethesda has pulled of a very enjoyable balance of both the Elder Scrolls world and an engaging MMO.

    I have played many MMOs (Neverwinter, Rift, Allod's Online, Tera, LOTRO, FF11, Vindictus, EverQuest II and more...) By far, ESO is my favorite. It is a world I simply enjoy existing in, and for me that is key.

    Below are some of the many things I love about ESO (keeping in mind that I favor PvE and exploration):

    - A beautiful and detailed world with so many little secrets to discover. I have noticed some people complain that the game is not one big open world, but that is because they don't understand that MMOs can't work like that. With so many players running around, the fps would be crippled. And it doesn't matter anyway. Each region has so much to offer. Besides, getting to the next area is a loadscreen away. And with the level of detail they have put into each region, I am sure that we can look forward to future expansions with as much handcrafted care.

    - Complex multi-step quests and slow leveling. Just like in The Elder Scrolls single player.

    - The water: Beautiful clear water. I love riding my horse along the beaches, and splashing through the shallows. :)

    - Exploring beaches: The beaches are just beautiful and there are chests and secrets to be found.

    - Treasure Maps! (Much like the kind in Red Dead Redemption.)

    - Molag Bal's Anchors: Awesome.

    - Casual "party" system: As a generally solo gamer, I love that boss kills can be shared with those you aren't grouped with.

    - Crafting: Very different from other MMOs and actually useful.

    - Skill system: It is fairly simplistic seeming at first, but there is a great deal of potential in how you can develop your character's skills, as you progress.

    - Full character voice acting.

    - Lore! Books and notes to discover everywhere.

    - Skyshards: Fun to discover, and every three give you a an extra skill point to spend.

    - Thunderstorms: I wandered into an area where it was still sunny but starting to rain a little. And then the sky darkened and thunder began to rumble and the rain poured down. Lovely and atmospheric.

    The game is not perfect. It has it's bugs and animations can be awkward at times. But these barely scratch the surface of my experience. This is a world I really enjoy spending time in, and there is so much to do and see and discover. :)    … Expand
  11. IGNsus
    Apr 15, 2014
    0
    So now that the dust has settled, we are seeing what people actually think about this game.

    As I'd suspected, the game does not have any lasting appeal. People have already moved on.
  12. cripplerca
    Apr 15, 2014
    1
    This game has amazing graphics but its not a game for everyone its more suited for an experienced MMO player. This is a good game however I will not be continuing after the 1st 30 days not because its a bad game just not a game for me I get bored with the questing wish they had a dungeon system like most MMO's do. Happy I tried it but not a game for me
  13. TheRealMalice
    Jul 20, 2014
    10
    10/10 - Superb graphics, music, gameplay, and most of all, it looks and feels well made and highly polished.
    If you like MMOs (especially RPing) then this is the game for you!
    If you want Skyrim, move along, this is NOT it! (Thankfully). The bad scores are from the kids that get to max level in a week and cry they are bored. I've been playing MMOs for well over 10 years now and this is    10/10 - Superb graphics, music, gameplay, and most of all, it looks and feels well made and highly polished.
    If you like MMOs (especially RPing) then this is the game for you!
    If you want Skyrim, move along, this is NOT it! (Thankfully).
    The bad scores are from the kids that get to max level in a week and cry they are bored.
    I've been playing MMOs for well over 10 years now and this is the best one in a long time.
    Haters gonna hate! WoW & WS are that way.... Cheeribye! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>    … Expand
  14. Ceridwen8
    Jun 1, 2014
    3
    I played this through beta & briefly, into live. I don't have a lot to add to the criticism, except to say I found no reason to actually play this mmo. If it's aimed at PvP mainly, I wasn't aware of that when I bought the game, & I had read enough to believe the ES world & story would be paramount. It isn't. The play style itself is awkward & irritating, the races basicallyI played this through beta & briefly, into live. I don't have a lot to add to the criticism, except to say I found no reason to actually play this mmo. If it's aimed at PvP mainly, I wasn't aware of that when I bought the game, & I had read enough to believe the ES world & story would be paramount. It isn't. The play style itself is awkward & irritating, the races basically interchangeable & for some reason, it's too easy to put your, say, High Elf among the Bretons. I'm not sure who they're catering to, but it isn't people who loved Skyrim.

    We already have mmos that cater to PvP, to raids - and I found *nothing* in ESO that offers something new, improved or unique. It's a step back in many ways - shared nodes, cooperative play, character personal story. After trying this, I cycled back through the old mmos I'd played, & depending on your taste, each one offers something unavailable in ESO.    … Expand
  15. eariel
    Sep 5, 2014
    10
    Great game. I'm playing from the beta and I still have cravings. This is the best MMO I've played since ages. Unfortunately some bugs still remain but I really love the game, the atmosphere and graphics. The community is very mature and PVP is simply terrific.
  16. EndiHaxhi
    Apr 26, 2014
    5
    i must say, my first elder scrolls game was skyrim. i played it, liked it and then teso came out. when i heared it had a monthly fee, i thought: this guys had a success with sp only games, every one of them. heck, skyrim is the only game that is sp only that is played more then 50000 players everyday, which is bizzare. but bethesa is becoming money hungry. they want money and they want toi must say, my first elder scrolls game was skyrim. i played it, liked it and then teso came out. when i heared it had a monthly fee, i thought: this guys had a success with sp only games, every one of them. heck, skyrim is the only game that is sp only that is played more then 50000 players everyday, which is bizzare. but bethesa is becoming money hungry. they want money and they want to get it just like ea and activi$ion does. if the fee keeps running, i wont even bother with the new elder scrolls game. they let me down this time.… Expand
  17. redim
    Jul 8, 2014
    10
    This game is amazing,graphic is beautiful,the story is fun,you can create lots of combinaison of class compared to classic mmo.. This game make lots of progress since the release, and the user score is probably because of beta player... This is the best mmorpg ive played. This is not WoW, This is ESO stop comparing both game. I recommend the game if you love Skyrim.
  18. Fineck7
    Jul 23, 2014
    10
    Very unique MMO that does feel a lot like an Elder Scrolls game. Quest, crafting and graphics are the best I have seen in an MMO and the combat is a lot of fun. If you love MMOs as well as the Elder Scrolls series then this is the game for you.
  19. ThuulDaHarn
    Apr 2, 2015
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. If yo. Have enjoyed any elder scrolls games and mmo games this is the perfect game for you! For me, this is the first MMO game I have played and I am really looking forward to playing again. I havent played it since the beta and this is because the sub fee was a little too expensive, I am buying the imperial edition for my birthday on the 12th. I remember the game being great. It overwhelmed me when I took my first steps in the game. The first thing you see is the character creation menu and you can go really in depth about your character. Just like any elder scrolls game you start in a prison.

    Here's the over all rating for ME personally: TESO is a really great game and I definitely recommend it. If I had to give it a rating I will give it a number of around 9/10. On the downside there are some glitches and bugs which is to be expected in a game so new and populated, the game was amazing when I played it and I think it will be way better today.
    P.S: Frame rates WILL drop in the towns and cities where more people are, just like any other MMO
    I hope you found my review helpful :)    … Expand
  20. reapz
    Apr 4, 2014
    0
    Not a finished game it needs a year or so , so many bugs game was rushed. If people stick around for a while it might be worth the price tag and time /effort but atm its not fun to be playing a unfinished game.

    Also the ui is just bad
  21. Vertran187
    Apr 19, 2014
    8
    I normally hate MMOs i played WOW up to through to Cata expansion and then got sick of it ive tryed pretty much every new release that has come out its fair to say ESO is the best MMO since WOW for sure.

    The games quest are far more interesting and it all feels like its part of one huge story like a single player game which is really well done. The leveling and customization is a huge    I normally hate MMOs i played WOW up to through to Cata expansion and then got sick of it ive tryed pretty much every new release that has come out its fair to say ESO is the best MMO since WOW for sure.

    The games quest are far more interesting and it all feels like its part of one huge story like a single player game which is really well done. The leveling and customization is a huge improvement there so many choices and option to choose from to create the character you want.
    The graphics are great very clear and beautiful at times it makes you want to explore the world and hunt don all the shards.
    My biggest problem is the map system it can be confusing knowing where to go the compass worked fine in Skyrim but not here they should implement a mini map.
    Combat has some really good idea but only 5 skills at a time is lame it need to be 8-10 and it needs refining id prefer auto attacks once you engage in combat rather than mouse clicks.

    The game has huge potential it feels like it released a little to early the over all quality is far better than WOW it just needs some polish I think the foundations are but its just of the mark at the moment still it could very soon become the best MMO out there but there some work to do much better than SWTOR and GW2.    … Expand
  22. eriksrevenge
    Apr 16, 2014
    5
    Pretty-ok single player experience with a ton of bugs. The quests are by far the most interesting of all theme-parks. Crafting is fun, armor and weapons look boring, inventory and bank space is a headache. The community is ok. The UI and chat are both awful, but there are mods out and mods to come. There is no auction, which can be good or bad depending on the player; but this is myPretty-ok single player experience with a ton of bugs. The quests are by far the most interesting of all theme-parks. Crafting is fun, armor and weapons look boring, inventory and bank space is a headache. The community is ok. The UI and chat are both awful, but there are mods out and mods to come. There is no auction, which can be good or bad depending on the player; but this is my review and in my opinion, it sucks. Quests involve you running around killing people/monsters, clicking on things, watching brief events unfold, then returning to the NPC; and usually climax with you entering a cave or a dungeon. When you enter the dungeon or cave(quest or solo dungeon), everyone else in the world is also entering, so when you get to the boss at the end, you're likely to find him dead with 30 people waiting for him to re-spawn. Grouping is horrible, everything is phased; you must be in the same part of the quest progression as everyone else, people get separated, bugged-out, yada yada yada. The quest lines can reward you with skill-points which I actually think sucks (more on that below). There are also collectible skyshards that give you skill points located on every map (which I think is awesome). The group dungeons are fun, but the veteran dungeons are really where it's at. The adventure zone is not out yet, so I cannot comment on the trials, but the 12 man will probably make the game a bit better. Cyrodiil is easily the best part about the game, but they nerfed the XP, and like I said above, quests give you skill-points, so leveling in Cyrodiil is just not in the cards. This is my biggest gripe about the game and ultimately why I won't play it until it's changed. The quests are cool but when they become the only way to level (and gain additional skillpoints), they become extremely boring and feel repetitive. Some TESO honeymooners will argue that they don't become boring or repetitive, because the lore is good; but this is my review, and I say it becomes boring and repetitive. The other good part about the game are the classes. You can mix and match and level different crafting/guilds/armor to obtain different spells/attacks, and bonuses. Overall it is a pretty good game, with a terrible grouping mechanism, and super lame forced questing. What can I say? If you're a PvP person, this game would've been for you if they hadn't nerfed the xp.… Expand
  23. RuyKann
    Apr 25, 2014
    8
    Some early bugs that have inspired some negative reviews but the game is just getting better and better. It is beautifully designed and the new 12 player team modes are supper cool and make the game much more dynamic. Not higher than an 8/10 because they should have taken a bit more time to make the release bug free. If you like Skyrim you'll probably like ESO.
  24. ChrisMattar
    May 9, 2014
    9
    The game is really amazing, the visuals are stunning, quests for the most part are really fun, Im a huge Elder Scrolls fan and Im loving each bit of it. NOW, if you notice all the people giving this great game a 0 which immediately discredits their opinions, and if you read what they say there are 3 kinds of naysayers:

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

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

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

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

    This game is great, its fun, it's entertaining, it oozes quality and its immerse. Sure it has issues but that's more than normal at this stage. The people that fall in the above group use those same excuses every game they play, because the problem isn't in the games, the problems are in their lives and heads.    … Expand
  25. NikolayG
    Jun 10, 2015
    7
    ESO has gone 'free to play' which of course doesn't mean it's free. It means that rather than having a monthly payment, you pay to purchase items to make playing more reasonable when you decide to do so. This in turn compromises the competitive nature of the game. Rather than increasing skills and abilities in comparison to other players, by pracitising those skills in the game, someESO has gone 'free to play' which of course doesn't mean it's free. It means that rather than having a monthly payment, you pay to purchase items to make playing more reasonable when you decide to do so. This in turn compromises the competitive nature of the game. Rather than increasing skills and abilities in comparison to other players, by pracitising those skills in the game, some things can simply be bought with real money, stamina, a nice horse, etc. with literal cash you use to buy these things - not in game cash you earn by playing the game. For me this reduces ESO significantly. Though it is still enjoyable and open world, another Skyrim but with a larger world.

    I have never understood why 'free to play' or as it is more accurately called 'free to pay' is so popular. A subscription based game enables a true even playing field whereas allowing people to buy elements that affect gameplay compromises the core of what makes an RPG enjoyable.    … Expand
  26. Wolfmoon2682
    Nov 30, 2014
    10
    It's so sad that Skyrim fanboys have dragged this game through the mud! It's a wonderful mmorpg! It's NOT Skyrim online! To be fair there was a lot of hatered surrounding the game since it was announced by people who thought it should never be made. Well if you can wrap your head around the fact that this is an MMORPG and not a single player TES game there is no reason to not like it.It's so sad that Skyrim fanboys have dragged this game through the mud! It's a wonderful mmorpg! It's NOT Skyrim online! To be fair there was a lot of hatered surrounding the game since it was announced by people who thought it should never be made. Well if you can wrap your head around the fact that this is an MMORPG and not a single player TES game there is no reason to not like it.

    It breaks away from traditional WoW garbage like stareing at cooldowns and DPS charts. It's more about action than waiting for some scripted raid boss to pop it's ability. It offers the freedom of exploration in a gorgeous world with deep lore and a great storyline. Amazing PvP and crafting. This is a great mmorpg so ignore the haters!    … Expand
  27. dsheik
    May 25, 2014
    9
    In all honesty this game felt like a bit of a let down right at first,but once I got past "this isnt Skyrim" and just played it its pretty fun. If you compare it to a MMO i think its really good. If you try to play it as a Morrowwind, Oblivion, Skyrim game its not going to live up to that single player RPG experience. I find it funner to play then the other supposedly top MMOs outIn all honesty this game felt like a bit of a let down right at first,but once I got past "this isnt Skyrim" and just played it its pretty fun. If you compare it to a MMO i think its really good. If you try to play it as a Morrowwind, Oblivion, Skyrim game its not going to live up to that single player RPG experience. I find it funner to play then the other supposedly top MMOs out there. With updates and expansions it will only get better. I think the low scores dont reflect the true overall play of the game. Wow, GW, Lotro, ive played a lot of them for long durations. I dont see how those are rated highly and TES online isnt. This is better, but if your not into MMOs then skip it and wait for the next great single player RPG. This does play closer to that then the other MMOs though.… Expand
  28. KingGTO
    Jun 26, 2014
    8
    ESO is a great game for fans of the franchise, and a very good game for those new to the lore of Tamriel and the Elder Scrolls series. The biggest failing of ESO, that’s clearly present in the early feedback on ratings, is the team released the game too early. Since April a ton of work has been done to refine and expand the title, gobs of bugs have been fixed, and the beauty of the titleESO is a great game for fans of the franchise, and a very good game for those new to the lore of Tamriel and the Elder Scrolls series. The biggest failing of ESO, that’s clearly present in the early feedback on ratings, is the team released the game too early. Since April a ton of work has been done to refine and expand the title, gobs of bugs have been fixed, and the beauty of the title is really showing through.

    The game looks absolutely stunning, matching the tradition of open world graphics being a key feature of the franchise, but in an MMO environment. The amount of content is huge, both in terms of land and quests and dungeon delves, as well as with surrounding content from NPC’s and books. If you’re a fan of the lore in the series you’ll definitely enjoy the appearance of many famous characters and plot turns.

    Audio is wonderful, and I’m frankly amazed at how the team continues to improve audio by adding many more sounds and environmental music. Like WoW before it, the little touches really add up. As an example, casting a defensive shell around your player in combat actually muffles and changes the sounds coming through that magic shield to you. Also, tons of quest text is covered with voice overs.

    The combat is ESO is more visceral than I am used to in MMO’s. Moving from DAoC, to WoW, to CoH and other MMO’s has steadily ramped up the notion of real-time combat engagement that doesn’t feel restrained by client server communication. In ESO, melee classes and casting classes alike need to move around, and they can block and interrupt spells. The tactile game feedback with a subtle UI is well done.

    Probably the most distinctive “feature” of ESO is it’s openness to character creation. You really do have a viable road to cultivating a unique customized character that can break away from cookie cutter MMO personas (heavy armor tank, cloth only casters, etc.). You have the tools to mix and match spells, armor, weapons and engagement techniques in a very flexible way. And it works, just like in the solo games.

    As a type of player, I’m an “explorer”, freakish in how I like to go everywhere, do everything, and eat up all the content. I play a large number of characters; I hoard recipes and do a bunch of crafting, and I create an “ecosystem” amongst them. I collect tons of stuff, read all of the books, and open way too many containers. I look behind waterfalls, and I climb cliffs to reach chests. In ESO, I am well rewarded.

    Like Rift, ESO lets you easily form up without requiring grouping for some world content (i.e. overcoming “anchors” and waves of mobs). The game adds in open dungeon delves where characters easily work together to overcome challenges without having to group. But for content requiring groups, the UI is clunky and hurtful. ESO is still struggling to find a refined set of grouping tools vs. UI vs. content.

    I haven’t experienced the PvP yet, but from my friends that are very strong in this area of MMO gaming, the feedback has been quite good. My assumption is that some of the grouping issues in the main world plague the ease of use in PvP, but I rarely hear about it, and that’s conjecture on my part. I am looking forward to the longer term “campaigns” that go on for days, but am still focusing time outside of PvP.

    If you’re looking for a beautiful MMO that has a lot to offer and a team that is clearly continuing to invest a ton of development and content work into making the game better and better, ESO is a great place to be. I’ve spent a ton of time in MMO’s over the years, and for me, ESO is a keeper. Great fun.    … Expand
  29. AestheticRoy
    Apr 23, 2014
    10
    I'm gonna keep this short & simple, DO NOT listen to these negative reviews. These are all just a bunch of picky players who obviously don't have patience with starting bugs, the bots, the sub fee cause most of you are cheap & the slow leveling. This game has so much potential & apart from that it's still an epic game. If you are a fan of Realistic feeling MMO's & Elder Scrolls series youI'm gonna keep this short & simple, DO NOT listen to these negative reviews. These are all just a bunch of picky players who obviously don't have patience with starting bugs, the bots, the sub fee cause most of you are cheap & the slow leveling. This game has so much potential & apart from that it's still an epic game. If you are a fan of Realistic feeling MMO's & Elder Scrolls series you WILL fall for this game. I have played WoW & Gw2 & this game makes just draws you foward like no other MMO has ever done. A+ A+ A+… Expand
  30. Icejoka
    Apr 23, 2014
    10
    Great game, literally the closest ive seen to play it your own way, the pvp is fun the pve is harsh and very very entertaining at end game.
    The quest lines make you want to play more, and although they do occasionally bug so do all mmo's at launch, it's silly to assume they don't WoW still has bugs a decade on.
    The game is very good and easily worth a playthrough, the new content    Great game, literally the closest ive seen to play it your own way, the pvp is fun the pve is harsh and very very entertaining at end game.
    The quest lines make you want to play more, and although they do occasionally bug so do all mmo's at launch, it's silly to assume they don't WoW still has bugs a decade on.

    The game is very good and easily worth a playthrough, the new content adventure zones look amazing. It's not an elder scrolls offline game, they are just a different type but it's a good transfer to mmo for sure.    … 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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