The Elder Scrolls Online Reviews
Yes, plenty of compromises were made to create this hybrid of a traditional Elder Scrolls game and a traditional MMO. Those compromises will leave purists on both sides disappointed, but this is an ambitious and exciting epic that promises to only grow with time. It's a sandbox worth sharing, provided everyone is willing to play nicely with others and Bethesda keeps it clean.
So another lukewarm MMO, then. But occasionally heated up a bit by the rare confluence of scenery, music (the majority of which is excellent) and raw atmosphere that can transport you for a fleeting moment to the Tamriel we've grown to know and love.
All in all, The Elder Scrolls Online is a pretty good game. It's not outstanding, and it's not terrible. Once it's less new and the developer has had time to polish and clean it up a bit, it may be a good game, but I think there was so much effort put into making it feel like an Elder Scrolls title and so much effort was placed in checking off every bullet point on the MMO checklist that they forgot to make the game stand out from the crowd. And when you've paid $60 plus a monthly subscription fee for a game, it should.
All in all, The Elder Scrolls Online is a great game, with one of the most successful MMO launches I have come across, despite some of the well-documented teething problems. As it stands, I can only see improvement here and Bethesda Softworks seem dedicated to making that happen.
The core of the Elder Scrolls experience lives on in The Elder Scrolls Online, and fans of series will love discovering never before seen corners of Tamriel, or revisiting favorite locales in a new way. However these experiences are muddled by balance issues, unclear design choices, and technical blips. This MMO is not for everyone, but those who are ready for a deep, consuming experience may find it here if they choose to look past the flaws.
The Elder Scrolls Online is a brave attempt at combining two seemingly polar opposites, but it ultimately fails to build a continuously compelling world, compromising too much on either side. It's an MMO that can't hold a candle to likes of Guild Wars 2 and The Secret World, and an Elder Scrolls game that can't hope to be as deep and rich in content and solo experience as Morrowind and Skyrim. The allure of an online Tamriel is strong, and when the game's disparate parts align, it really is a bit special, but those moments are too few and far between to recommend for a game with this much of an inflated price point.
The final concern is one that will not be answered until a much later date: Content. Yes Bethesda pulled out all the stops and got professional talent to voice the NPCs. It has a huge impact on the gameplay and I have to say I like it. My concern is that as with all the content that MMO players are used to consuming, Bethesda will either not be able to keep up with the demand, will go broke trying to maintain the star power quality of talent or will end up cutting corners to get it done. Based on the monthly cost of $15.99 on top of the purchase price, players will not be happy with any perceived change in quality. That leads to the inevitable question of can it maintain the subscription for the life of the game. However, Bethesda has invested a lot in the game already and ESO appears to the crown jewel in their product crown so I would wager they will handle it appropriately. History has shown that RPG fans are more than willing to part with their cash when they get the chance to play in the land of Tamriel. With ESO helping migrate these players to the online subscription based model, Bethesda might have a money printing machine on their hands and might be able to continue their streak of block buster titles. We will keep playing and providing updates as we progress in game.
With the Scripture, the developers have brought a clever system into the game, which on the one hand does not affect the previous game balance too much, but gives the player some freedom and room to experiment. "Gold Road" also convinces with many funny side missions and a rich scope, so we don't blame the developers for the fact that the new companions will only be added to the game in a future update this year. Unfortunately, many things now seem very routine and familiar, so that playful surprises in particular are few and far between.
Review in German | Read full review
Freedom of choice combined with a wealth of content makes for a game that can be a little intimidating to tackle, but the lack of commitment or direction frees you up to explore it at your own pace. ESO can be a very relaxing game to play, and that’s why I continue to return to it after nearly eight years of playing.
Elder Scrolls Online doesn't tear down everything that came before in the MMO field and thrust the Elder Scrolls gameplay into the world of massively-multiplayer. In the end, the game is a theme park MMO in the standard World of Warcraft style, wearing the lore, characters, and locations of the Elder Scrolls universe. Visually, the game is consistent, but that consistency is boring and drab. The game itself is punctuated with exciting moments, but overall it's just above average and I have a hard time recommending that in a subscription MMO. If you're a big Elder Scrolls fan, give it a try. If not, there are better choices out there.