The Elder Scrolls Online Reviews

The Elder Scrolls Online is ranked in the 44th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
GameSpace
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Jun 5, 2018

Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset is an exciting new chapter for the MMO. It offers an engaging narrative that kept this progression driven gamer distracted which is saying a lot. Although the expansion didn't offer a new class we were introduced to a pretty fun new skill tree and despite the grind to unlock it, it offers some great new approaches to combat. With a beautiful new zone, intriguing story and only a few minor grievances, I highly recommend picking up Summerset.

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6 / 10.0
May 29, 2014

Whether or not The Elder Scrolls Online is for you depends on what you are looking for. It is not a conversion of the single player series that many might have hoped for. You can finally trot around Tamriel with your friends, slaying goblins and daedra, but the experience is hindered by uninspiring combat mechanics and far more restrictive exploration options resulting in a less immersive world.

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7.2 / 10.0
Apr 24, 2014

How ironic is it that by making their storied franchise an online experience, Bethesda has somehow created a less immersive Elder Scrolls game? I used to feel like The One, now I'm just a customer.

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7 / 10
Apr 25, 2014

Bethesda's big budget, massively multiplayer trip to Tamriel has some great ideas, but struggles with execution in places.

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82%
May 5, 2014

From story to scale, The Elder Scrolls Online does its single player predecessors justice while at some parts struggling to find its own identity.

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Unscored
Apr 2, 2020

As always, ZeniMax has provided quality work that never ceases to amaze. If you are thinking about getting into ESO, I would highly recommend it. No matter the platform, ESO works well and continues to bring wonderful stories to fans of all types.

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Apr 14, 2014

The Elder Scrolls: Online is a nice distraction for fans of open world RPGs and MMOs alike, but there's not enough here to keep either crowd around for very long.

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Nick Wilson
Top Critic
5 / 10
Apr 18, 2014

Zenimax have a lot of work ahead of them to turn TESO around.

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3.5 / 5.0
Apr 11, 2014

Overall, Elder Scrolls Online does not revolutionize MMOs but is a solid entry in the genre. If you don't like MMOs or are getting burned out from them this probably won't change your mind, especially given its slow start. If you like the genre and also enjoy Elder Scrolls-style combat, however, then this game will likely be more your cup of tea.

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7.9 / 10.0
May 2, 2014

ESO is an excellent MMORPG, with a lot to offer fans of The Elder Scrolls.

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6 / 10.0
Jul 18, 2014

The Elder Scrolls Online isn't a terrible game, but its shortcomings make it impossible to recommend, especially considering the diverse options gamers have in the MMO marketplace. It's possible that future updates will make the game worth revisiting, but quite a bit of the core gameplay would need to change for that to be the case.

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6.9 / 10.0
Apr 24, 2014

By their very nature, MMO's evovle - but as it stands right now, The Elder Scrolls online isn't a worthwhile investment. If you're an Elder Scrolls fan, you might want to give it a try but I do think you may be a teeny bit disappointed. If you're an MMORPG fan, there are some ideas here that you will certainly like.

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6 / 10.0
Apr 29, 2014

Playing The Elder Scrolls with your friends may sound like fun, but after playing a bit, you might just end up wishing for the sweet release of Oblivion.

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Apr 8, 2014

The Elder Scrolls Online combines the best of Elder Scrolls with the worst of the MMO genre.

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ACG
Top Critic
Buy
Apr 4, 2014
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8 / 10.0
May 23, 2014

The Elder Scrolls Online is a solid massively multiplayer online experience. There is a variety of content both in the adventure and player-versus-player modes. A lack of risk-taking in the genre formula, however, holds the game back from being innovative or unique. Fortunately, the Elder Scrolls setting and lore are presented perfectly in addition to including one of the best player-versus-player systems in an MMO. Fans of the Elder Scrolls series who can overlook a monthly subscription fee are sure to find plenty to enjoy on their online adventures in Tamriel.

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Apr 16, 2014

The Elder Scrolls Online is a ton of fun in an outside-the-box sort of way. It can't seem to decide whether it wants to be single player or MMO, so be prepared for some in-between weirdness, but nothing that really detracts much from the experience. Between Guilds, crafting, PvP, and dungeons, it has all of the makings of a solid MMO.

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87 / 100
Jul 23, 2021

What appeals to individual gamers is, of course, subjective but I’ve long felt that Elder Scrolls Online is the best MMORPG on consoles thanks to its world-building, lore, quests, story, and ability to reward both solo and group experiences equally. The recent introduction of companions made a solo-friendly game even more inviting. With the Enhanced Version, Elder Scrolls Online definitely steps up as the best looking and smoothest running MMORPG you can find on the PS5, and no longer feels in any way inferior to the PC version.

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5 / 10
Apr 22, 2014
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75 / 100
May 6, 2014

So here we are at the end of a very long review for a very big game, and the question of whether or not The Elder Scrolls Online has captured the magic of its single single contemporaries still remains to be answered. I think the framework is there, but there are some painful missteps that are holding it back. MMOs are a constantly evolving ecospace, so it's possible we'll get there, but for now I'll cautiously say…maybe.

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