The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited doesn’t feel like a true Elder Scrolls installment, but you shouldn’t come in expecting one. That’s because The Elder Scrolls Online (buy ESO gold) has a multitude of fresh ideas that take it to a place pretty far removed from the single-player epics we know The Elder Scrolls can supply. But these concepts amount to something that is pretty innovative in the MMO gameplay space. Is there anything wrong with the holy trinity of tanks, DPS, and healers, with auto-attacking while you execute a fairly tight rotation of optimized abilities, with orchestrated boss fights and flying mounts and optimal character builds? I’d argue not-Final Fantasy XIV has proven that the fundamentals World of Warcraft polished to a mirror sheen can still be compelling.
But if you’re interested in something else, if you’re open to the unorthodox places that an MMO nested in Skyrim’s aesthetic and sensibilities can go, ESO might be right up your alley. I’ve seen quite a bit of negative comments toward The Elder Scrolls Online since its initial release and since its recent arrival on consoles a few weeks back now. Most of this negative criticism doesn’t seem to really specify what they dislike, only that they dislike it. It made me a little nervous when it came time to finally begin my own game. But now, after many hours playing, I have a great deal of trouble figuring out what exactly there is not to like overall.
This is not however, the sort of criticism that Firor addressed, instead pointing out that “some of the negativity in reviews comes from bugs.” It’s true that bugs are an issue in the game – as they are with many an MMO – which is why he also revealed the dev team’s plan for fixing them: “As you can see, we’re hard at work addressing them and will keep rolling out fixes. The important thing for you, the community, to know is that we’re looking at ALL the feedback (from critics and from players), we’re addressing any shortcomings, and we’ll continue to do so. This game will get better and better every week.”
ESO is a strange beast. I have not played an MMO previously that is trying so desperately to be two things – a solo RPG with a fierce dedication to individual skill definition, mixed with a fairly traditional MMO theme park setting complete with scripted events, patrolling mobs and static dungeons. In some ways, it succeeds in carving out a lush, gorgeous world full of great locales and tons of lore. The Elder Scrolls Online Explorer Pack grants you bonus treasure maps that will help you secure coin and loot, another pet companion, and the ability to choose whatever race you want for whatever alliance you want. This is extremely important because if you don’t have the Explorer Pack, your options are limited.
Obviously cheap ESO gold and Destiny share little in common other than a general theme of encouraging long-term play, but I think that’s something that has underestimated appeal on consoles. Right now, console games are usually either played for 10-30 hours to complete a story mode, and then rarely touched again, or if they are played indefinitely, it’s because of a long-term multiplayer component like in Call of Duty or Super Smash Bros. There are few games that have a single player or co-op experience that players can sink an indefinite amount of time into. One of the only ones I can think of where players sunk possibly a hundred hours or more into a non-multiplayer component? That’s right, Skyrim.
Overcoming the disappointment all this breeds takes a good few hours of play, but there’s much to enjoy if you manage the feat. The Elder Scrolls Online is one of 2015’s most generously proportioned RPGs. The world might be less characterful than those of its predecessors, less dense with objects and people of note, but it’s just as saturated with activities, from smithing weapons to gathering lorebooks, and utterly unbothered about the order in which you undertake them. The main story is high-falutin’ fantasy fluff, and there’s the customary Bethesda-brand voice-acting to wince at, but the script has its moments of wit or pathos. Disciples of the Dominion might want to watch out for a certain Razum-dar.
Is ESO an essential for fans of RPGs, the Elder Scrolls or MMOs? No. The Witcher III and Dragon Age: Inquisition are both superior solo RPGs, and ESO struggles to match the freedom and drama of Skyrim. And while MMOs used to be short on supply on consoles, Xbox One owners can already turn to Neverwinter, while PS4 owners have DC Universe and Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn to fall back on. The latter is ESO’s biggest competitor, and one made more appealing by the upcoming Heavensward expansion. However, with a monthly subscription to keep paying it will cost you more long-term.
