The Elder Scrolls Online takes players to the world of Tamriel, set many years before The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and much prior to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Players enter the world and begin completing a series of non-linear missions, with or without a party of other players. There are three primary factions included in the game, and each comes with different backgrounds. The Aldemri Dominion, Daggerfall Covenant and Ebonheart Pact each have their own place in the world and reason for fighting. Many of the missions throughout the game are exclusive to certain factions and guilds found during the game, and much like other releases in The Elder Scrolls series, players will have opportunities to explore and join different guilds throughout the game.
Players begin The Elder Scrolls Online for the first time much like any other MMORPG. Character creation isn't much of anything special in the game. There are a good variety of races, customizable features and more, but nothing really stands out here. There are four classes in the game: Dragonknight, Templar, Sorcerer and Nightblade. Each class comes with three distinctive skill trees to learn additional skills and progress characters after gaining experience points. Templars have powerful healing spells, Sorcerers can perform poweful arcane spells and summon minions and so forth. There is enough variety in character models and classes to keep characters distinct, so players won't have to worry about running into identical characters too often.
Some new features for the release include several MMORPG ideas developed for a world of The Elder Scrolls. Players can unlock pets that can be summoned to follow the player around the in-game world. There are also plenty of ways to interact with other players in the game including joining parties or clans, performing emotes and certain actions together or even get married if both players meet the prerequisites. Additionally, the game includes an interesting Player vs. Player mode where players will want to team up and capture certain areas around the map known as keeps and hold the area from opposing players. The competitive multiplayer in the game is surprisingly fun for a game in which these types of encounters aren't the primary mode of play.
The Elder Scrolls Online does look a bit different from other games in the series. The biggest change for players will be learning to explore a world full of other players. It sounds obvious for this to be a part of any MMORPG, but players looking for the typical gameplay from The Elder Scrolls series will have a tough time getting used to seeing other players performing the same types of feats on the same server moments before they arrive attempting to do the same thing. Other problems arise from a presentation that doesn't feel as much like other games in the series whether its the game's third-person camera perspective (there is an option to switch to first-person view) or the abundance of missions that must be completed to unlock the next piece of the game's storyline. It's difficult for players to fully immerse themselves in the world of The Elder Scrolls Online, something that has never been a problem for other recent releases for the series.
It's not all doom and gloom though. The Elder Scrolls Online controls well, and combat feels about the same as any other game in the series, minus the dragons. The world of Tamriel is massive and is just itching to be explored by would be adventurers. The game looks fantastic while running on high end computer gaming rigs, with plenty of good character models and unique location littered across the map, even if some of the NPC dialogue is a bit bland. Teaming up with other players is a lot of fun as well, but The Elder Scrolls Online leaves this decision up to the player with mission objectives and other game mechanics designed with solo players in mind.
The Elder Scrolls Online is a good game but not great. This makes it a tough sale for gamers that want to see all the game has to offer but can't afford the premium price to play the game, while other gamers simply won't think the game is good enough to warrant a high subscription fee. The world looks good and is fun to explore, when other players aren't ruining the atmosphere the game tries to create. Luckily if players get too frustrated, there is some fun player vs. player game modes that are great for blowing off some Steam. Armor up and head into the magical world of Tamriel in The Elder Scrolls Online today!
The Elder Scrolls Online is now available exclusively for PC for $49.99 and is now available for preorder for $59.99 and is scheduled to release for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on June 30, 2014. The Elder Scrolls Online is rated M by the ESRB for Blood and Gore, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol & Violence. For more information on the game, check out the official The Elder Scrolls Online website.
Game Features:
- Online Multiplayer 1-12
- Choose from Four Classes
- Exclusive Digital Content
- DLC Support
- Trophy/Achievement Support
Game Information:
Developer: ZeniMax Online
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One & PC (reviewed)
Release Date: April 4, 2014 (PC) & June 30, 2014 (PlayStation 4 and Xbox One)
