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First impressions: The Elder Scrolls Online

First impressions: The Elder Scrolls Online
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PLATFORM: PC / Mac
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The Elder Scrolls Online is an MMO where it would take hundreds of hours to see and do everything. As such, it would be unfair to review and put a score on it as we haven't experienced the end-game. Below is our first look and our initial thoughts, and we'll be coming back to The Elder Scrolls Online several times throughout the year to update you with our experiences.

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Continuing the series of critically acclaimed Elder Scrolls games, The Elder Scrolls Online always had a lot to live up to. It is a series known for its die-hard, committed fans, so pleasing everyone, from newcomers to those who have been playing for decades, was always going to be a difficult feat. Despite this, Zenimax Online and Bethesda do seem to have found the comfortable middle ground between MMO and traditional Elder Scrolls game. This title is sure to bring new players to the MMO genre, whilst also convincing online players to perhaps check out the previous Elder Scrolls games. 

The character creation in ESO is fantastic. In-depth customisation allows for players to create truly unique characters; important when trying to make your mark in an expansive online world with thousands of other players. Some may be upset at the fact that unless you purchase the Digital Imperial Edition of the game, you cannot play as the Imperial race, but with nine other races to choose from, this isn’t a deal breaker.

Sliding scales allow for fine tuning of character appearance, and the game even gives players the option of previewing what their character will look like with different types of armour. This is handy for those wanting to envision what their character could look like as they start hitting those higher levels; from the previews in the character creation stages, it looks as though ESO has some amazing armour sets.

As with previous Elder Scrolls games, the player starts their journey in a jail cell. This is a comforting hark back to the previous games, although Elder Scrolls veterans will be bracing for the linear tutorial. The start does feel slow, but at the same time, essential for newcomers to the MMO genre.

The tutorial teaches the basics of movement and combat, although it barely scratches the surface of the expansive menu system, and levelling is very lightly touched upon.

Travelling through the prison tutorial towards the open world does hint at the fact that this isn’t simply a multiplayer Skyrim; it feels more traditional in its MMO approach, although it has taken clear cues from Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim, in both play style and aesthetics.

The world of ESO looks great; not directly related to the previous Elder Scrolls games, but still in keeping with the ethos; large, explorable worlds filled with NPCs and Side Quests. As with all Elder Scrolls games, ESO practically encourages you to deviate from the main story quest. The environment is filled with quest options, unlocked by speaking with NPCs. 

Appearing in the first major town once completing the tutorial is the first time players will notice the sheer scale of ESO; there are hundreds of other players running and jumping around, completing various tasks and quests.

Due to the technical constraints of being an MMO, the graphics of ESO do not quite match those of Skyrim, but despite this, it is a really great looking online game that runs well, even on moderately specced machines.

One thing that will be noticeable to experienced Elder Scrolls players is the lack of interactivity; naturally, being an MMO, the world of ESO doesn’t have the element of interactivity that players of offline games may be used to. You can’t jump on to a table and have plates of food fly across the room. I believe this to be due to technical constraints, rather than oversight from Zenimax Online, but it does remove some of the charm from the game.

Levelling up is more complex than previous Elder Scrolls games, but free reign is granted with character development. Character race and class limits development much less than it does in Oblivion or Skyrim; should you want to play as a heavy armoured mage that likes to use a hammer every now and again, you’re free to do so without penalty. This again makes for characters that are unique to a player’s individual sense of style and play preference.

Four main classes dictate the character’s main skill trees (with three unique trees for each), but there are many other skill trees outside of the big three. Skill points can be used to level up existing skills in to new, stronger versions, or alternatively to unlock altogether new skills. This allows for players to create acute specialists as well as broad generalists; another positive for character uniqueness, as well as those wanting to explore the pros and cons of diverse character builds.

Combat does feel more flat and less interactive than single-player veterans may be used to, but ESO does keep up with its MMO peers in the combat stakes, and in some cases surpasses them. Although there is an element of clicking and waiting, players will live much longer by blocking and dodging attacks. The combat is rewarding, and unlike other MMOs, it doesn’t feel like you need to spend hours power-levelling to explore and make progress.

Quest difficulty is rated by colour, and there is no shortage of quests to find. Completing achievable quests, and perhaps stretching your abilities with some more challenging quests, is the most rewarding way to play the game. Progressing through story lines whilst killing enemies along the way and developing your character is extremely satisfying; much better than killing mud crabs for 8 hours.

I have only scratched the very surface of this huge MMO. I am confident that this is a game that one must spend hours in before learning of all the things that it has to offer; the longevity looks promising, with in-depth crafting and levelling offering diversity for multiple play-throughs and characters, and enough quests to keep even the most die-hard of gamers happy.

Although the game does sometimes suffer from lack of cohesion between single and multiplayer elements, it stands with its head high amongst its MMO peers. Those expecting a multiplayer Skyrim may be disappointed in ESO, but the game shouldn’t be sold short because of the powerhouses that came prior. The Elder Scrolls Online is an expansive, enjoyable game that is accessible for all multiplayer gamers, regardless of their prior affinity with the Elder Scrolls series.

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