Review

The Elder Scrolls Online Review Part 2

Well, this is it; after hundreds of completed quests, thousands of slain monsters, countless items crafted and numerous dungeons crawled, I’ve come to the conclusion that The Elder Scrolls Online is a great game. Now I know what you’re thinking, “the game has been out for some time now. What more could you say about it that hasn’t been said or experienced firsthand”. A valid point, though I feel that first impressions are fleeting in a game like this. MMO’s evolve over time and for me to be able to appropriately rate ZeniMax’s game, I had to spend a significant amount of time playing it. Basically, there is some value in my opinion even though the game released well over a month ago!

In the first part of this review, I delved into the combat, leveling, and story mechanics. One of the things I didn’t cover is the emergent gameplay, or at least how the game alludes to such things. Going off the beaten path is the best way to find secret quests; you may run into a powerful over-world enemy, a NPC that needs help or find a new dungeon to explore. The reason I said that the game alludes to such things is because a lot of the secrets are labeled on the map as soon as you visit a new location. Meaning that the game will signal the whereabouts of a place of interest as opposed to letting you find them 100% by yourself. Still, it does invoke the same excitement one may have had when playing a single player Elder Scrolls game.

Speaking of the dungeons, the ones I explored in TESO were great. They were set up for four players to tackle; though you can go it alone, the larger  enemy mobs make it extremely tough without the help of others. Even in a group, things aren’t easy; the enemies tend to hit harder while utilizing varied strategies. Dark mages would heal wounded allies or summon undead monstrosities, tipping the balance in their favor while bandits charge from all sides. Some dungeons even housed multiple, screen filling bosses. One large, mutated spider-lady hybrid would charge up a powerful blast that would send players flying. Another boss would send out what seemed like a storm cloud that would follow the nearest player, zapping them with lighting. Well-timed attacks and quick maneuvering was required to fell these enemies, resulting in highly tense yet fun encounters.

What I really enjoyed was the fact that TESO doesn’t require gamers to play as specific roles. While it’s useful to have a tank-healer-damage dealer-support set up, the game was designed with flexibility in mind. For instance, I was playing the role of a healer during one particularly difficult dungeon. The boss we were fighting used an ability that constantly hit players too close to him. After a few strikes, everyone was done except me. I quickly switched over to a more offensive role; summoning minions and blasting him with bolts of lightning. Since the other players did their part in knocking off the majority of his hit points, I was able to kill him before he could reuse his strongest attack, saving the day. Still, if I was just a normal healer without powerful offensive spells, we all would have died. Not only that, but because my character wasn’t weak (like normal mage characters), I could actually withstand powerful attacks.

The flexibility goes back to the way players level up their characters – mentioned in the first part of my review. Though, one thing I noticed as I got far into the game, was that I wasn’t leveling as fast as I thought I should. Aside from the main narrative, I always seemed to be a few levels under the required level to complete a given quest. Even after doing numerous side quests and dynamic events across Tamriel. I suspect this was because I played mostly by myself; not many people were willing to party with me outside of needing help for something like a dungeon, which goes back to the issue of TESO feeling like a single player game with multiple bystanders. That said, the game never prevented me from plowing through its content. Even though the enemies where well over my current character’s level, I was able to defeat them with little to no trouble. It’s as if the developers knew that most players would be under leveled and scaled the game to them – I say most because that seemed to be the general consensus among the players I spoke to.

The only times I felt like I was in over my head was during open world events or in dungeons. Some of the rare bosses you meet out in the wild are quite tough. Even if you’re a few levels above them, they won’t be pushovers. The Dark Anchors that spawn here and there aren’t as tough as these bosses but may still require multiple players to vanquish. These large anchors fall from the sky, creating vortexes that allow the Deadric armies to descend upon Tamriel. Enemies will drop from the sky in waves as players team up to dispatch them. Once they’ve been taken care of, the anchors can be sent back to Oblivion. Because it spawns so many enemies, the only way to solo them is by being a much higher level (like a level 30 player taking down an Anchor spawning level 15 enemies). Other than these moments I was always able to hold my own against who or whatever I faced.

This isn’t a bad thing at all – though it does raise questions concerning the need to be at an appropriate level. Because the game didn’t force me to grind for levels, I was able to experience some cool quest lines that would have otherwise been off limits. The mage guild quest line, for instance, dealt with the Daedric prince of Madness, Sheogorath. This memorable journey was downright hilarious! I ventured to a weird world, was the lead in a morbid play, and was forced to slap random mages with a stick. Most of all, I enjoyed Sheogorath’s ramblings – he reminds of the Joker but crazier. Sheogorath is so nuts, he even used one of his minions as a human torch; because the person couldn’t die, he would set him on fire and order him to lead the way. I know, it’s dark but nevertheless funny!

Of course, this being a MMO I couldn’t write this review without trying some of the more mundane distractions. Crafting is rather simple in TESO. All you need to do is find and/or earn recipes, find the right ingredients, and then head to a crafting station. There was no mini-game involved with making what you want nor did you need special equipment for most materials. If equipment was need it was minimal; a fishing rod and bait would be needed to get fish. Additionally, unwanted items can be broken down to their individual parts, which can be used to make other things. Most of my crafting was done over an open fire to make food and drinks that buffed my character. What I really liked about the crafting though, was that you didn’t need to have the items in your inventory to use them. Because the world is ripe with things to craft with, I’d often place them in the bank to free up inventory space. When at a crafting table though, the game will pull from the items held in the bank, adding convenience to an already simple process.

There is a lot to talk about in TESO. I know one of the main things fans want to know though is how the end-game content is shaping up. Unfortunately, I haven’t had a chance to experience it because on my other obligations here on the site as well as the fact that Craglorn – the first adventure zone featuring 12-player raids, powerful new bosses, and quests made for groups of four – was just added a week or two ago. So take me saying that the end game seems to offer a lot with a grain of salt. Craglorn seems to essentially be more TESO goodness that is made especially for group play. Not only that, but it shows me that ZeniMax wants to grab and hold players attention well after level 50.

All and all I believe that TESO is a great MMORPG. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, nor will it change the minds of those who scoffed at the notion of a multiplayer Elder Scrolls game back before launch. It is a rather refreshing experience though. I genuinely enjoyed it over the past two months and if I had more free time, I would continue playing; the promise of a thieves guild, justice system, and Dark Brotherhood quest lines are quite intriguing. Is it worth the monthly fee? I think so, though I can see TESO becoming a free-to-play game down the line. Not because it isn’t up to snuff, but because a subscription model is a hard sell these days.

Note: I didn’t go into the PvP options because they haven’t really changed from what was present during my preview. If you haven’t read my preview, all you need to know is that it’s definitely worth your time!