Elder Scrolls Online Review
It’s been a long time since I have visited the vast living breathing worlds of Skyrim or Morrowind, so I was so excited to venture back in this fantasy world where every realm was seamlessly integrated into one.
When I started I was given the choice from 9 Races (or ten if you spring for the imperial edition which comes with a mount) which each have their attribute abilities. From there you can choose between four classes. The night blade for sneaky shadowy death, the dragon knight for tanking and fire breathing the holy-er than thou healing. Templar with light spears and the magic empowered summoning sorcerer. When you starts the game (I decided on the imperial dragon knight) you find yourself in a cell. Seems all Elder Scrolls have you start as some kind of convict. Then you get busted out by a Nord woman who explains you’re in Mo-lag Bals own hell or limbo (He is the main force you and your buddies will be dealing with in the game) and must escape to help her save the man who will help you save the world.
The starting zone really draws you in making you feel that you will be the hero of this universe taking down the Child of Bones. This is first major boss you face before being whisked into the full MMO experience that is ESO. This first segment acts as a tutorial for the player to understand the setting, while getting to grips with the controls and combat system. Right from the start you'll see this is more of what works in an MMO. You have your standard upgrade screen, which after a gander doesn’t quite reach of the heights of Skyrim’s star upgrade system but thanks to the champion system once you hit level 50 you'll be looking to the stars again, how upgrading starts, how it finishes now I don't know about you guys but I like the second one a lot better.
The upgrade system is a crowning glory as the more you do something the better you get, which really does away with class restriction from other games. Mage with heavy amour, tank with bow, healer with Dps (Damage per second) spells and damage, check. The game really allows you be a jack of all trades, but will ultimately reward you being a master of one.
It also has some interesting combat perks. For instance if you use a bow you can unlock a perk that lets you rain down arrows in an area on an opponent. Use a staff to get a sweet fireball upgrade to set your opponents a blaze or a shield bash to dizzy them. The more you do the better you get which gives you a sense of realism in your character building that you’re seldom find elsewhere. This goes for your crafting too your alchemy blacksmithing and cooking all have perks to purchase too.
The game really will let you craft your own legend. Want to be a master criminal who has a day job as a cook, go for it. Want to be a fishermen who ignores the war, then hook your line. Everything you do seems important until you see the games real problems.
You have just stopped an army of zombies from destroying a city, you were the only one who could do this, only problem is their still outside waiting for the next hero to stop them which can leave you feeling a little underwhelmed in fact watching hordes of players run around doing what your doing can distract and make you feel insignificant. The living, breathing world is breath taking, but you can feel overwhelmed and aimless. Matchmaking with friends can be difficult unless you start at the same time and the glitches can be nightmarish game-breaking and in some cases character deleting but if you can grin and bare it there is a world waiting for your mark.
3/5 Jo Lloyd