The Elder Scrolls Online Review

The Elder Scrolls Online is the latest chapter in an already rich and deep line of games. The game was released April 4, 2014 on PC/Mac and will be available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One next month. If you've been following the development of this game from it's announcement, you'll know that many fans of the series hold a heavy skepticism towards Todd Howard and company as TESO is not only online but also lacks a major feature to which previous open-world Elder Scrolls titles have: single-player.

A few days ago I got a chance to play a demo (for hours) at Copperview Town Center in Dickson City with another fan who had also PAX East earlier this year. So, I decided to take some screenshots and really get into the details of the game. When you think about it and put a lot of thought into it, TESO doesn't look so bad after all…

As far as MMOs go, this one definitely felt like an Elder Scrolls title. The world feels familiar with a lot of its own unique features (couple that with 'exclusive' content that will be coming out in future add-ons) but there were definitely times when I got lost or confused on where my next quest was going to lead me at first glance. While most people are skeptical because "it's an MMO" and "lacks a main single-player campaign", the good news is that while playing, it definitely didn't feel like other MMOs and was actually pretty simple (and I say this as a person that has played World of Warcraft for years, so bear with me).

While playing the game I never felt overwhelmed by the amount of players around me. TESO sort of follows what you'd expect to see in previous Elder Scrolls titles: making sure there are enough NPCs around to make the world feel realistic. This isn't saying that every area or NPC will be unique but they seem to know how to make them blend in well enough. While exploring each zone, I consistently found myself running into others fighting monsters…or perhaps they were part of my group? The game doesn't always give a clear indication on who your allies and enemies are until you are attacked (or attack another player). In the end, it didn't feel like a MMO at all with how the game was designed.

I found that while leveling up, completing quests and finding new areas to explore gave me a great sense of direction. The only problem is that there were times when going from place to place became laborious due to long load-times but this isn't too much of an issue. It felt as if Bethesda crafted each zone for each faction specifically in mind which gives players plenty of room to roam around and enjoy themselves. Another concern fans voiced about TESO was the lack of "freedom" compared to previous titles…well let just say that if you're looking for a game where you can roleplay as anything besides an Imperial, then this isn't the game for you.

Another great thing about TESO is that it takes place on the same continent as Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim which means there are going to be some familiar faces and cities for us all to see. Also, being able to choose from three different factions (Daggerfall Covenant vs. Aldmeri Dominion) lets players make their own decisions about how they want to approach the story of The Elder Scrolls Online . Similar to past titles, quests and storylines in TESO will provide plenty of entertainment for people looking to play solo or with friends; either way, solo-players aren't left out as most MMOs do (considering their usual lack of story).