That's right, we've played The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited for just a little over 50 hours now, so we thought that it was about time to get some impressions published. Being a massively multiplayer online game, it's safe to say that there's an absolute ton of things to see and do in ZeniMax Online Studios' huge adventure - and that's exactly what you want from an Elder Scrolls title.
You want to get lost in a fantasy world that's full of epic tales just waiting to be told, but the worry with Tamriel Unlimited is that the presence of other players works against Bethesda's trademark open world philosophy. To an extent, this particular worry is valid - after all, it can certainly ruin your immersion when you see several other players all clambering around the same quest giver, or groups of adventurers battering the same respawning enemies over and over again.
The hope, then, is that the title's MMO qualities outweigh the damage that they do to your traditional single player, role-playing game experience. Fortunately, we can say with some confidence that they do - at least to a degree. Indeed, Tamriel Unlimited's multiplayer features are some of the best parts of the release, and, of course, going on grand journeys with your friends can be a lot of fun.
Grouping up is hassle free, too, and raiding dungeons with your buddies by your side can make for an Elder Scrolls dream that many have wanted to make a reality for years now. Perhaps the biggest surprise, though, is how enjoyable the competitive multiplayer battles can be. When we think of Bethesda's long running fantasy franchise, we don't really picture interactions with other players being something that we necessarily want as part of the experience, but what's on offer here really bolsters the already gigantic amount of content that's available.
Teaming up with other players on open battlefields, you're tasked with leading your faction to victory in skirmishes, which eventually add up to more important clashes. The battlegrounds themselves are populated by both real players and artificial intelligence troops, and charging into the fray alongside your allies can provide a real rush. Perhaps most importantly, from what we gather, the whole thing's quite well balanced, too. Even if you keep getting slaughtered by well coordinated teams, you'll still likely feel as though you're seeing enough action and doing just enough to help out your brothers and sisters in arms. Plus, the battles, which take place in the central region of Cyrodiil, actually tie into the overarching narrative, which gives proceedings some weight.
The previously mentioned factions are a big part of the game as a whole. Picking from three available alliances when you first create your character, your chosen faction determines where you start out on the title's utterly huge map. It's a system that works relatively well in this regard, given the scale of Tamriel, but it does come with a few problems, the most prominent being that you won't be able to play with your friends unless they swear allegiance to the same alliance. This means that whatever you do, be sure to discuss what faction you're all going to join with your pals before you start playing - you really don't want to end up on opposite sides of the continent.
We can't quite speak of Tamriel Unlimited's endgame content just yet, but since it's such an integral part of any successful MMO, we're sincerely hoping that it's up to scratch. Again, from what we've played of the co-op dungeons and some of the higher level quests, we see no real reason why endgame activities can't add yet more enjoyment, especially if you've hooked up with a guild, group, or clan that knows what it's doing.
We've touched on multiplayer and the release's MMO elements, but it still needs to be noted that, yes, you can, by and large, enjoy The Elder Scrolls Online as a single player game. Of course, while you can't play it offline, you can follow the story and all of the many, many branching quests on your own. In fact, we played the title this way for a good 20 or so hours, and it was actually a lot of fun, as we travelled around the land, gaining experience and acquiring loot. The game world itself isn't quite as detailed as what we've seen from other Elder Scrolls games, but it does provide a good sense of freedom, and in turn, that openness makes exploring feel fun and natural.
However, once again, the MMO mechanics of the release will sometimes put a dampener on your escapades, purely because of the whole thing works. Utilising the much flaunted mega server technology, you're almost always going to be adventuring alongside strangers whether you like it or not, and that means exploring supposedly abandoned ruins with about ten other players sprinting around the place, mopping up enemies before you can even unsheathe your blade.
That said, the release does a great job of keeping you interested, even if you're a little put off by the shenanigans of your fellow players. The character development system, for example, is brilliant, as you level up various skills by gaining experience points through killing beasts or completing quests. Once each skill reaches a certain level, you'll then unlock more and more active and passive abilities that you can spend your skill points on, which leads to a real sense of progression. There are so many options open to you that you'll quickly create your own play style, and that's important when you're slogging through an adventure as big as this.
All in all, things are looking positive for The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited. We dare say that, at this point, the lack of a subscription fee boosts the game up from being a passable MMO, to being a real contender to be one of the best value for money titles available on the PlayStation 4.
Are you currently playing The Elder Scrolls Online? What do you make of it? While we continue to gather our thoughts for our upcoming review, feel free to tell us all about your adventures in the comments section below.
Comments 30
I'm actually hearing positive views from everyone who has played it...I've only just bought it but looking forward to exploring.
I have loads of questions about multi-player which nobody has been able to answer but I'll figure them out after a few days in the game.
My uncle really wants this game. He's a Elder Scrolls nut while I've only played Oblivion and Skyrim. Skyrim I unfortunately haven't finished though, because frostbite spiders.
@milero91 I wish I could have said more about the multiplayer, but I'm still trying a lot of it out. The full review should talk about it in more detail - hopefully it remains as good as it seems.
I enjoyed the beta, need to finish witcher before I tuck in
I have been playing this non-stop since it came out! Really enjoying it so far. Pvp is awesome, when you don't get stuck in loading screens!
The moment when playing a game for 50 hours is barely enough to give some first impressions, is the moment I realize I'll never play it
Man I miss being 15- 23 y/o. Now I'm posting on a forum for games when the missus is taking a bathroom break in our House MD marathon, instead of actually playing
I cant decide if I want to get this or not. Im playing heavensward atm and loving it but id like something else to get lost in. Is it as guild focused as a realm reborn does anyone know?
@DeathBreathUK Nah, unlike FFXIV, you could play the whole of ESO's story by yourself if you wanted - there's no required grouping. From what I gather, though, much of the endgame dungeons and stuff like that is built for guilds and parties. Hopefully that helps.
I had the game for about a week and I just couldn't get into it, so I returned it. I would like to see some online elements in the next single player Elder Scrolls game though. Say, for example, the ability to bring in 2-3 friends to help you clear a difficult dungeon, and maybe like an arena for PvP action. I just couldn't get into ESO when I had it though. It just felt way off to me. Elder Scrolls should definitely just say single player for the most part, with maybe a little bit of multiplayer added in, like what I mentioned above.
@Boerewors a unrelated question to this post but are you the same boerewors as the one commenting on the eu ps blog and the ps plus eu guess thread? (The one on the ps blog is dutch too)
@darkswabber
No, I am not. And he probably isn't Dutch and neither am I Boerewors is a South African speciality, the Dutch call it "verse worst" I believe, but we add lots of herbs and spices. And we don't fry it in the pan, we put it on the BBQ, which we call "braai" as you might know.
More people use the Boerewors nickname, I couldn't use it on twitch or disqus for example because it was taken,
@Boerewors oh ok
I assumed you where dutch because your pushsquare profile said Netherlands.
Glad to know wether you are or are not the same person, the question was itching me for some time now.
@darkswabber
I live in South Africa for about 6- 7 months a year, the rest of the time I'm in Europe, mostly Holland, for work. So me living in the Netherlands was probably true when I registered
The Boerewors on the forums you see probably is an export South African, there are lots of us living abroad. And unfortunately we all think about braai all day long, so when we choose usernames we usually end up with names like Boerewors, Varktjoppie or Hoendervlerkie
I hope the other Boerewors isn't too much of a pr*ck, else I'll have to change names!
Level 12 still enjoying it ntm being a badass wood elf archer (hint hint wink wink) shame trying to interact with ppl is like banging my head against a brick wall
i had a really bad feeling about it. but being a huge ES fan i couldnt resist and broke down and got it. i am now addicted and find myself repeatedly noticing that the sun has risen and that im powerless to go to bed on time. the fact i have to work most days is the only thing keeping me alive lol
@ShogunRok That's absolutely fine, SO MUCH TO EXPLORE!!
@ironcrow86 I haven't played with a wood elf but I hear they are pretty good! I've just got a level 8 High Elf at the moment using Dual Wield mix with Destro Staff. Thankfully I've got some friends who play the game as trying to interact with randoms is sometimes pretty difficult
@milero91 iv no friends atm (in game obviously) but im persistent...also going 4, 5 or 6hr sessions without even thinking of playing with others cant be a bad feat either
@ironcrow86 Feel free to add me if you want. I get a feeling most of the early stuff is actually well suited to solo playing until you get to dungeons where I think some of them are group or public and benefit from teamwork.
@milero91 from what ive read sum dungeons later on are mandatory 4 ppl which means il be forced to socialise..should that time arise il cum find ya 😜
I'm just glad that the game is an enjoyable experience. It finally pulled all my friends off of Destiny thank god! I was so done with that game 5 months ago. ESO is great if you have a group of friends.
@Boerewors Haha, this is so funny. I have seen a lot of Boerewors' around the internet on Sony gamjng forums. Always thought you were the same.
There is a Dutch site called Pixelcake, but I take it that isn't you as well?
@Kidfried
Hahaha, that's someone else too! But I do know him personally, and he's not Sony's Boerewors either. I contacted him once after seeing him on Pixelcake to see if he was South African too. He is, and now he's my gaming buddy whenever I'm in Europe. Awesome fella, but what can you expect with a nickname like that
@Boerewors Nice, I like that!
@Kidfried
Next time you see him on Pixelcake, can you please tell him: Reino 4 - you 1. Just that. He'll know (PES tournament I organized a while back, kicked him out of the semi finals and he was mad as hell because "I got lucky"... 4-1 isn't just luck my boy )
Im very tempted by this.. but at the moment can not afford it Im glad that thay made it Free Online (Subscription Free) One thing thow (iv probably missed it sed somewhere) But Do you Need PS+ to play the game? or is it a bit like Destany in that you can Play it but are restricted to solo Play.
Played it but got bored very quick and yeah the other players tend to get in your way if your single playing it. I like the idea just not the execution!
@Volmun I believe that you need a PS Plus account to play in any capacity.
I'm a bit disapointed with this game. I think it is a bit boring, with enemy respawn and story tapping. 90% of game time is doing errants and going back and forth...
And graphicaly it's the same as Skyrim, that was launch in 2011. Not really something to call "next gen", at all...
Curious what your thoughts are after a couple months of the game and whether it is still worth it... I doubt anyone will read this though.
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