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Platforms: PS4/Xbox One/PC
Release Date: 04 Apr 2014
Developer: ZeniMax Online Studios
Genre: Action/Adventure/Fantasy
Description:
6 years later - its still going strong, having implemented a lot of patches and expansions. In fact - a lot of people is coming back to it, or starting their journey just now (like myself)
I have tried a lot of MMOs over the years, since World of Warcraft is not available on consoles and I had never come across something even remotely similar and fun to WoW.... until now.
Elder Scrolls games were always a mixed bag for me - good story, lovely world, freedom, lots to do, beautiful music, graphics and absolute shite combat mechanism, with crappy and borderline unplayable Third Person Perspective.
Hence I didnt have much hope. Couldnt imagine how, with such crap combat, people could play and enjoy combat (both PvE and PvP)
Well, I was wrong again. ESO combat system is far from any other, clunky and weird combat that Elder Scrolls is known of. Its solid, fun and most importantly - it works in Third Person Perspective and TPP is the main setting that everyone use.
In order not to make this post too long I will just focus on strong points of this game and the reason why ESO might be a good choice to dive into.
- Wold - absolutely massive. I havent seen one full area and you have full continent to your disposal. Some of the locations are locked and you have to unlock them using in-game currency. But even without the locked ones - its ginormous.
- level scaling - whole world is level scaled. So, if you dont like the area you started - you just find some sort of teleport shrine and you go somewhere else. All enemies/quests/dungeons will be scaled to your level. It works so well.. first of all - it doesnt trap you anywhere. You like forests? Go and quest there. You like Skyrim-looking snowy mountains? Off you go.
Second of all - you wont miss anything. In World of Warcraft each Faction had their own areas designed for their level. So if you were an Elf - you could never experience low level quests for Dwarfs. In here - world will scale to your level, so every time you go to a new area - you can do all the quests from there.
- Quests - I havent spent enough time to talk about quests with some depth, but anyone who played Elder Scrolls knows more or less what to expect. There is shit loads of quests and sidequests that will take you to a journey across the world. And all of them are Voice Acted, which is amazing for a Huge game like this.
- Leveling up is very well designed. Whatever you use - levels up and opens its own skill tree up. So if you are using two handed weapons - you will also have two handed weapon skills. If you are using a bow - it will open Bow skill tree.
So apart from your 3 main skill trees for your race - you will also have skills from your weapons.
Skills are also leveling up. If you are using particular skill in combat - it levels up. Eventually it will give you an option to morph it, which is an upgrade with some new abilities, that will suit your gameplay better.
Basically - you can do and be anything you want. Every class, every race, every player, can forge their characters whichever way they want. There is no restriction in armour or weapon type for anyone. Whatever you use - levels up.
- Combat - combat is solid. You have block, dodge, interceptions, light and heavy attack plus all your skills that you can assign to your buttons. From level 15 you can have two sets of weapons that you can switch between and both will have their own skills that will also switch while switching sets. Up until then its a bit of a pain in the hole, coz if you want to swap dagger to a bow - you have to do it manually, through inventory.
PVP - didnt try it yet. too busy wondering around, discovering new places. But in the base game other players dont attack you. If you want PVP - you can go to a battleground. Apparently - if you are good enough in PVP battlefield - you can even become an emperor of a certain area. And I dont mean - You are one of a hundred of emperors, who completed same quest. I mean - you and only you.
Having a world where, while questing, no other players can attack you, has good and bad side to it. For a lot of people that will be a good thing. You can basically play the game like any other offline Elder Scrolls and no one bothers you. Plus you have other players around to help you if needed.
But it also takes away the thrill of meeting enemy players while questing, that I really liked about World of Warcraft. Having said that - online community changed a lot and it will save you a lot of hassle, having to deal with 20 levels stronger bullies.
And speaking of community - so far, everyone I met were very nice and helpful.
Elder Scrolls Online can be a bit overwhelming at first, but its definetely worth trying.
For me - its the first MMO that has all the basics and mechanics covered.
Release Date: 04 Apr 2014
Developer: ZeniMax Online Studios
Genre: Action/Adventure/Fantasy
Description:
The Elder Scrolls Online is an MMO role-playing game developed by ZeniMax Online Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It was released for Microsoft Windows and OS X in April 2014. It is a part of The Elder Scrolls series.
6 years later - its still going strong, having implemented a lot of patches and expansions. In fact - a lot of people is coming back to it, or starting their journey just now (like myself)
I have tried a lot of MMOs over the years, since World of Warcraft is not available on consoles and I had never come across something even remotely similar and fun to WoW.... until now.
Elder Scrolls games were always a mixed bag for me - good story, lovely world, freedom, lots to do, beautiful music, graphics and absolute shite combat mechanism, with crappy and borderline unplayable Third Person Perspective.
Hence I didnt have much hope. Couldnt imagine how, with such crap combat, people could play and enjoy combat (both PvE and PvP)
Well, I was wrong again. ESO combat system is far from any other, clunky and weird combat that Elder Scrolls is known of. Its solid, fun and most importantly - it works in Third Person Perspective and TPP is the main setting that everyone use.
In order not to make this post too long I will just focus on strong points of this game and the reason why ESO might be a good choice to dive into.
- Wold - absolutely massive. I havent seen one full area and you have full continent to your disposal. Some of the locations are locked and you have to unlock them using in-game currency. But even without the locked ones - its ginormous.
- level scaling - whole world is level scaled. So, if you dont like the area you started - you just find some sort of teleport shrine and you go somewhere else. All enemies/quests/dungeons will be scaled to your level. It works so well.. first of all - it doesnt trap you anywhere. You like forests? Go and quest there. You like Skyrim-looking snowy mountains? Off you go.
Second of all - you wont miss anything. In World of Warcraft each Faction had their own areas designed for their level. So if you were an Elf - you could never experience low level quests for Dwarfs. In here - world will scale to your level, so every time you go to a new area - you can do all the quests from there.
- Quests - I havent spent enough time to talk about quests with some depth, but anyone who played Elder Scrolls knows more or less what to expect. There is shit loads of quests and sidequests that will take you to a journey across the world. And all of them are Voice Acted, which is amazing for a Huge game like this.
- Leveling up is very well designed. Whatever you use - levels up and opens its own skill tree up. So if you are using two handed weapons - you will also have two handed weapon skills. If you are using a bow - it will open Bow skill tree.
So apart from your 3 main skill trees for your race - you will also have skills from your weapons.
Skills are also leveling up. If you are using particular skill in combat - it levels up. Eventually it will give you an option to morph it, which is an upgrade with some new abilities, that will suit your gameplay better.
Basically - you can do and be anything you want. Every class, every race, every player, can forge their characters whichever way they want. There is no restriction in armour or weapon type for anyone. Whatever you use - levels up.
- Combat - combat is solid. You have block, dodge, interceptions, light and heavy attack plus all your skills that you can assign to your buttons. From level 15 you can have two sets of weapons that you can switch between and both will have their own skills that will also switch while switching sets. Up until then its a bit of a pain in the hole, coz if you want to swap dagger to a bow - you have to do it manually, through inventory.
PVP - didnt try it yet. too busy wondering around, discovering new places. But in the base game other players dont attack you. If you want PVP - you can go to a battleground. Apparently - if you are good enough in PVP battlefield - you can even become an emperor of a certain area. And I dont mean - You are one of a hundred of emperors, who completed same quest. I mean - you and only you.
Having a world where, while questing, no other players can attack you, has good and bad side to it. For a lot of people that will be a good thing. You can basically play the game like any other offline Elder Scrolls and no one bothers you. Plus you have other players around to help you if needed.
But it also takes away the thrill of meeting enemy players while questing, that I really liked about World of Warcraft. Having said that - online community changed a lot and it will save you a lot of hassle, having to deal with 20 levels stronger bullies.
And speaking of community - so far, everyone I met were very nice and helpful.
Elder Scrolls Online can be a bit overwhelming at first, but its definetely worth trying.
For me - its the first MMO that has all the basics and mechanics covered.
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). And guess what - modding is officialy supported - devs have exposed massive Lua API's that allow for customization of almost all visual aspects of the game.
