I’m never been one that’s looked fondly on MMO’s. Usually they bore the life out of me since the quests consist of “Kill 5 of these” and “Collect 10 of those”, and they way they want you to collect is just monotonous and tedious.

*pmhjdsfgjiiII’m not*Press 1*

Wait…

*Press 2*

Wait…

*Press 3* Oh, nevermind. It’s already dead.

Rinse/Wash/Repeat twenty times.

It’s garbage game design. I understand that this was an intuitive mechanic for 2005 but there’s a lack of understanding on the developers on the notion of evolution. Most MMOs still seem to be chasing after the success of The World of Warcraft yet forget that the time of WoW is over. The gimmick has worn off since most games after WoW are just trying to replicate WoW. The amount of WoW clones that have flooded the market are nearly boundless. You’d need to sift through hundreds of games just to find a decent one. I’ve been at fault of this, after my time with WoW was done and I had officially unsubbed I still searched for games that would fulfil my desire for just running around and killing shit for xp; no remorse, no big story ties, just a thin amount of plot to get me from one objective to the other. Most games that I played tried to do this but due to shitty combat systems they ultimately failed in capturing my attention for more than an hour. I must’ve played through hours of absolute garbage and still never managing to be satisfied. I played through games like:

Runes of Magic One of the better WoW clones but still boring as fuck. I never made it past an hour in this game. Guild Wars 2 I sank a couple hundred hours into this game. It’s got a rich lore, good combat (still didn’t have the oompf that I wanted), and great dungeons. This is the game after WoW that I devoted the most time too. Wildstar While my time with this game was short, it was still one of the best MMO experiences I’ve ever had. Wildstar has one of the better combat systems and on top of that it has a really fascinating lore. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic It’s not bad, I was really invested in the story and lore because I’ll pretty much consume anything that has to do with Star Wars but the combat is such a sluggish chore I just couldn’t bother to continue playing, no matter how much I liked the story. Rift: Wow. Just wow. Or should I say WoW?

And I played many, many more that I’m just omitting either accidentally or on purpose (trust me, I’ve played some hot trash). My newest experience has been with Elder Scrolls Online by Zenimax Online Studios. I’ll just say… it’s different.

If you’ve read any of my posts before than you’re probably well aware that I’m a sucker for a good story. I love rich lore and history since that’ll be the thing that will draw me back. The funny thing is that it’s really a different story when it comes to MMOs. I just want a big, overarching plot that will get me from one point to the other. It’s been different with ESO though, I love exploring the world and finding new and intriguing stories. It’s really surprising that Zenimax was able to capture the wonder of the Elder Scrolls games’ and place them on this much larger scale. The story is also important to me since I’m pretty much strictly a PvE (Player versus Enviroment) player.

Let’s just cut straight to business. I can’t explain why but from a gameplay perspective this is the most fun I have ever had with an Elder Scrolls game. The combat still maintains that really empty, weightless feel from Skyrim but the skills are able to add this extra layer that makes the combat fun. It’s also important for me that this is an action game with real-time combat. I can not function with this hotkey based combat, it just frustrates me to no end. Honestly, it’s nothing to write home about. It’s not the best combat but it does get the job done in a fun and exciting manner. The first-person perspective really benefits the game and I’d actually be really cool with more action-oriented MMOs adopting a First-Person perspective.

Graphically this game is good. It doesn’t retain the grittier feel of the previous Elder Scrolls games, opting for something that can only be described as “animated”. It looks cartoonish but still retains a particular, indescribable, aesthetic that helps people easily identify that this takes place in the Elder Scrolls universe. I’d venture to say that it is the armor which helps to keep the game grounded in the universe.

As of right now, I’ve had a fantastic time with Elder Scrolls and it’s definitely got it’s hooks in me. I just can’t say for how much longer, I’m enjoying it but I don’t know if I’ll still have the same fervent passion to play as I do at this moment. Only time will tell really. I recommend it for anyone that’s looking for a solid MMO. I haven’t engaged in any of the large scale battles and I haven’t done any big dungeons but my first impression really is a good one. I know that I can’t wait to play more Elder Scrolls Online.

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