Sometimes the greatest rewards of discovery spring not from encountering new realms, but in knowing exactly where we are. Take my visit to Ivarstead in Elder Scrolls Online's vision of Skyrim. Centuries hence, I knew, a chap known as the Dovahkiin would cross the bridge on my left to take Krinnek's bundle of grub to the Graybeards on High Hrothgar. The bridge was wood now, not weathered stone; the nearby buildings shaped in that gangly, over-tall style common to ZeniMax's take on Tamriel. But no disciples of Paarthurnax awaited me up the snowy path, instead, avalanches and barriers barred me from the spot in ESO I wanted to see the most. The Graybeards wouldn't be getting their food this time, and I'd learned a little about the limitations of exploration in ZeniMax's upcoming MMORPG.

Windhelm in ESO.

Windhelm in Skyrim.

Riften in ESO.

Riften in Skyrim.

Ivarstead in ESO.

Ivarstead in Skyrim.

Another look at Ivarstead in ESO.

Another look at Ivarstead in Skyrim.

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It was a minor disappointment. Over the last beta weekend and throughout the last week, I've taken a break from my focused trips across Nirn and worried little about the feasibility of this feature or the longevity of that. I've let my digital hair grow wild. In fact, I've taken the advice of one of the loading screens and simply jaunted off in a random direction like M'aiq the Liar with the intention of stumbling across memorable new adventures. It yielded more rewards than expected, especially now that ZeniMax has overhauled the starter experience to dump you in one of the big zones almost from the beginning.Much like Skyrim, Oblivion, or Morrowind, Elder Scrolls Online supports a grandiose tale of bringing order to a shattered world and such, but provided you don't want to sit through the long story instances (or get free skill points, you poor fool), you can apparently skip it entirely. I found myself doing this almost as a matter of course. The Ebonheart Pact's storyline constantly wants me to chat up "the Prophet" in the first major zone, and I'd quite literally forget it was there. Out of sight, out of mind. The main narrative forces quest progression along in a game like in Star Wars: The Old Republic or even World of Warcraft; in Elder Scrolls Online, it's content to flirt, suggesting better times if you're willing to court it.Most of Elder Scrolls Online follows the Skyrim model of questing, although it's hard to tell since ZeniMax packed the quests as tightly as copies of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in the New Mexico desert. You might come across one Dunmer grumbling about his lost guar, while several feet away another cries for vengeance for the death of lost loved ones. Both might lead to whole quest arcs crammed with their own climaxes and loot, and best you'll get for references to your past exploits are voiceovers as you pass random NPCs: "Ah, you're the hero of the dirty, nameless Argonian village!" (Or whatever.) The comparison is rough, but it's a little like playing Skyrim while ignoring the whole Dovahkiin questline (which I tend to prefer these days).Elder Scrolls Online breaks with most other MMORPGs in just how wholly embraces this concept. Venture too far beyond the bounds your own level in most other MMOs, and you'll battle absurdities such as bunnies that kill you with a single thump or questgivers who share nothing save grayed-out exclamation marks. Not so with Elder Scrolls Online. My adventures in Skyrim took me into content well out of my little level 22 Nightblade's comfort zone, and yet I found myself able to participate in most quests and even--shock of shocks--capable of taking on single enemies more than 20 levels higher than myself. Had I a friend with me, I suspect I wouldn't have had any problems at all. (A caveat: I play a Nightblade Shadow archer who switches out to two-handed weapons in a pinch, and thus I allow that I may be a tad imbalanced.)The content was much harder, yes, but usually not impossible. As such, it resembled Skyrim more than I expected. In Windhelm, I took part in a foot race after chatting with the presumed great x125 grandmother of Ulfric Stormcloak, getting all the accolades and loot (though as of yet unusable) as a high level character. I even managed to stave off a swarming attack versus the local Nord in charge, thanks in part to an NPC healer. I wasn't always successful--I was no match for a bounty target and his two cronies outside of Ivarstead--but the whole experience seemed to hint that I wasn't confined to content in my level-appropriate zone. The problem? Getting addicted to such an approach might leave me with few quests close to the level cap.But if ZeniMax nails the wider strokes of exploration, it might as well hold the smaller pleasures of discovery in place with tape or chewing gum. I love that books await on nearly every table and shelf in Elder Scrolls Online, for instance, but I hate that I can't stash and display them for perusal in idle hours. ESO instead takes a Kindle-like approach to hoarding books that fails to satisfy. Still, some surprises await. It's possible to steal food and drink of certain tables, for example, and opening your bags reveals that the unassuming loaf of bread boosts your stamina recovery.My journeys presented an unintended consequence--they made me want to boot up Skyrim to see the differences. Several hours in ESO can make you forget how vast they are. Elder Scrolls Online presents a myopic view of the world Bethesda created in Skyrim, Oblivion, and Morrowind, and jumping back into the age of the Dovahkiin thus reminds me of slipping my glasses back on after going hours without them. The trees in Ivarstead grew lusher and fuller, in thickets and in alleyways; the buildings themselves seemed to bear the scars of long use and countless winters.I paused at the bridge heading south out of town, hesitant from the knowledge of the bears that waited beyond, and then I nudged my horse forward. What started as a mere screenshot comparison ended up being a two-hour romp through aspen glades and bandit dens. And that's perhaps my biggest concern with with Elder Scrolls Online, particularly as regards its longevity and the success of its subscription model. For all the hidden strengths of Elder Scrolls Online's approach to exploration, the existence of Skyrim presents a unique riposte to Tom Wolfe--we can, in fact, go home again.Even in its best moments, Elder Scrolls Online only makes me homesick.

Leif Johnson is a contributing editor to IGN who loves online role-playing games. Follow him on Twitter @LeifJohnson

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