Having not played many MMOs and still being a big fan of the Elder Scrolls series, I was forever wondering if The Elder Scrolls Online was for me.
Enter its hands-on beta.
From my limited experience with MMOs, ESO begins in much the same way as others do. Small quests act as tutorials to familiarise players with gameplay mechanics and controls. Get three of this item. Talk to those four people. Kill a bunch of those. What sets it apart is the amazing backstory the series has accumulated over the years. If you have played an Elder Scrolls game, you’re aware of the effort the developers have put into bringing this world to life through its rich story. If you haven’t, shame on you. Stop reading and go play Skyrim.
So, does being set in the world of Tamriel help to overcome my general disinterest for MMOs? It’s starting to look like it will be the first game of the genre that can keep me interested for more than a few days. Even though it plays a little differently, it feels just like an Elder Scrolls game… only on a bigger scale. Elements like the music and quality of voice acting evoke that feeling of Tamriel.
Think of the continent of Tamriel as a punnet of Neapolitan ice-cream with the flavours at war with each other. I never thought I’d say that, but it’s a perfect analogy. In the east (we’ll go with the chocolate side) you have the Nords, Argonians and Dark elves making up the The Ebonheart Pact. The vanilla down the middle is home to The Aldmeri Dominion, made up of the High elves, Wood elves and Khajiit. Finally the Orcs, Bretons and Redguards control The Daggerfall Covenant, the western pinkish strawberry thing. Please note some geographical liberties have been taken. If your favourite race is the Imperials, you’ll have to fork over some extra cash for the Imperial Edition. Ironic when you think the racial abilities of the Imperials make them a little more thrifty and better with their gold.
The series is well known for allowing gamers to play however they want. That doesn’t translate perfectly to an MMO. It would be absolute chaos if it was just Skyrim with lots of people. The standard Elder Scrolls battle system has been changed a little, adding more of a traditional MMO feel. You still have the option to play however you want within the race but choosing a class will limit you. You can still choose to use whatever style of weapon you like and as before the more you use one type the stronger you will become with it. Much the same, but tailored to the MMO genre.
The world doesn’t feel as packed with interesting goodies for you to examine or steal as in Skyrim. This is just a beta though, so hopefully everyone’s rampant cheese collecting will not be slowed down. It’s also difficult to get a sense of scale while playing the early parts of the game, but I have a feeling it’s going to be massive. Elder Scrolls Online feels a lot more open than previous Elder Scrolls games despite the lack of books, weapons and other random junk, but still (fingers crossed) seems as though there’s plenty to do. As I progressed, items such as plants and weapons that appeared as interactive objects became part of quests. Mushrooms to harvest, Alters to pray at. The server I was playing on wasn’t very full, but even with just NPCs and quest givers, ESO feels like a bustling world. There are NPCs and baddies everywhere. The hardest thing is trying to decide what to do.
Joining guilds will help to build on an already overflowing quest log. It didn’t take long for me to track down the Mages Guild and become initiated. I did as many dodgy deals with back alley types as I could find in hopes of finding the Thieves Guild with no pay off. They seem a little trickier to find than other more obvious guilds proudly displayed for all to see. There’s a five-guild limit for each character, so you will need to choose wisely when deciding if you want to join. At one point I joined a guild without even knowing. I thought I was accepting a quest from some hunters and all of a sudden, I was in another guild. It became evident that there must be a lot more than just the four or five guilds we have come to expect in an Elder Scrolls title. Another indication of the potential size of the game.
I still don’t know if ESO is going to consume all my time like Skyrim or Fallout did, but after some time with it I’m eager to give it a chance. The MMO aspects turn me off a little, but it feels like playing through in a more co-op style with a few friends is a real possibility. A lot of new MMOs have at least piqued my interest over the last few years and Elder Scrolls Online is the first I have got my hands on and really enjoyed. If anyone is on the fence about ESO I can happily say it’s well worth a go.
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