I’ll be the first to admit how excited I was when I heard about an MMORPG for Elder Scrolls. The entire concept was amazing. I participated in the beta and enjoyed what I saw. Yet, then came the early access for the PC launch and at least for me (I know I’m not alone), it wasn’t easy. There were so many problems trying to get the game to work. I spent more time on the phone with Bethesda and breaking down my computer than I did playing during the early access. My fellow GameSkinny writers can vouch for my frustrations as they heard me vent.
Once I finally solved the issues on my own, I started playing and was deeply immersed in the world. I had a lot of fun creating my characters and as of now, I have three, one for each faction. I think part of the reason I had fun was coming up with names for my characters and for one of them I went Austin Powers style for humor sake. The amount of detail you can put into designing your character within the game’s parameters is phenomenal; from the eyes, fullness of the lips to the wrinkles of the face–impressive.
You start the game in Coldharbour inside a cell and upon approaching the cell’s door, you meet a character named The Prophet. He informs you that your soul has been taken and that you’re inside the Wailing Prison in Molag Bal’s Plane of Oblivion. After a lengthy chat, another prisoner unlocks your cell and you’re off to meet up with Lyris Titanborn who further explains other details. This is also the area where you learn your basic combat controls, how to block, move, dash from your enemy, and where you get your first weapon.
You continue on, fighting through skeletons and eventually reach the Tower of Eyes. Your next task is to destroy a Sentinel and take the opportunity to fight tons of monsters all while leveling up your skills. There are basic items you can collect and there’s a chest in a secluded part of the river. Once ready, proceed by following the marker up the small tower and smash the eye.
Once that’s achieved, you need to reach The Prophet’s cell, unfortunately you’ll find the door blocked by a barrier. Turn around, talk to Lyris, then jump down and go right to speak to Cadwell. He’ll point you to the Undercroft, so follow the marker and head inside. Once inside, watch for tons of traps that clutter the floor and walls. There are chests to open in some places and enemies to fight to help level your skills. Once at the end, speak with Lyris and she’ll tell you to activate the two switches on either side. By doing so, The Prophet will appear. After yet again, a lengthy conversation you will leave the area and enter the final one and it’s pretty cool.
Open the chests, then move forward and you’ll trigger an illusion of Molag Bal, once completed, will trigger your first boss–the Child of Bones. This Anchor Guardian isn’t very tough, just make sure you block and stun her when she is charging up an attack. Don’t worry though too much, The Prophet does assist you the entire time by casting spells as you can see from my screenshot here. After beating the Child of Bones, you’ll learn about Skyshards and then have to activate the anchor. Once you jump into the anchor, you’ll appear in Tamriel and The Prophet will speak to you via an illusion. You’ll learn that you’ve both been separated for some reason during the jump. Where you end up all depends on the faction you chose in character selection, and so your true adventure begins…
I think they did an excellent job at incorporating story and lessons simultaneously while keeping the player thoroughly entertained.
What I appreciated most so far in my PvE experience is the multitude of quests that is Elder Scrolls, from the main storyline to the various NPCs you encounter throughout the game. Puzzles and investigative missions add more excitement and the quests affect how NPCs relate to you later on depending on your decisions. Sound familiar?
Throughout my adventures in Tamriel playing Elder Scrolls Online, I did appreciate running into Skyrim humor when I came across an NPC complaining about someone eating the sweet roll he was looking forward to eating. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Maximum Performance
I have the game’s performance maxed out and I can say without pause it is visually stunning. The crisp details to every blade of grass, to the fur on the wolves is spectacular. The music is equally exquisite and what you’ve come to expect from the Elder Scrolls franchise. I can listen to the game’s soundtrack alone, thanks to its ambient sounds washing over me like a gentle wave ridding of the day’s frustrations. The music flows along perfectly with the gameplay.
Crafting
Crafting in Elder Scrolls Online is a bit different from the previous Bethesda games. Enchanting, Alchemy, Clothing, Woodworking, and Blacksmithing all require point investment in order to advance within each crafting ability. Their Skill Lines aren’t complex but aren’t easy either.
Searching through every crate and nightstand, finding your way through various paths is highly encouraged. By doing so, you discover Skyshards that grant skill points and find new quests hiding in remote hills. Books and scraps of paper, that contain lore and skill points are everywhere and are random, much like chests, unfortunately you are unable to stash them in a personal home like I always did in previous Elder Scrolls games.
Also, like the previous Elder Scrolls games, you have the ability to join the various guilds such as the Fighters Guild and the Mages Guild, and the ability to join the Undaunted. You can even become a werewolf and to find out more, turn to GameSkinny’s ESO Guide Directory.
I haven’t got a chance to dive into the PvP aspect of the game to be honest and I am looking forward to it when I do get around to it. I’m just having too much fun exploring on my own. Most of the combat I’ve encountered, I’ve either used a sword and shield, greatsword or a bow. I’ve found close combat to be much more satisfying than from a distance but that’s me.
Overall I think it’s a wonderful game despite the hiccups I experienced and some of the bugs. It’s a fun and challenging game with a great story. I’m very much looking forward to their upcoming content of Craglorn and more.
Published: May 13, 2014 05:46 pm