The Elder Scrolls games are all about exploration, adventure, and discovery, and a lot of these essential components have arguably been watered down in order to accommodate thousands of players. Needless to say, this is where some of the core concepts of the franchise are called into question.
Essentially, the continent of Tamriel is your playground, and you're free to enjoy it as you like – you just have to be mindful of other players. The underlying mechanics are the same: you create your own custom character, you're kicked out into a huge map, you kill things with weapons, magic, or both, and you go around accepting quests and generally helping those in need. The result is an absolutely massive RPG that'll feel familiar if you're a franchise regular, complete with enjoyable MMO elements that bring something new to the world of Nirn.Īs hinted, if you've played an Elder Scrolls title before, you should adapt to this one pretty quickly.
Thankfully, and perhaps surprisingly for some, The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited manages to successfully blend the series' core concepts and mechanics with an MMO structure. However, none of this actually matters if the game isn't worth paying for in the first place. For PlayStation enthusiasts who perhaps aren't too knowledgeable of MMOs, The Elder Scrolls Online's model is both accessible and fair, and in truth, it's difficult to think of a better way that it could have been handled. Where numerous other MMOs either fall foul to the tedious free-to-play model or put players off by demanding a subscription, ZeniMax Online Studios has hit a sweet spot, especially when it comes to the console crowd. Either way, it's better than having to deal with a mandatory subscription fee.Īnd that's really The Elder Scrolls Online's ace in the hole. There's nothing wrong with spending some pocket change on a new horse if you really enjoy playing the game, and in turn, you're helping support the release as whole. Character skins, additional mounts, and pets that can't engage in combat make up the majority of optional content, and all in all, the Crown Store is a decent idea. Fortunately, this certainly isn't a pay-to-win scenario, as most of the stuff that's up for grabs is purely cosmetic. The Crown Store, meanwhile, allows you to purchase in-game content with real money. Not only has the release itself undergone some substantial alterations, but the game's business model has been entirely transformed in time for its arrival on the PlayStation 4.
Flash forward just over a year, and there have been some big changes. The general consensus was that the developer had taken Bethesda's enthralling franchise and tossed it onto a bland, uninspired MMO template.
When The Elder Scrolls Online first launched on PC back in 2014, it was met with a lukewarm reception. In many ways, it's a game that stays true to the property, but this time around, you're not alone.
For years now, many fans of the series have wondered what it'd be like to explore the vast world of Nirn alongside their friends, and that's unsurprisingly the core concept behind The Elder Scrolls Online. Taking a step back from its much loved fantasy franchise, Bethesda has left the latest Elder Scrolls title to ZeniMax Online Studios, and if its name hasn't already given it away, The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited is a massively multiplayer online role-playing release.