15 April 2014 The Elder Scrolls Online
The Elder Scrolls Online
Developed by: Zenimax Online Studios
Published by: Bethesda Softworks
Platform(s): PC, Mac, - PS4, Xbox One (June 2014)
Rated: M
HEX
Grab your sword and shield, Bajo, because adventure awaits in The Elder Scrolls Online.
BAJO
Ahh Elder Scrolls! Where kleptomania is rampant, and nobody sleeps under the covers. Taking an RPG series as popular Elder Scrolls and mashing it into an MMO is no easy task.
HEX
Yeah, it's a huge step for the franchise. But the big question is, will there be enough fun to warrant the game's monthly subscription fee?
BAJO
Indeed! You begin the game as a dead prisoner. Soon you meet Dumbledore who, after a bit of old man rambling, eventually tells you of five adventurers whose mistrust of a
powerful necromancer known as Minimarco had devastating consequences for Tamriel. That's bad. It's up to you to cleanse the land and reveal the corruption hiding beneath the
Vale.
HEX
That is, if you're not too distracted by collecting butterflies and generally faffing about. As you journey through this land, you'll encounter lots of little stories that
turn into larger ones. Bajo, every time I thought I'd cleared an area, there was a new quest waiting for me just around the corner - and it's top notch questing, too. I like
the way characters often hint at a larger, more sinister plot behind their problems. That drove me to want to know more about their story. I just felt really invested in what
was going on.
BAJO
Yeah, me too. ESO has a staggering amount of content and dialogue, with a bit of choice-consequence thrown in as well.
HEX
And the narratives are delivered in such a sophisticated and ambitious way, too. Scrolls Online uses a phasing system which is becoming more and more common with this genre.
This means as you clear quests, NPCs and the world around you change to reflect your actions. There is this great sense of accomplishment when you have cleared an area, and
suddenly none of the NPCs are hostile anymore.
BAJO
Yeah, finishing a quest is always satisfying. The system isn't perfect, though. It can be hard to sync up events when one of your group has already done the quest already. And
we found a handful of broken quests or spawning bugs, and sometimes NPCs won't even help you in a fight. So annoying. But they do have a good bug reporting feature.
HEX
Yeah, and these kinds of bugs are pretty common for launch week of an MMO, and most of them might even be fixed by now. What I like most about the questing is you really feel
like your actions are having an effect on the greater story around you. And it's just nice seeing so many other adventures around too. There's a good balance of player
population, and quite often a stranger will bumble into a fight you're losing and save the day just in time. And there's just so many nice little touches and details, like
when someone is rifling through their bag or staring at a map.
BAJO
I love that - it's such a small feature, but it's just wonderful.
HEX
Yeah, I also love how nothing in this world feels fixed or static, which is a common problem for MMOs. NPCs are always doing stuff around you, as if they have their own lives
and aren't simply waiting for you to rock up. You especially notice this when you enter a new area, and kind of stumble upon events that are already in action. And finally,
Bajo - an MMO that won't go easy on you. There are some serious challenges in this game.
BAJO
And about time, because MMOs have been getting so easy.
HEX
Yeah, and it encourages that social element, because you ask others for help and team up with people around you.
BAJO
And Hex, honestly the beta we played a few weeks ago was a little underwhelming, but now that we've got our own characters and we've got ownership over them? I'm in.
HEX
Yeah, me too. Although it is a slow burn, isn't it?
BAJO
Yeah, absolutely. I'm only level 16 and that's taken me about 40 hours. But there are just so many skill points I need to get and collect and upgrade! So many skills I need! I
need them all!
HEX
Spread across all, like, different things, and the race, and the class, and the weapon bonus! Put your points in all the things.
BAJO
Things! Attributes! I think the reason why we're finding this so compelling is they've just nailed that carrot on a stick thing that WoW did so well. You can just see all
those abilities that you don't have yet just out of reach.
HEX
I feel like my character is at the beginning of a long journey, with so much self improvement to be achieved.
BAJO
And it's actually quite nice that this MMO feels like there's a slog, you know? It's going to be a slog to get through. But the good sort of slog!
HEX
Yeah, I mean, it's been a while since we've had something serious to chip away at, with so many zones and areas yet to be discovered!
BAJO
There are four classes, and they naturally lean towards certain roles and weapon types. But by no means is your class as fixed as most RPGs. Healers can wear heavy armour,
tanks can use bows - whatever works for you. Everything has a magicka and stamina balance to it, and it's fun playing with that dynamic. Plus, at level 15, you get weapon
switching, and that can drastically change the way you play this game. I like to start with a rain of arrows, and then charge in for some whackity-whack. This game lets you
play it the way you want to, and rewards you for it.
HEX
It does take a while for combat to become interesting, but there is this moment where things suddenly just click, and you go, "Okay. That's pretty awesome."
BAJO
Yeah, especially if you master those interrupts! It took a while for the combat to grow on me, too. But I think that's because they've tried to make it feel like Elder
Scrolls, but still fitting into that MMO mold. And I think it mostly works. I did find the two-handed melee to be a bit clunky, but I actually think this combat is more fun
than in the other Elder Scrolls games.
HEX
Yeah, and I love that they've gone with reticule targeting - it just makes more sense. I hate tab targeting. It's also great that there's lots of AoEs to avoid and that fights
can really get out of hand... but you know, any bump in lag can just ruin the fun, can't it?
BAJO
Yeah. And I think there's a touch of launch week lag - everything's not popping as much as it should.
HEX
Despite the speed bumps, their server technology is pretty impressive. Scrolls uses a Megaserver, which means you don't have to pick from a list of servers or shards to join.
You automatically sync up with your friends when questing, no matter where they've logged in. It's very ambitious, but it works pretty well.
BAJO
And, of course, it wouldn't be a Scrolls game without crafting. I could craft all day, Hex. And I did! Its evolved nicely from previous games, too. There's more chance and
risk in what you make, and lots to research and perk up. I do think the iron ores look like little poos everywhere, though.
HEX
They do look like little poos. Especially if you have that gathering perk that makes them kind of glisten.
BAJO
Yeah, it looks like stink lines.
HEX
Little stink lines coming off! But Bajo! You haven't talked about your special day!
BAJO
Oh Hex, it was magical. I married our Production Coordinator, Pierreth, in my first virtual wedding.
HEX
It was beautiful.
BAJO
I put on my best armour, Hex. Anxiously waited at the Shrine of Mara. We said our vows, and tied the virtual knot.
HEX
I was a little bit upset you didn't invite me, though.
BAJO
Well, you weren't online at the time! And, really, it is just a marriage of convenience - because we wanted the XP boost you get from being married and questing together. We
did invite you to the reception.
HEX
Now that was a party!
BAJO
Oh yeah! That was off the hook. We also wanted to spend some time with the PvP, which is all in one massive zone, but every time we went there... we couldn't find anyone!
HEX
Well, maybe everyone's just too busy crafting? There's so much more we could say about this game, but we have to wrap this up. I love the look of this game. I know it's a
superficial thing, but it really plays a big part in whether or not I keep playing, because you spend so much time in an MMO you want it to be beautiful. I just love that
realism to the art and the colour, and everything just seems like it belongs where it lives.
BAJO
Yeah, and so often MMOs feel barren and flat or warehousey, but there's just so much detail here - and a high level of detail, too.
HEX
I'm still not thrilled about that $15/month price tag on top of the price of the original game. I think that's going to be a hard sell for some.
BAJO
Yeah, I think it's too much. If it was just $5 or $7, but $15 when there's so much free to play out there? I know so many of my friends aren't even starting this game simply
because of that - which is such a shame.
HEX
Yeah, but there is a huge amount of content in this, which is how I think they're justifying it. All and all, for a new studio, a new game engine, and a new genre for the
series? This is quite an achievement. I'm curious to try it out with a controller when it comes out on console as well. I'm giving it 9 out of 10 rubber chickens.
BAJO
I still have some issues with lag, and of course the price - like we talked about - but I'm just hooked on the sheer amount of content in this game. For me, this was all about
the stories - and that freedom you have to build your character and play the way you want to. So I'm giving this 9 out of 10 rubber chickens. And, on a side note, how good is
the alt-tabbing?
HEX
Oh, it alt-tabs beautifully! That's actually a really important feature for MMOs.
BAJO
Yeah, absolutely. Solid tabbage.
PC, Mac
18 out of 20 Rubber Chickens
