So, recently I have been playing the new (to consoles) Elder Scrolls Online, and I thought I would share my thoughts.
First, I have to say, I am huge fan of the Elder Scrolls series, so my opinions are just that. Now on to the actual game:
The Bad:
No game is perfect, especially an Elder Scrolls game. They always seem to have problems, and ESO is no exception. My problems consist of mainly lag, a lack of textures, and NPCs being invisible.
The lag in this game is there almost constantly, but thankfully, it's not to a point where it makes the game unplayable. In other MMOs, I have been killed by lag, not so in this one. Maybe it's because I am only level 10. As with other MMOs, it is really only noticeable when you are talking to an NPC, trying to attack, or trying loot a crate or corpse (but it really isn't that constant - at least, with my connection).
The second biggest problem in the game is not so much game breaking as others. Every once and awhile, when you load into a new area, the textures on PCs don't pop in. So, next thing you know, you have 5 or 6 people running around you in a market that are just a black human shape. With swords on their back or strapped to their waist, cause the weapon textures load properly.
The third biggest problem of the game, and this is probably the worst, but not the most common, is when NPCs don't load. What that means is that the merchant or the quest giver doesn't actually appear on your screen.They are still solid, and you still get a prompt to interact with them, but nothing happens when you press the 'A' button (I've been playing on the Xbox One). The way around it, according to ESO's forums, is to power cycle the console. It's a pain, and when it's the last quest to turn in in an area, it makes it almost unplayable. How I got around it the first time is by just turning off the console and taking a nap. The second time, I logged out, then logged back in, and then loading the area again.
There are some other minor complaints I have about the UI. The map could use an uplift: more icons and it needs to be easier to get to the world map from the local maps. When viewing the map in other MMOs, I could figure out which vendor to go to to either purchase more bag space or new weapons. In ESO, there are icons and names, but no titles. You have to actually go to the area and find the person to see what their title is. I would also like to see a way to determine ping, but that isn't a big deal.
The Good:
The world. First and foremost, this is an Elder Scrolls game, and there has been a lot put into this world. I'm currently playing as a member of the Ebonheart Pact, and I am traveling through the wonderfully bleak world of the Dark Elves that I remember from my childhood that I spent in Morrowind, I spent the first handful of levels in a region of the snow-covered tundra of Skyrim, and I cannot wait to travel through bogs, plains, and then start all back over as one of the other two factions. Throughout the world, there are lore books scattered around, so when you are tired of adventuring, you can just open up the lore section of your journal and read to your heart's content.
The gameplay. When not suffering from lag, this game plays well. It's like Skyrim with multiple people. You gotta keep moving and, unlike in other MMOs, your basic swinging of a sword is not just a filler move while you wait for skills to recharge or you stamina and magicka pools to recharge. Also, in true Elder Scrolls fashion, your race and class does not affect what weapons and armor you can use - I personally went for a stereotype with my Imperial Dragon Knight wearing heavy armor and using a sword and shield.
The voice acting. As with Oblivion and Skyrim, the voice acting and storytelling in this game is great. It reminds me of the sense of adventure that I have when beating back dragons in Skyrim, closing shut the jaws of Oblivion in Oblivion, or killing gods in Morrowind - as well as questing in games like Star Wars The Old Republic. Now, with the epic voice acting and storytelling comes a potential problem that games like Star Wars The Old Republic and Destiny suffer from: not able to have the original voice actors back for all DLC. Let it be known that I am ok with DLC expansion packs, but if the Prophet is in any DLC packs and they do not get Michael Gambon, it just won't be the same. It would be like Darth Vader not being voiced by James Earl Jones.
And with that, I've covered most of my initial thoughts of ESO. Take it with a grain of salt, I am a huge Elder Scrolls fan and I love MMOs, and if you know what you are getting into, you won't be disappointed.
First, I have to say, I am huge fan of the Elder Scrolls series, so my opinions are just that. Now on to the actual game:
The Bad:
No game is perfect, especially an Elder Scrolls game. They always seem to have problems, and ESO is no exception. My problems consist of mainly lag, a lack of textures, and NPCs being invisible.
The lag in this game is there almost constantly, but thankfully, it's not to a point where it makes the game unplayable. In other MMOs, I have been killed by lag, not so in this one. Maybe it's because I am only level 10. As with other MMOs, it is really only noticeable when you are talking to an NPC, trying to attack, or trying loot a crate or corpse (but it really isn't that constant - at least, with my connection).
The second biggest problem in the game is not so much game breaking as others. Every once and awhile, when you load into a new area, the textures on PCs don't pop in. So, next thing you know, you have 5 or 6 people running around you in a market that are just a black human shape. With swords on their back or strapped to their waist, cause the weapon textures load properly.
The third biggest problem of the game, and this is probably the worst, but not the most common, is when NPCs don't load. What that means is that the merchant or the quest giver doesn't actually appear on your screen.They are still solid, and you still get a prompt to interact with them, but nothing happens when you press the 'A' button (I've been playing on the Xbox One). The way around it, according to ESO's forums, is to power cycle the console. It's a pain, and when it's the last quest to turn in in an area, it makes it almost unplayable. How I got around it the first time is by just turning off the console and taking a nap. The second time, I logged out, then logged back in, and then loading the area again.
There are some other minor complaints I have about the UI. The map could use an uplift: more icons and it needs to be easier to get to the world map from the local maps. When viewing the map in other MMOs, I could figure out which vendor to go to to either purchase more bag space or new weapons. In ESO, there are icons and names, but no titles. You have to actually go to the area and find the person to see what their title is. I would also like to see a way to determine ping, but that isn't a big deal.
The Good:
The world. First and foremost, this is an Elder Scrolls game, and there has been a lot put into this world. I'm currently playing as a member of the Ebonheart Pact, and I am traveling through the wonderfully bleak world of the Dark Elves that I remember from my childhood that I spent in Morrowind, I spent the first handful of levels in a region of the snow-covered tundra of Skyrim, and I cannot wait to travel through bogs, plains, and then start all back over as one of the other two factions. Throughout the world, there are lore books scattered around, so when you are tired of adventuring, you can just open up the lore section of your journal and read to your heart's content.
The gameplay. When not suffering from lag, this game plays well. It's like Skyrim with multiple people. You gotta keep moving and, unlike in other MMOs, your basic swinging of a sword is not just a filler move while you wait for skills to recharge or you stamina and magicka pools to recharge. Also, in true Elder Scrolls fashion, your race and class does not affect what weapons and armor you can use - I personally went for a stereotype with my Imperial Dragon Knight wearing heavy armor and using a sword and shield.
The voice acting. As with Oblivion and Skyrim, the voice acting and storytelling in this game is great. It reminds me of the sense of adventure that I have when beating back dragons in Skyrim, closing shut the jaws of Oblivion in Oblivion, or killing gods in Morrowind - as well as questing in games like Star Wars The Old Republic. Now, with the epic voice acting and storytelling comes a potential problem that games like Star Wars The Old Republic and Destiny suffer from: not able to have the original voice actors back for all DLC. Let it be known that I am ok with DLC expansion packs, but if the Prophet is in any DLC packs and they do not get Michael Gambon, it just won't be the same. It would be like Darth Vader not being voiced by James Earl Jones.
And with that, I've covered most of my initial thoughts of ESO. Take it with a grain of salt, I am a huge Elder Scrolls fan and I love MMOs, and if you know what you are getting into, you won't be disappointed.
Comments
Post a Comment