Elder Scrolls Online: Can It Be A Competent Successor To Skyrim?

WIth Elder Scrolls Online's release right around the corner we can't help but wonder how well it is going to hold up compared to the rest of the Elder Scrolls series.

Posted By | On 07th, Sep. 2013

Elder Scrolls Online: Can It Be A Competent Successor To Skyrim?

The Elder Scrolls franchise is a popular one. A series of games that started with Arena way back in the hay days of 1994. From there came Daggerfall and after that the much more known and popular, Morrowind, Oblivion and finally Skyrim. All these games brought something new and never before seen to gaming, with increasingly wonderful technology with each release.

Now it looks like the Elder Scroll series is finally making the leap into the online universe, with Elder Scrolls Online. They’ve done expansions and recently with Skyrim they’ve accepted the modding community with open arms and have thousands upon thousands of community made innovations for Skyrim, but of course there is nothing like Elder Scrolls Online.

This is a big step for the franchise as well, there hasn’t been any online components for any of the Elder Scroll titles before and it looks like the franchise isn’t even bothering to get it’s feet wet and is just jumping right into the deep end. The question is whether this online title is going to sink to the bottom or become an amazing online title that rises to the top?

the elder scrolls online

As it stands, Elder Scrolls Online certainly has some stiff competition to live up to. With so many MMO games out there now, with developed environments, worlds, characters, gear and player bases already well established getting a game like this off the ground is a tough nut to crack. If that isn’t enough to deal with, ZeniMax has to fill the shoes of some of the most in-depth, single player experiences that have ever been created.

"As it stands, Elder Scrolls Online certainly has some stiff competition to live up to. With so many MMO games out there now, with developed environments, worlds, characters, gear and player bases already well established getting a game like this off the ground is a tough nut to crack."

With so much riding on this game, it’s no wonder they’ve kept it under wraps for so long and have been very careful about who has beta access and what information gets out to the public. As much as people try, some simply don’t get beta invites to the game.

At first, plenty of people were interested, but weary of the announcement of Elder Scrolls Online. Some folks viewed it as a simple “cash-in,” for a game that people all over the internet had been wishfully asking for, for years.

Once that announcement was made people’s tunes suddenly changed, fearing the worst with plenty of them expecting to just turn the game into another World of Warcraft clone.

While there have been plenty of developers who’ve made this mistake, it’s always something gamers worry about; especially when it’s about about a franchise that many people love. After the demos at E3 and QuakeCon this year though a lot of those worries have been put to rest, with a great twitch-based combat system and even the ability to quickly switch between third and first person views.

the elder scrolls online

Luckily for us, ZeniMax has made this game a labor of love that they have, so far from what we’ve seen put a boatload of time into it. Elder Scrolls Online is going to have all the same classes we’ve enjoyed throughout the series.

"There is going to be plenty of sneaking, pick-pocketing and lock-picking too. So there is definitely more to this game than just grinding your way to the top and hoping that we’ve got some friends to play with along the way."

The setting of the game also takes place about a thousand years before Skyrim, so all those ruined cities, villages and those old Dwemer will be pretty lively this time around. ZeniMax is also paying very close attention to all the lore of the Elder Scrolls universe. They really have to with this particular title, people aren’t going to accept some half-baked online spin-off. ZeniMax knows this and they are taking it very seriously.

They are certainly doing their very best to bring the full, single player experience from games like Oblivion and Skyrim. There is going to be plenty of sneaking, pick-pocketing and lock-picking too. So there is definitely more to this game than just grinding your way to the top and hoping that we’ve got some friends to play with along the way. The world is certainly complicated too, with three factions all vying for the Emperor’s ruby throne there is going to be no lack of players the fight with as you explore the world. As big as Tamriel already is based on what has be released this far it is just going to keep getting bigger as the developers over at Zenimax unlock more areas in updates and expansions.

the elder scrolls online

 Staying true to the Elder Scrolls series, there will still be plenty of small but interesting quests to send players out into the world, either together or by themselves. The player can choose to be a part of the Fighters, Assassin’s, Mage’s guild and many more. While the player may pick a class to start in, just like the single player games, you will have your choice of what skills and abilities you focus on. So there are plenty of options to make your character different, even if your friends decide to play the same class.

"While the player may pick a class to start in, just like the single player games, you will have your choice of what skills and abilities you focus on. "

There is going to be plenty to do in the this busily populated title with gamer’s who can’t wait to have a chance to get into this game. The game is still a little ways off, and plenty of people are waiting patiently for a beta invite and for a chance to get a bit of a hands-on preview with the game instead of just watching videos.

Even with all these great features though, making a great MMO title is a difficult nut to crack and there will be no shortages of critical eyes looking at this title under a microscope. As long as the Elder Scrolls online can stay true to the series that plenty of gamers have grown to love than we should get a great MMO experience, and finally one that we can also share with our friends, instead of just trading stories. We’re also getting this MMO on our next generations consoles and even OSX, so it doesn’t look like anyone is going to be missing out on this exciting game.


Amazing Articles You Might Want To Check Out!

Share Your Thoughts Below  (Always follow our comments policy!)



Keep On Reading!

No Man’s Sky: Orbital Update is Live With Space Station Overhaul, Ship Salvaging, and More

No Man’s Sky: Orbital Update is Live With Space Station Overhaul, Ship Salvaging, and More

New Fleet Missions allow players to defend their frigates when attacked, and guild affiliations have been made...

Marvel Rivals Announced – 6v6 PvP Shooter Receives PC Alpha Test in May

Marvel Rivals Announced – 6v6 PvP Shooter Receives PC Alpha Test in May

Playable characters include Spider-Man, Hulk, Magneto, Iron Man and many more, with Team-Up Skills and destruc...

PS5 Pro “Won’t Grow the Market”, Some Developers Don’t Understand “the Point of It” – Report

PS5 Pro “Won’t Grow the Market”, Some Developers Don’t Understand “the Point of It” – Report

"Developers didn’t feel they needed it, at least the ones I spoke to," says GamesIndustry.biz founder Christ...

Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1 Update Adds Pause Menu to Metal Gear Solid 2 on PC

Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1 Update Adds Pause Menu to Metal Gear Solid 2 on PC

Metal Gear Solid 3 on Steam also gets an Additional Settings menu with audio and screen options, mouse sensiti...

Stellar Blade – Combat, Cinematics, and Bosses Revealed in New Demo Gameplay

Stellar Blade – Combat, Cinematics, and Bosses Revealed in New Demo Gameplay

The demo goes live on March 29th for PS5 and features the opening sections. Progress carries over into the ful...

Microsoft Gaming CEO Discusses Potentially Having Epic Games Store and Other Storefronts on Xbox

Microsoft Gaming CEO Discusses Potentially Having Epic Games Store and Other Storefronts on Xbox

"Nobody would blink twice if I said, ‘Hey when you’re using a PC, you get to decide the type of experience...