Score: 7/10
Pros:
Fun MMORPG mechanics
Controls work well on console
Looks great on the TV
Cons:
Poor RPG elements
Gamer Tags
Developed by Zenimax Online Studios, Published by Bethesda
Xbox One, PS4, PC
Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited is a multiplayer online role playing game, or MMORPG, that takes place in the Elder Scrolls Universe. If the game sounds familiar it’s because it was initially released for PC last year. But now it has finally made it’s way to consoles, ditching its subscription model in the process.
The core experience remains the same, with the game still very much playing and feeling like an MMORPG. Your time in Tamriel will see you exploring its many vast regions as you quest by yourself or with other adventurers. If you’ve played an MMORPG before you will slip right into Elder Scrolls Onlines familiar mechanics.
However, if you are not a fan of MMORPG’s, but rather a fan of Bethesda’s RPG games also set in the Elder Scrolls universe, such as Oblivion or Skyrim; BEWARE. The transition of this game to console was very much aimed at fans of these RPG games and there is a good chance that if you are a console gamer you’ve not played an MMORPG.
Elder Scrolls Online masquerades as Skyrim-esque experience by including a first person mode and borrowing its aesthetic and art style. But the truth is that these two games are very different experiences and although Elder Scrolls Online may be a very entertaining MMORPG, it is a very poor RPG experience if that’s what you’re trying to get out of it.
If you are looking for an MMORPG experience however, the console is a great place to jump into Elder Scrolls Online. The controls are surprisingly well suited for the game and actually add a new level of ease and control to the battle mechanics. The game also looks the best it has, clearly utilising the power of the Xbox One and PS4 well.
Playing on a console also allows an immersion that is sometimes hard to capture when playing on a PC. As you roam the varied and interesting landscapes it can become easy to forget there is a controller in your hand. However, this immersion is often ruined by the console versions insistence on displaying fellow players gamer tags above their heads instead of their character name. I don’t know about you, but BongRipper420 just doesn’t sound like a good Fantasy character name to me.
Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited is a pretty solid MMORPG and its transition to console without a subscription cost makes it even better. If you go in not expecting a Skyrim level experience, you are bound to have a good time in Tamriel.
Review by Baz Macdonald aka @kaabazmac
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