As you may know, The Elder Scrolls Online media embargo was lifted last week for members of the press, and game reviews have been flying fast and furious. We touched on two such reviews in our recent article The Elder Scrolls Online Graphics: Are They Any Good?
After our article was posted, the well-respected games site, MMORPG.com, published an interesting editorial examining the little things that make The Elder Scrolls Online special.
First Hand Experience
The editorial was penned by MMORPG.com’s Community Manager, Michael Bitton. Bitton has extensive gaming experience in the MMO genre, and has been with the site since 2009. As both a member of the press and a beta tester, he had the opportunity to really delve into the game with a critical eye. The end result? Bitton indicates that he’s a fan of what he’s seen so far in ESO, and that it’s the little things that make the gaming experience even more enjoyable.
I’ve summarized Bitton’s three main points below, and you can read his entire editorial here.
What Makes The Elder Scrolls Online Special?
Treasure maps can be found throughout the game, providing an incentive to explore Tamriel. Once a player discovers a treasure’s location, a chest has to be dug up and lock-picked.
Exploration and discovery is meaningful. Game map locations are not revealed immediately, and players will find locations, quests, etc. as they explore on their own. In the end, there is lots to do and discover in ESO. Bitton notes that there are “random quests all over the place and you’ll even find public dungeons which you can explore with other players.”
Crafting tables allow players to create their own item sets, and there is a subtle change in how items appear visually, depending at what level they were created at. Bitton writes: Not only can you craft items in 14 different visual styles, with an entirely different look at every tier, but each of those tiers features visual variance along the way and the same is true for improvements in quality. As someone who appreciates spicing up my look often, I’m really excited by the fact that crafting allows me to both functionally and visually improve my items.
Final Thoughts
As an experienced gamer, Bitton was impressed by The Elder Scrolls Online. A lot of media hype has been focused on PvP, the Alliances, etc., but it was the small things in the game that really drove his excitement, especially exploration and crafting.
So how about it? Are you excited about The Elder Scrolls Online? For you, what would make The Elder Scrolls Online special? Share your opinions in the Speak Your Mind section below.
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Shane Scarbrough
Shane Scarbrough is the founder of the Skyrim Fansite. He's a business owner, video game journalist, and role playing game aficionado. When he's not working he enjoys reading, writing, and playing video games. He's currently on his third playthrough of Skyrim, and is playing as a Templar in The Elder Scrolls Online. You can find Shane on Google+ and FaceBook.
