Tom's Hardware Review

Genomic

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/the-elder-scrolls-online-review,3815.html

Harsh, but also pretty damn funny in spots (the dungeon map cracked me up .. and made me think).

Rotherhans

In before the fanboy&girl brigade.

Pretty good review or rather description of the guys personal experiences.
Yet another one who went in for Skyrim 2nd episode and ended up in a normal MMO.
Don´t fault him for his Skyrim2 expectations, though. It´s basically part of the in official marketing strategy, sadly.

So far I am actually enjoying listening to the quests, though I´m saddened that my quest line decisions are that irrelevant in the great arch.

The Dungeon copypasta is outrageous though, but I should´ve expected it too with this cursed console support.

Sarenia

Rotherhans wrote: »

In before the fanboy&girl brigade.

I officially dub your entire post invalid.

Have a good day!

Xionar

I love how he writes.

"70.19% of dungeons you explore in The Elder Scrolls Online will look the same, because they are the same."

And then in the same article writes.

"There are 104 in total across the lands of Tamriel, not accounting for a small handful of “public group” dungeons."

How does one come up with these numbers without including everything that should be accounted for?

I admit I was a little disappointed with the public dungeons. But, if someone is going to make a statistic about dungeons...they should at least have the decency to count them all in their math.

Thesiren

That review had me laughing out loud in spots, even though I think the reviewer was too hard on ESO. Still, he made a number of valid points. His melodramatic humor harkened back to the days of Old Man Murray-- does anyone remember that gaming review site from ages ago?

nerevarine1138

Rotherhans wrote: »

Yet another one who went in for Skyrim 2nd episode and ended up in a normal MMO.
Don´t fault him for his Skyrim2 expectations, though. It´s basically part of the in official marketing strategy, sadly.

You mean the repeated interviews and press statements where they said that it wasn't going to be Skyrim Online? That marketing strategy?

Csub

Guys, I didn`t know WoW was f2p: "There are free-to-play games out right now with orders of magnitude better gameplay and more content: Dungeons & Dragons Online, Star Trek Online, and of course World of Warcraft".

Also, I didn`t read all the review, it is too late/early for that but the conclusion is so unfair I am not sure if I will read it at all. As for dungeon "cloning", I don`t think that in MMOs there are no copy-paste dungeons (even the apparently F2P WoW has copy paste ones), and I also "liked" the part that others pointed out: yep, most are duped not accounting the ones that aren`t. Yeah, I mean why would "all" mean each and every, let`s just ignore the ones that would counter our arguments and still label the rest as "all".

And the comment section with the huge amount of ignorant people is just the icing on the cake, people without even trying it commenting negatively is a common thing nowadays but when they say how bad Bethesda made this MMO you can`t help but facepalm yourself.

Biding_My_Time

It saddened me how much I felt the same as the reviewer, only in a state of denial about it. I've yet to get past level 26 due to making alts under the assumption that I wasn't enjoying playing my class because I wasn't playing the "right one". I of course attributed this to my typical issues with altitis, but now that I've played a few characters enough to get a taste of their play styles, I've realized my folly.

Couple this with the current state of Cyrodiil, which shortly after launch seemed like it would be enough on its own to keep me playing the game, I'm likely a one month sub at best.

Unlike the reviewer, I didn't play sky rim or oblivion, and in fact haven't played one of these games since Daggerfall. I don't feel that I had unreasonable expectations for this game. Despite it being a source of some amusement for a few weeks now, the lack of numerous aspects I expect of MMOs (some of them very simple) has really begun to wear on me. I'm not even considering the plague known as bots/spammers here. Although the reviewer deems them unacceptable, I deem them as inevitable and try to ignore them as best I can

I certainly got my Imperial edition's worth, but I can't justify throwing any more money at it in its current state.

thearrogant

this game isnt meant for normal gamers and its new its need more time to get better ,normal gamers cant passed lvl 40 this game is very deep need alot of time and effort to be good at .and hardware review thinks wow is f2p , and i dare any of thier ppl passed level 21 or 30 , ignore those people and enjoy the game haters are gonna hate. ( vet 10 @thearrogant)

Laura

one of his quotes.

"There are free-to-play games out right now with orders of magnitude better gameplay and more content: Dungeons & Dragons Online, Star Trek Online, and of course World of Warcraft"

world of warcraft is free to play? (ok thats nitpicking I know sorry)

Also I hated all those games but love this one so I mean opinions? some people don't share the same ones.

Yeah its an MMO people expected too much I think. hes entitled to his opinion but I disagree what is insanely childish is as you read reviews you read perfectly reasonable non "fanboy" comments about the reasons they like the game and people downvote it because they dont agree or haven't played. Whatever the opposite of a fanboy is its just as annoying.

Zorak

thearrogant wrote: »

this game isnt meant for normal gamers and its new its need more time to get better ,normal gamers cant passed lvl 40 this game is very deep need alot of time and effort to be good at .and hardware review thinks wow is f2p , and i dare any of thier ppl passed level 21 or 30 , ignore those people and enjoy the game haters are gonna hate.

I agree that the majority of casuals won't like this game because the leveling is harsh.

But "deep" isn't the right word. Unfortunately this game isn't deep.

IMO they are very accurate when they say "The Elder Scrolls Online is the empty, dull train ride"...unfortunately.

And it's interesting how some ppl still think that ESO is a Sandbox MMO.

Edit: Dont get me wrong, I like the game. But right now the game feels kinda shallow, repetitive and a bit monotonous.

thearrogant

@laura well ill be fair i played wow i have 4 90s rogue , paladin ,warrior and deathknight , i played tera and i enjoyed them both .... but nothing to do in them now they reached a deadend .. from my opinion i think eso have a strong good future but most of people on a hurry they want patches to come every day and they havent even reach vet 10 havent research all the traits and craft a good sets and weps ... there is alot to do in this game its fun if you know what you are doing .

Laura

thearrogant wrote: »

@laura well ill be fair i played wow i have 4 90s rogue , paladin ,warrior and deathknight , i played tera and i enjoyed them both .... but nothing to do in them now they reached a deadend .. from my opinion i think eso have a strong good future but most of people on a hurry they want patches to come every day and they havent even reach vet 10 havent research all the traits and craft a good sets and weps ... there is alot to do in this game its fun if you know what you are doing .

oh no wow is fine. It was fun early on I was just mentioning how he called it free to play I was nitpicking like they do with ESO (was a bad joke my apologies)

Sarenia

Laura wrote: »

Yeah its an MMO people expected too much I think.

And that's really the gist of every MMO review. They expect every possible demographic to be appeased.

When a single-player game comes out servicing a singular niche -- lets say 'Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition' catering to people who like difficult SP RPGs -- those who dislike that niche don't have anything to say about it. The game's target market is obvious, it fulfills it's role and satisfies it's consumers.

When an MMO comes out, people automatically assume "massive" means they're trying to cater to every possible niche, right out of the bull pen. But ESO isn't a game that will appeal to a wide range of demographics. The UI is minimalist. The storyline is heavy on dialogue. You can't go back and change your decision on a quest once it's done. Lack of "meta features" like nameplates is also a turnoff to many.

But where some call these design flaws, others (the target niche) call them design goals that have been met satisfactorily, and are mostly in keeping with the TES traditions.

As for bugs, I couldn't care less and find all the complaints rather petty, so long as ZOS continues to make it known they're addressing them (as they have). I have a high tolerance for buggy software, and frankly I think basic debugging courses should be a mandatory when purchasing a PC. The internet would be a slightly less impatient and ignorant place that way.

thearrogant

@Zorak have you hit vet10 yet ? research traits 6 or 8 and used the special anvils to make 2 strong set together mixed with ur weps , have you get ur self ready for crag ? this game just started get ur self ready, work on ur crafting and skills so when the new patch comes you can have more activity to do ,sadly the forums start to look really bad i respect people opinions but look at the people who are throwing hate to the game most of them not vet 1 even haha, i mean patience is good want to throw hate comments be a vet10 atleast so you have experianced everything , im a vet 10 and god i have so many things to do reserching traits alone is alot , making a good group for cyrodiil after is also fun , helping ur low guildies level is also an option to waste ur time i mean you can find somthing to do more than other games , not just hit elewenn forest or orgrammar and park there lol.

Laura

Sarenia wrote: »

Laura wrote: »

Yeah its an MMO people expected too much I think.

And that's really the gist of every MMO review. They expect every possible demographic to be appeased.

When a single-player game comes out servicing a singular niche -- lets say 'Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition' catering to people who like difficult SP RPGs -- those who dislike that niche don't have anything to say about it. The game's target market is obvious, it fulfills it's role and satisfies it's consumers.

When an MMO comes out, people automatically assume "massive" means they're trying to cater to every possible niche, right out of the bull pen. But ESO isn't a game that will appeal to a wide range of demographics. The UI is minimalist. The storyline is heavy on dialogue. You can't go back and change your decision on a quest once it's done. Lack of "meta features" like nameplates is also a turnoff to many.

But where some call these design flaws, others (the target niche) call them design goals that have been met satisfactorily, and are mostly in keeping with the TES traditions.

As for bugs, I couldn't care less and find all the complaints rather petty, so long as ZOS continues to make it known they're addressing them (as they have). I have a high tolerance for buggy software, and frankly I think basic debugging courses should be a mandatory when purchasing a PC. The internet would be a slightly less impatient and ignorant place that way.

I have to wonder if the person who ticked LOL even read this because this makes more sense than anything I have read today.

thearrogant

really guys ignore the haters if you like somthing try to enjoy and dont let anything effect you instead of wasting time on forums go play and have fun you wont find somthing special on the forums nowadays or useful unless its a zos thread, one more thing TOM'S HARDWARE its a company and companies attack eachothers its buisness and MONEY you are speaking of , so dont listen to anyone review you wont find any of them fair , you want to experiance the game ? do it ur self its the best way . cheers guys

lioslinn

Hmm all of the MMOs he proposes as having more content I found bland and boring. I find ESO has far more character than say DDO*shudders* apparently we have polar opposite tastes heh.

I also agree his expectations were too high, he says being a big fan of ES titles. I personally think that Z did a good job of turning the IP into a mmo which to me is like trying to fit a square in a circle. Not an easy task. Keeping that in mind I find ESO good, if not great.

I also have a high tolerance for bugs because I get paid big bucks myself to debug large code bses andso understand the inherent complexities involved

His copy pasta image made me chuckle, and yes that image is an eye opener. I agree with some of his points but yes find it a bit harsh.

wrlifeboil

Laura wrote: »

one of his quotes.

"There are free-to-play games out right now with orders of magnitude better gameplay and more content: Dungeons & Dragons Online, Star Trek Online, and of course World of Warcraft"

world of warcraft is free to play? (ok thats nitpicking I know sorry)

Also I hated all those games but love this one so I mean opinions? some people don't share the same ones.

Yeah its an MMO people expected too much I think. hes entitled to his opinion but I disagree what is insanely childish is as you read reviews you read perfectly reasonable non "fanboy" comments about the reasons they like the game and people downvote it because they dont agree or haven't played. Whatever the opposite of a fanboy is its just as annoying.

He is sort of, kind of correct. WoW is f2p up to level 20. It is good enough to get a feel for the various classes in the game although your character is limited in the types of interactions with other players involving mail, guilds, general and trade chat channels. Otherwise you can experience what other sub level 20 players in WoW experience in the game.

KariTR

I've never received potatoes as a quest reward. I feel cheated

Nazon_Katts

I think that review is spot on. Strangely enough I still find more than enough enjoyment in the game. Apparently ESO is more than the sum of it's (broken) parts. But then, I take great joy in turning black symbols white and love me some rodent guts (...and never leave a "boss" without a blue).

Chryos

Well that's his opinion, which is fine. It doesnt take much skill to write negative reviews to make fun at things, because everyone loves to jump on the negativity bandwagon. Luckily I can think for myself. I like it for myself, not because Tom or Joe tell me to like it or hate it.

Audigy

This really isn’t a true blue sequel to the Elder Scrolls series in any sense of the thing. These many sins could be easier to swallow if it weren’t for the gargantuan price tag associated with the game, not just vanilla, but the all-but-required Imperial Edition. There are free-to-play games out right now with orders of magnitude better gameplay and more content: Dungeons & Dragons Online, Star Trek Online, and of course World of Warcraft. WildStar is another up-and-comer that looks immensely promising, with player housing and a refreshing sense of humor.

This pretty much sums up how clueless the person was that wrote the review.

1. WOW isn't F2P, it cost´s 12 bucks a month + you must pay for the game clients which would be around 80 bucks if you buy it all.

2. STO requires a huge amount of real money to get started for new players who don't know anyone ingame.

3. Wildstar is for kids, how can this even be compared to ESO which is for adults? Two totally different things and Wildstar is also a sub based game with a 50 bucks client.

4. TESO isn't a sequel to anything, its a brand new MMO.

5. The game costs 30 bucks, which is even cheaper than for instance Wildstar or GW2.

6. TESO offers more content than pretty much all MMO´s that came out lately. The only MMO that I can think of which had more is Vanilla wow, but this also because of the huge raid and dungeon content where you easily could waste 2-3 hours in one dungeon.


In the end, another hater who has no idea what MMO´s are, but post´s a review to get some visitors to his site for quick google ad´s money

Chryos

A business can go in the hole keeping a game under development for too long, at some point it's got to come out so they can get an income and continue to improve. I bet peoples opinion change 6 months or a year from now. I didnt want to wait, is all...

Sarenia

Chryos wrote: »

A business can go in the hole keeping a game under development for too long, at some point it's got to come out so they can get an income and continue to improve. I bet peoples opinion change 6 months or a year from now. I didnt want to wait, is all...

This gets overlooked quite a bit. They would have had a reservoir of funds during development, but those aren't endless. Eventually they need to reap what they've sown and even the books out.

Loxy37

I simply couldn't read it. Toms Hardware is another of those that's fallen by the wayside.

wrlifeboil

Audigy wrote: »

This really isn’t a true blue sequel to the Elder Scrolls series in any sense of the thing. These many sins could be easier to swallow if it weren’t for the gargantuan price tag associated with the game, not just vanilla, but the all-but-required Imperial Edition. There are free-to-play games out right now with orders of magnitude better gameplay and more content: Dungeons & Dragons Online, Star Trek Online, and of course World of Warcraft. WildStar is another up-and-comer that looks immensely promising, with player housing and a refreshing sense of humor.

This pretty much sums up how clueless the person was that wrote the review.

1. WOW isn't F2P, it cost´s 12 bucks a month + you must pay for the game clients which would be around 80 bucks if you buy it all.

2. STO requires a huge amount of real money to get started for new players who don't know anyone ingame.

3. Wildstar is for kids, how can this even be compared to ESO which is for adults? Two totally different things and Wildstar is also a sub based game with a 50 bucks client.

4. TESO isn't a sequel to anything, its a brand new MMO.

5. The game costs 30 bucks, which is even cheaper than for instance Wildstar or GW2.

6. TESO offers more content than pretty much all MMO´s that came out lately. The only MMO that I can think of which had more is Vanilla wow, but this also because of the huge raid and dungeon content where you easily could waste 2-3 hours in one dungeon.


In the end, another hater who has no idea what MMO´s are, but post´s a review to get some visitors to his site for quick google ad´s money

WoW is f2p up to level 20. You don't even have to give them your mailing address or credit card number. Create a battle.net account with your email address. Download and install the game and you can create eleven characters and play each one up to level 20.

Sarenia

wrlifeboil wrote: »

Audigy wrote: »

This really isn’t a true blue sequel to the Elder Scrolls series in any sense of the thing. These many sins could be easier to swallow if it weren’t for the gargantuan price tag associated with the game, not just vanilla, but the all-but-required Imperial Edition. There are free-to-play games out right now with orders of magnitude better gameplay and more content: Dungeons & Dragons Online, Star Trek Online, and of course World of Warcraft. WildStar is another up-and-comer that looks immensely promising, with player housing and a refreshing sense of humor.

This pretty much sums up how clueless the person was that wrote the review.

1. WOW isn't F2P, it cost´s 12 bucks a month + you must pay for the game clients which would be around 80 bucks if you buy it all.

2. STO requires a huge amount of real money to get started for new players who don't know anyone ingame.

3. Wildstar is for kids, how can this even be compared to ESO which is for adults? Two totally different things and Wildstar is also a sub based game with a 50 bucks client.

4. TESO isn't a sequel to anything, its a brand new MMO.

5. The game costs 30 bucks, which is even cheaper than for instance Wildstar or GW2.

6. TESO offers more content than pretty much all MMO´s that came out lately. The only MMO that I can think of which had more is Vanilla wow, but this also because of the huge raid and dungeon content where you easily could waste 2-3 hours in one dungeon.


In the end, another hater who has no idea what MMO´s are, but post´s a review to get some visitors to his site for quick google ad´s money

WoW is f2p up to level 20. You don't even have to give them your mailing address or credit card number. Create a battle.net account with your email address. Download and install the game and you can create eleven characters and play each one up to level 20.

Not to split hairs, but traditionally we call this a "trial", not "Free to Play".

I wouldn't be overly surprised if Zenimax offers an ESO trial at some point down the line.

Laerian

The battle of semantics... WoW is not F2P... I win!

I also think that the reviewer is hard on TESO, however I agree with some points he made. For example, the lack of rewards -curiously Zeni is going in the opposite direction in order to fight bots- ; I had exactly the same feeling after I duoed with a casual partner one of these Anchors: "After your second and third, you may start to ask yourself why you are doing this. This answer, of course, is to make the little black icon on your map go from black to white. That is the only effect and the only result."

It's impressive how people think that "having fun" is enough for a big title as Elder Scrolls. Yes, I have fun playing it; I have fun also playing Fishdom, however you can't compare both titles. TESO is in other level.

Did I have fun playing TES IV? Probably I spent more time tweaking and patching the game, than playing the game itself; dealing with gamebreaking bugs, corrupted savegames and performance problems. Even all that, I can say that game was a masterpiece (and still is).

The same for other titles, BG1-2, Diablo1-2, Planescape Torment,Neverwinter Nights, Everquest, UO, WoW vanilla, LotRO (until MoM). Probably, none of those could give us the same - or even more- fun than TESO is giving us today; But they are masterpieces, even if we don't like them; even if we don't have fun playing them.

mutharex

Wow.... having fun is not the reason to play games? Ok, so maybe it's time you guys change hobby?

Shimond

Laura wrote: »

I have to wonder if the person who ticked LOL even read this because this makes more sense than anything I have read today.

I think some people are using LOL to mean "I disagree".

I remember many years ago when Tom's Hardware did reviews on...hardware, that I actually paid attention to.