Elder Scrolls Online Tamriel Unlimited Review

Elder Scrolls Online Tamriel Unlimited Review

The long awaited, much postponed Elder Scrolls Online Tamriel Unlimited finally arrives on the consoles. Skyrim in the MMO format? On consoles? Using a controller to play? With no subscription fees? What’s not to love?

This game fits on consoles like slipping into a pair of old blue jeans. It makes the whole ESO experience seem more Skyrim like, and that is a good thing. I had many doubts about controls for this game prior to release and they have all been laid to rest. The button mapping could have benefited by allowing the user to choose positions for actions like switching weapons or opening the map but that is just personal taste. The point is they do work well. You do have the ability to choose buttons for skills, so that is something. Start out with a DOT attack, hit a couple of times and end with a finisher works brilliantly in the beginning.

Starting areas are large and filled with quests. Run a for a little while and you are sure to find something to do. Stamina drains quickly at first, so you won’t be able to run very far unless you buy a horse. The Imperial Edition upgrade costs $20 more and allows you to purchase a white stallion for only one coin. You can also purchase mounts from the Crown Store. The Imperial Edition also allows you access to the Imperial race. Imperials look like Bretons but are very well rounded and suitable for any class and can start in any of the three alliances.

This game was originally going to charge a $15 monthly subscription, which would have most likely been disastrous to sales. When that was scrapped, I thought for sure there would be huge bonuses for those who make in game purchases, tapping in to the successful but annoying pay to play formula, but no. There is the Crown Store but it mostly contains customization and convenience items. The aforementioned horse is admittedly a huge convenience, however one will not miss out on character power or be at a disadvantage to “spenders” if you never spend a dime. That is a big win for Elder Scrolls Online Tamriel Unlimited.

Another win for the console format is the absence of plug ins. You will have to find items and learn recipes on your own, as is meant to be. They may make life easier but you do gain a certain satisfaction by doing these things “old school.”

Crafting is complicated at first. There are so many ingredients and only so many inventory and bank slots at first. The best advice is to pick something your character can use early and go with it. Many people start two characters right away, a fighter and a crafter.

This is not meant to be a guide but one other quick tip is to spend your skill points right away because your abilities will begin to advance after they have been opened up.

Some have complained about lag and logging in issues. I have gotten in fairly easily on the PS4. Even during prime play times, waits have not been over ten minutes. I was impressed that being around 7000 in que was handled in about five minutes. Also, lag is not much of an issue outside of the cities or main gathering places. There is some hesitation when many people are on screen at once, but once you get into the world, the game runs smoothly.

Bethesda did a good job upon release, better than expected. There are going to be issues which will be addressed in coming patches. Some things I don’t like is that often you will complete a quest when somebody else does it near to you. This isn’t a big deal but it leaves you wondering what happened. Also you are unable to mute individual players. You can leave the chat entirely but it would be nice to just mute that one moron who wont shut up and stop swearing like a sailor when your kids are around. I imagine this will be fixed some point in the future. Also your PSN gamertag is listed in the chat instead of your character’s name. Why even bother selecting a name then?

Overall I am pleasantly surprised by Elder Scrolls Online Tamriel Unlimited for consoles. It is sure to get better in time and will undoubtedly take up much of mine in the coming months.

I rate Elder Scrolls Online Tamriel Unlimited 8.5 stars out of 10.

Click Here For a Great ESO Guide!