“The Elder Scrolls Online”/Bethesda Softworks

By Tyler Hersko

You begin your journey like you would in any other of the franchise’s installments: in chains.

And then, you’re freed. A prison break is at hand, and you have been cordially invited.

Why are you in prison? Why can you only pick up a scant few of the items strewn about the world? Why are some people idly milling about, while others clash swords with skeletal warriors?

Who cares?!

You’re playing “The Elder Scrolls Online!” Adventure awaits!

I was a bit late on the “Skyrim” hype train. It turns out that mild arachnophobia isn’t conducive to playing a game infested with 15-foot tall venomous spiders. That said, after finding a workaround to remove the little beasties from the game, it wasn’t hard to see what all the fuss was about.

“The Elder Scrolls” is almost universally regarded as one of gaming’s most immersive franchises, and for good reason: No other games offer as much freedom, excitement or opportunities for fantastical undertakings.

The possibilities for a massively multiplayer online (MMO) installment in the series were apparent. Imagine taking a game with as much replay value and engrossing content as “Skyrim,” but cramming hundreds of thousands of other players into it.

If only it worked like that.

Let’s get one thing out of the way: This is an MMO masquerading as an “Elder Scrolls” game, not the other way around. If you’re looking for the multiplayer version of “Skyrim,” then you’ve come to the wrong place.

While it would be unreasonable to expect the insane level of freedom of previous “Elder Scrolls” titles —I suppose that summoning a dragon to tear a hapless town asunder or simply littering hundreds of various foodstuffs on the ground could potentially dampen other players’ moods — it’s a shame that such an integral part of the series had to be compromised.

The illusion of freedom is present, but it is just that: an illusion. After escaping the aforementioned prison, I did what I do in every open-world game: Ignore the main storyline and trek out into the unknown.

I didn’t get far.

Sure, you can roam the expansive continent of Tamriel all you’d like, but before long, you’ll wander into an area meant for higher level players and will be unceremoniously slaughtered by its unfriendly inhabitants. In its defense, the game makes a hell of an effort to sell the concept, even if it’s never fully realized. There are a number of collectibles scattered throughout the world, and you are offered new quests at every turn, but at the end of the day, it just reminds me of what could have been.

Though the series’ penchant for exploration has been somewhat maligned, several of the franchise’s other elements, both good and bad, managed to sneak their way into the game.

As for the latter, voice acting ranges from passable to laughably bad, and there are an unacceptable number of bugs, even for a recently-released game. Unresponsive menus, bugged quests, crashes and a number of other quirks—why some of those nature spirits are yelling at me in German is beyond me—were all too common.

On the bright side, it is encouraging to see the traditionally freeform character progression and combat systems shine through. I chose to play as a wizard, but shed the traditional robes and staves for a set of heavy armor and twin swords, using magic as a supplement instead of a primary tool. Only time will tell if the game’s higher level content and player versus player (PvP) combat will encourage such diversity, but for now, it’s quite encouraging.

When compared to the “click a guy and press a button” combat of MMOs such as “World of Warcraft,” combat in “The Elder Scrolls Online” is refreshingly engaging. When it clicks, aiming, dodging and managing your abilities all play a wonderfully important role. When I sidestep a torrent of fire, it’s because I actually moved out of the way, not the product of some arbitrary roll of the dice.

It’s a shame that it usually doesn’t click. Instances in which you need to utilize all of your reflexes and resources are the exception, as much of the content is aggravatingly simple; hacking and slashing through a plethora of brain-dead enemies ad nasuem gets old fast, but still, it’s a step in the right direction.

Unfortunately, the “massively multiplayer” part of the game actually manages to take away from the experience. Though the expansive PvP realm has potential, its implementation is overly chaotic. And while the combat system may work at times, fighting other players usually feels imprecise and ever-so-slightly disconnected.

You never feel heroic; horrific undead monstrosities and giant werewolves don’t seem so intimidating when there are a dozen other players helping you mow down everything in your path. Take the game’s first dungeon, for example. It’s a cave infested with hordes of giant spiders and… giant spider ghosts.

Dammit.

“The Elder Scrolls Online” wasn’t going to work if concessions weren’t made. Understandable, but even with that in mind, the finished product simply fails to entice. At its best, the game plays like an inferior version of a typical “Elder Scrolls” title with a horde of players occupying the same space.

That may be enough for some people, but when all is said and done, I just want to go play some more “Skyrim.” At least that game doesn’t have a monthly subscription fee.

Tyler Hersko can be reached at thersko@sagebrush. unr.edu.