The Elder Scrolls Online – All goals achieved, where are new ones?
This is the situation of The Elder Scrolls Online: Initially, they wanted to be like a Skyrim Online, which they failed at miserably in 2014, but ultimately succeeded in 2015 and 2016.
In the following years, ESO found its groove, but that is now also slowly fading.
The declared goal of ESO is to turn fans of the cultishly revered RPG series “The Elder Scrolls” into online players now. To do this, they serve them a “light MMORPG” that can be played solo or with friends. It is superficially accessible, with more depth if you look for it.
When ESO came to PS4 and Xbox One in 2015, it essentially picked up the “Skyrim generation” where they were. In 2017 with Morrowind, they were able to attract even more players who were eager for an adventure.
Therefore, they achieved the set goal already in 2017.
But currently the question is: Where do they go from here?
How did 2018 go for ESO: 2018 was the first year in ESO’s history that went just like the previous year: a major expansion in the summer, along with three smaller DLCs.
However, overall, the year also felt like a “smaller edition” of the previous year.
Instead of a new class, there was only one new skill line. Since the chapter in summer, there had been no major headlines or features.
How does ESO stand at the end of 2018: The MMORPG is doing well overall. However, in 2018, it became evident that the team needed a year to catch its breath after three really turbulent years.
ESO’s great strength is the “legacy” of The Elder Scrolls. The franchise is loved, and that love rubs off on ESO.
Nevertheless, the status quo cannot hold forever – it also needs movement.
The game should solve some persistent problems with performance and bugs, and it cannot just rest on its beautiful world and interesting stories, but needs new features and gameplay improvements.
At the end of 2014, when everything seemed possible during the upheaval, wild visions of spell crafting and “open PvP” with a justice system were conceived. The promises have either been captured or remain unfulfilled.
Likewise, something wild and crazy would be a refreshing and free thing.
This will be important for ESO in 2019: It is a shame that Bethesda did not hide another cult part of The Elder Scrolls somewhere. That could now be snagged by ESO and integrated into their MMORPG.
Like hardly any other MMORPG on the list, ESO now needs fresh impulses and ideas: A clear direction in which it can further develop. Surely, in 2019, another major chapter will come. This should bring fresh wind.
Otherwise, ESO does not have many of the problems of other MMORPGs. The Elder Scrolls is indeed accessible and already on the most important console platforms. ESO is actually in a good position to attract new players.
The most read news of the year 2018 about The Elder Scrolls Online: Login rewards before the WoW expansion are amazing
