MeinMMO author Andreas Bertits was skeptical about the MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) at release, but in 2021 he spends as much time as possible in the online world of Tamriel.
Why the initial skepticism? My first experiences with the fantasy world of Tamriel were back in 1994 when Bethesda released The Elder Scrolls: Arena. I was immediately fascinated by exploring the vast landscape.
Wandering through a city at night in the snow and running into a vampire in an alley created a captivating atmosphere for me. When TES 2: Daggerfall was announced, I could hardly wait to dive back into this world.
Since then, I have been a fan of the role-playing series, having played every part including the spin-offs Redguard and Battlespire, and I am already very excited for The Elder Scrolls 6.
When I received an invitation to the beta of The Elder Scrolls Online in 2013, I was immediately skeptical but also curious. I asked myself:
- Can an MMORPG capture the special atmosphere of the single-player titles?
- Will I feel that same sensation of being able to encounter a monster alone in the snowy city at night?
- Would there be opportunities to discover places off the quests that allow for exciting exploration? After all, the Elder Scrolls series thrives on such moments.
I had already gathered some experiences with MMORPGs. I entered the genre with Ultima Online in 1997 and when I began as a game editor in 2003, all online role-playing games ended up on my desk for testing. The games had a unique style and atmosphere that stood in stark contrast to single-player RPGs.
Therefore, I was not sure whether ESO could really become an Elder Scrolls or if it was an MMORPG that merely bore the name.
However, to play you will need the tool DosBox (via DosBox), since both parts no longer run on modern Windows 10 PCs.
How I learned to love The Elder Scrolls Online
This is how I experienced ESO at first: Perhaps I approached the beta with the wrong mindset. For while I found ESO good, the spark simply wasn’t there. The beta status also played a significant role since the MMORPG didn’t feel quite “rounded” yet. Some elements were missing and the balancing wasn’t right.
Nevertheless, I was also there at the release in spring 2014 – and made one mistake right away. At the time of The Elder Scrolls Arena and Daggerfall, there were no German translations of the games. Thus, I entered the series with the English terms and maintained this with the later titles.
However, I started ESO in German at that time.
Andreas Bertits has been playing MMORPGs since 1997 and entered the genre with the classic Ultima Online. His love for the Ultima series also led him into the online world of Britannia.
Now he spends most of his online time with The Elder Scrolls Online in Tamriel or adventuring through the Forgotten Realms in Neverwinter. However, he tries almost every MMORPG that hits the market. Yet he prefers to return to the fantasy world of Tamriel.
The entire world suddenly felt foreign to me in German. I didn’t know many terms and place names and had to figure out which English terms matched them. Only when I changed the language to English did that familiar feeling slowly return.
With the Morrowind expansion, the game then managed to win me over completely. The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind is one of the best parts of the series for me. Precisely because the story does not take place in a classic, Central European influenced fantasy scenario. The inhospitable island of Vvardenfell with its gigantic mushrooms and the culture of the Dunmer fascinated me. Therefore, I felt comfortable in ESO: Morrowind right away.
For me, the feeling grew stronger that I was in a “real” The Elder Scrolls. The fight against the dragons in Elsweyr brought particularly nostalgic feelings. Because my first character I created in The Elder Scrolls: Arena was a Khajiit. Fun Fact: Back then, Khajiit were human beings who, while descending from a cat folk, did not look like we know them today.
In 2020, the return to Skyrim followed. The Greymoor expansion created almost the same feeling for me as The Elder Scrolls 5. Not only because of the familiar locations in the snowy landscape of Skyrim, but especially because of the Blackreach. That massive dungeon reminded me of the long adventures I spent underground in TES 5: Skyrim, where I fought against Falmer and other creatures.
Now the Blackwood expansion is upcoming. And the skepticism I had at the beginning for ESO has completely disappeared over the years and with the latest expansions.
I am very much looking forward to returning to Oblivion, facing off against the Daedric Prince Mehrunes Dagon again, and discovering the stories my NPC companions have to tell.
A really good MMORPG, but also a very good Elder Scrolls
This is what I appreciate about The Elder Scrolls Online: I love experiencing stories in an online role-playing game, having quests that convey more about the world and its history. That is exactly what ESO is all about. While I was initially unsure whether it would be a hindrance to make an MMORPG out of a single-player RPG, it has developed into a great strength of the game.
Yes, many MMORPGs have interesting worlds, quests, and stories, but ESO uniquely evokes that feeling of “coming home” for me. I was already roaming in Tamriel around 27 years ago. I can still visit those places now, together with friends. Everything feels so familiar.
Moreover, Zenimax can tell really good stories, and exploring the game world is at the forefront. Even an adventure without a previously received quest can become exciting. Just as it is indeed the case in the single-player parts of the series. I don’t necessarily have to play with others. If I want to go out alone, I can still achieve something – with the upcoming NPC companions even more.
Everything in ESO feels so “rounded”, thought out, and good. While in Neverwinter I travel from a relatively small area to another, and the city of Neverwinter is under constant siege, in ESO I feel like I’m traveling in a huge, interconnected world. And my actions have consequences.
In many other large MMORPGs, something bothers me:
- World of Warcraft has always felt too colorful for me, and I could never relate much to the world. I prefer the darker tones of ESO.
- Black Desert looks fantastic, but I never feel like I’m in a world that has as rich a lore as Tamriel.
- And in ArcheAge, the sandbox aspect is too much in the foreground. I miss the exciting stories that the developers have crafted for me.
It is, of course, always subjective to find a game good, and everyone has their own opinion. For me, however, The Elder Scrolls Online has developed into the best MMORPG over the years, which still remains a very good Elder Scrolls.
MeinMMO author Andreas Bertits also says: I’m tired of bad stories in MMORPGs – I hope for more from ESO Blackwood.
