The MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online has been on the market for almost 5 years now. Is it still worth starting now in 2019 or is the ship sailed? Find out here.
The MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) was released in April 2014 and has had many expansions and updates since then. The game is thriving with tons of users and in 2019 will deliver, for the first time, a large, cohesive addon campaign with the Season of the Dragon.
But what if you have never played ESO before or haven’t been active for years? Is it still worth it to start?
3 good reasons why you should start with ESO now
In fact, 2019 is an ideal year for (re)starting in ESO for various reasons. This is mainly due to a subtle update that recently came to the servers.
ESO is more comfortable and beginner-friendly than ever before
With the major free update for the DLC Wrathstone, a feature that fans have long missed in ESO also arrived: the zone guide. This is a function that allows you to conveniently see what there is to do in each area.
This applies to quests, story missions, and even achievements, if you want to chase them. Now you can target specific tasks and have a good overview as a beginner, without being confused by content. It has never been easier to get started as a newcomer in ESO.
ESO offers content regardless of level
In ESO, you can not only find the relevant content in every zone immediately, but you can also enter any zone right away. For quite some time now, the “One Tamriel” concept has been in effect. This means you can visit any area at any time and there:
- complete all quests
- always find relevant loot
- play together with your friends
In ESO, you will always be adjusted to the level of the enemies in the area, allowing you to team up as a “Level-1-Noob” with veterans who have already reached the maximum level. Everyone faces appropriate opponents and receives the loot that is expected for their level.
As newcomers, you don’t need to worry about being left behind forever. You can participate in everything – aside from truly challenging endgame raids and hardcore mode instances – no matter how high your level or equipment is.
Important for returning players: The three factions are still present, but are only relevant in PvP in Cyrodiil. Now you can also do quests as a member of the Pact in Dominion and move freely.
ESO is a game for many types of players
The Elder Scrolls Online has been described here at MeinMMO as an MMORPG that has more in common with Skyrim than with World of Warcraft. This is still true.
If you are more a fan of single-player RPGs but have no issue with social systems and online features, you will likely have a lot of fun in ESO. Most quests can be completed alone.
The game puts – similar to SWTOR – a lot of emphasis on storytelling. All quests are fully voiced, and as expected from Elder Scrolls, you will get plenty of cool, exciting, spooky, and sometimes just quirky stories.
So, if you enjoyed exploring the area in Skyrim and Co. and experiencing the cool stories, you will also find what you are looking for in ESO.
For fans of MMORPGs, there is plenty of content in the form of dungeons and hefty raids. Many have accumulated over the past 5 years.
According to the ESO Reddit, there are also very different player types who have been happy with ESO. Some are said to only do crafting and create particularly cool items to offer in the game.
Others play ESO more as a role-playing game and life simulation. They immerse themselves in their role and enjoy designing their houses in housing optimally. That is also possible in ESO.
This is how you can start in ESO
The Elder Scrolls Online is a Buy2Play game. You need to buy it for approximately 19.99 euros and can then play it indefinitely and without restrictions.
You can also subscribe to a service called “ESO Plus”. This gives you more money and experience from loot and unlimited access to all DLCs as long as you maintain the subscription. Additionally, you can hoard unlimited crafting materials.
The subscription costs about 12 euros per month and offers you the equivalent in exchange currency in the game. You can then use that to buy cosmetic items or unlock the DLCs individually. You can play them even if the subscription is not active.
The addons, referred to as chapters here, are partly only available for purchase with real money and are not included in the subscription. The first addon Morrowind is now included in the base version of the game.
In 2019, the highly anticipated addon Elsweyr, featuring dragons and cat people, is also coming.
