ZAM grabbed several hours of play time with the latest beta build of ESO

To Live and Die in Tamriel

One of the main aims of ESO is to create an immersive world and the narrative designers at ZeniMax have done a great job crafting the characters that really bring Nirn to life. Haughty, untrustworthy elves and selfish, backstabbing privateers are all rich with personality. The quest text is never overly laborious and is broken up into chunks that let you decide just how far to go with it.

Each quest giver will outline what is needed, you can then choose to find out more details of the quest, the NPCs involved, the surrounding area and its history. This means there are choices for players, ranging from those who never read a quest to those who want to luxuriate in the lore at every opportunity.

The stories and characters are well realized to the point I was quickly locked into a “just one more quest” mentality.

Visually, the game does not disappoint, with the game’s engine taking advantage of DirectX 11 to render some impressive landscapes and daunting peaks. Ruins jutted out of the ground with foreboding presence and the lighting effects in the dungeons, such as The Grave, ramped up the atmosphere. Spell effects, particularly anything that involved fire, were also impressive.

Graphically, ESO has a good balance between performance and eye candy and though I can’t divulge specifics, some of the systems the game is said to run smoothly on will be very encouraging to those worried about being forced to buy a new system.

The One to Watch?

I came out of the first play session in October with a lot of hope for the game. After the second session I think ESO has moved in leaps and bounds even since then. Combat is enjoyable and the progression system is an excellent way to add depth and customization that is missing from many MMOs while avoiding the immense confusion that can occur with such an array of choices.

The world looks and sounds reassuringly like an Elder Scrolls game, which is an achievement within itself, but is also a modern AAA MMO in its scope and effect on the player.

As we sat there that morning which had somehow become afternoon, we were warned that about 30 minutes of time remained, at which point the room fell silent as the players all focused with a laser sharp intent, setting the goals they wanted to reach.

As time was called and I downed my last wolf, I peeled myself away from the desk and headed out of the room. The overwhelming thought in my mind was simply that I wished I had more time to play; the last few hours had flown by.

For sheer enjoyment and the quality of the game at this early stage, this latest session with The Elder Scrolls Online confirmed its place as my most anticipated MMO of the year.

Stay right here at ZAM for more news and interviews on The Elder Scrolls Online.

Scott "Jaredar' Hawkes, Editor in Chief