5 Logical Rebuttals To Illogical Criticisms Of Elder Scrolls Online

4. "It Should Have Been A Single Player Game" - Give It Time

Several reviewers mentioned a version of this. They would say things like, "I would buy this game in a heartbeat if it were single player", or "All the other players really ruined the experience for me". The only response to that sort of thinking is this: what did you think you were signing yourself up for? Are people playing an online multiplayer game really turned off by the fact that it's...an online multiplayer game? To complain that a product should be less like the actual product and more like a totally separate, different product is irrational, and not fair to the game. Think of ESO as the thick-skinned trail horse. Is it fast? No. Is it streamlined? No. But, that horse can wander for hours over any type of terrain while carrying 300 pounds on its back. It's got endurance. It has different skills and serves a different purpose than the thoroughbred. ESO was never meant to be a single-player experience, that's not how it was built. If people are expecting a 30-quest main plot to complete by themselves, then why even bother playing? Just play Skyrim again, or wait for Elder Scrolls VI to come out. The whole point of Elder Scrolls Online is to explore the Elder Scrolls universe with others. You don't go to see an action movie and then give it an awful review because it wasn't a comedy. Admittedly, the initial starting areas were crowded. One of the coolest things to do in Skyrim was wander out into the wilderness and see what you could stumble upon. It was hard to do that for the first five hours or so, simply because there were a ton of people around. But that's typical of any MMO starting area. You're not the only person booting up the game for the first time, so expect to be bumping shoulders with strangers for a little while. Thankfully, after everyone funnels out of the starting areas, the game really opens up. It's entirely possible to go off on your own and not have to worry about being interrupted by others.

Many beta testers didn't get to this point. By the time the beta had concluded (it only lasts a weekend, which is not long at all), they didn't even get away from the starting area. They based their opinion of the multiplayer dynamic of the entire game on the first few hours, which is not fair. If you were frustrated by the amount of other players, please keep playing. You will definitely be able to do things on your own. The game spreads out and allows you to go your own way, which is delightful.