The Elder Scrolls Online Review (Just_Bappie)
After more than 4.000 hours having played this game, I can't recommend this game. Let me explain why.
There are a lot group dungeons in the game, but they all are pointless, because there are a lot people who run like crazy through them because they are only there for leveling up or for an event, which is needed for the rewards of the event. Don't think you get time to do the quest in the dungeons and follow the lore of the dungeons. Because you can't, thanks to the majority of players who just rush to them. There are chests and heavy sacks in the dungeons, but also they are pointless, if you are lucky you can loot a heavy sack, but for chests? Before you have opened the chest, you are already pulled into the next boss fight. And no there will be no communication about it, because the rushers are in a hurry. And there is no option to run dungeons on your own until you are a high level player, but you need the skill points you earn by doing the quest for dungeons just when you are low level. And wouldn't it be fun to know the lore at the start?
And the worst thing which happens a lot in dungeons is that a lot of people are so badly in a hurry, that they take a class like Tank or Healer while they are a DPS and can't heal or tank at all. They change their class so they are faster in a dungeon. Good luck when you are new to the game! Also in trials people try to skip as much as possible.
This rushing behavior does also have consequences for events, people go like crazy for the rewards at the start of the event, while you do get enough time for completing them. But when the ending of the event comes nearby, no one does the required content anymore, so it does take much longer to complete the event because of waiting times, searching for people who want to help you out.
Stay away from the Crown Store, it is a really bad scam! You can buy loot boxes, you don't know what you get and mostly you get trash items. You can trade them for an in-game currency like Gem Stones and that sounds nice but it isn't. For example a mount costs 400 Gem Stones, when you get a mount double it will be automatically turned in for Gem Stones, but you only get 5 Gem Stones for a mount which costs 400 Gem Stones, that's not nice but a scam. There are only in-game currencies shown, so it is never clearly how much money you actually are spending in the Crown Store. For example a house is 14.000 Crowns which do cost you €35,= and after you buy the house you find out that you get far too few slots to decorate it properly. So was that worth your money? And if you do want to buy in the Crown Store read the description very well, there are items which only work on one character and not account wide!!! For example when you like to glamour your gear, you can buy extra slots for real money (expensive) but it will work only on one character!!!
PVP: I like what they have done with the siege weapons, but that's all about it. As a new player you will have not one chance to stay alive over there. Gear is everything in PVP that gives you a fair chance for not getting one shotted over and over again. There was a test a few weeks ago where all players were equal, that was the best experience I have ever had.
Another point I want to make is that the game really demands that you log in daily. Otherwise you miss out on your daily rewards and leveling your mount even slower. (Of course they sell riding lessons in the Crown Store for a lot of real money) It takes 180 days to fully level your mount and that's per character!
And speaking of content that is per character, you can get different companions, but for every character you create you have to follow the exact same quest line over and over again, which are usually really boring and way too long. What is nice is that when you have them leveled to the max, the extra skill you get from them works on every character. The same goes for wayshrines you previously found on another character, you will also have to find them all again on your slow mount. And so the game quickly starts to feel like a job rather than a game you play for relaxation.
When you are playing in the EU during daytime there is a lot of downtime for all kinds of maintenance's even on public holidays! ZOS does not take European players into account. The duration of a maintenance will take most of the time 5 hours, but can be longer.
Is it all bad? No, the lore in the game is good There is a lot to do in the game. If you want to start this game just take your time, the game is really overwhelming for new players and with the upcoming update it won't be easier for new players. Try to find a nice guild, with friendly players, you will need them! Play the game for free! Don't pay a monthly subscription for it, It is not worth it. You get double inventory space and an unlimited crafting bag, but that's really not needed for just playing this game and you are not focused on something like housing or crafting. The game is huge and not all content is immediately playable (most is) as a free player but it will eventually be added to the base game and therefore free to play. Your patience will be rewarded.
I've been playing for a year now, I did play a lot... But also I have cancelled my subscription. From now on I will play this game for free casually with the friends I have made and do all the solo-able content like the stories.
This was my personal opinion, feel mad if you disagree with my opinion.