Genre: MMORPG
Developer: ZeniMax Online Studios
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks

The increasing level of sophistication in MMORPG graphics engines, combined with extreme level of diminishing returns in all other games, means that The Elder Scrolls Online looks technically as good or better than its single player counterpart, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Certainly, the art direction is much stronger than the aforementioned Nord-centric entry, with Saudi Arabian-styled desert cities, frozen mountain peaks, dank caves, and grimy Dwemer ruins all present and looking colorful and splendid.

ESO's soundtrack is basically a "best of" Jeremy Soule collection, remixed and as iconic sounding as ever. Tunes from Morrowind and on are supplemented by some fairly decent voice acting. Sound effects are generic, which is a shame since some other recent MMORPGs like The Old Republic were very distinctive in that regard.

The best game in the series-- Morrowind-- was so great because it let the player bend and warp the game's mechanics right to the point of breaking. ESO, especially in the realm of enchantment, feels almost that free. In fact, much of the gameplay is focused on the series tradition of "let people play how they want to play", versus the Fascist designs of games like World of Warcraft. Combat is the best in the series, and there is even an awful lot of world to explore. But still-- still-- game designers are too afraid to break away from the WoW mold, and sure enough most of ESO is spent traveling from attraction to attraction, carried along by series of mostly linear quests to areas with enemies spaced exactly at aggro range, with the odd patrolling baddie. Such a shame.

Mechanically, ESO is the best Elder Scrolls game ever made. Yes, better than even Morrowind; the switch to MMORPG format forced the designers to eliminate superfluous elements, like crime, and tighten up areas that had always been series shortcomings, such as the combat. If all the designers did from that point was dump the player into a giant world full of ludonarrative magic-- imagine a game focused entirely on anchor-like events-- ESO would be the end-all of the genre. Instead, the development team opted for WoW-style theme parks and stale "burn five banners and sound the horn to fight the boss" quests. ESO is still a very good MMORPG, but it's difficult to not be disappointed at how close it came to true greatness.