The Elder Scrolls is one of those series that I really feel like I should like, but have never gotten into. I recognize them as great games, with more depth and detail than I will ever be able to absorb, as well as technically and graphically impressive, but I’ve just never been able to get very far into Skyrim (admittedly the only Elder Scrolls game I have personally owned) without getting frustrated and/or bored. I played the Elder Scrolls Online beta, and didn’t find it impressive (wow, that post was a little harsh… I must have been in a bad mood that day). I’ve never been a big fan of MMOs with shooter controls, and it’s really hard to get used to the weird Elder Scrolls compass thing instead of a minimap. The early reviews weren’t super encouraging either, so I figured this would be a game that I would skip.

Fast forward a couple of years, and a few things have changed. I’ve seen the advantages of limited hotbars, reviews of Elder Scrolls Online have become more and more positive with each DLC, and, most importantly, it went buy-to-play. I have a couple of friends who have been playing since launch, and their input and influence was a big part of it too. If you know me, you know I can’t resist a good game on sale to save my life, and I ended up buying Elder Scrolls Online for half off on the Humble Store. I’ll be honest, it had a lot to do with the fact that I just got a new computer and I wanted something that will show off the graphics a little.

So far I’ve toyed with each of the four classes (couldn’t we have a couple more classes? I’d be far more interested in buying that in the cash shop than a Curse of Vampirism) and none of them have really stood out. Maybe that’s because your class doesn’t change a whole lot at the low levels. I only have a couple skills from my class, so the rest of combat is just using whatever weapons I get from drops. Speaking of which, I can’t decide if I like the whole lack of class gear restrictions thing. A rogue in heavy armor wielding a staff doesn’t make a lot of sense, but with only four classes and limited customization of each, it at least allows for some extra freedom. And besides, it wouldn’t be an Elder Scrolls game if there were too many restrictions on character development.

I’m not sure how much I’ll be playing The Elder Scrolls Online, but I think I’ll get my $30 worth. It’s not really my cup of tea, but I said that about Guild Wars 2 the first time I played it, and I’ve stuck with that for years now. We’ll see about whether or not I buy any DLCs. Let’s be honest, if I do buy any of them, they’ll have to be on sale.