More recently, Bethesda opened up Elder Scrolls Blades for everyone. Before that, only a select few had limited access. I was one of those lucky few and have been playing for a few weeks early.
I quite enjoy the game and was certain it would be well received. Boy was I wrong. Now that it’s available the collective sentiment seems to be negative.
Having dealt with scenarios like this time and time again, I did not expect a full-scale Elder Scrolls game on mobile. Apparently, most did.
Stay the fuck away from those microtransactions though.
That’s neither here nor there. The more pressing question most will have: Is this game worth your time?
As you can imagine, the answer is subjective and depends on your personal tastes. Clearly, a lot of people dislike this game. Most have strong opinions about the microtransactions and I can’t say I blame them.
The Bullet List
Here’s a quick rundown of why I am enjoying the game:
- Simple character customization and personal progression is enough to keep me coming back
- It’s great in short bursts, especially if you jump in and do a quest or two and then jump out
- I can stop at any time by simply turning off the display, which is important when you have kids
- The chests offer the “check-in daily” approach that most mobile games have
- The visuals are fantastic
- The combat system — while unintuitive — works well
- There’s a town to rebuild which adds progression and real-time elements
- You collect varying levels of loot which introduces the usual RPG grind
Now, I will say, Blades is a shallow game which is definitely going to turn a lot of people off — it already has. But if you approach it as a pick-up-and-play mobile title instead of the next big Elder Scrolls game, I think you’ll find enough to keep you interested.
It’s a hell of a lot better than all the lottery-style Gacha games that plague mobile, that’s for sure.
Stay the fuck away from those microtransactions though. In fact, don’t buy anything in the game with real money, you don’t need to.
What’s your take on Elder Scrolls Blades? Love it or hate it?
