Elder Scrolls Online in 2025: First Impressions and Honest Review

Elder Scrolls Online is considered one of the biggest MMORPGs out there, but how does it hold up today in 2025? Is it really worth your time, or is it something you’ve been looking for? In this article, I’ll share my first impressions of the game as a complete beginner. I started a fresh character, leveled it to max level, and experienced almost everything the game offers—from the main story to epic dungeons, raids, PvP, and more. After all that, I’ll share everything I learned, including tricky basics that new players struggle with, and give my full feedback and review. Then, you can decide whether this game deserves your time. So, stick around, because this is the one and only Elder Scrolls Online first-impression guide you’ll ever need. Without further ado, let’s begin!

Getting Started: Character Creation and Early Struggles

Alright, let’s go! The game starts with character creation, and wow, there are dragons! I chose a male character—Black Dragon—and picked from races like humans, Nords, lizard people (Argonians), orcs, wood elves, dark elves, Redguards, and cat people (Khajiit). I went with a human, aiming to play a warrior. The class options were overwhelming: Templar, Sorcerer, Nightblade, Warden, Necromancer, Arcanist, and more. Some classes, like Necromancer and Arcanist, require purchasing from the Crown Store, which was a bummer. I picked Templar for big damage and self-healing, perfect for solo play. The hairstyles were rough—50% were bald! I tweaked the face, avoided wrinkles, and ended up with a Gandalf vibe. But man, the character creator could use some love.

The game throws you into a prison, and my cellmate was a lizard dude. The story kicks off: break out of jail and save Tamriel. Combat felt clunky at first—left-click to swing, right-click to block, heavy attacks, dodges, and interrupts. My mouse got stuck, and I was yelling, “Help, my mouse isn’t moving!” But I got the hang of it, swinging a greatsword and learning to block and dodge. The early quests were chaotic, with enemies chasing me and a blind prophet guiding me. I was confused, asking, “Where am I supposed to go?” The map (press M) helped, but I kept getting lost.

Leveling Up: Quests, Dungeons, and Dolmen Farming

Leveling was a grind. I hit level 2 fast, earning attribute and skill points. I dumped points into Magicka for damage, healing, and shielding, and unlocked skills like Uppercut. The game’s hybrid system lets you mix Magicka and stamina attacks, but managing resources was tricky. I ran into other players, like ZPooo, and tried dueling, but they declined—coward! The starter zones were buzzing with players, mounts, and activity, which made the game feel alive.

At level 10, I got a horse (press H to mount) and queued for my first dungeon using the dungeon finder. The action combat was unfamiliar—I’m used to tab-targeting—but I faced a Spider Queen boss, shouting, “Cleave, cleave, cleave!” My damage was low, and my bags filled up fast. Dungeons were fun but slow to queue as a DPS (5–6 minutes). Then I discovered Alik’r Desert dolmen farming, a brain-dead XP grind. Every 3–5 minutes, I earned 2.5k–3.5k XP by tagging enemies in a group. A kind player, Archangel Cass, gave me 150k gold and crafted training gear, boosting my XP by 50%. With XP scrolls and group bonuses, I leveled 50% faster. Dolmen farming was repetitive but newbie-friendly—perfect for watching Netflix!

Endgame Grind: Champion Points and Gear

After 60 hours, I hit level 50 and started earning Champion Points (CP). The goal was CP 160, the gear cap, to start endgame content. At CP 159, I was screaming, “We’re so close!” The game’s progression doesn’t stop at max level—you keep earning XP from quests, dungeons, and raids, which levels your CP (up to 3500). CP boosts stats like critical damage, making your account stronger. I switched to a medium armor set with dual daggers for speed and used add-ons via Minion to add a minimap and DPS meter (5k DPS, 16% group damage—low, but improving).

Gear hunting was tough. Elder Scrolls Online has no central auction house; instead, guilds run Guild Traders in different zones. I bought a Deadly Strike set (634 crit chance) from Traders of Lame in Daggerfall and Camel Smuggler in Vivec City, spending 9k gold. I also used Order’s Wrath, Hundings Rage, and Egman sets, hitting 35% crit chance. Buying gear meant traveling across zones, which was immersive but tedious. By CP 161, I was ready for raids and veteran dungeons.

Raids and Veteran Dungeons: Highs and Lows

I tried Hel Ra Citadel (HRC), an “easy” raid. I formed a group, and we cleared trash mobs and faced RaKot, the first boss. My DPS was lousy (13k–14k), but I dodged attacks, yelling, “Not gonna die today!” The raid was massive—you can even use mounts inside. We split into two groups, killed bosses like “John Cena” (aka Kai), and looted chests. It was chaotic but fun, though I felt carried by veterans like Emerald Jesus.

Veteran dungeons were brutal. In a random veteran dungeon, I dealt 16k–17k DPS (25% group damage), but missed a Thief Mundus buff that would’ve boosted my crit chance by 6%. The boss had 9.7 million HP, and I ran out of Magicka, shouting, “I should’ve blocked!” Someone in the group was doing 100k DPS, carrying us. I made mistakes, like not dodging a flamethrower, but we cleared it, earning 300k XP. Veteran dungeons are no joke—anything can kill you.

PvP: A Brutal Learning Curve

I jumped into an 8v8 Battleground (Capture the Relic). It was a mess—I got zero kills initially, yelling, “This guy’s on my ass 24/7!” Rogues were tanky, healers kept enemies alive, and I was throwing spears, doing “auto-attack damage.” I dodged lasers and eventually got eight kills, but my team drew. PvP was fun but unbalanced, with meta builds dominating. I liked the chaos, but newbies like me got farmed.

Beginner Tips: What I Learned

• Guilds: Join the Mages Guild, Fighters Guild, and Undaunted. Do their dailies and quests to unlock strong skills and passives.
• Bank and Pack Merchant: Deposit items at banks and buy bag slots from pack merchants to carry more.
• Guild Traders: Buy gear from Guild Traders in major cities. Use websites to find specific items by guild and zone.
• Wayshrines: Fast travel for free using Wayshrines (press E on a Wayshrine to see the map).
• Map Icons: Learn icons for dolmens (group events), delves (mini public dungeons), public dungeons, world bosses, and crafting stations. Mundus stones (e.g., The Thief in Alik’r Desert) give permanent buffs like 6% crit chance.
• Travel Hack: Use Home Tours (press P, browse homes) to teleport to zones like Vivec City or Alik’r Desert without Wayshrines. Exit the house, and you’re there!
• Class Skills: Keep one skill from each class specialization on your bar to level them up. Morph skills (e.g., Biting Jabs to Puncturing Sweep) for better effects.
• Daily XP: Do one dungeon and one Battleground daily for massive XP. Win Battlegrounds for even more.
• Mount Training: Visit stables in major zones to train mount speed, stamina, or carry capacity with 250 gold daily (PvE: speed/capacity; PvP: speed/stamina).
• Add-ons: Use Minion to install add-ons for a minimap, DPS meter, and better bag interface.
• Quests: Press J to view quests. Right-click a main quest and select “Show on Map” to navigate. Use Zone Guide (press P) to start zone storylines.

Pros: What Makes ESO Shine

• Lore and Story: The story is lore-heavy, connecting zones and quests. Even if story isn’t my thing, the effort is noticeable.
• Exploration: Diverse zones (waterfalls, deserts, ice areas) make exploration fun. Discovering Wayshrines, public dungeons, and delves is rewarding.
• Freedom: No set path—do quests, dolmen farming, dungeons, or Battlegrounds. Hybrid classes let you mix swords, staves, or daggers with light, medium, or heavy armor.
• Community: Amazingly helpful. Archangel Cass gave me 150k gold and three hours of guidance. Others crafted gear and shared XP potions.
• No Mandatory Subscription: Unlike World of Warcraft or Final Fantasy XIV, you can play without a subscription, making it casual-friendly.
• Music and Voice Acting: Outstanding—10/10. Every zone’s music and voice acting is immersive.
• Graphics: Improved Elder Scrolls art style. Not like New World, but detailed environments work well for an MMORPG.
• XP Farming: My favorite part. Even at max level, quests, raids, and dungeons give XP for Champion Points, making your account stronger. Similar to Guild Wars 2’s mastery system.

Cons: Room for Improvement

• Overwhelming for Newbies: The game is complex. As a 16-year WoW veteran, I was confused. Many friends quit after 30 hours due to the steep learning curve.
• Confusing Builds: Hybrid classes offer freedom, but most custom builds underperform. Online guides are often outdated due to frequent updates.
• Repetitive Content: Grinding (e.g., dolmen farming) can feel monotonous, though I enjoyed it. New players may not.
• DLC Costs: Tons of DLCs cost hundreds unless you buy ESO Plus ($15/month), which includes all DLCs except the latest (Gold Road). Essential for crafters or serious players.
• Unbalanced PvP: Battlegrounds are fun but dominated by meta builds and certain classes, frustrating newbies.

Verdict: Is ESO Worth Playing in 2025?

After 60+ hours of quests, dungeons, delves, Battlegrounds, veteran dungeons, and raids, here’s my take. If you’re an Elder Scrolls fan who loves exploring Tamriel, this game is for you. Casual gamers will enjoy the freedom and no mandatory subscription. Hardcore gamers can chase 0.1% achievements, DPS parses, and fast raid clears. The game’s evolved since 10 years ago and is trying to attract new players, but the learning curve is steep. Be ready to invest time (and possibly money for ESO Plus). I’d recommend giving it a try, especially if you like grinding XP, exploring, or soloing content. The community, music, and freedom make it stand out.

Thanks for reading! Leave a comment below with your thoughts on Elder Scrolls Online. Make sure to hit the like button, and I’ll see you in the next one. Till then, goodbye!