Elder Scrolls: Blades was met with some harsh reviews from fans when the game was released in 2019, but almost three years later, is it worth a second look in 2o22? Most of the criticism directed toward Elder Scrolls: Blades was that it was pay-to-win and had a boring story. Has Bethesda done enough to win over fans and convince players to give Blades a chance?
Elder Scrolls: Blades is a mobile RPG set within the Elder Scrolls universe where the player is tasked with rebuilding a town after an attack. The game has three modes: Town, Abyss, and Arena, with each offering different experiences for the player. Town is the game's main mode where a player completes quests, Abyss is an endless dungeon crawl for experience and rewards, and Arena is Blades' PVP mode where players battle each other.
Since launch, there have been some changes made; however, much has remained the same, notably the lack of open-world, which is present in the majority of Elder Scrolls titles. While the main story isn't too in-depth, it still has enough to hold some interest. However, Elder Scrolls: Blades lacks focus and waivers between wanting to be an Elder Scrolls game and a base-building gacha game.
Elder Scrolls: Blades' Small Changes Haven't Helped Issues
The changes which have been made are small but helpful to existing players. The chests initially had cooldowns to limit the rewards players could receive; this has wisely been removed, allowing players to open chests as they acquire them. More rewards have been added to jobs, Elder Scrolls: Blades version of side quests, helping players level up and upgrade gear faster. Finally, a new Sigil store was added using a currency that players can earn in-game. These minor changes make gameplay slightly more enjoyable in 2022 but do little to address Elder Scrolls players' more significant concerns.
Elder Scrolls: Blades still require a lot of grinding to progress, which means players are left to battle the same randomly generated enemies in the same old areas before they can complete the underwhelming main quests. One of the major problems fans had was the pay-to-win aspect which unfortunately is still present. In-app purchases are still pushed, and new players will hit the paywall much sooner than other mobile games like Clash of Clans or Clash Royale.
Elder Scrolls: Blades is an enjoyable game if taken for what is it: a good-looking RPG mobile game. Players expecting a traditional Elder Scrolls game will be disappointed as Blades lacks the content and charm of previous titles. Blades is just a dungeon grid going over repeated areas, gathering items to wn and gear. The chances are if a person didn't like Elder Scrolls: Blades back in 2019, then there haven't been enough improvements to change any minds in 2022.
