The Oblivion Remaster Is Making Waves... So Why Isn't The Elder Scrolls Online More Popular, Again?

There’s this hot new game that came out recently. It’s called The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. Ever heard of it? I’ve been playing the Oblivion remaster a lot lately and — as I inevitably do with every game I play — I caught myself thinking, “They should make this into an MMO.”

Bethesda already has. It’s called The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO). You’ve almost certainly heard of it.

ESO features action combat, fully voiced NPCs, well-written quests, deep lore, and strong attention to detail. There’s a flexible class system, a robust crafting system, and an extensive housing customization. But more important, the game has that immersive, high-fantasy worldbuilding the series is known for.

So I should love ESO, right? Skyrim is one of my all-time favorite games, and I’m thoroughly enjoying the Oblivion remaster. But it’s not that simple.

Despite all its strengths, many players bounce off ESO because of the combat. Yes, it’s an action MMO, but it often doesn’t feel like one. The combat is floaty, lacking the weight, impact, and fluidity found in other MMOs. Animations and skill effects are subdued, and movement feels sluggish. That moment-to-moment gameplay is just… bad.

Turns out, storytelling and atmosphere alone aren’t enough to carry an MMO. I love Skyrim and I’m loving Oblivion Remastered, but not because of the combat. That’s always been the weakest part, something you deal with because the rest of the experience is so compelling.

ESO’s numbers aren’t even all that poor either. According to MMO Populations, the game is estimated to have over 25 million total players or subscribers. And the average daily player count is just over 21,000.

This is just a long-winded, roundabout way of realizing — and emphasizing — that combat really does make or break an MMO. I can’t wait to play The Elder Scrolls VI, but I ain’t touching ESO. Maybe if it goes free-to-play I would try again, as would many others probably, but truthfully the entire combat system would need to be reworked — similar to RuneScape's Evolution of Combat.