Lighting, textures, draw distance, reflections, particle effects all look great and in performance mode at 60 fps, pop-in is almost entirely a thing of the past. The free PS5 upgrade to the enhanced edition just makes an already graphically-impressive game look as current gen as a years-old game possibly can without an entire makeover. I am extremely disappointed that Amazon Games new MMORPG, New World, will eschew gamepads entirely and restrict control to mouse and keyboard only. The UI in ESO is a model of “get out of the way until needed” efficiency and the controller fits gameplay like a glove. All this was certainly true of the Blackwood expansion, and I was reminded again that Elder Scrolls Online has the absolute best and most consistently beautiful music of any MMORPG. The developers know well how to craft and pace a campaign and to fill the hours with not just challenging dungeons, but with really rich and incredibly well made lore that includes personal stories, political intrigue, and cultural clashes.
I’ve played Elder Scrolls Online from day one, dipping in for a while for each new expansion or major content release, and while the structure of each new chapter might have become a little predictable, the breadth of engaging stories, characters, and environments has never disappointed.
