M.G. Harry

I'm one of the many people who played ESO at launch and then promptly threw it out in disgust. Years later, I picked up ESO's Morrowind expansion on a whim, and I couldn't be happier or more surprised with the direction that Zenimax has taken the game. Yes, it's an MMO, with all the cash shop microtransactions and endless grinding that the genre entails. However, the microtransactions are all optional cosmetic items and quality of life (shorten your alt grind by instantly maxing out a previously maxed-out skill); there's no pay-to-win here. In addition, if you're a World of Warcraft player burned out on the full-time job-like nature of WoW's gear grind, fear not! ESO rewards both its casual and more intense players equally. You can log in, do a daily dungeon, craft a little, and boom! You can be done if you want. The content is fun, and the lore is improving with each expansion pack. Devs are clearly invested with the community and the quality of their product. Highly recommend this game if you understand what you're getting into - not an Elder Scrolls singleplayer game (although you can play ESO by yourself forever, if you want) and not your typical MMO, either. I think you'll agree that the end result is something special, if not always groundbreaking or perfectly polished.