You had three choruses with this MMO: The rabid "MUST BE F2P!!!" riot which probably applies to every new announced MMO launch; the single player TES naysayer purists that felt compelled to knock it because it wasn't, and last those that thought an ES MMO could be good. I landed more at the end and bought up the Imperial edition.
But after reading the Tom's "review" I found myself in agreement with more of it than I had considered. To give credit where it is due the game is beautiful and how they were able to run the game off a single "megaserver" is impressive. The PvP is amazing. Those of you that are old school DAOC RvR fans, your ship has come in.
But the review revealed a good deal of credible points such as broken quests in PvE. I'd be following a story line which -like many- would end up in a dungeon and the quest would be bugged randomly which would halt it's progression. So all your work was now wasted. Problem is this would happen far too often. Sometimes a relog would clear some but the randomness and uncertainty occurred far too frequently and grew far beyond a minor annoyance. The review also highlighted how quest objectives would just recycle over and over and often you'd get credit for just being right beside another player or group that was seconds ahead of you. This killed the immersion by making you feel like you were on a conveyor belt.
All in all the review made me re-think things and I reluctantly canceled my sub 1 day before my first $15.00 would have been charged. Today at TESO's quality level it doesn't warrant being a monthly subscription.
I predict that every new MMO that launches will be utterly torn apart on these forums.
The only really "good" MMO's will be the ones that were popular more than 10 years ago, but have since faded into obscurity and/or have been shut down.
If they keep making linear quest grinders, I'm sure you'll be correct. It is strange that the most subscribed to games today came out 10 years ago.
As long as Wow never changes and Blizzard continues to release the familiar content people like then there really is no need for companies to even make new games. All they have to do is make World of Starcraft with a slightly less cartoony skin than Wow and they will grab the sci-fi mmo market as well.
Originally posted by Soki123 Well, can t argue here. Worst MMO (if you want to call it that) in years. It feels so amateur, I can t really call it anything other then that.
Just like SWTOR?
Which after the switch to F2P, like so many others, now makes profits?
In the end many will look back and believe it was all planned out by ZOS.
(Don't play either. Do study economics.)
Something tells me the improvements to the game have more to do with increased profit margins than going F2P.
The whole review is full of sarcasm, polarizing exaggerations and misses to point out certain issues of the game in an overall picture.
Best example is the part about dungeons. Yes, 70 out of 104 dungeons are altered copies. Does it matter that much? No, because these 70 dungeons are solo public dungeons whose purpose is to let players quickly delve in, kill a boss, grab a skyshard and then proceed questing. Toms Hardware also does not point out that each zone comes with a unique handcrafted looking public group dungeon and another instanced group dungeon.
Also, there is no info about the amount of content they reviewed. Actually, in chapter 2 they stated that they played roundabout 20 levels. That's roundabout 15% of the whole game when counting in Veteran Ranks.
Toms Hardware should really focus more on what they are good at - reviewing hardware. When it comes to their excursion to reviewing games, in this case ESO, they fail hard to deliver a review based upon objective journalism and profoundly reviewing the game.
I hope these highly subjective The Princess and the Pea reviews soon come to an end, no matter what game is being reviewed.
I read this and laughed! The excuses people are coming up with is borderline pathetic.
I predict that every new MMO that launches will be utterly torn apart on these forums.
The only really "good" MMO's will be the ones that were popular more than 10 years ago, but have since faded into obscurity and/or have been shut down.
If they keep making linear quest grinders, I'm sure you'll be correct. It is strange that the most subscribed to games today came out 10 years ago.
As long as Wow never changes and Blizzard continues to release the familiar content people like then there really is no need for companies to even make new games. All they have to do is make World of Starcraft with a slightly less cartoony skin than Wow and they will grab the sci-fi mmo market as well.
Because WoW havn't changed in 10 years ?
Before I get another set of panties in a bunch....
My comment was NOT an insult toward Wow. I specifically used "familiar content" rather than "same" or "rehashed" content. They update and evolve their game, but do so in a way to try not to alienate their playerbase. At best it's a compliment...at worst it's an observation.
The only good thing i can see coming from this fiasco is that the suits finally may come to realize that good game design is what makes a good (and profitable) game and not millions spent on sparkly IP and A-list actors. (Hello Minecraft, Papers please, etc, etc...)
ESO failed because they spent all that time and effort on everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, except the one thing that actually matters - game, as in "GAME", design.
No, Zenimax and Bethesda (the Pontius Pilate of RPG world) don't deserve a break. They deserve to be trampled dowin into the mud with iron-shod boots as a warning to others.
The only good thing i can see coming from this fiasco is that the suits finally may come to realize that good game design is what makes a good (and profitable) game and not millions spent on sparkly IP and A-list actors. (Hello Minecraft, Papers please, etc, etc...)
ESO failed because they spent all that time and effort on everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, except the one thing that actually matters - game, as in "GAME", design.
No, Zenimax and Bethesda (the Pontius Pilate of RPG world) don't deserve a break. They deserve to be trampled dowin into the mud with iron-shod boots as a warning to others.
Seriously, don't hold back. Tell us how you really feel.
(LOL, for the record, I am in agreement and not just over ESO)
The only good thing i can see coming from this fiasco is that the suits finally may come to realize that good game design is what makes a good (and profitable) game and not millions spent on sparkly IP and A-list actors. (Hello Minecraft, Papers please, etc, etc...)
ESO failed because they spent all that time and effort on everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, except the one thing that actually matters - game, as in "GAME", design.
No, Zenimax and Bethesda (the Pontius Pilate of RPG world) don't deserve a break. They deserve to be trampled dowin into the mud with iron-shod boots as a warning to others.
Exactly.
ESO has a ridiculous amount of VO in it. I mean, they voiced even the most ridiculously menial quest. They even hired AAA actors to do some of the VO. This had to have cost tons of money and other resources.
But when it comes to other things, there seems to have been much less effort:
1. Dungeons mainly follow the "b" formula noted in the review.
2. Quests are very, very repetitive after a while. They may be fully voiced, but I stopped listening to them when I realized I was going to have to do the exact same thing AGAIN.
3. The zones all seem to follow the same formula, there are always the same amount of torch dungeons, skyshards, etc.
I could go on...but my overall point is that ESO feels very "formulaic" in many different aspects. And it really didn't take me all that long to see all the different formulas and lose interest.
The only good thing i can see coming from this fiasco is that the suits finally may come to realize that good game design is what makes a good (and profitable) game and not millions spent on sparkly IP and A-list actors. (Hello Minecraft, Papers please, etc, etc...)
ESO failed because they spent all that time and effort on everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, except the one thing that actually matters - game, as in "GAME", design.
No, Zenimax and Bethesda (the Pontius Pilate of RPG world) don't deserve a break. They deserve to be trampled dowin into the mud with iron-shod boots as a warning to others.
Seriously, don't hold back. Tell us how you really feel.
(LOL, for the record, I am in agreement and not just over ESO)
Many people like the combat, story, questing in ESO but feel like it just isn't enough. While many fans of ArcheAge admit that game's combat, story, questing are mediocre, but think it's an amazing game because it has boats, houses, and farms.
Is this the big difference? Farming mats and building a house or a boat. Then you can sit in your house or sail around in the ocean in your boat. The "game" itself is not as important as the freedom it gives you?
The only good thing i can see coming from this fiasco is that the suits finally may come to realize that good game design is what makes a good (and profitable) game and not millions spent on sparkly IP and A-list actors. (Hello Minecraft, Papers please, etc, etc...)
ESO failed because they spent all that time and effort on everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, except the one thing that actually matters - game, as in "GAME", design.
No, Zenimax and Bethesda (the Pontius Pilate of RPG world) don't deserve a break. They deserve to be trampled dowin into the mud with iron-shod boots as a warning to others.
Exactly.
ESO has a ridiculous amount of VO in it. I mean, they voiced even the most ridiculously menial quest. They even hired AAA actors to do some of the VO. This had to have cost tons of money and other resources.
But when it comes to other things, there seems to have been much less effort:
1. Dungeons mainly follow the "b" formula noted in the review.
2. Quests are very, very repetitive after a while. They may be fully voiced, but I stopped listening to them when I realized I was going to have to do the exact same thing AGAIN.
3. The zones all seem to follow the same formula, there are always the same amount of torch dungeons, skyshards, etc.
I could go on...but my overall point is that ESO feels very "formulaic" in many different aspects. And it really didn't take me all that long to see all the different formulas and lose interest.
The main problem is not even that it is "formulaic" - if it were formulaic in a good way, as in like somebody actually thought about the GAME and how it plays for just a second or two.... (the game, like as in football and chess are also games - one has bland flat green field, the other has black and white but man are they interesting to watch and play!) They probably spent MILLIONS on textures and shaders alone and no one for a second considered the impact of monetary rewards and loot tables for bosses on players' motivation, experience and the very flow of the game...
This is criminal, that's what it is. It's like dumping your whole movie's budget on the most expensive lens and actors and then write down the script in the john 5 minutes before the shoot. Damn, the original Star Wars was also "formulaic" to the painful degree but somebody actually thought and rethought each and every frame of that movie to make it formulaic in the best possible way. They should all be fired and buried in shallow graves so the crows can find them. No mercy for them, none at all.
Agreed that all dungeons are identical. That's about it. When he says "as of level 20", I could instantly identify his problem - it's like saying you know everything about life because you're 18-years-old.
ESO has a ridiculous amount of VO in it. I mean, they voiced even the most ridiculously menial quest. They even hired AAA actors to do some of the VO. This had to have cost tons of money and other resources.
But when it comes to other things, there seems to have been much less effort:
1. Dungeons mainly follow the "b" formula noted in the review.
2. Quests are very, very repetitive after a while. They may be fully voiced, but I stopped listening to them when I realized I was going to have to do the exact same thing AGAIN.
3. The zones all seem to follow the same formula, there are always the same amount of torch dungeons, skyshards, etc.
I could go on...but my overall point is that ESO feels very "formulaic" in many different aspects. And it really didn't take me all that long to see all the different formulas and lose interest.
Going by what you're saying I think ESO is the very first GW2 clone.
Agreed that all dungeons are identical. That's about it. When he says "as of level 20", I could instantly identify his problem - it's like saying you know everything about life because you're 18-years-old.
Or...it's like saying it didn't take him that long to recognize a problem because it was obvious.
I'm sorry, I don't really get this whole "if you didn't play the game for months and months then your opinion is invalid" argument. If I realize something is bad after 10 minutes...it's still going to be bad after 5 days, except after 5 days I may want to rip my hair out lol.
The only good thing i can see coming from this fiasco is that the suits finally may come to realize that good game design is what makes a good (and profitable) game and not millions spent on sparkly IP and A-list actors. (Hello Minecraft, Papers please, etc, etc...)
ESO failed because they spent all that time and effort on everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, except the one thing that actually matters - game, as in "GAME", design.
No, Zenimax and Bethesda (the Pontius Pilate of RPG world) don't deserve a break. They deserve to be trampled dowin into the mud with iron-shod boots as a warning to others.
Exactly.
ESO has a ridiculous amount of VO in it. I mean, they voiced even the most ridiculously menial quest. They even hired AAA actors to do some of the VO. This had to have cost tons of money and other resources.
But when it comes to other things, there seems to have been much less effort:
1. Dungeons mainly follow the "b" formula noted in the review.
2. Quests are very, very repetitive after a while. They may be fully voiced, but I stopped listening to them when I realized I was going to have to do the exact same thing AGAIN.
3. The zones all seem to follow the same formula, there are always the same amount of torch dungeons, skyshards, etc.
I could go on...but my overall point is that ESO feels very "formulaic" in many different aspects. And it really didn't take me all that long to see all the different formulas and lose interest.
The main problem is not even that it is "formulaic" - if it were formulaic in a good way, as in like somebody actually thought about the GAME and how it plays for just a second or two.... (the game, like as in football and chess are also games - one has bland flat green field, the other has black and white but man are they interesting to watch and play!) They probably spent MILLIONS on textures and shaders alone and no one for a second considered the impact of monetary rewards and loot tables for bosses on players' motivation, experience and the very flow of the game...
This is criminal, that's what it is. It's like dumping your whole movie's budget on the most expensive lens and actors and then write down the script in the john 5 minutes before the shoot. Damn, the original Star Wars was also "formulaic" to the painful degree but somebody actually thought and rethought each and every frame of that movie to make it formulaic in the best possible way. They should all be fired and buried in shallow graves so the crows can find them. No mercy for them, none at all.
Ah yeah I get what you're saying. And yes, I agree...
One thing I REALLY disliked about ESO was how normal mobs gave you jack crap, but bosses gave great loot, and were infinitely campable. I also hated how normal mobs give like next to no exp. This just forces you more and more into the quest grind. If I want to grind mobs...let me grind mobs!
ESO has a ridiculous amount of VO in it. I mean, they voiced even the most ridiculously menial quest. They even hired AAA actors to do some of the VO. This had to have cost tons of money and other resources.
But when it comes to other things, there seems to have been much less effort:
1. Dungeons mainly follow the "b" formula noted in the review.
2. Quests are very, very repetitive after a while. They may be fully voiced, but I stopped listening to them when I realized I was going to have to do the exact same thing AGAIN.
3. The zones all seem to follow the same formula, there are always the same amount of torch dungeons, skyshards, etc.
I could go on...but my overall point is that ESO feels very "formulaic" in many different aspects. And it really didn't take me all that long to see all the different formulas and lose interest.
Going by what you're saying I think ESO is the very first GW2 clone.
I would agree, except for the fact that ESO is basically nothing like GW2 lol .
Agreed that all dungeons are identical. That's about it. When he says "as of level 20", I could instantly identify his problem - it's like saying you know everything about life because you're 18-years-old.
Well according to Zeni, level 20 is just about right for knowing all there is to know about the game as that seems to be the cutoff for refunds. The following is a snip from an email response I got to a request for a refund with a level 21 toon.
Greetings ,
I understand that you are requesting a refund for the game but unfortunately I am unable to offer you a refund of the purchase as you have so much of the game covered and are such a high level in the game on multiple characters.
What I would advise you do is cancel your subscription of the game that way you will no longer be charged for any more months of game play...
edit: oh forgot to add my other "multiple "character is level 20 same racial.
ESO has a ridiculous amount of VO in it. I mean, they voiced even the most ridiculously menial quest. They even hired AAA actors to do some of the VO. This had to have cost tons of money and other resources.
But when it comes to other things, there seems to have been much less effort:
1. Dungeons mainly follow the "b" formula noted in the review.
2. Quests are very, very repetitive after a while. They may be fully voiced, but I stopped listening to them when I realized I was going to have to do the exact same thing AGAIN.
3. The zones all seem to follow the same formula, there are always the same amount of torch dungeons, skyshards, etc.
I could go on...but my overall point is that ESO feels very "formulaic" in many different aspects. And it really didn't take me all that long to see all the different formulas and lose interest.
Going by what you're saying I think ESO is the very first GW2 clone.
I would agree, except for the fact that ESO is basically nothing like GW2 lol .
I do remember your excitement prior to GW2's release. I'm actually surprised you don't like ESO. Having leveled two 80s in GW2 (and 100% all the zones on one) and, as of last night, I've completed every zone in ESO except one. It's actually amazing how similar the games are. And not just the pvp zones.
"Pretty" instanced zones following the generic environment layouts(swampy, snowy, grassy, foresty). You run around and try to see and do everything on the map. They appear to be completely open and allow you to roam but both use hills to herd you along predesignated paths. GW2 does have lots of underwater areas.
ESO you do quests that play out the events but it phases the world, and GW2 you do dynamic events that play out the events except they're on shuffle and repeatable.
One big different is that ESO sends you to zones to complete the stories in the zones. GW2 sends you to zones because they are your level and may have a story quest instance.
ESO has a ridiculous amount of VO in it. I mean, they voiced even the most ridiculously menial quest. They even hired AAA actors to do some of the VO. This had to have cost tons of money and other resources.
But when it comes to other things, there seems to have been much less effort:
1. Dungeons mainly follow the "b" formula noted in the review.
2. Quests are very, very repetitive after a while. They may be fully voiced, but I stopped listening to them when I realized I was going to have to do the exact same thing AGAIN.
3. The zones all seem to follow the same formula, there are always the same amount of torch dungeons, skyshards, etc.
I could go on...but my overall point is that ESO feels very "formulaic" in many different aspects. And it really didn't take me all that long to see all the different formulas and lose interest.
Going by what you're saying I think ESO is the very first GW2 clone.
I would agree, except for the fact that ESO is basically nothing like GW2 lol .
I do remember your excitement prior to GW2's release. I'm actually surprised you don't like ESO. Having leveled two 80s in GW2 (and 100% all the zones on one) and, as of last night, I've completed every zone in ESO except one. It's actually amazing how similar the games are. And not just the pvp zones.
"Pretty" instanced zones following the generic environment layouts(swampy, snowy, grassy, foresty). You run around and try to see and do everything on the map. They appear to be completely open and allow you to roam but both use hills to herd you along predesignated paths. GW2 does have lots of underwater areas.
ESO you do quests that play out the events but it phases the world, and GW2 you do dynamic events that play out the events except they're on shuffle and repeatable.
One big different is that ESO sends you to zones to complete the stories in the zones. GW2 sends you to zones because they are your level and may have a story quest instance.
Getting level 80s in GW2 is insanely easy. Just sayin.
ESO has a ridiculous amount of VO in it. I mean, they voiced even the most ridiculously menial quest. They even hired AAA actors to do some of the VO. This had to have cost tons of money and other resources.
But when it comes to other things, there seems to have been much less effort:
1. Dungeons mainly follow the "b" formula noted in the review.
2. Quests are very, very repetitive after a while. They may be fully voiced, but I stopped listening to them when I realized I was going to have to do the exact same thing AGAIN.
3. The zones all seem to follow the same formula, there are always the same amount of torch dungeons, skyshards, etc.
I could go on...but my overall point is that ESO feels very "formulaic" in many different aspects. And it really didn't take me all that long to see all the different formulas and lose interest.
Going by what you're saying I think ESO is the very first GW2 clone.
I would agree, except for the fact that ESO is basically nothing like GW2 lol .
I do remember your excitement prior to GW2's release. I'm actually surprised you don't like ESO. Having leveled two 80s in GW2 (and 100% all the zones on one) and, as of last night, I've completed every zone in ESO except one. It's actually amazing how similar the games are. And not just the pvp zones.
"Pretty" instanced zones following the generic environment layouts(swampy, snowy, grassy, foresty). You run around and try to see and do everything on the map. They appear to be completely open and allow you to roam but both use hills to herd you along predesignated paths. GW2 does have lots of underwater areas.
ESO you do quests that play out the events but it phases the world, and GW2 you do dynamic events that play out the events except they're on shuffle and repeatable.
One big different is that ESO sends you to zones to complete the stories in the zones. GW2 sends you to zones because they are your level and may have a story quest instance.
Getting level 80s in GW2 is insanely easy. Just sayin.
Indeed. Considering they were both in the first 3 weeks. If I played to max level in one game and then level 20 in the other then I would not feel I had enough information to compare the two.
Comments
You had three choruses with this MMO: The rabid "MUST BE F2P!!!" riot which probably applies to every new announced MMO launch; the single player TES naysayer purists that felt compelled to knock it because it wasn't, and last those that thought an ES MMO could be good. I landed more at the end and bought up the Imperial edition.
But after reading the Tom's "review" I found myself in agreement with more of it than I had considered. To give credit where it is due the game is beautiful and how they were able to run the game off a single "megaserver" is impressive. The PvP is amazing. Those of you that are old school DAOC RvR fans, your ship has come in.
But the review revealed a good deal of credible points such as broken quests in PvE. I'd be following a story line which -like many- would end up in a dungeon and the quest would be bugged randomly which would halt it's progression. So all your work was now wasted. Problem is this would happen far too often. Sometimes a relog would clear some but the randomness and uncertainty occurred far too frequently and grew far beyond a minor annoyance. The review also highlighted how quest objectives would just recycle over and over and often you'd get credit for just being right beside another player or group that was seconds ahead of you. This killed the immersion by making you feel like you were on a conveyor belt.
All in all the review made me re-think things and I reluctantly canceled my sub 1 day before my first $15.00 would have been charged. Today at TESO's quality level it doesn't warrant being a monthly subscription.
Because WoW havn't changed in 10 years ?
Something tells me the improvements to the game have more to do with increased profit margins than going F2P.
I read this and laughed! The excuses people are coming up with is borderline pathetic.
Before I get another set of panties in a bunch....
My comment was NOT an insult toward Wow. I specifically used "familiar content" rather than "same" or "rehashed" content. They update and evolve their game, but do so in a way to try not to alienate their playerbase. At best it's a compliment...at worst it's an observation.
They don't deserve it.
The only good thing i can see coming from this fiasco is that the suits finally may come to realize that good game design is what makes a good (and profitable) game and not millions spent on sparkly IP and A-list actors. (Hello Minecraft, Papers please, etc, etc...)
ESO failed because they spent all that time and effort on everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, except the one thing that actually matters - game, as in "GAME", design.
No, Zenimax and Bethesda (the Pontius Pilate of RPG world) don't deserve a break. They deserve to be trampled dowin into the mud with iron-shod boots as a warning to others.
Seriously, don't hold back. Tell us how you really feel.
(LOL, for the record, I am in agreement and not just over ESO)
Exactly.
ESO has a ridiculous amount of VO in it. I mean, they voiced even the most ridiculously menial quest. They even hired AAA actors to do some of the VO. This had to have cost tons of money and other resources.
But when it comes to other things, there seems to have been much less effort:
1. Dungeons mainly follow the "b" formula noted in the review.
2. Quests are very, very repetitive after a while. They may be fully voiced, but I stopped listening to them when I realized I was going to have to do the exact same thing AGAIN.
3. The zones all seem to follow the same formula, there are always the same amount of torch dungeons, skyshards, etc.
I could go on...but my overall point is that ESO feels very "formulaic" in many different aspects. And it really didn't take me all that long to see all the different formulas and lose interest.
Are you team Azeroth, team Tyria, or team Jacob?
Many people like the combat, story, questing in ESO but feel like it just isn't enough. While many fans of ArcheAge admit that game's combat, story, questing are mediocre, but think it's an amazing game because it has boats, houses, and farms.
Is this the big difference? Farming mats and building a house or a boat. Then you can sit in your house or sail around in the ocean in your boat. The "game" itself is not as important as the freedom it gives you?
The main problem is not even that it is "formulaic" - if it were formulaic in a good way, as in like somebody actually thought about the GAME and how it plays for just a second or two.... (the game, like as in football and chess are also games - one has bland flat green field, the other has black and white but man are they interesting to watch and play!) They probably spent MILLIONS on textures and shaders alone and no one for a second considered the impact of monetary rewards and loot tables for bosses on players' motivation, experience and the very flow of the game...
This is criminal, that's what it is. It's like dumping your whole movie's budget on the most expensive lens and actors and then write down the script in the john 5 minutes before the shoot. Damn, the original Star Wars was also "formulaic" to the painful degree but somebody actually thought and rethought each and every frame of that movie to make it formulaic in the best possible way. They should all be fired and buried in shallow graves so the crows can find them. No mercy for them, none at all.
Agreed that all dungeons are identical. That's about it. When he says "as of level 20", I could instantly identify his problem - it's like saying you know everything about life because you're 18-years-old.
Going by what you're saying I think ESO is the very first GW2 clone.
Or...it's like saying it didn't take him that long to recognize a problem because it was obvious.
I'm sorry, I don't really get this whole "if you didn't play the game for months and months then your opinion is invalid" argument. If I realize something is bad after 10 minutes...it's still going to be bad after 5 days, except after 5 days I may want to rip my hair out lol.
Are you team Azeroth, team Tyria, or team Jacob?
Ah yeah I get what you're saying. And yes, I agree...
One thing I REALLY disliked about ESO was how normal mobs gave you jack crap, but bosses gave great loot, and were infinitely campable. I also hated how normal mobs give like next to no exp. This just forces you more and more into the quest grind. If I want to grind mobs...let me grind mobs!
Are you team Azeroth, team Tyria, or team Jacob?
I would agree, except for the fact that ESO is basically nothing like GW2 lol
.
Are you team Azeroth, team Tyria, or team Jacob?
Well according to Zeni, level 20 is just about right for knowing all there is to know about the game as that seems to be the cutoff for refunds. The following is a snip from an email response I got to a request for a refund with a level 21 toon.
I understand that you are requesting a refund for the game but unfortunately I am unable to offer you a refund of the purchase as you have so much of the game covered and are such a high level in the game on multiple characters.
What I would advise you do is cancel your subscription of the game that way you will no longer be charged for any more months of game play...
I do remember your excitement prior to GW2's release. I'm actually surprised you don't like ESO. Having leveled two 80s in GW2 (and 100% all the zones on one) and, as of last night, I've completed every zone in ESO except one. It's actually amazing how similar the games are. And not just the pvp zones.
"Pretty" instanced zones following the generic environment layouts(swampy, snowy, grassy, foresty). You run around and try to see and do everything on the map. They appear to be completely open and allow you to roam but both use hills to herd you along predesignated paths. GW2 does have lots of underwater areas.
ESO you do quests that play out the events but it phases the world, and GW2 you do dynamic events that play out the events except they're on shuffle and repeatable.
One big different is that ESO sends you to zones to complete the stories in the zones. GW2 sends you to zones because they are your level and may have a story quest instance.
Getting level 80s in GW2 is insanely easy. Just sayin.
Indeed. Considering they were both in the first 3 weeks. If I played to max level in one game and then level 20 in the other then I would not feel I had enough information to compare the two.