The Elder Scrolls Online Console Preview and Footage

Given the beta for The Elder Scrolls Online’s console versions is currently running and has no NDA, we aren’t particularly surprised to see some footage and previews surface for The Elder Scrolls Online on PlayStation and Xbox One.

PushSquare has a hands-on preview based on the PS4 version of the game, though strangely it doesn’t focus on the specifics of the console version:

Speaking of quests, our adventures on Bleakrock Isle began with the head of a small town telling us to go out into the wilderness and gather missing townsfolk, preferably before the island fell to an army that was encroaching on its borders. It immediately sounded like typical role-playing game fluff, and it was, but the whole process was handled quite well. To start with, our quest-giver gave us the names of three different citizens, each with their own reasons for being out in the wolf-infested countryside. One needed an item from within an old tomb, another was investigating nearby bandit activity, and the last was looking for her lost sibling.

Although there we no real surprises in how things played out we conquered the crypt, carved through the cut-throats, and found the hapless brother each task rewarded us with gold and gear, and there was a satisfying pace to it all. After the characters had all made their way back to town, we were presented with a choice: we could either continue the search for more hopeless townsfolk, or we could tell our quest-giver to proceed with an early evacuation of Bleakrock, before the aforementioned invasion began.

Being a helpful little adventurer with nothing better to do, we decided to head back out across the snow, and gather whoever we could find. This led to our first real dose of free-flowing exploration, as we followed paths off the beaten trail, discovered clusters of raw crafting materials, and skinned countless bears and wolves. In time, we came across the still-missing townsfolk one by one, each of them asking for our assistance, and again, presenting us with spoils when we came back to them, victorious in our endeavours.

Examiner asked game director Matt Firor why the subscription model was dropped:

Examiner.com had the chance to chat with Elder Scrolls Online Game Director Matt Firor about what went into the decision to drop subscriptions in ESO. “The decision came about by us listening to our fan’s feedback they really liked the fact that they had so much freedom in the game and they wanted that same freedom with their payment methods,” Firor said.

“So, we changed our subscription-required payment model to subscription-optional, and we created a virtual currency/in-game store system that allows players to purchase customization and convenience items. Player reaction has been outstandingly positive since we announced the change, and especially since the changes went live on March 17.”

Outside Xbox has some footage from the Xbox One version of the game: