The Elder Scrolls: Blades
- March 27, 2019
- Bethesda Game Studios
- 4h median play time
"The Elder Scrolls: Blades" is a Role Playing game with a good story, beautiful game mechanics, ingenious visuals, and fantastic music. However, it requires lots of grinding, has some bugs, and features humor that will make you laugh. This classic dungeon crawler, developed by Bethesda Game Studios, offers a beautiful atmosphere that draws players into its world.
iPad
iPhone
Nintendo Switch
Phone
Android
Mobile Platform
Tablet
Reviews
- Great graphics and immersive environments that capture the Elder Scrolls feel.
- Engaging combat system that requires skill and timing, making battles exciting.
- Fun town-building mechanics that add a unique layer to the gameplay.
- Frequent crashes and loading issues that disrupt gameplay and progress.
- Repetitive quests and dungeons that lack variety, leading to boredom over time.
- Pay-to-win mechanics that pressure players to spend money to progress effectively.
- story2,427 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the engaging narrative and the ability to rebuild their town through quests. However, several users have noted that the quests can become repetitive and overly difficult as players progress, often leading to frustration when missions exceed their character's level. Additionally, bugs and glitches have hindered quest completion, detracting from the overall experience. Overall, while the storyline has potential, it suffers from pacing issues and a lack of variety in quests.
“For a mobile game, there's actually a story that seems fun though I haven't completed it.”
“Its very chill but fun still, there is a good storyline so far and you can rebuild your town by farming for materials.”
“The story is engaging and the quest system is well done, I enjoy the game a lot and want to spend more time playing than offline waiting for chests to open since they are the main source of equipment, gold, etc.”
“The storyline is forgettable and the gameplay repetitive, but for someone wanting something to idle away time with and a game skyrim-esque, this will fit the bill.”
“The quests become monotonous and maps are reused over and over.”
“The story is too lackluster and the gameplay too boring for me to want to waste time starting all over again.”
- graphics1,838 mentions
- 72 % positive mentions
- 26 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their high quality, often compared to console-level visuals, particularly reminiscent of the Elder Scrolls series. Many players appreciate the stunning detail and immersive environments, although some have noted performance issues, such as lag and crashes, especially on lower-end devices. A common request among users is the addition of customizable graphics settings to enhance performance and reduce battery consumption.
“The graphics are stunning, love the attention to detail of every aspect of the scenery.”
“Graphics are outstanding for the mobile platform!”
“The graphics are incredible for a phone.”
“The graphics are decent, but as many have said, the unresponsive UI and just weak combat.”
“The game is pretty good for a mobile game but is badly optimized and doesn't have graphic settings or an option to remove shadows; they are performance killers.”
“There needs to be a setting where we can lower the graphics because I'm lagging a bit here and there, and in the arena, there's just nonstop lag.”
- gameplay1,265 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the graphics and combat mechanics while criticizing the repetitive nature and reliance on microtransactions. Some users find the controls cumbersome and the combat simplistic, leading to a grindy experience, while others enjoy the immersive elements and town-building features. Overall, while the game captures the essence of the Elder Scrolls series, it struggles with pacing and depth, particularly in its mobile adaptation.
“Challenging, surprising, and rewarding; blades forges a unique and adaptive gameplay experience.”
“The gameplay is phenomenal again, Bethesda, you guys did a fantastic job!”
“The mechanics work well for the mobile platform, the gameplay is interesting, and most importantly there's no major penalty for not spending money on the game (so far).”
“Overall, the story is nice and the build management is intriguing; however, the mechanics are absolute trash.”
“The gameplay is almost nonexistent, with walking and swinging a weapon.”
“I enjoyed playing this game for a week or so, but the standard gameplay loop is too repetitive.”
- stability443 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 97 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous users reporting frequent freezes, crashes, and various glitches that disrupt gameplay. Many players experience issues during loading screens, quest completions, and while interacting with in-game elements, leading to frustration and loss of progress. While some acknowledge that these problems are typical for early access titles, the overall sentiment indicates that the game requires substantial improvements in stability to enhance the user experience.
“Lots of updates currently, but not buggy or laggy.”
“Even with such high-quality graphics, there are no glitches or anything.”
“Bunch of stability issues have been fixed since the earlier version, and it runs great.”
“The game is buggy, crashes occasionally, the quest difficulty scale makes no sense, sometimes the game refuses to load (I have a flagship phone)... the list of issues is large.”
“Every time I kill an enemy, the game freezes and crashes, and I have to go back in.”
“The game freezes every time I finish a quest, there is a pop-up, I kill an enemy, I open a widget, I talk to an NPC.”
- monetization442 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 34 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has drawn mixed reactions, with many players criticizing its heavy reliance on microtransactions, which some perceive as aggressive and akin to a cash grab. While there are no intrusive ads, the presence of in-game purchases and long wait times for unlocking content have led to frustrations, particularly for those who prefer a more traditional gaming experience without the pressure to spend money. However, some players appreciate that it is possible to enjoy the game without making purchases, although they acknowledge that progress can be significantly slower without spending.
“I don't mind microtransactions because you don't really have to spend money to enjoy the game.”
“Overall a very well designed free-to-play game that isn't pay-to-win, constantly shoving purchases down your throat to get anywhere in-game, and best of all there are no ads.”
“The microtransactions aren't as intrusive as you might think.”
“Feels more like a playable advertisement than a game.”
“There's a lot to complain about with this game as a whole -- mainly its aggressive monetization and its unimaginative PvE.”
“This is just a cash grab lacking any depth whatsoever.”
- grinding322 mentions
- 1 % positive mentions
- 2 % neutral mentions
- 98 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting it can be excessively tedious and repetitive, particularly when farming for materials and completing quests. While some appreciate the grind as a familiar element of RPGs, others feel it detracts from the overall enjoyment, especially when combined with a pay-to-win structure that encourages microtransactions. Overall, players suggest that while grinding is integral to progression, it could benefit from better balance and variety to enhance the gameplay experience.
“Fairly easy progression, not too grindy, decent rewards for effort rendered. If you want to just run right through, you don't get Elder Scrolls.”
“Not too grindy, not too intrusive with the paid features. Combat feels right, quests are scaled well, and generally it looks and feels like a TES game.”
“It doesn't take too long to level up, so it's not too grindy.”
“The grinding is bad, the battling system is bad, the game is a let down.”
“Progressing the story felt like a chore and everything you do just feels really grindy.”
“It's technically sound but the gameplay is repetitive, grindy, and just outright boring.”
- optimization173 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players experiencing significant performance issues such as lag, stuttering, and crashes, particularly during combat and in graphically intense areas. While some users report smooth gameplay on high-end devices, the lack of adjustable graphics settings limits performance for those with lower-end phones. Many reviewers express a strong desire for optimization updates and the introduction of performance customization options to enhance the gaming experience.
“I think they struck a nice balance between the graphics being interesting and detailed enough while still allowing the app to run smoothly for extended periods of time without turning your phone into a smoldering charcoal briquette.”
“The graphics are incredible and the game runs smoothly on my S8.”
“Considering it's a mobile game, it looks like a major PS2 title, the visuals and gameplay are seamless and really well optimized for an early access title.”
“It would be nice to play 10 minutes without the game freezing (sometimes just for daring to try to switch weapons during a quest) and I would welcome an option in the settings for lower graphics quality in favor of smoother performance.”
“Performance is atrocious, fps is at 3 sometimes and is impossible to fight anything.”
“The game is pretty good for a mobile game but is badly optimized and doesn't have graphic settings or an option to remove shadows; they are performance killers.”
- music119 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives high praise for its quality and nostalgic ties to the Elder Scrolls series, enhancing the overall atmosphere and gameplay experience. However, several users report issues with sound quality, including static and glitches, which detract from the enjoyment. Overall, while the soundtrack is generally considered beautiful and fitting, technical problems with audio playback have been a common complaint.
“Music is on point.”
“The soundtrack is beautiful...again.”
“The music is phenomenal.”
“The voice and sound effects seemed very bugged; normal voice and background music have some static noise and sound terrible.”
“Sound artifacts are constant static and crackling speakers. I checked other games and music, and it is not the speakers.”
“Repetitive gameplay, cooldown on construction, etc. The only issue I actually found is that the music and sound are glitchy on Samsung Galaxy A32.”
- atmosphere27 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stylish graphics, engaging sound design, and a nostalgic feel reminiscent of the Elder Scrolls series. Players appreciate the immersive world and lore, although some note that the gameplay can become repetitive and the grind may detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game successfully creates a captivating environment that enhances the enjoyment of its combat and town-building mechanics.
“I really love this game for its atmosphere, beautiful graphics, and that feeling that I am in the world of Elder Scrolls.”
“Brilliant character design, amazing atmospheric graphics, just what I needed.”
“The feel and atmosphere of the game takes me back to the days of Morrowind, although it lacks the landscapes to explore.”
“Other problem is completely dark atmosphere in the town.”
“Two stars for the atmosphere and nostalgia.”
- character development19 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the customization options and character design, while others criticize the limited skill and class paths, feeling that choices have little impact on gameplay. Many users express hope for future updates to enhance character development, as current offerings seem insufficient compared to other titles in the genre. Overall, while the graphics and story are praised, the depth of character development appears to be a significant area needing improvement.
“Good graphics, good story, good gameplay, good character development with many ways to customize based on your play style.”
“Incredible graphics, character development, and a great story to move things along!”
“Good character development model with a hometown to rebuild too.”
“There's not a lot of character development like the other Elder Scrolls games.”
“I don't feel like my choice in character development or constructing the town really matter.”
“I think my big issue is the character development: very limited skill/class paths and the feeling that I'd have to waste very limited skill points on things I'd never use.”
- replayability10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
Overall, the reviews indicate a mixed perception of replayability across different games. While some players find significant replay value in titles like the Elder Scrolls series due to their engaging combat and diverse environments, others, such as Fallout Shelter, are noted for their limited replayability and depth. Updates have improved playability for some games, but the consensus suggests that replayability varies widely depending on the game's design and content.
“This game is incredibly fun for any Elder Scrolls fans; the replayability is great, and the concept is simple and fun.”
“The combat is fluid and rewarding, and the dungeons are diverse enough for awesome replayability.”
“The first-person POV is super easy to learn, and I like how it sticks to the Elder Scrolls lore just as much as the console games, and it has a lot of replayability.”
“Fallout Shelter has limited replay value.”
“Don't expect this to last forever, or to have much depth, or even much replayability.”
“If you add more medium to low difficulty quests, it would be more playable.”
- humor9 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players enjoying the witty NPC dialogues and comedic moments during gameplay, while others find certain aspects lacking or frustrating. Fans appreciate the return of familiar voice actors from Skyrim, adding a nostalgic touch, but some technical issues detract from the overall comedic experience. Overall, the humor is present and appreciated by many, but not universally effective.
“I find myself cheering while slashing enemies up, and I find that pretty funny - that's how you know it's a fun game.”
“NPC dialogues are sometimes humorous and smart.”
“Funny dialogue, I can recognize Sheogorath's voice for one of the NPCs.”
- emotional7 mentions
- 86 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
Players express mixed emotional responses to the game, highlighting frustrations with unfair arena matching and control issues that detract from their experience. While the graphics and story show potential, the gameplay's twitchiness and lack of engagement leave some feeling bored or even physically unwell, impacting their emotional investment in the game.
“The game is a great idea with great graphics and story, but it's too twitchy and too plodding for me to invest in, emotionally or otherwise.”
