5 Reasons The Elder Scrolls Online Is Better Than Skyrim (& 5 Reasons Skyrim Is Superior)

Both The Elder Scrolls Online and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim are now considered franchise staples, with the former weaving a much more intricate backstory about the world of Tamriel, while the latter serves as its flagship title. Neither game shows any signs of slowing down at this point, which is good news for Elder Scrolls fans across the board.

The question on the minds of fans is which title can be considered superior? Elder Scrolls Online adopted an MMORPG formula, whilst lifting elements from Skyrim, but they’re actually two very different creatures. Both have strengths and weaknesses that must be taken into account before a final tally can be made.

10 ESO Has A Larger Open World

The Elder Scrolls Online is a complete package when it comes to exploring Tamriel. The MMORPG features all nine provinces, including Skyrim. This is especially good news for fans of the famous fifth game in the franchise. To accommodate more players, the team has even upscaled the province to allow for more breathing room.

This gives ESO an unprecedented feeling of freedom. In all single-player Elder Scrolls games, there’s a barrier preventing players from venturing into other areas of Tamriel and, without mods, the same is true with Skyrim. This is present in Elder Scrolls Online as well, but the final walls are much further away from one another.

9 Skyrim Is A More Focused Game

One thing that Skyrim does better than Elder Scrolls Online is focusing on the narrative structure. The province of Skyrim is always at the forefront, giving the location a better spotlight which makes it more memorable and engaging, especially for single players who like to trek out on their own.

As a result, playing Skyrim highlights the quirks and the history of that specific province, and its people. By comparison, the larger game world of Elder Scrolls Online can feel a bit more shallow. Even today, many players inadvertently skip over some of Skyrim’s content and never discover great things in the game, so there’s a lot yet to see and do.

8 ESO’s Multiplayer

As an MMORPG, Elder Scrolls Online gives players from around the world a chance to team up and adventure together. This makes Tamriel feel more engaging since human players can interact with each other, roleplay, or simply enjoy a fun night of dungeon crawling.

Skyrim recently received multiplayer support in the form of Skyrim Together, a mod platform that syncs up multiple players and allows them to go on adventures with one another. However, it’s not quite the same as playing ESO, which makes multiplayer a priority, with regular updates to its content.

7 Skyrim Is More Convenient

As grand as The Elder Scrolls Online might be, internet access is a hard requirement. A fast connection is vital for maintaining consistent quality, especially on a server with many players. This also means that it’s impossible to take the adventure along whilst traveling in real life.

Skyrim doesn’t have this problem, since it’s a single-player standalone title. If an ISP goes down one afternoon, players can still enjoy the adventure unabated. Likewise, it has been ported to a number of platforms, including the Nintendo Switch and Valve’s upcoming Steam Deck platform, which is just one of the many reasons gamers can enjoy and replay Skyrim still today.

6 ESO Has Much More Content

Skyrim is getting quite long in the tooth at this point, and that’s a dilemma for fans who have played through the game several times, and racked up thousands of hours. Thankfully, mod content has extended the game with new lands, dungeons, and total conversions to explore, but even those are limited in scope.

Elder Scrolls Online has a clear advantage here. As an MMORPG title, development never stops as long as the player base is healthy enough to fuel the game. Every year, Elder Scrolls Online players are bound to get more content in the form of expansions, events, and other updates, offering value for money.

5 Skyrim Has More Memorable Characters

Skyrim‘s NPCs aren’t the best when it comes to interaction or pathing. Nevertheless, many of the characters in the game are quite interesting. This is all thanks to the game’s inherent focus, which highlights the history of the province, and those living (and dying) within it.

The backdrop of the civil war theme in Skyrim is juxtaposed with characters engaged in various side quests, all with their own goals and desires. Some are benevolent, some are selfish, and others are downright evil. Whatever the case, Skyrim offers up a number of personal choices for the player, by way of interaction with these interesting NPCs.

4 ESO Has Better Presentation

Storytelling is a key aspect in Elder Scrolls games, and the lore is ripe and ready for presentation. In contrast to Skyrim‘s rather clunky opening act, ESO attempts to leverage high production values to create an immense impact from the very start, in order to draw players in.

The game’s storytelling is considerably more careful and meticulous compared to Skyrim. In addition, the DLC and expansion storylines are very interesting and arguably better than what Skyrim’s Dawnguard and Dragonborn DLCs delivered.

3 Skyrim Is A More Casual RPG Affair

MMORPGs are simply not for everyone, given how they need to be complex enough to maintain a mature and dedicated player base. This makes character building and questing, as well as combat and grinding, far less engaging. Some players might even go as far as saying Skyrim has a better combat system.

Fighting boils down to left and right button mashing, on top of certain RPG-lite elements and character building. This makes Skyrim more accessible to the vast majority of gamers out there, while hardcore RPG enthusiasts can also tack on a few mods to their load order for a more authentic experience.

2 ESO Has Better Graphical Quality

While Bethesda did release a Special Edition remaster for Skyrim, the overall age of their Creation Engine is difficult to ignore. The vanilla play experience leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to the visuals, and not every gamer is ready to dive into the complex world of modding in order to pretty the game up.

ESO’s engine is not perfect, but it does allow for nicer visuals. The environments are also more vast and detailed, creating an immersive experience as players go on countless adventures. With news that Bethesda will be updating its Creation Engine for The Elder Scrolls VI, it remains to be seen how ESO will measure up.

1 Skyrim Has A Powerful Modding Community

Skyrim is, without a doubt, the number one platform for the modding community, and has been for some time. No other game has received such support from talented hobbyists and developers who wish to add their own signature to the game. Players are really spoiled for content that gives the game incredible replay value.

The entire game can be overhauled with 4K graphics enhancements, new quests, and lands to explore, not to mention a few mods that can fix some of Skyrim’s funniest bugs and glitches. Some mods even overhaul the combat, animation, and spellcasting mechanics, allowing gamers to fine-tune Skyrim to their exact desires. The mods are still coming almost a decade later, which is a great inherent value for new players.

About The Author