The Elder Scrolls: Blades Review: Some Sins Cannot Be Forgiven

Story

Set after the "The First War Against the Empire" in the fourth era, a member of the now disband group known as the "Blades", seeks refuge from Thalmor agents in their hometown only to find it has been destroyed following Imperial tax collection gone wrong. The former Blades member aids the people by rebuilding the town and ensuring the safety of those that remain.

Character customization is extensive for a mobile game.

Gameplay

The player character has a hometown they can walk around, shop, and talk to NPCs. A number of quests can be started by talking to people and destroyed buildings can be restored or upgraded with materials gathered from questing.

Quests are selected from the map screen and all involve dungeon crawling down linear corridors. The player taps the screen to select where they would like to go and loot is gathered from chests. Wandering enemies are fought by tapping, holding, or swipping the screen. The player also has a set amount of mana and stamina for spell casting and special moves. A special "Abyss" mode of play has the player face a never-ending stream of enemies which become progressively more difficult as the player continues. The "Arena" unlocks at player level 5, and contains one-on-one combat against NPCs and other players online.

Conclusion

Blades doesn't feel like an Elder Scrolls experience to me. It's vague about it location, timeline, and events. It doesn't have a good story, interesting NPCs, or even fun combat. A lot of basic features were stripped out, such as stealth and lockpicking, and replaced with mediocre filler and repetitive tasks. Within 1 hour of playtime you will have seen everything. The town building is kinda fun, but even that is bogged down by timers, level barriers, and quest grinding. If not for the branding, I would have dismissed Blades entirely.

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