[Module 1] The Elder Scrolls: Legends (2017) | Review

Bethesda, the publisher of many ‘Triple-A’ titles has released a new videogame in the March of 2017. In association with Dire Wolf Digital they developed an adaptation of a saga considered to be one of the masterpieces of RPG’s. The game is The Elder Scrolls: Legends, a collectable card game sharing the same universe of the Elder Scrolls fantasy series.

The game is now available on PC and Mac, as well in the App Store and Google Play for the mobile platforms, making it a very portable game to play at home or in the go… And for free as well!

Yes, it is a free-to-play title, and that is something that always scares me when I am about to jump into a new game. More often than I’d like to admit I find myself in a situation where I can’t progress without spending money on micro-transactions or just disappointing myself on a badly produced free game, but fortunately I was not let down on this card game, as it feels very ‘free-to-play’ friendly, offering options for new players such as full pre-built decks in exchange of in-game coins, or generous rewards given by simply playing through the story.

As we head to the main menu, we see all the activities displayed in a clear style: so where to start?

It is recommended to new players to begin with the story because it will give a great notion of the basic mechanics of the game. The RPG elements of the Elder Scrolls universe are present in subtle ways, like choosing what rewards you want to have, and so customising your collection since the very start. Talking about the collection, it is a great deal of fun to explore it and make some decks, even in the beginning where the selection of cards is scarce. The game feels very intuitive in every section, making it easy to understand how to make a deck.

There are 5 colors of cards, dual-color cards, and neutral cards. You can build a mono-color deck or a dual-color deck, throwing in neutrals as well.

Players who are already familiar with other cards games such as Magic: The Gathering or Hearthstone will find that a lot of keywords work the same way or in similar fashion. I must say though, that the cards have very simplistic interactions compared to other CCG’s. Despite the shallow card design, gameplay feels rich thanks to the board mechanics being more complex than I expected (the ‘rune’ mechanic is especially unique).

The board is divided in two parts, which one having its own set of rules.

Following on to the other game modes, arena is a good challenge for more experienced players, who can choose between PvE (with good AI by the way) or PvP in a high risk high reward system where you pay a fee in advance and claim prizes depending on how well the run was completed.

In the arena you draft your deck from random cards, you draft even your class!

Other forms of content are available to keep the game diverse: daily rewards, monthly rewards, special events for limited time, and DLC’s (some of this content can even be bought with in-game ‘gold’). That makes for a great replayability, which is already natural in card games anyways.

The game art is very important to understand the delivery of the game: the visuals really push the fantasy theme of The Elder Scrolls, the colors are pale and the artwork on the cards look like characters from the original games. Sometimes the general result seems a little monotonous, and some animations are way too long. 

Your avatar of choice influences the prizes you earn on levelling up.

Another feature I notice about the art is that its objective is to drive the player into focusing on the activities itself (i.e. deckbuilding or playing a match), and the soundtrack really helps. Music is awesome in fact! It is subtle enough to not become overwhelming but it has a rich and profound tone which builds up a highly immersive experience.

Overall, the idea of adapting the beloved world of the Elder Scrolls into this card game was well executed and the fact that it is a free-to-play game is impressive, given the good quality of details and gameplay. Some aspects of the game turned out to be oversimplified, but I really felt the atmosphere of the fantasy RPG’s. The graphics and sound effects are on point, and for sure it fits for the casual players, maybe even some hardcore players in the future.

Review by Arthur Fostier - 3 November 2017