The Elder Scrolls: Blades | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Bethesda Game Studios |
Publisher(s) | Bethesda Softworks |
Producer(s) | Veronique Bruneau |
Designer(s) | Jonathan Cournoyer |
Composer(s) | Inon Zur |
Series | The Elder Scrolls |
Platform(s) | Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch |
Release | Android, iOS May 12, 2020 Nintendo Switch May 14, 2020 |
Genre(s) | Action role-playing |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
- From Bethesda Game Studios, the award winning creators of Skryim, comes The Elder Scrolls: Blades.
- Bethesda Launcher.
The Elder Scrolls: Blades is a free-to-playaction role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is a spin-off of The Elder Scrolls series, set following The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and preceding The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Following over a year of early access on Android and iOS devices, the full version of Blades was released for Android, iOS and Nintendo Switch in May 2020.
Gameplay[edit]
The Elder Scrolls: Blades is an action role-playing game played from a first-person perspective.[1] The game was designed specifically for mobile devices and features nearly-unavoidable one-on-one combat, which is engaged by tapping, swiping, or using virtual dual-stick controls via touch screen.[1][2][3] Unlike the majority of the installments in the series, which are primarily built on open-world and world map features, the game's overall design is linear, due to the challenges and limitations of mobile devices.[4] Another distinction is that the abilities of sneaking around non-playable characters, moving corpses, and hiding/storing/stealing items were not included in the game. Combat includes using melee weapons, magic spells, and ranged attacks.[1] Regarding the use of magic, the player can only equip up to three different magic spells to use during combat. The game features dungeons that are both hand-crafted by designers and procedurally generated.[1] Players can customize and level up their characters to enhance their abilities.[1][2]
Blades features three main game modes: Abyss, Arena, and Town. Abyss offers a roguelike experience in which the player must attempt to get as far as possible in an endless dungeon. Despite not being connected to the game's story, the endless dungeon is ideal to gain experience and strength for the player. Arena is a player versus playermultiplayer mode in which two players battle against each other.[3] Town is the game's main mode, which is a hub area where the player can receive quests and meet non-player characters (NPCs) to progress the story.[2][3] The player's hub town initially starts destroyed and they are tasked with rebuilding and upgrading it, which consequently unlocks more quests and NPCs.[3] Players can visit their friends' hub towns.[2][5]
After a period of invite-only early access, Bethesda has announced that The Elder Scrolls: Blades can now be downloaded and played by everyone with a supported iOS or Android device.
On mobile devices, the game can be played in either landscape or portrait mode.[2]
Synopsis[edit]
The story takes place within the fantasy universe of The Elder Scrolls, during the Fourth Era, and sometime after the Great War. The player's character is a surviving former member of the Blades, an elite legendary group of spies and bodyguards who long-served and protected the Empire of Tamriel for many generations. Despite their heroic and legendary feats, the Blades have been outlawed, disbanded, slaughtered, and forced into exile as result of the Great War. Being hunted down by the Thalmor Altmer, the player seeks refuge in their hometown, only to find it indirectly destroyed by a group of mercenaries who were hired by the Bloodfall Queen, Urzoga gra-Batul the Orsimer. Being sent by the Queen to collect taxes, one of the mercenaries destroyed a legendary Ayleid statue, which concealed a tunnel leading to a crypt under the town. Buried in the crypt was an Ayleid Sorcerer-King by the name of Celemaril Light-Bringer, a necromancer who once ruled the lands of Tamriel in the First Era. Being unleashed from the tomb, the now undead Sorcerer-King wreaked destruction on the town and caused the land to become ravaged by undead skeletons, spiders, skeevers (large, ratlikerodents), goblins, trolls, and wights. The player must brave through perilous dungeons, castles, ruins, caves, forts, and forests to rescue missing villagers, assist in rebuilding the town, seek out the mercenaries, and inquire more knowledge about the Sorcerer-King. The player must also seek out the Bloodfall Queen, reunite with their former mentor, Henrik Seven-Swords the Nordhuman, and be wary of the Thalmor agents.[1]
Tracking down the Bloodfall Queen, the player learns that she is at odds with the Greencap Bandits.
Development and release[edit]
The Elder Scrolls: Blades was developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. The game was announced by Todd Howard during Bethesda's showcase at E3 2018[1] and was playable on the showfloor at the expo.[2]Blades was released for Android and iOS devices as a free-to-play game on March 27 2019.[1][2] Howard anticipated that Blades would be released on consoles and PCs in the future, along with supporting virtual reality.[2]
On March 1, 2019, Bethesda announced that they would be running an iOS-only closed beta for the game (with testers during that period kept under a non-disclosure agreement), prior to an early access release for both iOS and Android.[6] On March 27, 2019, that early access process began, when the release date for the iOS App Store version was brought forward to the following day (March 28, 2019), to coincide with celebrations for the 25th anniversary of The Elder Scrolls series.[7][8] The Android version of the app was also made available from Google Play on that same release date.[8] The store entries for the game state that it 'will launch as early access', and players 'must receive an invite to play the game' during that time.[9] Bethesda confirmed that they were emailing invites to players in 'waves'.[8]
Following this invite-only period, on April 5, 2019, the early access version was made available to all players who are registered with Bethesda. The company stated on Twitter that 'The gates to The Elder Scrolls: Blades are opening further. Excited to say that anyone with a Bethesda net account can now play.'[10] This message also included an acknowledgement of the feedback received from players to-date, and announcing forthcoming balance changes for the 'silver chest' in-game reward. This item had received negative responses from some players upon discovery that they required three real-time hours to open (without options available to open other chests in parallel or discard previous chests for a better one), thereby stalling gameplay.[10][11] In response to players' complaints, Bethesda reduced the time to open Silver chests to an hour and reduced the cost of opening it instantly from 36 to 12 gems.[12]
On May 2, 2019, the early access release was broadened further to include all iOS and Android players, when Bethesda updated the game to no longer require a Bethesda net account.[13]
On May 17, 2019, further planned changes to the game were announced, including adjustments to equipment repair costs, and difficulty balance changes. During the same announcement, Bethesda also confirmed a forthcoming 'big' update, which would include other player-requested features, such as jewelry and new story content. This version 1.1 update was released on June 9, 2019, also adding dialog for NPCs and support for player levels beyond 50.[14]
On May 12, 2020 (over a year since early access began), the game left early access as part of the version 1.7 update. This update also included a set of in-game rewards for players who had been part of the early access period.[15] The Nintendo Switch version of the game was then released on May 14, 2020.[16]
Reception[edit]
Critical reviews[edit]
During the early access, Blades received generally mixed reviews from critics. David Jagneaux from IGN heavily criticized the game for its long loading screens, grinding, lack of innovation and its use of microtransactions; however, he did praise the game for its visuals, character development, story, and combat.[17] Review aggregate website Metacritic found the Switch version of the game received the 10th worst aggregate score out of all games released in 2020.[18]
On May 2, 2019, the early access release was broadened further to include all iOS and Android players, when Bethesda updated the game to no longer require a Bethesda net account.[13]
On May 17, 2019, further planned changes to the game were announced, including adjustments to equipment repair costs, and difficulty balance changes. During the same announcement, Bethesda also confirmed a forthcoming 'big' update, which would include other player-requested features, such as jewelry and new story content. This version 1.1 update was released on June 9, 2019, also adding dialog for NPCs and support for player levels beyond 50.[14]
On May 12, 2020 (over a year since early access began), the game left early access as part of the version 1.7 update. This update also included a set of in-game rewards for players who had been part of the early access period.[15] The Nintendo Switch version of the game was then released on May 14, 2020.[16]
Reception[edit]
Critical reviews[edit]
During the early access, Blades received generally mixed reviews from critics. David Jagneaux from IGN heavily criticized the game for its long loading screens, grinding, lack of innovation and its use of microtransactions; however, he did praise the game for its visuals, character development, story, and combat.[17] Review aggregate website Metacritic found the Switch version of the game received the 10th worst aggregate score out of all games released in 2020.[18]
Sales and revenue[edit]
Despite mixed critical reviews, Blades was a commercial success. Within one week of the game's early access launch, it had exceeded 1 million downloads on the iOS platform, with the associated revenue reaching close to $500,000. 42% of these downloads were from users in the United States, with US players also accounting for 76% of the total spending during this time.[19][20] Within the first month of early access release, the game had generated revenue exceeding $1.5million on the iOS platform with player spending reaching close to $50,000 per day.[21]
Awards[edit]
The game was nominated for 'Mobile Game of the Year' at the Golden Joystick Awards,[22] and won the award for 'Song/Score - Mobile Video Game' at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards.[23][24] It was also nominated for the A-Train Award for Best Mobile Game at the New York Game Awards,[25] and for 'Game of the Year' and 'Best Audio/Visual Accomplishment' at the Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Awards.[26]
References[edit]
Bethesda Blades Sign Up Hotmail
- ^ abcdefghNewton, Casey (June 10, 2018). 'The next Elder Scrolls game is a beautiful mobile RPG named Blades'. The Verge. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
- ^ abcdefghCampbell, Colin (June 10, 2018). 'The Elder Scrolls Blades is a first-person, free, mobile RPG'. Polygon. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
- ^ abcdPurchese, Robert (June 11, 2018). 'Bethesda's new Elder Scrolls RPG for mobile looks really rather good'. Eurogamer. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
- ^Frushtick, Russ (March 6, 2019). 'Blades may be pared down but still looks like Elder Scrolls'. Polygon.
- ^'Elder Scrolls: Blades is coming to Nintendo Switch with dragon quest line'. iMore. June 9, 2019.
- ^Nelson, Jared (March 1, 2019). 'Bethesda Announces a 'Closed Beta' for 'Elder Scrolls: Blades' and an 'Early Access' Launch for Spring'. TouchArcade. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
- ^Funnell, Rob (March 27, 2019). ''The Elder Scrolls: Blades' Is Launching Early, and Is Available to Download on the New Zealand App Store'. TouchArcade. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
- ^ abcShah, Saqib (March 28, 2019). ''The Elder Scrolls: Blades' hits iOS and Android in early access'. Engadget. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
- ^'The Elder Scrolls: Blades'. Google Play. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
- ^ abLawler, Richard (April 5, 2019). ''Elder Scrolls: Blades' mobile game opens its doors to more players'. Engadget. Retrieved April 6, 2019.
- ^Murnane, Kevin (April 6, 2019). ''Elder Scrolls Blades' Has A Treasure Chest Problem'. Forbes. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
- ^Tassi, Paul. ''Elder Scrolls Blades' Nerfs Silver Chests, But The Entire System Needs To Go'. Forbes. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
- ^Sheridan, Connor (May 2, 2019). 'The Elder Scrolls: Blades is now playable for everybody on iOS and Android'. GamesRadar. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
- ^Pacheco, Shrey (June 14, 2019). 'Elder Scrolls: Blades v1.1 update: Here's what's new'. Digit. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^Nelson, Jared (May 12, 2020). ''The Elder Scrolls: Blades' is Officially Out of Early Access with Big Version 1.7 Update'. TouchArcade. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
- ^Maher, Cian (May 14, 2020). 'The Elder Scrolls: Blades is now available on Nintendo Switch'. VG247. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
- ^Jagneaux, David (April 23, 2019). 'The Elder Scrolls: Blades Early Access Review - IGN'. IGN. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
- ^https://www.metacritic.com/pictures/worst-videogames-of-2020/10%7Ctitle=The 10 Worst Video Games of 2020|date=December 30, 2020
- ^Arif, Shabana (April 7, 2019). 'The Elder Scrolls: Blades has been downloaded over 1 million times'. VG247. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
- ^Fogel, Stefanie (April 4, 2019). ''The Elder Scrolls: Blades' Reaches 1 Million Downloads in First Week'. Variety. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
- ^Giancarlo, Valdes (April 26, 2019). 'Sensor Tower — The Elder Scrolls: Blades pulls in over $1.5 million on iOS'. VentureBeat. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
- ^'Golden Joystick Awards 2019'. GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on September 28, 2019. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
- ^'Hollywood Music In Media Awards Announces Nominees'. Shoot. November 4, 2019. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
- ^'HMMA Winners 2019'. Hollywood Music in Media Awards. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
- ^Sheehan, Gavin (January 2, 2020). 'The New York Game Awards Announces 2020 Nominees'. Bleeding Cool. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
- ^'The winners of 2020'. Pocket Gamer. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
External links[edit]
The Elder Scrolls: Blades, the mobile dungeon crawler courtesy of Bethesda, is currently only available on Android and iOS. There are also PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch ports planned for later this year, but that's currently it.
Todd Howard has said that he expects to see Blades released on consoles, PCs, and with virtual reality compatibility in the future. However, since Howard's announcement, there's been all but radio silence on the issue since.
This silence has been sort of broken, thanks to the folks over at Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages and their friends at Quakecon. A Bethesda representative confirmed that Blades is indeed coming to PC, but it's still 'a ways off.'
One of our friends at Quakecon got a chance to ask about the future of the PC version of The Elder Scrolls: Blades. The representative who answered confirmed that while it is still going to be made, it is a ways off. pic.twitter.com/V3jehgjbg9
— UESP (@UESP_net) July 27, 2019 Baixar telegram gratis.
As I've said previously, I've played a bit of Blades myself and, to be quite honest, PC and Xbox loyalists aren't really missing out right now. Bethesda have promised that it's making big changes to the game but, overall, there's too much grinding and too many paywalls for my taste.
Blades is free-to-play, though, so if you've got a mobile device and you want to get stuck in, the only thing stopping you is you and maybe your mobile device.
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Below is a list of every single mobile device that's currently capable of running Blades. It's a long list, so you might just want to CTRL + F this:
Bethesda Sign In
- Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe (ZS570KL)
- Asus ZenFone AR (ZS571KL)
- Asus ZenFone Ares (ZS572KL)
- Asus ZenFone V
- Asus ZenFone 4 Pro (ZS551KL)
- BlackBerry DTEK60
- Google Pixel/XL
- Google Pixel 2/2XL
- Google Pixel 3/3XL
- Essential Phone
- HTC U Ultra
- HTC U11/U11+
- HTC U12+
- Huawei P20/P20 Pro
- Huawei Mate 20 Pro
- iPhone 6S and newer
- iPhone SE
- iPad Pro
- iPad Mini 4/5
- iPad Air 2/3
- Leeco Le Max2
- Leeco LePro3
- LG V30
- LG G7 One
- LGE LG G5
- LGE LG G6
- LGE LG Q9
- LGE V20
- LGE V20 PRO
- Moto Z
- Moto Z2 Force
- Moto Z3
- Nokia 8
- OnePlus3 and newer
- Oppo R15/R17
- Razer Phone
- Samsung Galaxy S7 Active
- Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
- Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
- Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+
- Samsung Galaxy S10/S10+
- Samsung Galaxy Note 8
- Samsung Galaxy Note 9
- Samsung Galaxy Note Fan Edition
- Sharp Aquos R
- Tonino Lamborghini TL99G
- Vertex BLK3D
- Vertu Constellation X
- Vivo Xplay6
- Xiaomi MI 5s Plus
- Xiaomi Mi 6
- Xiaomi MIX
- Xiaomi Mi Mix 2
- Xiaomi Mi Note2
- Xperia XZ Premium S0-04J/G8142/G8188
- Xperia XZ1
- Xperia XZs
- ZTE Nubia Z11 (NX531J)
- ZTE Axon M (Z999)
- ZTE Axon 7 (A2017G)
- ZTE Axon 8 (A2018)
- Zuk Lenovo Z2 Plus
- Zuk Z2
- Zuk Z2 Pro