A forgotten epic

User Rating: 8.1 | The Elder Scrolls: Arena PC
By AlekMosingiewic | Review Date:
I remember reading unfavorable review of "Arena" in polish computer game magazine back in the nineties. The game received quite a scorn from the reviewer, but I was nonetheless intrigued by the idea of open-ended gameplay it offered. When Bethesda decided to let it loose on the net as a freeware I thought I might as well give it a try.

Having the bad review still in my mind I was somewhat surprised how addictive the game is, especially given the time it was made in. It has all the components of a successful product: interesting storyline, immersive setting, just-right level of challenge, and, last not least, great degree of freedom for the player to enjoy. The world of "Arena" is extremely rich, with surprise and adventure lurking around virtually every corner. A beggar you meet on the street might tell you about a powerful and forgotten artifact. A ruler of town you happen to be passing by may give you a quest that will make you a local hero. And, last not least, there's the main quest: assembling pieces of the Staff of Chaos - that will take you across the continent of Tamriel. "Arena" is a game of adventures within adventures, of stories within stories. Not only a forgotten classic, but an example of how games ought to be made.

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