How are Skyrim and ESO related? Main Differences

The Elder Scrolls games are known for their immersive worlds and endless hours of gameplay. As a player, you become deeply connected to the game, living in it and uncovering its secrets. Both Skyrim and Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) offer this type of commitment, but there are key differences.

First, Skyrim is a single-player game, while ESO is an MMO, meaning it is played online with a large community of players. This means that while you can have a more personal experience in Skyrim, ESO offers the opportunity to team up with other players and tackle challenging content together. Besides that, what are the major differences and similarities between both ESO and Skyrim?

ESO and Skyrim - Differences and Similarities

There are many major differences and similarities between ESO and Skyrim, so we've listed them all below:

• Location
  • The first major difference between the two is that ESO takes place in the entirety (or at least most of) Tamriel. Tamriel is the continent in which Skyrim can be found alongside others including Morrowind.

Related: Elder Scrolls Online Step-By-step Guide: How to play ESO in Chronological Order

• Story
  • The plots of both games are completely different, with Skyrim taking place thousands of years after ESO. In Skyrim, you are the Dragonborn, and the only hero of the game. In ESO, everyone is the hero in their own right, aiming to adhere to their own morals and objectives. Of course, there is a story, but its importance doesn't rely solely on you as a character.
• Gameplay
  • Both games have very similar gameplay with the only real difference being in the ability to complete multiple side quests in Skyrim. ESO is far more linear, but still focuses primarily on exploring and speaking with NPCs just the same. There is also a drastic amount of mounts you can choose from in ESO in comparison to the single horse you can ride in Skyrim.
• Single-player vs Multi-player
  • As stated above, Skyrim is a single-player game and ESO is an MMO that encourages you to play with other players online.
• Variety
  • ESO wields a variety of things such as quest rewards, mounts, and obtainable items that are simply not available in Skyrim. But just as ESO has things that Skyrim does not, the same goes for the opposite. In Skyrim, you have the ability to mod the game and add customizations.

With these differences and similarities, neither game is necessarily better than the other. More than anything, each game is so different that it would be great to play them both regardless.

For more Elder Scrolls, check out The best public dungeons to farm in Elder Scrolls online for items and gold only on Pro Game Guides.