I should preface this by saying I have no nostalgia for this game in particular. I was born when this game came out and my first Elder Scrolls game was Skyrim.

That said, I adore this game. I understand that I may be a special breed of nostalgic and autistic but I really don’t think this game is that hard to get into.
It frustrates me that people think this game is “unplayable” just because they’re not used to it yet. With just a bit of practice, the complaints about the controls are very exaggerated.

Take the time to do a bit of research, read the player manual, read up on some tips. This game is an adventure, it’s a story about becoming stronger and overcoming intimidating odds. Explore, let yourself become lost in this dangerous and magical world, kill monsters and find treasure, get better armor and weapons and keep trying until you accomplish what you couldn’t before. Get lost in a giant dungeon and make it out by the skin of your teeth and get a good night’s sleep in the local tavern, stock up on more healing potions and look forward to diving back in and getting a little further than you did the last time until you finally get that staff piece that you worked so hard for.

There’s beauty in its simplicity, the gameplay loop is addictive, and it all makes me feel something about video games that I haven’t felt in a long time. It’s not just a program running on my computer or just a video game that I have to beat, it’s a world that was created for me to go on an adventure. Using my imagination makes me feel a bit like a kid again. It reminds me of playing RuneScape, not thinking about the limitations of the technology but just focusing on the world and the adventure.

I just love Elder Scrolls so much, all of them. The series just provides a level of immersion that’s near unmatched, and Arena is no exception.

Give it a try, give it some commitment. You might find something special.

Some tips:

negative armor numbers are good, the lower the number the more protected you are (it’s weird, I know)

It’s not hard to get out of the first dungeon, she literally tells you to go southwest. Keep going south and west, you’ll find the exit. But take the time to explore, level up and find loot early on, you can sleep on the stone slabs to heal.

The mages guild sells potions to everyone, stock up on healing potions before going into a dungeon and drink them like water

Right clicking on the map icon (or shift + m) lets you fast travel anywhere. Dungeons that you have been told about will appear on the world map

Get that agility up! Either you hit the enemy or you don’t. Your agility stat makes it so that you do.

How you swing your weapon does matter. Horizontal cuts and forward thrusts have a higher chance of hitting. Diagonal and vertical cuts don’t hit as often but do more damage. If you’re missing a lot, try moving your mouse forward more.

TLDR: this game rules, git gud, fite me

I should preface this by saying I have no nostalgia for this game in particular. I was born when this game came out and my first Elder Scrolls game was Skyrim. That said, I adore this game. I understand that I may be a special breed of nostalgic and autistic but I really don’t think this game is that hard to get into. It frustrates me that people think this game is “unplayable” just because they’re not used to it yet. With just a bit of practice, the complaints about the controls are very exaggerated. Take the time to do a bit of research, read the player manual, read up on some tips. This game is an adventure, it’s a story about becoming stronger and overcoming intimidating odds. Explore, let yourself become lost in this dangerous and magical world, kill monsters and find treasure, get better armor and weapons and keep trying until you accomplish what you couldn’t before. Get lost in a giant dungeon and make it out by the skin of your teeth and get a good night’s sleep in the local tavern, stock up on more healing potions and look forward to diving back in and getting a little further than you did the last time until you finally get that staff piece that you worked so hard for. There’s beauty in its simplicity, the gameplay loop is addictive, and it all makes me feel something about video games that I haven’t felt in a long time. It’s not just a program running on my computer or just a video game that I have to beat, it’s a world that was created for me to go on an adventure. Using my imagination makes me feel a bit like a kid again. It reminds me of playing RuneScape, not thinking about the limitations of the technology but just focusing on the world and the adventure. I just love Elder Scrolls so much, all of them. The series just provides a level of immersion that’s near unmatched, and Arena is no exception. Give it a try, give it some commitment. You might find something special. Some tips: negative armor numbers are good, the lower the number the more protected you are (it’s weird, I know) It’s not hard to get out of the first dungeon, she literally tells you to go southwest. Keep going south and west, you’ll find the exit. But take the time to explore, level up and find loot early on, you can sleep on the stone slabs to heal. The mages guild sells potions to everyone, stock up on healing potions before going into a dungeon and drink them like water Right clicking on the map icon (or shift + m) lets you fast travel anywhere. Dungeons that you have been told about will appear on the world map Get that agility up! Either you hit the enemy or you don’t. Your agility stat makes it so that you do. How you swing your weapon does matter. Horizontal cuts and forward thrusts have a higher chance of hitting. Diagonal and vertical cuts don’t hit as often but do more damage. If you’re missing a lot, try moving your mouse forward more. TLDR: this game rules, git gud, fite me