Turmoil has engulfed the land of Tamriel, for the emperor, Uriel Septim VII, has been banished into another dimension and usurped by his imperial battlemage, Jagar Tharn. Tharn has impersonated the emperor and killed all that stood in his way, except one. Waking up in the prison, you are informed of...
Turmoil has engulfed the land of Tamriel, for the emperor, Uriel Septim VII, has been banished into another dimension and usurped by his imperial battlemage, Jagar Tharn. Tharn has impersonated the emperor and killed all that stood in his way, except one. Waking up in the prison, you are informed of these nefarious happenings by the spirit of Ria Silmane, Tharn’s murdered apprentice. With all other threats unaware or removed, you are the last hope for restoring Tamriel’s true emperor and are freed by Ria to begin your quest. With her assistance, you must collect the scattered pieces of the Staff of Chaos and use it to return Uriel Septim from his dimensional prison. Using your wits, might and magic, you must explore the vast world of Tamriel and recover these pieces while battling Tharn’s forces. Can you defeat this imposter and rescue Uriel Septim from his prison?
As the first in the Elder Scrolls’ series, Arena introduces players to the captivating world of Tamriel and its inhabitants. Told from a first-person perspective, this RPG gives players full customisation over race, class, stats and method of battle. With an expansive world, there are over 400 locations to explore with many treasures to be uncovered and quests to complete. Providing a deep-lore and immersive story, this classic was a strong first step for the series, as evidenced by its continued dominance in the RPG-genre. This is a must-play for any fans of the Elder Scrolls series and for any players looking for an authentic RPG adventure.
Explore the world of Tamriel, completing quests, fighting monsters and recovering the scattered pieces of the Staff of Chaos
Fully customise your character down to the finest details, including race, class and stats
Create your own spells and equip yourself with the finest armour you can loot
Goodies
manual
playguide
quick reference card
Codex Scientia
I started playing TES games with Daggerfall, back in the 90s. I loved it. I always felt there was something special about it - the huge open world, the many ways to explore and to play with the character. It felt like I could create my own adventures within the game, just by wondering off to find some dungeon or whatever.
I never really thought that Arena would be able to bring a lot of those feelings. I dabbled with it once or twice over the years, never leaving the first dungeon. That was the problem - I never really saw what the game had to offer in those few moments.
I've been doing a full playthrough recently, with a Redgard Barbarian, and it's been a revelation! I'm really enjoying the game and what it has to offer. Even now I know I've barely scratched the surface (I'm up to the final Staff piece, but I haven't tried much broader exploration yet).
It's super clear to see based on my playthrough so far that this game set some very deep roots for The Elder Scrolls series that have been nurturing the games ever since. There's so much here that you'll recognise if you've loved playing any of the other main-line TES games. It's a gem. I love it.
Though a dated game and lacking the detail and fleshed out lore of its sequels, Arena is still an impressive and ambitious beginning to the Elder Scrolls series, especially given its 1994 release. Its spell crafting system is arguably even the best in the series (and a feature sadly missed from Skyrim), with great flexibility and levelled powering allowing a mage character to go from apprentice to god levels...
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