The Elder Scrolls: Arena
The Elder Scrolls: Arena is a video game that consists of 1 release
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Gameplay in Arena is very similar to future Elder Scrolls games, though much less refined. The player character is leveled up by defeating enemies for experience points, while future games in the series would become known for a skill-based leveling system wherein the player increased a skill the more he used it. The player can explore the entire continent of Tamriel, choosing to pursue the main story or take on sidequests, except for the Imperial Province of Cyrodiil. Though the entire continent is open to exploration, wilderness areas, cities, and side dungeons are all randomly generated.
The name "Arena" comes from the original conception of the game, when it was to be a gladitorial action game. The game would have the player's team of fighters competing against those of other cities, culminating in him becoming grand champion in the Imperial City. As more and more RPG elements creeped into the game, it was decided to abandon the arena-fighting idea completely. Since packaging and other marketing materials had already been printed with the original name, it was retained. It was explained, in-game, by the idea that since the world of Tamriel was defined by brutal wars and conflict, both mortal and immortal, it was often called "The Arena" by its inhabitants. A trace of the game that might have been still exists in the final version, as a text file containing names of each cities' fighting teams, along with a brief description of each. The newest game in the series, Oblivion, contains an homage to this idea, as the posters seen in the Imperial City arena closely resemble the box art of the deluxe edition of Arena.
Though the game missed its initial holiday release date, and its initial distribution was only 3,000 units, it managed to become a cult success based on word-of-mouth excitement by players. Despite a harsh reception by critics for its bugginess, and the high system requirements for the time, the game was successful enough to justify an even more ambitious sequel. This sequel, Daggerfall, would go on to introduce many of the gameplay features and lore elements that continue to define the series today.
Arena is available for free download on the official Elder Scrolls website along with Daggerfall. It requires DOSbox in order to run properly.
The Elder Scrolls: Arena is the first in its series. The Emperor has been imprisoned in another dimension by the evil Jagar Tharn, who is impersonating him. It's up to you to find all eight pieces of the Staff of Chaos to defeat him and bring order back to Tamriel.
The Elder Scrolls: Arena is the first game in the long running and award-winning Elder Scrolls series. Like the other games in the series, Arena is an open ended first person RPG. The traitorous battlemage Jagar Tharn has trapped the Emperor Uriel Septim VII in the realm of Oblivion, and is impersonating his presence on the throne. Arena tasks the player with finding and assembling the eight pieces of the Staff of Chaos, a powerful artifact who's pieces have been scattered throughout Tamriel, one in each province. Only when the staff is complete can the player confront Tharn himself in the dungeon beneath the Imperial City and free the Emperor.Gameplay in Arena is very similar to future Elder Scrolls games, though much less refined. The player character is leveled up by defeating enemies for experience points, while future games in the series would become known for a skill-based leveling system wherein the player increased a skill the more he used it. The player can explore the entire continent of Tamriel, choosing to pursue the main story or take on sidequests, except for the Imperial Province of Cyrodiil. Though the entire continent is open to exploration, wilderness areas, cities, and side dungeons are all randomly generated.
The name "Arena" comes from the original conception of the game, when it was to be a gladitorial action game. The game would have the player's team of fighters competing against those of other cities, culminating in him becoming grand champion in the Imperial City. As more and more RPG elements creeped into the game, it was decided to abandon the arena-fighting idea completely. Since packaging and other marketing materials had already been printed with the original name, it was retained. It was explained, in-game, by the idea that since the world of Tamriel was defined by brutal wars and conflict, both mortal and immortal, it was often called "The Arena" by its inhabitants. A trace of the game that might have been still exists in the final version, as a text file containing names of each cities' fighting teams, along with a brief description of each. The newest game in the series, Oblivion, contains an homage to this idea, as the posters seen in the Imperial City arena closely resemble the box art of the deluxe edition of Arena.
Though the game missed its initial holiday release date, and its initial distribution was only 3,000 units, it managed to become a cult success based on word-of-mouth excitement by players. Despite a harsh reception by critics for its bugginess, and the high system requirements for the time, the game was successful enough to justify an even more ambitious sequel. This sequel, Daggerfall, would go on to introduce many of the gameplay features and lore elements that continue to define the series today.
Arena is available for free download on the official Elder Scrolls website along with Daggerfall. It requires DOSbox in order to run properly.
| Game Name | The Elder Scrolls: Arena |
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| Original US Release |
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| Aliases | Elder Scrolls 1 |
