Our first impression of The Elder Scrolls Online had us thinking that Bethesda's upcoming title was just another run-of-the-mill MMO. But, after playing four hours of the game (which is admittedly short by MMO standards) we're thinking we just might have to change our tune. The developers have mixed together MMO staples and popular elements from The Elder Scrolls games to create a very intriguing online RPG cocktail.

We explore the story, progression, competitive multiplayer elements and everything else we know about the fantasy RPG right here. Take a closer look at the upcoming Elder Scrolls title from Zenimax Online Studios and see what you can expect from the series first multiplayer experience.

You'll kick off the game as an unfortunate citizen of Tamriel who has been killed by Molag Bal (one of the Daedric Lords from the previous Elder Scrolls games). The evil god has his own decked-out crib in the plane of Oblivion called Coldharbour, which you must escape (while learning basic game controls, of course) to return to the living world. Once you emerge from the tutorial stage in the wide-open world of Tamriel, you'll have to find out why the Daedra is swiping people's souls, and stop his plot to conquer the world. Sound's pretty standard, right? Well, there's a bit more to it than following the narrative to the level cap.

The story is spread over fifty levels of character progression, and the events you encounter vary on which of the three alliances you choose. On top of that, players will make decisions that also change the course of the story, letting you decide the fate of important side-characters--meaning they may or may not show up to help you in future quests. So, even if you and a friend are following the same questlines, it's entirely possible to experience the missions in completely different ways.

The world of The Elder Scrolls Online is divided up into three Alliance areas: the Daggerfall Covenant, Ebonheart Pact, and Aldmeri Dominion, and each has three races to choose from. We started in the Daggerfall Covenant area, which allowed us to choose between the Redguard, Breton, and Orc races. The respective areas are massive, housing the same landmarks and areas you would have travelled in games like Morrowind and Skyrim.

The storyline will span your entire starting area and dip into The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion's world of Cyrodiil for PvP gameplay (more on that later). One of the most interesting concepts the developers mentioned was the endgame PvE options. Once you complete your initial storyline and reach level 50, you'll be able to start all over in a new Alliance with all enemies bumped up to your level and additional loot to plunder. Then you could do it again for whatever Alliance you have left after that. That should amount to just about a billion hours of gameplay... give or take.

As you progress through the story, you'll discover Molag Bal wants to enslave all of the inhabitants of Nirn (the Elder Scroll's world). Since he is unable to enter the living world on his own, he sends sky-splitting Dark Anchors to latch onto the planet and pull it into Coldharbour.

In addition to the standard quests you'll grab from NPCs, these quests come from being a member of the Fighters Guild and Mage's Guild, both have which have pledged their resources to prevent Molag Bal from destroying the world. In the game, Dark Anchors will drop from the sky in specific areas and unleash waves of enemies to defeat. If you succeed, you can detach the anchors and send them back to Oblivion. If you fail... well, we're not exactly sure what would happen if you failed to prevent a world ending event. Odds are nothing, because it'd be sort of boring if the MMO just ended.

An MMO wouldn't be an MMO without some epic quests to run through with your friends, and TESO will be in no short supply. At launch, the developers are planning on having 16 four-man dungeons to explore. We were shown one particular group quest that had four heroes delving into the spider-infested Spindle Clutch dungeon. The players were given a quest to find out the fate of a group of mercenaries, leading the heroes through the dark caverns, through hordes of giant spiders, and to the dungeon's boss, the half humanoid/araknid monstrosity, the Whisperer.

The developers told us that the standard MMO holy trinity of Tank, Healer, and DPS builds are available for players to create, but having all the three dedicated skill sets in your party won't necessarily be required to complete the group missions. Players are more encouraged to experiment with the player skills and create their own unique characters, much like they would in a game like Skyrim. Speaking of skills...

The skill system in The Elder Scrolls Online is different than other MMOs out there. You'll choose between the game's four classes (Dragonknight, Sorcerer, Templar, and one unannounced class), and level up abilities the more you use them. Each class can equip specific skills which can be earned to build up your character's combat identity.

Choosing the Dragonknight class has a combination of damage-dealing, damage absorbing, and stealth abilities; the Sorcerer commands dark magic and summons; and the Templar has various aggressive DPS skills and healing abilities to mix and match. Depending on which skills you choose can produce very different feeling attack combinations. Plus, weapons level as you use them, granting you skills respective to the weapon type, which include dual-wielding, two-handers, magic staffs, and more. On top of that, there are multiple skill trees to unlock linked to the guilds you join (like TES's Mage's Guild and Fighter's guild), the race you belong to, your alliance, and even some mythological curses you might become infected with. And yes, we're talking about vampirism and lycanthropy.

The Elder Scrolls games have always consisted of four Guilds players could join, and TESO is no different. The developers have said that the Mages Guild and Fighters Guild will be available at launch. Being a member of either faction (or both) gives players access to additional quests and skill lines.

But to get access to these bonuses, the Fighter's Guild will give you contracts to kill Daedra and destroy Dark Anchors, and the Mages Guild will send you out to collect books on Necromancy that the guild leaders will use to research ways to combat Molag Bal. And this is only the start. The other two Guilds--the Thieves' and Assassin's Guilds--will be coming sometime after launch with even more quests and skills.

Old-school MMOs have you standing next to an enemy and playing a glorified version of whack-a-mole with the number keys on your keyboard. TESO is taking more of a fast-paced, action-oriented style with the combat. You'll unleash standard, charged-up attacks, blocks and shield bashes with the mouse buttons while launching special attacks like the Dragonknight's Fiery Reach and Spiked Armor abilities using the number keys.

The combat is also very reactive. Players will have to keep an eye on the enemy's movements and attacks to avoid damage, block attacks, and score critical hits. One interesting mechanic allows players to stun enemies while they charge up special attacks. Blocking the attack or bashing an attacker at the right time will knock them back, leaving them open for a charged critical hit. With all of the dodging, blocking and attacking, each enemy encounter feels like an intense duel.

The combat gets even more intricate when you add more players to your party. When facing off against a group of enemies, not only will you have to watch what each enemy is doing at any given time, you'll also have to mind your friends actions as well. The Elder Scrolls Online rewards players who work together by awarding bonus effects by combining your squad's abilities.

One example showed a Templar and Sorcerer combining their abilities to create a powerful area-of-effect attack. The Templar dropped her standard AOE attack, called Nova, which does considerable damage on it's own. However, the Sorcerer was able to run into the middle of the Nova, press a button, and supercharge the ability to become a Supernova. Activating team attacks can help take down tough enemies, but TESO's heroes aren't the only ones that enjoy a helping hand.

Just as players can work together, so can the bad guys. Enemies will combine their abilities have various degrees of "synergy." For example, at the class level, a group of enemies consisting of a warrior and a mage were shown combining their special attacks. The warrior rushed players and dropped a canister of oil at their victim's feet. Just as the warrior did this, the mage launched a fireball at the oil slick, lighting it on fire and damaging anyone caught in the blaze.

Enemies also have Factional Synergy. Opponents belonging to the same group, like a Necromancy cult can combine their abilities for combat bonuses unique to their faction. One encounter with a group of Necromancers resulted in one enemy sacrificing another in the middle of battle to spawn a much more powerful demon. Players will have to watch their enemies closely to avoid getting overwhelmed by their foes' combined attacks.

TESO wouldn't be much of an MMO (or an Elder Scrolls game) without crafting, and it seems the developers are taking more elements from the series than from traditional MMOs. Looting random barrels, baskets, plants, and chests will get you ingredients you can use in the game's five professions. However, you won't necessarily know what each of those ingredients will do when you mix them up in a stew pot or infuse it into a blade. That's where the experimentation comes in.

Most items have multiple attributes which will be revealed as you continue to craft with a specific ingredient. Anything from a lightning imbued battleaxe to a keg of hoppy beer can be crafted. All you need is a recipe, a primary ingredient, and a secondary ingredient to craft a simple item, then you can add three optional ingredients to alter the recipe. Finding all of the properties for the huge variety of ingredients in the world seems like it could be incredibly time consuming, but the most powerful items in the game can only be acquired through crafting. There's plenty of incentive to mess around and see what you can make.

Smack dab in the center of the three Alliance territories lies the contested land of Cyrodiil. Spread across this massive landscape are dozens of walled keeps and support structures that can be claimed by any of the three sides. Each one captured extends the network of structures that support one another with troop supply lines and provide fast transit to players between buildings. Using strategies that cut off supplies and transit to a contested keep can be the key to victory.

Players can build siege engines like trebuchets, battering rams, and ballistas to attack enemies and buildings, which is important for siege attacks. Pounding the walls with trebuchets can eventually bring the stone structure to the ground. Once you breach the inner keep, the location is yours for the taking.

While the first-person perspective gameplay wasn't available for us to get our hands on, we were shown how the game's most requested feature will look. And, so far, it looks like a traditional Elder Scrolls game in action.

The mouse-driven combat looks like it fits perfectly with the up-close-and-personal view, and the character models and environments don't look as detailed as they did in Skyrim. While TESO won't be the first MMO to have a first-person view, it might be the first to actually make it an important part of the game, and being able to play in first-person does wonders for making the MMO feel like a true Elder Scrolls title.

The Elder Scrolls Online seems to be doing quite a few interesting things in the MMO space. Only time will tell if the developers will be able to successfully blend the best elements of Online games with that of the series. What do you think of the game so far? What is on your wish list for game features? Do you think Bethesda is on the right track? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

To get all the info on The Elder Scrolls Online before the release later this year, be sure to check out our The Elder Scrolls Online page or have a look at 25 new MMORPGs coming in 2013.