ESO: Morrowind
ESO: Morrowind
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It has been a long while since I jumped into the Elder Scrolls Online, but with the latest launch of Morrowind, I couldn’t help but get back into it and see how well Morrowind had been recreated. For the record, Bethesda did a damn good job of taking many aspects of the original Morrowind Elder Scrolls game and recreating them in HD, an opinion that I find consistently online when doing research on this release. However, the expansions comes in at a pretty hefty price, so is it worth it? Read on to find out.
More to Do, More to Explore
Like any big update to an MMO, downloadable content generally just ads more game play to any set title. In this situation, it is much the same. For better or for worse, Morrowind just adds more to the Elder Scrolls Online experience. Yes, we will explore a new and unique world, and yes, there will be unique enemies, items, and more to find, collect, and use. However, if you weren’t playing Elder Scrolls before this because perhaps you didn’t enjoy the online experience, that aspect of the game hasn’t changed.
If you are looking for more ESO, then picking up this expansion is a no brainer. I’ve put in 25 hours over the past weekend, enough to finish most of the new storyline here and many of the side quests. The new locations you get to explore are phenomenal, and I’m really excited about the new character options made available as well. The Templar class is very intriguing to me, as it is the perfect balance between offensive threat and defensive heroics. Having a Templar on your team – whether yourself, a friend, or a complete stranger – will definitely come in handy when completing some of the more difficult quests and challenges.
The writing throughout, thankfully, is fantastic, and each of the missions I took on were intriguing, offering up some great loot and experience when completed. Generally with ESO quests, I never read/listen to the more detailed aspects of people’s conversations, but with Morrowind, I found myself wanting to know more. This could be because Morrowind was the one Elder Scrolls game I never played, so I was intrigued, or it could have been because the writing overall is so damn fantastic.
Lots of new PvP Content
ESO: Morrowind introduces a new 12 player trial to complete, which is much more difficult than I ever imagined it would be. There is also the introduction of 4v4v4 arena battles that add a new element to the Elder Scrolls Online experience. These events are very, VERY competitive, and fast paced as well. You can’t be left standing in one place for too long, or you might be caught unaware. I found transitioning from traditional Elder Scrolls gameplay to this arena battle was pretty difficult, but rewarding once I figured it out.
Not As Polished As I would Have Liked
I found numerous issues throughout my travels in Morrowind, all of which were graphical in nature. Sometimes, textures didn’t load meaning the ground was an ugly, splotchy brown colour. In other circumstances – most prominently in Videc – many of the stairs I was suppose to climb never loaded, so I was essentially walking on nothing!
These are minor gripes, to be sure, but it can draw back from the experience. It’s worth noting if these types of things are going to be problems for you.
Options for Upgrading
For those who already own the Elder Scrolls Online, the Morrowind expansions can be purchased as a standalone product. For those new to the series, Bethesda has offered up an incredible package of the original game plus the Morrowind expansion for 79.99 (Canadian), a fair price to pay when you consider the amount of content you will be getting.
Even if you aren’t too sure about playing an online game, the Elder Scrolls Online CAN be played almost entirely as a single player experience. Sure, you will definitely miss out on some of the PvP content, as well as the more challenging dungeons that require a party of 2 or more, but there is still tons to do if you choose to go alone.
Do yourself a favour and grab The Elder Scrolls Online. It’s definitely worth the investment.
Article By Adam Roffel
Adam Roffel has only been writing about video games for a short time, but has honed his skills completing a Master's Degree. He loves Nintendo, and almost anything they have released...even Tomodachi Life.
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