THE ELDER SCROLLS ONLINE: GREYMOOR
Riders In The Storm
RELEASED OUT NOW!
Reviewed on PC
Also on PlayStation 4, Xbox
Publisher Bethesda Softworks
In introducing players to The Elder Scrolls Online’s newest chapter, developers ZeniMax channel nostalgia effectively and early on. The adventure begins with an on-the-nose callback to Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, as you’re pulled towards a familiar snowy locale in a horse-drawn wagon. “It’s good to be home,” the driver sighs. “Back in Skyrim.”
But this is Skyrim at its lowest, grimmest point. Greymoor ushers in the second phase of the year-long Dark Heart Of Skyrim event, and both in the powdered landscapes above ground and the sprawling underground caves of Blackreach, there’s a sense of dangerous foreboding around every turn. Preceding the events of Skyrim by 1,000 years, Greymoor’s version of Western Skyrim and Blackreach is immediately recognisable, but its inhabitants are grappling with a very different threat indeed.
Harrowstorms are pervasive and epic supernatural events, and they’re connected to a growing army of witches, vampires and werewolves, as well as a phenomenon that’s turning townsfolk into pale, soulless husks of their former selves. Enemy design is some of the strongest to date, adding a distinct gothic creepiness. Vampires morph all around and strike when least expected, and massive werewolves charge and swipe with persistence and agility. Boss battles are thrilling, and in the eye of a swelling red harrowstorm, often beautiful as well. However, some of that beauty is lost due to frustrating technical faults, such as an endgame boss that respawns at full health after being defeated.
Two new skill lines, Scrying and Excavation, facilitate the Antiquities system, a neat new activity that encourages exploring.
Finding and digging up ancient artifacts is a welcome change of pace from the usual routine, and a sure route to the much-desired new gear, gold and mounts.
In some ways, The Elder Scrolls Online is a game trying to please two different groups: MMO players and Elder Scrolls fans. In that regard, this is a glowing achievement. A multi-layered RPG with a rich foundation of lore and a deliciously dark style, as well as a real extension of the game’s MMO bones, Greymoor is the best chapter yet, an enchanting re-exploration of the wintry locale. Jordan Gerblick
The Dwarven Ebon Wolf mount is new to Greymoor, and the first canine mount available in The Elder Scrolls Online.
There’s a sense of dangerous foreboding