Fans and players of the game The Elder Scrolls Online have been waiting and itching for a new update. Bethesda now brings us The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind. A new world reimagined from the game’s third installment The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind.
Platform Reviewed: PC
Platforms Available: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Developer: Zenimax Online Studios
Release Date: May 28, 2017
MSRP: $39.99 (1845.00 PHP)
This review is based on a review copy provided by Bethesda Softworks
PC specifications used in playing the game:
Intel Pentium CPU G3258
NVIDIA GeForce GTX750 Ti
8GB RAM
Game Display Settings configured to: High
Resolution: 1920×1080
Welcome to the world of Vvardenfell. A land recreated from the game Morrowind. Though it is not the exact representation from the game it is as close as it can get to the setting and the world. The world is rich and vibrant with all the flora and fauna in the area. We meet new and interesting creatures that can only be found in this area.
Players who create a new character can get to start in this island right away. You don’t need to meet certain conditions or anything to access Morrowind from the get go. The game offers for your level 1 character to start at Vvardenfell and will become the starter zone and the tutorial area.
One of the most prominent highlights of this expansion is the addition of the latest class for the game. The Warden is the newest and the fifth class that players can create. The Warden specializes in three skill lines namely, Nature and Healing, Frost, and Animal Companion. Nature and Healing and Frost both provide support and defensive spells that will make your adventures in Vvardenfell a bit easier.
The Animal Companion skill-line on the other hand provides offensive spells with the help of your animal friends. The starting skill would be an attack based dive from a dragon or wyvern (forgive me I’m not really sure what they are but they look like dragons) but what is most interesting about this skill-line is its ultimate skill which is a bear. A war bear that can be summoned and will permanently fight by your side until it gets killed. You can buff or heal the war bear though using your healing spells which means it can be a very powerful and invincible ally.
The way skill level ups work in this game, for those who are yet to start this adventure, is that it banks on you using the skills as frequent as possible. Doing so will unlock more powerful skills and even a way to evolve your initial skills to a more powerful version. It does play a lot like the Elder Scrolls game after all where everything you do or use improves a certain skill or aspect of your equipment. Leveling up a character provides you the skill points and stat points which you can distribute to either magicka, stamina or health. It’s very simple really but it’s also important to know which stat to improve to ensure that your skills are the most effective.
This latest expansion also brings us Naryu Virian. Naryu Virian, who was a favorite character that showed up in the Ebonheart Pact quest-line will return to accompany our character in the land of Vvardenfell. She is a Morag Tong assassin that was well received by players when she was introduced before. Now she serves as the mentor to our new character in this unfamiliar world.
Another feature introduced in this expansion is the PVP arena called Battlegrounds. Battleground is a 4v4v4 battle type arean reminiscent of the For Honor game but instead of two sides, you get three. Playing Battlegrounds will earn you points at the end of the game which can be converted to experience points and so many others. There are also three game types that are unique to ESO: Morrowind for Battlegrounds. These are Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, and Domination.
The Team Deathmatch is a straightforward brawl to the death. Kill your enemies and gain the points. Capture the Flag is your typical catch the flag from the enemy’s side to bring to your own all the while defending your own flag so that the enemy team couldn’t get it. Domination, which is probably my favorite type of game style, is a game where you capture points in an area and defending it to secure the points. It’s like Dominion in League of Legends.
There is also a new Trial that you can play in the fields of Vvardenfell. The trials are a sort of dungeon based area where you team up with other players to bring down unique and powerful enemies that are only defeatable as a team. In Morrowind it features the latest one called The Halls of Fabrication.
For those who are familiar to the game Morrowind, you will see all too familiar places like the Seyda Neen docks, Vivec’s City and Balmora. The expansion also offers 30+ hours of gameplay and content which is comprised of quests that are unique to Vvardenfell. With this huge amount of content, you will never get bored with what Vvardenfell has to offer and is such a welcome addition to this online world.
The only thing that I noticed that they still didn’t make an improvement on is providing a minimap display on the HUD. Maybe because they want this game to be something that you’d want to get lost in but it can be an inconvenience if you have no idea where you are going to. Although there are mods out there which specifically creates the minimap for you and all other good stuff that you need to enhance your experience, I wish the base game itself would just add it on the get-go.
The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind is well worth it just even with the addition of the Warden class but moreso the fact that you will have lots of quests to play and some PVP on the side for those who just want to spill blood, it’s an expansion packed with features that makes it worth your while. I would recommend getting this expansion if you just want to try something new or want to make your adventures in Elder Scrolls online much more fun.