Two years after The Elder Scrolls Online got released on the Xbox One, we get the biggest expansion to date with Morrowind. Bethesda calls it a chapter to distinguish it from smaller DLC. Let’s explore Vvardenfell and see what it offers us.
That water on the left side? That’s actually no water at all, it are the tears from all the defeated enemies.
THE GOOD
Offers a great starting point for new players through a new tutorial and even the original main quest has a better and more natural start through this expansion.
The new playing area is big. The developers used the original height map for the Morrowind Island from the original game, and it shows. That is not to say it’s an exact copy, ESO takes place hundreds of years earlier, and the island is lusher and has a lot more detail to it. It’s fair to say that Vvardefell, as the region is called, is now my favorite in the game. You can see familiar places, but all are a bit different, Vivec city is even partly under construction.
With the Warden, Morrowind offers an entirely new class for the first time in ESO, bringing the total up to five. This is a huge addition for an MMO, and the Warden is a fun class with three interesting skill lines. Animal Companions, Green Balance and Winter’s Embrace.
The already iconic ultimate skill for the Warden in the Animal Companions line gives you a bear which you can morph to be more or less permanent. Since you need to have the ultimate on both bars, I have opted for two other Ultimates right now, but it’s a great skill to have.
The quests are really well done. I feel like they have improved over the quest lines and storytelling and those were not bad to begin with. Maybe it’s because of the internal dark elf politics and their fascinating though somewhat disturbing culture. Keep your dead ancestors away from me, okay?
While Vvardefell isn’t completely the same as in the original Morrowind, the feeling of nostalgia is tangible. Even though the Elder Scrolls Online is a different type of game from the single player RPG that the regular Elder Scrolls titles are, it offers a very single-player friendly experience, and you can just wander around and explore the island by yourself if you choose to do so.
Hey look! Gnomes do look different in Morrowind!
MIXED FEELINGS
The Morrowind chapter is not very cheap. You do get a lot of content out of it though, and the bundle with the base game included makes it a great starting point for new players. I can understand people waiting for a sale (right now there is one going on so check it out!)
It’s great that they added a new PvP mode with Battlegrounds, pitting three teams of four players against each other. I’m personally not really into more competitive PvP when it comes to MMO, and I do prefer the more casual feel of PvP in Cyrodill campaigns. But if you have a team of friends who are more competitive minded, this could be the thing for you.
While I really like starting a new character better with the Morrowind expansion than in the base game, I did experience that you seem to get fewer sky shards on Vvardenfell and you also miss out on the soul magic skill line if you ignore your invitation to the main quest for too long. So make sure to not just stay in Vvardenfell but also visit the other places when you’re starting out.
The environments are absolutely stunning and full with detail
THE BAD
Maybe the massive install size? I haven’t actually run into anything negative. Balancing between the classes might be an issue, but it’s too soon to call if you ask me and it’s a continuous process anyway, even without this expansion.
Morrowind is a huge expansion that players new and old should get. I can’t recommend it enough. The game has come a long way since release and Morrowind makes it even better. You can definitely skip some of the previous DLC but this chapter is a must have if ever there was one. The warden is a solid addition, and I’ve actually decided to make it my main class for now. The Vvardefell region is gorgeous and instills feelings of nostalgia from the original Morrowind game.
