Bethesda have done well this console-generation, releasing a plethora of excellent games, such as internally developed Fallout 3 and, most recently published Dishonored from Arkane Studios. Thanks to these games, they’ve managed to build themselves a reputation of high-quality games, despite the bugs and glitches that seem to plague them on release. Skyrim, their most recent entry in The Elder Scrolls series, was one of the best games in 2011, a year which was arguably one of the best years for gaming in recent memory. Accordingly, there have been high expectations for any add-ons released; Dawnguard promised much, but gave very little, and Hearthfire didn’t add much at all.. Hopes were raised again when the teaser trailer for the most recent add-on, Dragonborn, was released back at the start of November. Fans of The Elder Scrolls went wild at the prospect of returning to Morrowind, and having the ability to ride dragons. So, the stakes were raised, and the fans were waiting for what was shaping up to be a great piece of DLC.
Fans of Morrowind will find the island of Solstheim familiar, and it’s a nice feeling, returning to the land of the Dunmer. If you played Morrowind, stepping off the boat in the town of Raven Rock will bring a strong feeling of nostalgia, and you can immediately see that, aesthetically, Solstheim is slightly different to what you’ll have previously encountered in Skyrim. The north of the island may be near-identical to the snowy tundra faced in most of Skyrim, but travel to the south of the island and you’ll encounter something very different; an ashen, barren wasteland. This change of scenery is one of the best things about the DLC, and helps reinvigorate a game that, for me, had grown a little wearisome. Dawnguard may have introduced us to the Forgotten Vale, probably one of the most visually stunning locations in gaming, but it was just too reminiscent of the rest of Skyrim’s snowy locales; the wastelands of southern Solstheim are very different from what we’ve been seeing for the last year, and the small, mushroom-dominated home Tel Mithryn is something new entirely. It’s worth visiting, so to find Tel Mithryn, head towards the huge mountain you should see dominating the skyline. Just be aware that Ash Spawn will inevitably attack you in the wastes, and they’re deceptively powerful, so be ready for them.
An important part of Dragonborn is the Black Books that you can find around Solstheim. Reading these tomes causes a mass of tentacles to emerge from its pages, dragging you into the book and into a dark, dangerous realm inhabited by two types of Daedra; Seekers and Lurkers. These enemies are very dangerous, even to a high-levelled character, especially when the Seekers attack en masse, as they create decoys of themselves that can be very distracting. Lurkers, in contrast, are huge, monstrous creatures that appear from the acidic ponds that are scattered around the various areas in this realm. Extremely powerful, they managed to kill my level 60 Breton in about three attacks. The new enemies introduced in Dawnguard give high-levelled players a well-needed extra challenge. After all, Skyrim is over a year-old now, so it’s nice to see some new varieties of enemies that aren’t just upgrades (I’m looking at you, Vampire Lords).
Of course, there’s a lot of exploring to do in Solstheim. To find some of the Black Books, you need to delve into the island’s numerous dungeons and caves, which add a small amount of variety. One side-quest that stood out to me involved using a sword called the Bloodskal Blade (should be familiar to Morrowind fans) to open a door using the red beams of power that pulse from it whenever you use a power-attack. Much like the main game, Dragonborn’s side-quests are much more varied and enjoyable than the add-on’s main questline, which seems very rushed in comparison, only taking me around six to seven hours to complete, whereas I’m still finding side-quests to complete. The goal of all this exploring and dungeon-diving is to find three Words of Power that will allow you to defeat Miraak, the original Dragonborn. It’s a shame that the story feels so rushed, as it’s actually quite an engaging and atmospheric experience while it lasts, and is, arguably, better than the game’s main questline.
The biggest, and most anticipated, feature is the ability to tame, and ride, dragons. Unfortunately, you don’t gain the skill to do so until you learn all the Words of Power to a Dragon Shout, which means you won’t be riding any dragons until near the end of the main quest. If you’re expecting to be able to manually fly a dragon to a town and unleash fiery destruction on the inhabitants, you’re going to be disappointed. The most you can really do is to lock onto a target, attack, and land. That’s it. There’s no epic aerial battles, no flying over the forests and mountains of Skyrim. It’s a shame, as that would have made an incredibly game even better.
So, is Dragonborn worth 1600 Microsoft Points? Not really. It’s a really solid piece of DLC that could have been something really special, if only its main questline was fleshed out a little more. If it was as long as the Oblivion add-on, The Shivering Isles, it would likely be a rival for its crown. On the whole, it’s a fantastic add-on that, arguably, has a better story than the game’s an add-on to, despite feeling rushed. In summary, if you’re a big fan of Skyrim, then I couldn’t recommend this more, even at the steep price. If not, just wait until the time it inevitably gets reduced during a sale. Dragonborn is one of best gaming experiences around, and is just begging to be played.