It’s been a big week for The Elder Scrolls Online fans. The newest installment to the year-long Dark Heart Of Skyrim adventure, the Greymoor story chapter, just released on PC (sorry Xbox and PlayStation owners, your wait is almost over), bringing a new story chapter, new zone, a 12-player Trial to conquer, and all the other trimmings we are so used to getting with a TESO update. If you’ve never tried The Elder Scrolls Online or have been on hiatus for a while, now is an exciting time to jump into the action. Here’s five reasons why now is a great time to play The Elder Scrolls Online
We’re headed to Skyrim!
The Elder Scrolls franchise has always given players great stories, and Elder Scrolls Online is no different in this respect. Not only does the Greymoor chapter have an enjoyable story involving witches, vampires, and werewolves (no, this isn’t Twilight) we finally get to head to the icy homeland of the Nords – Western Skyrim.
Fans of The Elder Scrolls V will be able to visit all their favorite haunts, though not everything is exactly like they may remember. TESO takes place a millennia before its single player cousin so it should be no surprise that not everything matches up, but some of the fun is exploring to see what is the same and what has changed.
Lyris is back and badass as always
For most players, Lyris Titanborn has been a piece of your personal story since your first footsteps in TESO. Since we are heading to the land of the Nord it’s no surprise that we will meet up with her again in the Greymoor chapter. Scaling in TESO means anyone can work alongside Lyris (Miss Titanborn if you’re nasty) without being relegated to mop up duty. It really does feel good to fight side by side with one of Tamriel’s living legends.
Blackreach Is Beautiful
I always thought Blackreach was overrated in The Elder Scrolls V, probably because I never went there myself. It doesn’t matter now because the Blackreach we get in TESO is amazing! The varied biomes of the gigantic caverns, about 40% of the entire landmass of the Greymoor chapter, are beautiful. The bright, glowing fauna is a stark contrast to the engulfing shadows and mechanical fortresses of the Dwemer. Whether you loved it, hated it, or never visited it before, Blackreach should be on every player’s bucket list now.
Play Indiana Jones With The New Antiquities System
For anyone looking for new skill lines Greyoor goes the non-violent route with the Antiquities system. As if there wasn’t enough lore in the world of Tamriel, the Antiquities system will have you do your best Indiana Jones impression as you hunt down ancient artifacts. You have two new skill lines – scrying and excavation – to level up if you wish to hunt down the rarest of the rare, each with their own mini-game to master. The Antiquities system comes with a ton of rewards for dedicated hunters, including a new mount, furnishings, and the new mythic items. The artifacts aren’t confined to the new Skyrim zone, taking the hunt for artifacts across all of Tamriel, making it the perfect excuse to finally visit any of the zones you have skipped over up until now.
Vampire Rework
If the Antiquities system looks a little tame for your tastes, how about something a little bloodier? The vampires in the main story of Greymoor aren’t the only love Zenimax has given to the blood suckers out there. They also hunkered down and reworked the Vampire line, giving players new skills (Ultimate included) to sink their teeth into. Feeding has also changed, and vampires must now feed to increase their Vampire Stage, opposite of how it used to work. And bringing vampirism more in line with the lore (most people abhor it, of course), many of the skills are now considered criminal acts with a kill on sight bounty. Needless to say, the updated Vampire line is more powerful but also has more risk associated with it.
