The Elder Scrolls Online–Summerset Review (Xbox One X)
Welcome to Summerset.
The latest province to open up in Tamriel via expansion pack. And a beautiful holiday destination it would make. Home of the High Elves and even rumoured to be the birth place of civilisation as we know it, a serene and peaceful place, well until those pesky Daedric Worshippers showed up.
I guess the plan is to rid the place of these fellas so you can kick back on the beach with a Colovian Amber Ale or two…
Again, like with the release of Morrowind, you can get Summerset as a DLC pack or, to entice new players, a complete package with the base game and other content. For those familiar with ESO it is more of the same with the addition of the ability to craft jewellery and join the Psijic Order, a secret and mysterious order of Mages.
Beyond that there isn’t much that is new gameplay wise but like Morrowind the fun is in the vast new realm you have to explore. And it is nice. Nice, bright, and colourful, fitting in with the High Elf way of life and standing is some glorious architecture and stunning scenery, with a selection of new creatures to slay, or avoid if you like.
For those new to the game or wanting to start a new character you can start in Summerset which is a step up in difficulty compared to starting in one of the original areas but for those who plan on heading down the Psijic mage path I guess it makes sense. Be aware though, the quest line for the Psijic Order has you travelling far and wide so without many Wayshrines unlocked you will be doing a lot of travelling. Travelling and exploring is what ESO is all about though so get use to it.
Although you still have the core game of ESO at heart, it is nice to have such a different environment to explore after Morrowind. But that won’t matter to new players as exploration of different areas can happen in any order they see fit, and that is how good the DLC for ESO is, it slides in seamlessly for new players and old alike.
It is still a bit of a shame that there are a LOT of in-game purchases available, if you want. None are absolutely necessary but the pace of the game and requirements for many things definitely are there to try their best to get you to spend more real world money.
Closing Comments.
More ESO is good, right? I am still spending plenty of time in Tamriel but have to admit that much of the waiting for research and training times are getting a bit tedious. I am definitly a single player in a multiplayer world here. I rarely team up but will often help out others in battle if passing by. I also have found myself waiting for others to ‘pass by and help’ before engaging in battle with harder battles.
In some ways this is how ESO should be played, I guess after all this time I still haven’t fully adapted to the world of MMO’s. I really enjoy my time with ESO but can imaging that if I find parts of the gameplay tedious then some will find it completely soul destroying. ESO fans, get Sommerset, new players, hunt down the base game super cheap and see if you have the time to sink into it first.
Right, now back to my Colovian Amber Ale.
