Dark Light

Released back in 2014, The Elder Scrolls Online has just received its newest expansion – High Isle. The cherry on the top? It is FABULOUS. Developed by Zenimax Online Studios and published by our community favourite Bethesda Softworks, ESO was originally released on 4 April 2014. The High Isle Expansion has already been released for the PC and Cloud family and for the consoles consoles on 21st June. The game is available on the Playstation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC (ESO Launcher), Steam and Mac.

The Knight in Shining Armor

Elder Scrolls Online High Isle offers the most conspicuous chapter in the ESO lore yet, called the – Legacy of Breton. A proposal has been raised to unite the 3 kingdoms and put an end to the three-banner war, bringing peace and harmony. But a mischievous group called Ascendents led by the Ascendant Lord and Ascendant Magus conspire to take control over the entire Tamriel and control the region themselves.

The Ascendents pose a bigger threat since their identity is unknown and they belong to the castle. Not only do they have internal knowledge, but they also practice dark magic on a never-seen scale. The ground shakes to its core, the storm rages the sea and to the worse of it, Volcanic vents have formed all over High Isle, bringing a brand-new threat.

This is where you enter the region, right on time. Greeted by Jakarn, you are led to the heart of the High Isle, inside the castle walls, where you finally meet Lady Arrabelle. Lady Arrabelle is one of the important characters who had an interesting career as a spy, warrior and everything a kingdom requires.

She briefs you of the situation, and it couldn’t be worse. The three ships carrying the leaders and representatives from each kingdom due course to high isle have gone missing. The news of three vessels with the three most important people missing is the worst nightmare anyone wanted to hear.

The Elder Scrolls Online: High Isle

All the responsibility now lies with Lady Arrabelle, Jakarn and their newest ally – you, the player. It is up to you to rescue the 3 Lords, investigate and expose the Ascendents and bring an end to their long-brewing conspiracy.

Daggers, Staves and Broadswords

Going into the world of Elder Scrolls Online for the first time almost 8 years after its original release was worrying and I was anxious at first. But the world has been designed to be more welcoming than overwhelming. Of course, there are over 8 years of content to discover, but right at your own pace. You can start with the High Isle Arc right from the start and begin your heroic journey from the heart of the high isle. There is no level cap, and progression is easy, thanks to the on-screen tutorials. From picking which skill is right for your character to understanding when to interrupt an attack, you will always have guidance until you’re confident enough.

Elder Scrolls Online truly masters the art of being an RPG first and an MMORPG later. Right from the start, you’re thrown into an overly detailed character customization screen that quite clearly warns you about it being a one-time thing. If you need to change the appearance/type you will need to spend a few bucks on the market.

Following this, you have a good variety of weapons to choose from. Start with the trusty sword and shield, or with a ranged bow and arrow, your playstyle will decide your fate.

The Elder Scrolls Online: High Isle

In my entire experience with the game, I had the freedom to do what I want, how I want and when I want. Being the introvert that I am (Please be friends with me), I had to complete the story of high isle alone. Often, I encountered 1000+ level characters running around with the most magical-looking mounts, Non-combat pets and companions. And often I saw groups of friends farming the entire dungeons I was worried to enter.

I always felt safe and assured to be around other players around the world and never felt any form of toxicity or them being a hurdle to any task I performed. Instead, they always aided any enemy I was encountering and I am glad the game is an MMORPG. From a multiplayer game, having the most positive multiplayer experience is very rare, but ESO does that beautifully.

P.S. Since someone asked us what is the ping like? There are only 2 server shards that you can choose. From India we recommend Europe. The ping difference is almost unnoticeable and never will you feel lags, stuttering or any Internet-provoked issue. The game is well optimized in terms of both – Online play and Graphics.

The Looks, The Store and Everything You Need to Know

Elder Scrolls Online has great graphics for its age and Engine. The Character animations are fluid and can be as fast-paced as you want them to be. Still, it lacks  simple world interaction such as climbing a ladder. Even with the dated look, ESO was an absolute treat to go into. There is a reason the game is receiving content even today is that the game is strong enough to welcome a new player. The game delivers the freedom to be what they want, to do what they want and how they want in an ever-growing and lore-filled MMORPG with raids, PVP and world events filled all over Tamriel.

Talking about one of the most interesting topics of ESO, the in-game store provides a variety of content with an ever-growing list of cosmetics. But none of it impacts the gameplay mechanically. Almost all the items are cosmetics only, which is the right step forward. But items like Mount skins are almost exclusive to real-money purchases. An important feature called the ESO plus is a subscription service that gives players more access to the game contents and opens up several features that only ESO plus players can utilize. Now whether this is a good marketing strategy, or a medium to churn in more money from players, that’s on you to decide.

Lastly, High Isle offers a brand new card game that you can play with your friends, randoms or even NPCs (for people like me). There is a brand new 12-player raid for veteran and new players and Volcanic Vents world event spread throughout the place. Additionally, you can unlock 2 brand new companions as well.

Real Talk

The Elder Scrolls Online: High Isle is the perfect MMORPG a newbie can ever ask for. Even with its dated looks, it’s still a refreshing experience and a treat to explore the depths and corners of the world. Having a perfect welcoming experience for new players allows the growth of the game and makes new content like High Isle Possible.

The story of High Isle is extremely fun and highly engaging. However, it ends on a dry note which still opens up an opportunity for more content on the Ascendant Arc. Playing it solo, or with a group of friends, the game promises fun throughout with minimal bugs and beautiful voiceovers and story writing. If you’ve been keeping an eye on the game or the expansion, don’t waste more time and dive into the world of Elder Scrolls with The Elder Scrolls Online: High Isle.

Disclaimer: The review code was provided by the publishers with no riders.

FINAL RATING – RECOMMENDED

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Posts