Bethesda says this new expansion pack adds more than 30 hours of gameplay to its sprawling role-playing saga. We can tell you they’re not far off (maybe even short of it), because one of the more surprising things is the sheer number of quests, adventures, objects, and action given to players in The Elder Scrolls Online: High Isle.
As its own name suggests, this expansion takes us to the homeland of the Brittany Islands, allowing us to experience the culture and identity of the race in their homeland: the High Island of the Cisterres Islands. Die-hard fans of The Elder Scrolls franchise will notice that this is a brand new location that none of the previous games have explored. With this, Bethesda wants to wipe it clean and start fresh for its massively multiplayer role-playing game, seeking approval from its veteran players while welcoming new members.
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High Island is an island settlement distinct from the noisy and turbulent mainland of Tamriel. Here, nobles and merchants alike established a prosperous and quiet society; but that did not mean it was safe. Life on the island will start to change dramatically the moment our boots touch the ground.
Once we disembark and set foot on the island, a character turns to us for clarification. This is the beginning of the main storyline that will guide us through the expansion. The story is designed in such a way that as soon as we enter a mysterious and profound story, it will help us through every nook and cranny of the new location. Along the way, we’ll have the opportunity to start new subplots (we can confirm, there are many!), and we’ll discover new treasures and features in the expansion. But we’ll also discover new villains and enemies. In a short period of time, we’ll figure out what at first seemed like an easy task, leaving us not only the future of High Island, but all of Tamriel’s future. As part of this adventure, we’ll have the opportunity to meet and recruit two new companions (Isabel and Embers) through their own subplots. In addition, we’ll explain how to uncover the mysteries of territorial volcanic vents emerging across the archipelago.
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Discovering High Island through its quests is delightful, not only because of the pretty graphics of the medieval landscape, but also because of the characters and decorations that Bethesda worked so hard to create. The world around you feels alive and you can observe the tiniest of details, which greatly enhances the experience, like seeing a bear scratching its back in a tree while walking through a forest. There’s also a lot of emerging NPC interactions, such as a quarrel between neighbors, a husband bringing his drunken wife home… Bethesda has a good sense of humor in these details.
If your ties to dungeon crawling or mysteries weren’t enough, Bethesda offers players an original card mini-game called Tales of Tribute with this new expansion. With some simple rules and tutorials as another task, we’ll quickly learn how to play this curious game. Bethesda clarified that their intention in making Tribute to Tales was to create an interesting addition to the Elder Scrolls universe, and to that end, it made it clear that it would not be regulated by microtransactions of any kind. New cards for custom game decks can only be obtained through in-game quests or by talking to the folks at High Isle. Additionally, an internal competition system has been created among players, and the rewards will be items from the expansion itself.
In short, The Elder Scrolls Online: High Island is for every type of player. Are you passionate about combat MMORPGs? Various monsters and enemies dot the land of Takashima. Are you conducting investigations and narratives? From the first minute, you’ll engage in a deep storyline with touches of mystery, political struggle, entanglement and betrayal that will delight lovers of literature. But what if I prefer to play with friends? Join a tribe or create your own group of adventurers, enter complex dungeons, and face the new bosses that inhabit them as a team. Do you feel comfortable? In ESO: High Isle, you can investigate crafting areas working in secondary industries (mining, woodworking, jewelry, etc.), where you can prove your worth as a craftsman and collector – you can even build your own home decor!
Bethesda put their heart and soul into the game, giving us an enjoyable expansion to a franchise that some say hasn’t been able to get back on its feet since Skyrim. Access to the game (by purchasing High Isle, new players get both the base game and all previous expansions!) opens the door to a very immersive experience in the larger RPG world.
