On June 6, The Elder Scrolls Online will release the new expansion High Isle. It brings several new features, including the card game, two companions, 30 hours of new story, and a new trial. However, MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch was particularly captivated by the open dungeons this time. They are especially atmospheric and varied.
During a preview event, I, together with Zone Lead Ed Stark and Lead Designer Jeremy Sera, explored High Isle and the new content. From the very first seconds, everything in the new areas screams Europe and the Middle Ages. Not surprising, considering that the story revolves around the Bretons – who are basically the personification of the Middle Ages.
According to the two developers from ZeniMax, the southern part of the island is supposed to resemble Southern Europe, with beautiful coastlines and wide meadows. The north, on the other hand, is dominated by rocks, cliffs, and sturdy trees, reflecting how the northern part of Europe is supposed to look.
However, neither the landscape nor the medieval fortresses impress me. Everything has been seen before, both in ESO and in dozens of other MMORPGs. But during our tour, we enter the northern island of Amenos and the three public dungeons of High Isle.
And they really stood out atmospherically.
The Tower of a Mad Wizard
The first dungeon that we only briefly entered during the event was the Tower of the Crimson Coin. It is located in the northern part of the High Isles and is home to a mad wizard. To get there, you must cross by a small boat.
I was immediately impressed by the slightly convoluted paths that lead through the tower. Instead of following obviously one or more pathways, there are gates that suddenly transport you from one side of the tower to the other. In the dungeon, there are also hidden treasures and a final chest with useful rewards.
Overall, the tower left such a positive impression that I visited it again after the event. However, alone I was unable to defeat the final boss of the open dungeon. I found that appealing too.
Ghost Pirates and Shipwrecks
The northern island of Amenos has a very distinct character. There is only one outpost on it – the Amenos fortress. From there, the Bretons sent condemned criminals into the wilderness to live forever or be eaten by monsters. They didn’t care about the result.
Escaping from the island is said to be impossible due to the dangerous reefs and currents surrounding it. This is exactly what the Ghost Harbor Bay, the second open dungeon, is about.
Here you will encounter pirates who have been turned into ghosts and can admire an old shipwreck that has run aground in the bay. The final boss here is tough and deals over 50% of my health points with an attack – if you don’t dodge.
Similar to the wizard’s tower, the atmosphere in the dungeon is particularly special. You are not crawling through the hundredth tunnel, but exploring a bay.
Beware of Hot Lava
The third open dungeon is called Cauldron, where the special mechanics of the cards play a role. On the High Isles, tectonic plates meet and there is plenty of volcanic activity. The world events revolve around closing volcanic rifts.
In the dungeon, you initially walk outdoors and only later venture into caves underground. Here, you will encounter primarily animal creatures, whereas previously, ghosts or humans were the focus.
The new expansion offers many small highlights
While the preview event mainly focused on the areas of High Isle, the new expansion also offers numerous innovations beyond that:
- You can expect about 30 hours of new fully voiced story content.
- In April, I extensively checked out the new card game Tales of Glory. You can play it in PvE against NPCs or in PvP against other players. There will even be a leaderboard. You can read more about the card game here: How the new card game “Tales of Glory” works.
- There are two new companions.
- You can enter a new trial for 12 players.
- You can expect new sets, new antiquities, new rewards, and new houses.
- Outside the game, a new song from the metal band Saltatio Mortis awaits, created in collaboration with Bethesda and fitting to High Isle.
Everything about High Isle can be found here:
High Isle won’t be a blockbuster
After two preview events with the developers and several hours on the test server, High Isle feels like a solid expansion aimed primarily at veterans. The purchase is worthwhile, especially for the story, the new areas, and the new sets.
However, it lacks a special feature to attract new players or those who have left the MMORPG for a longer time. The card game is a nice idea that brings variety, but it is not at the top of the list of features desired by MMORPG players. That’s why it feels like there is a lack of hype.
Why High Isle won’t get a new class was revealed to us by Game Director Rich Lambert in an interview:
The head of ESO tells us why no new class has been released for so long – “Too much chaos”
