On November 1st, the new DLC “Firesong” will be released for The Elder Scrolls Online. As usual, this wraps up the entire year and brings a new area as well as some minor changes. However, one of these changes won the heart of MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch during his play session: petting.
In 2022, ESO focused on the Bretons and High Isle. The setting wasn’t particularly exciting for me, and generally, I found myself having a problem with ESO. Everything follows the same old formula when it comes to updates and changes. There’s a big expansion, two dungeon DLCs, and at the end, a new area.
While I know I’m consistently getting good content, the game also hardly manages to surprise me.
However, Firesong surprised me with a small, yet quite entertaining change. I love hunting achievements, interacting with things, and seeing cute animals. And all of that is combined in the new achievement “The Adventurer’s Best Friends.”
ESO lets me pet and feed hundreds of animals
The new feature is as simple as it is brilliant for me. In the new area Firesong, there are various animals with which I can interact. There are dogs, cows, and horses that I can walk up to and pet or snuggle with afterward.
When I interact with the animals, a kind of small cutscene occurs, focusing on the petting action. And the reactions of the animals are simply heartwarming.
Admittedly, with only six animals, the achievement isn’t particularly hard to master. But it has such a positive effect, and finding the animals is set up like a little scavenger hunt through hints in the achievements. Additionally, the achievement is useful because it gives fragments with which you can unlock a new deck for the card game Tales of Glory.
Moreover, I now hope that more animals and achievements of this kind will be introduced in the rest of Tamriel.
Druids, story, and the eruption of the volcano
The main focus of Firesong is, of course, the new area and the associated story. Jason Barnes, who took the lead on the new zone, guided me through all the important points, including the new city and a Druid outpost far to the north.
It was this outpost that captured my attention because it had something natural and incredibly calming. The water shimmers turquoise, the mountains appear peaceful, and a waterfall gently drips. Definitely a place where I would set up camp myself.
In stark contrast to this is the east side of the map, which resembles a wild jungle. Here everything is darker and more dangerous, full of enemies wanting to attack me.
Also visible in the new area is the volcano that you may already know from High Isle. This develops further throughout the story and finally erupts at the end, as Barnes told me.
As usual, the new area has everything an ESO heart desires: quests and side stories, world events with the volcanoes, and world bosses for which you need a group. Additionally, there are new sky shards and of course some Easter eggs, like an NPC who gets pushed into the fire or a hostile frog that Jason Barnes always includes in his areas.
You will also encounter old acquaintances, like the NPC Quen, whom you last encountered in the Thieves Guild. With the DLC, the story of the entire High Isle expansion will also be concluded.
New sets and new card decks
Apart from the new area, Firesong also brings other innovations aimed at all players. For example, there is a new Druid deck for the card game.
Theorycrafters and players who want to optimize their builds can focus on the new mythic items and the new sets. Especially for Magicka players, there is an interesting innovation: a set where you consume Magicka instead of Stamina when dodging.
In addition to petting the animals, there are also further achievements and titles that you can earn.
What do you think of the new DLC? Does the setting and content appeal to you, or would you rather wait to see what ESO has to offer in 2023?
Everything about the contents of Firesong has been summarized for you here:
ESO: Everything about the new DLC Firesong and the content in 2022
