For almost a week, the new expansion Blackwood has been on the test servers of The Elder Scrolls Online. MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch has played it extensively and is very satisfied with Blackwood. Only the long running distances and the empty area are a thorn in his side.
What is behind Blackwood? The new expansion for the MMORPG ESO will be released on June 1, 2021, for PC and a week later (on June 8) for the consoles PlayStation and Xbox. However, anyone who wants can already try out the new content on the test server.
Blackwood introduces the areas of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and also references it in the story. In the story, you encounter Mehrunes Dagon, the Daedric Prince from the single-player game.
In addition to the story and the new area of Darkroot, Blackwood offers several innovations, including:
- The companions, NPCs that support you in battle
- A new Trial for 12 players
- New world events
- New antiquities, introduced with Greymoor
- An overhauled tutorial that teaches the basics and allows you to decide which of the chapters you want to start in
I myself have played Blackwood in advance at a press event and now also on the test server. And I was pleasantly surprised. Overall, I find the new expansion much better than Greymoor in 2020, even though not everything has run smoothly on the test server.
Especially the story, I would like to highlight without spoiling too much.
Blackwood keeps me in the dark for a long time, and that’s a good thing
What is Blackwood about? The new expansion is shrouded in mystery. The already playable prologue quest revolves around the Daedric Prince Mehrunes Dagon and his cultists. They are trying to find some writings of the Emperor and use them for their own purposes. Because the Longhouse emperors and the Daedric Prince once made a pact, which now poses a threat to the world of Nirn.
In a hideout, I come across secret plans and letters from the Emperor that draw my attention to this pact. Piece by piece, a picture comes together, but just before the person who could help me solve it is murdered. And this murder is just the beginning.
The story in Blackwood is primarily a murder mystery story at the beginning, which even misleads me several times. The longer you play the story, the closer you come to the conclusion. But at the beginning, it is not clear who is good and who is evil.
We are accompanied by Lyranth, a Daedra, with whom we have already dealt in the main story of ESO. She behaves as arrogantly and snippily as we are used to. The second character, closely intertwined with the story, is Eveli Sharp-Arrow. The Wood Elf was already part of the events surrounding the DLC Orsinium and is somewhat overzealous and hyper.
However, throughout the story, completely new and interesting characters are introduced. An insight into the story is provided by the announcement trailer for Blackwood:
What makes the story better than Greymoor? In Greymoor, I found the entire story very predictable and everything built up to a big showdown against a vampire boss from the beginning. The transition between the main story of the expansion and the upcoming DLCs was anything but exciting.
In Blackwood, it looks a bit different:
- Time and again I am surprised by the story, and it is not clear for a long time where this whole thing is actually headed.
- There is also an interesting rivalry between the Argonians and the Imperials in the area, even if they basically live peacefully together and mainly want to survive in the area. This makes some of the side quests in Darkroot really interesting, some even become my favorite content in the entire expansion.
The main story of Blackwood also ends with a cliffhanger that already makes me very curious about the continuation. This will come with the two DLCs in quarters 3 and 4 of 2021.
The Darkroot has everything a good area needs
How is the new area structured? The Darkroot is located directly between the areas of Northern Elsweyr (to the east) and Shadowfen (to the northwest). In terms of size, it is comparable to northern Elsweyr and is also divided into two biomes:
- Idyllic hills and forests that remind one of content from Cyrodiil
- To the south, however, a swampy region dominates the picture
In addition, there are abandoned ruins and ancient Argonian temples throughout the Darkroot, which I can explore little by little in the story and side quests.
Visually, the Darkroot looks beautiful due to the different biomes and colors and offers surprisingly much verticality in the form of hills, mountains, and bridges, which is not disturbing at all. Everything also appears mysterious due to the swamp landscape, which perfectly fits the story and the cultists within it.
However, the new area cannot quite compete with the impressive Blackreach from Greymoor. However, I found the change between the Western Skyrim and the Blackreach in Greymoor always a bit exhausting. The now contiguous map of the Darkroot simply appeals to me more.
The new cities offer: In the Darkroot, there are two new cities that you can explore that will immediately remind veterans of TES IV:
- Leyawiin has just regained its independence after being occupied during the Three Banners War. The city is beautiful, but you can feel the tension between the Argonians and the Imperials there the most. This is where your adventure in Blackwood begins.
- Gideon, on the other hand, is a city of Argonians and slightly smaller than Leyawiin.
Both cities have something in common that I really appreciate: They are logically and simply built. Especially Markarth, the capital of the eponymous DLC, was a bit confusing due to its verticality and poor structuring. So those who had trouble finding their way around there will like both Leyawiin and Gideon.
The Deadlands are the highlight
While Greymoor offered the Wailing Storms as special events in the open world, Blackwood focuses on the Oblivion gates. However, unlike previous world events, they are no longer displayed on the map. So I have to actively search for them.
However, they offer a nicer challenge, bring me to a visually appealing area, and provide good loot.
How are the world events structured? The portals appear randomly in the world, together with some cultists. After defeating some minions of Mehrunes Dagon, I can then step through the portal and explore the Deadlands.
There I travel from island to island and fight again against the followers of the Daedric Prince and even small mini-bosses. They are a challenge for players without good gear, and my companion has died several times there. Movement plays a role in many fights as you have to avoid red fields on the ground.
In the end, good loot awaits me, including some pieces of the new sets. A rewarding and varied content that I like much better than the Wailing Storms in Greymoor.
New daily and weekly quests for avid players: Also new with Blackwood are the endeavors, daily and weekly quests through which you can receive the new currency “Seals of Endeavor”.
These quests revive old content or let you complete fun tasks, such as pickpocketing or using certain weapons and abilities in combat. A nice side effect is that you can earn items from the Crown crates through them. Otherwise, you would have to pay for those in the shop.
You can learn more about the new quests here: ESO introduces new quests with which you earn shop items.
The hitch of Blackwood: A large, but empty and stretched area
What problems does Blackwood have? The area is beautiful, the story interesting, and the Oblivion portals are a lot of fun. But all three points struggle with a problem: the large and sometimes empty area of Darkroot.
During my quests, I have to cover huge distances again and again in an area that has relatively few teleport points. This aspect is also criticized by many players in the ESO forum. The wish for additional shrines has already been expressed here, as 2 of the 8 points are almost right next to each other (via ESO Forum):
But it’s not just the teleport points that are a problem. When I want to actively search for the Oblivion portals, I often ride for 15 minutes or longer through the area without a direct goal. Since the gates are not displayed on the map, you need luck to stumble upon one.
You can also feel how empty the Darkroot still is at the moment. While the developers have already said that fine-tuning will still be done on Blackwood – after all, this is a report from the test server – whether this problem will be fully resolved remains to be seen.
Companions, Trial, and new Mythic Gear
What is the special feature of Blackwood? In addition to the story content and the new area, the new expansion also brings companions into the game. They basically replace the major new feature of the expansion, such as the new class Necromancer in Elsweyr or the antiquities in Greymoor.
The companions are NPC companions that you unlock through a quest and can summon at any time. They count as group members and can be used everywhere, even in dungeons or trials. The only exceptions are PvP content and solo dungeons.
The companions can be skilled, equipped, and they offer some interesting story quests. I’ve already presented the individual features and peculiarities in detail in this article: I tested the new companions in ESO and promise: Everyone will use them.
What is there for group players? For group players, especially the new trial is interesting. The Rock Grove is designed for 12 players, and you will encounter 3 bosses, each with its own hard mode. In addition, you will receive new equipment sets and a special mount if you successfully complete all the achievements of the trial.
What about new gear? With Blackwood, 10 new sets come into play. You can find out their exact values and how to obtain them in this article: ESO gets 10 new armor sets with Blackwood – Here’s what they have to offer
Also new are 4 Mythic items. You can find all the information about this most easily in the official patch notes for Blackwood on the test server (via ESO Forum).
ESO finally makes the entry better
The last feature I tried in the test is the new tutorial. This is completely overhauled with Blackwood. I wake up in a new cell and can immediately choose which weapon I want to use for the first fights.
After that, I can get to know combat against an enemy and repeat it as often as I want to practice mechanics like blocking, escaping, or heavy attacks.
At the end of the tutorial, there is a major innovation: I can choose which campaign I want to experience, including the base game or the different expansions. At the same time, the NPC gives me an overview of the general history of Tamriel. A big plus compared to the old tutorial, where you could only go to the starting area or to Greymoor.
Blackwood is better than Greymoor, but not perfect
After dozens of hours on the test server, I must enthusiastically admit: Blackwood appeals to me much more than Greymoor, the expansion from 2020. Blackwood convinces especially through the story and the Oblivion portals, which have greatly impressed me.
The story is dark and mysterious and leads me astray, which I really like. The cliffhanger for the upcoming DLCs is also very well done. In addition, I can recommend the side quests, which tell good stories and, as usual, are fully voiced. The portals, in turn, provide action, a bit of challenge, and interesting loot. The Deadlands, to which the portals take me, are an absolute eye-catcher with their impressive fire theme.
The special feature of the companions I see as really useful, even if it is viewed quite controversially overall. Whether you are a beginner or a veteran, in my opinion, they bring a benefit. Thus, you get a new form of progression, beginners get a companion, and veterans can complete more content solo or with fewer players. However, I can understand the criticism that veterans especially would have preferred another feature like a new class instead of companions.
My only concern is currently the area of Darkroot, which is rather frustrating than particularly enjoyable due to the distribution of teleport shrines, the general emptiness, and the difficulty in finding Oblivion portals. ZeniMax can and should definitely work on this before the release.
Anyone who has not yet tried ESO and is looking for a new MMORPG should definitely take the release of Blackwood. With the new tutorial, the companions, and the new storyline, it is perfect for newcomers.
Alexander Leitsch
MMORPG expert at MeinMMO
