On June 1st, the new expansion Blackwood for The Elder Scrolls Online was released on PC. Many players quickly earned the new companions, which are the big new feature of the expansion. However, the companions are not well received by all players.
What are the companions about? With Blackwood, the two companions Bastian and Mirri were introduced. These are NPCs you can unlock through quests and then summon one of them to your side.
They accompany you in the open world, in story missions, or in dungeons, where they can take on the role of tanks, healers, or a damage dealer. They even occupy a slot in the group.
After unlocking, you can equip Bastian and Mirri with special gear, customize their appearance, and change their skills as you wish. Companions are only not allowed in PvP and solo instances.
How do the companions fare? Very mixed. Even at the official announcement of the companions, there were critical voices who felt cheated out of a major feature that should have come instead of the companions. Many were especially wishing for a new class.
However, even now after the release, the new companions remain the focus of discussions. Some players see them as good support, while others see them as an annoying aspect that disturbs the overall atmosphere of the game world.
Companions Disrupt Immersion in the Game World and are Only Useful in Light Content
What do the critics say about the companions? Critics currently mainly complain that you encounter the same companions everywhere in the new zone of Greymoor and in some places even outside:
- Lugaldu writes (via ESO Forum): “The thing about the clones really diminishes the fun of our ‘unique’ companions. I wanted to pick up Bastian, and another Bastian is already coming towards me. You take the quest with Mirri, and all around are people with Bastian in tow. In the dungeon, suddenly other Mirris walk through my Mirri.”
- On reddit, there is a separate thread expressing the wish to be able to give the companions headgear, so that there is more individuality among the characters (via reddit).
However, there is also criticism regarding the usefulness of the companions:
- GreenHere writes (via ESO Forum): “From my experience so far, they are only useful in situations where I don’t need them anyway. As soon as it gets tough, they are immediately dead. AoE mechanics – dead. A big boss – dead. They fight against a large number of enemies – roll backward and pull them away from me and then they are dead.”
- The user Accimplished-Dig2312 is also dissatisfied with their strength (via reddit): “At low levels, they are nothing more than a weak DoT (Damage over Time). It would take them a minute to kill a simple mob, and without a healing skill, they might die.”
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Companions Help with Questing and Farming
What do the positive voices say about the companions? Besides the many critiques, there are also players who are very satisfied with the companions:
- Alketes writes (via ESO Forum): “I am positively surprised by the companion. Questing and farming outside of peak hours is much more fun with it.”
- Caninnly writes under GameStar’s review: “I think the companion system is really good. I like having an NPC with me everywhere. Of course, it could be even better, for example if you could change their appearance etc., but overall I am satisfied with the system, even though it is true that there are now more clones than in Star Wars.”
- Soldier224 was positively surprised by the companions (via ESO Forum): “I have to say that many fears did not come true. The companions’ lines are fitting, and you can also adjust the frequency of them. In combat itself they may not be such a big help. But they keep you occupied and at the same time you feel you are not alone. The voice actors have also done a great job with the companions. The customization options work and are enough for me for now. However, I would wish that sometime you could also give them hairstyles or tattoos from the collections.”
What have been your experiences with the companions so far? Do you see them as useful or rather unnecessary? Feel free to let us know in the comments.
We have compiled all the information about the new expansion for you here: Everything about the new ESO expansion Blackwood and its 2021 content.
