Announced, perhaps a little quietly, in January of this year, the dungeon pack Harrowstorm is the starting point of the narrative arc Dark Heart of Skyrim, which once again will lead the players of The Elder Scrolls Online in the icy lands of the Edge of Heaven: Skyrimin fact.
Subsequent milestones will include the highly anticipated Greymoor, which we will see on May 18th on PC / Mac and June 2nd on Xbox One and PlayStation 4; subsequently we will continue with another dungeon pack, in the third quarter of 2020, and a story zone final in the last three months of the year.
In this mine hundredth article on WelcomeGaming.com, therefore, we will take a look together at the new dungeons introduced by the DLC Harrowstorm: it's freezing Icereach and the hypogeum of Unhallowed Grave.
A bad start: Patching Overhaul and Update 25
This MMO, published by Bethesda with Zenimax Online Studios as a developer, he has had some problems with the in the past launcher: as you may recall from my DLC review Elsweyr, prior to the April 2019 patch I was forced to use a VPN to download the full-bodied updates.
This time too, fortunately, the providential patch avoided this annoyance, and so I was able to start playing immediately, but no: I crashed right into the patching overhaul, that is a big change in the way of managing the game client.
Downloads, updates and even the file structure on the hard drive have been modified by this Update 25 in the name of efficiency and performance improvement, but that has meaning having to re-download the entire client, from scratch.
Knowing that this would have irritated many players, or perhaps - as absolutely (un) reliable sources report - to avoid the fatal wrath of the undersigned, Zenimax gave everyone the sympathetic Crimson Torchbug Pet: a pucciosa firefly, who will follow our characters in the course of their adventures.
It will be possible get for free from the Crown Store, but only for a limited time: from February 24th to March 9th for PC / Mac players, and from March 10th to March 24th for console players.
After this slightly annoying start, we can finally dive into the adventure.
The new dungeons introduced by the Harrowstorm DLC
Perhaps for listening to player feedback on the dungeon pack Scalebreaker, of which you can find my review here, or perhaps to give everyone the opportunity to try the experience for everyone Harrowstorm, the new dungeons are definitely simpler than those of Scalebreaker.
I will try not to go too far into the mechanics, since it is not a guide, and above all I will avoid spoilers, considering that these contents will be available for those who play on consoles only from 10 March.
The Witches of the Icereach Coven
It seems that there is no precise order in which to face the new dungeons, at least from a narrative point of view; I decided to start exploring the contents of Harrowstorm dal dungeon Icereach, simply because it was the first one I found a party for mine Nord Templar (Magicka). Pew-pew.
The situation we face is this: some Thane, a sort of knights ofHigh King di Skyrim, had left for Iceareach to investigate unnatural storms who scourged the area, sinking the North's drakkar longships and thereby damaging the economy; on their non-return, it is sent a rescue mission (that is us), with the aim of discovering what happened and above all to bring the survivors home.
During the research we come across an old acquaintance of ours: Lyris Titanborn, North / Half-Giant and everyone's favorite NPC and member of the Five Companions, the five companions of the Emperor Varen Aquilarios. If you've played any of the previous expansions, you'll already know what I'm talking about, otherwise run and do it!
We soon discover that those storms really are unnatural, and we find ourselves having to come to blows with a coven of Hagraven: the horrors witches of Skyrim, do you remember them? But this time they play a much less marginal role.
Un dungeon beginner friendly
Between the two new dungeons introduced by the Harrowstorm DLC, Icereach is definitely the simplest. For this reason I would advise new players to start from this, so that they can test the waters and feel the pulse of the instances.
There is a downside, though: the other dungeon is much more lively and interesting, especially thanks to a new mechanic that we will discover together soon.
For the rest what can we say? A lost expedition, unnatural storms, the Antarctic setting with an ancient fortress, mysterious creatures, rampant madness, strange forms of mind control and few survivors - it would almost seem a medieval-fantasy reinterpretation of "To the mountains of madness" by HP Lovecraft.
As can be expected from the name itself, Icereach, fire damage and area attacks help greatly, believe me.
The rewards of Icereach
In addition to the fart Crimson Torchbug given on the occasion of Update 25 and the emote Wickerman Mishap, obtainable by entering one of the new dungeons, this dungeon pack allows us to obtain a outfit style which for some may be worth the entire DLC: I'm referring to the Lyris’ Icereach Battle Axe, which we get by completing Iceareach on Veteran difficulty.
Of course, mount is added to these rewards Pyre Watch Jackal and the pet Hallin Jackal, for those who buy theHarrowstorm Collector’s Bundle; the DLC also includes a lot of collectibles available around the world, and above all new equipment sets:
- theHiti’s Heart, more healing oriented Light set based on Magicka;
- il Titanborn Strength, Medium set for DPS who use Stamina;
- il Bani’s Torment, Heavy set intended for tanks;
- il Mother Ciannait, a Monster Set dedicated to Magicka DPS like myself, available in light, medium and heavy versions.
We still don't know exactly how this thread will connect with the tapestry of Dark Heart of Skyrim, but remembering the link between the Hagraven, witchcraft, briarheart and renegades Forsworn di The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, the title of Dark Heart of Skyrim takes on a very specific meaning.
Let's explore the Unhallowed Grave
And "let's explore" is the most appropriate term: if Unhallowed Grave was a paper role-playing adventure, weighing ai pillars of D&D and similar, the components would be 50% Combat and 50% Exploration; Icereach, for its part, comes closer to a 50% Fighting and 50% Role-playing, if you will.
THU exploration it's so important because a mechanic already seen in the DLC has been revived Dragonhold, reviewed in this article: the grappling hook, or climbing hook.
But let's proceed in order. The background that leads us to this new dungeon is quite different from the previous one, as is the setting: instead of the ice of Skyrim, this time we find ourselves in the sandy desert of Bangkorai, the region connecting the area of Hammerfell and Desert of Alik'r, land of the Redguard, with that of High rock, homeland of the Bretons and to the Orcs.
Nella Before It Was, an age lost in the sands of time, a mysterious evil he was buried by the Redguards in an even older crypt. Fearing his return, the legionaries founded an order of guardians, i Pyre Watch, to watch over this crypt.
In the course of Second Era, after millennia of honorable service, i Pyre Watch they have forgotten the identity and nature of the evil buried under the sands, and thus also the reason for their presence; their ranks have dried up more and more, and today only one member remains: Shelaria, who alone cannot oppose the group of tomb plunderers, mercenaries and necromancers called Draugrkin.
In the course of the adventure we can collect fragments of lore, which connect the crypt to the people Willingness, ancestors of the Redguards who originally inhabited a continent sunk in ancient times, but also to the famous martyrdom of Saint Pelin.
The wheels start to turn, the gears to work, and we remember that Saint Pelin it is related to the god Standarr and the fight against Vampires and the undead. In confirmation of this we find a necromancer's diary that, exploring the crypt in search of a way to become a Lich, became trapped and slowly was grabbed by the cold tentacles of madness.
This diary reminds me very much of the Beram Journal, that is the diary of a master builder that we find in The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, which documents its descent into the subsoil and above all towards madness.
Crazy are also the Draugrkin, and also quite dangerous: it is not at all smart to underestimate a band of negromanti holed up inside an immense underground tomb, where the corpses of all kinds of creatures are buried. And I stop here so as not to spoil too much.
Medium difficulty, fun mechanics
Turning out to be a little more complex than Icereach, Unhallowed Grave is definitely a fun dungeon, especially for the special mechanics of the grappling hook.
Whether it is to move around the dungeon, to chase i boss in fuga or to explore hidden ravines, our trusty grappling hook will be our travel companion and, in some cases, even our nemesis.
I felt a real explorer, halfway between Indiana Jones and a character from a D&D adventure, jumping over crevasses and ravines with the help of rope and grappling hook.
Then when you find yourself using these tools to run after a boss during a fight, the difficulty hikes considerably, as does fun. E the frustration. Grrr.
Yes, because another of the new elements introduced by the DLC Harrowstorm is that of secret areas in dungeons: while in Icereach I have not found any, and apparently there are none, in Unhallowed Grave There is the Voria's Ghost: a hidden section of the dungeon, which doesn't even appear on the map.
Additional bosses and optional, reachable through the nice mini-game of the grappling hook and other artifices that I will not spoil you here. These bosses can also be faced when maybe half of the party, after completing the dungeon, has already left the group. Rewards include buffs, achievements, collectibles and various loots, but there is a twist: some of these bosses have an escape mechanic, that is, we must reach them and stop their channeling before they manage to cut the rope, preventing us from continuing to the secret area at that point.
The Rewards of Unhallowed Grave
Let's fight the grave robbers Draugrkin who want to plunder the ancient crypt, then, so then we can plunder the crypt in question ourselves. It seems right.
Similar to Icereach, the rewards obtainable from the dungeon Unhallowed Grave They include four new sets of equipment, as well as a plethora of collectibles and various furnishings. Come on, let's furnish the house with stolen tombstones, come on.
So let's see i gear set lootabili da Unhallowed Grave:
- il Draugrkin’s Grip, Light set dedicated to Magicka DPS like my Templar;
- theAegis Caller, a Medium set with an enviable name, designed for DPS Stamina;
- il Grave Guardian, Heavy tank set that pumps resistances, HP and Stamina;
- il Kjalnar’s Nightmare, the Monster Set of the group, available in all three versions (Light, Medium and Heavy) and designed mostly for Magicka DPS.
By completing the dungeon in Veteran modefurthermore, the Bloodrune Body Markings: geometric and scarlet tattoos, which Zenimax intended to make us look like a Draugrkin mercenary, but let's face it: seeing them we all thought about Kratos.
Athena! The gods of Olympus have forsaken me!
- The Ghost of SpartaAll new, all beautiful, all fantastic. But there is one thing: the common feeling, in this case, is that of keep the old sets if you already have a good setup, and di save gold and materials per il Big Chapter: Greymoor will certainly bring many other news, and it seems that setups will change dramatically.
Rewards for PvP too
Ok, so far we've only talked about PvE. This DLC Harrowstorm, however, it also brings some news for PvP fans: especially the styles for weapons and armor of the Knight of the Circle.
New styles introduced can be grabbed by purchasing Knight’s Resolve or Knight’s Rebuke dai War Researcher di Cyrodiil, and combining them with Arena Gladiator Proofs received from Conquest daily quest; in this way we will get a page that will allow us to learn the style Knight of Circle for a random piece of equipment.
For the armor servono 20 Arena Gladiator Proofs it's a Knight’s Resolve, while for weaponry they're necessary 40 Arena Gladiator Proofs it's a Knight’s Rebuke.
Finally, these style pages I'm not bound, and therefore can be sold and traded without problems.
New craftable sets for PvP
Update 25 and this new DLC also add tre crafting station to the map of Cyrodiil, and therefore as many new craftable sets:
- theUnchained Aggressor, with bonuses for Stamina and Stamina Recovery, as well as Weapon Damage, Spell Damage and a damage buff (Major Berserk) that occurs when we use the anti-CC Breaking Free;
- il Critical Riposte, with Critical Resistance, Maximum Health and a nice debuff (Minor Uncertainty and Minor Enervation) for the enemy who should dare to inflict a critical hit on us;
- il Dauntless Combatant, with bonuses for Maximum Stamina, Maximum Health and Maximum Magicka, as well as a free Break Free that occurs when we are hit by a disabling effect.
As anyone who follows me here on Player knows, I'm not much of a PvP fan, except in a few rare exceptions, so I'll stop here.
My final thoughts
I got to wander around, test, chat with other players and bang my head against the wall in a couple of places in the new dungeons, as it should be.
I got two impressions in particular:
- all this is a prequel for the future Greymoor introductory quest, the future Big Chapter, which should take us to the Western part of the Skyrim region;
- there has been a notable shot correction after the complaints aboutexcessive difficulty of the dungeons of the Scalebreaker DLC, which made a lot of trouble for a casual player like myself.
I don't see anything wrong with it, also because the result is a lot of fun, especially thanks to the massive use of mechanics related to grappling hook and non-traditional travel, which makes the much less tedious dungeons than I expected.
Harrowstorm passed with excellent grades, in short, but there is a small pet peeve, a worry that has been with me ever since I started playing The Elder Scrolls Online, and which recurs with each expansion and DLC, to varying degrees.
My inevitable / rant
No, trust me, I'm not talking about the inventory management. Ok, so I have two pet peeve, but in the meantime let's see what I mean: theanimation cancelling.
While on other MMOs theanimation cancelling it is considered an exploit, in ESO it is not only tolerated, but even encouraged in the in-game tutorials and on the various guides, official or not. They call weaving, and is essentially made indispensable by the (cursed) absence of auto-attack and, in some ways, the complexity of the animations of the manual attacks, both light and heavy ones.
The animations are rather aesthetically pleasing, but in the long run they distract from combat, dazzle and can excessively increase the time between attacks.
Are light attacks used to shorten animations of more powerful skills? No, exactly the opposite: in this specific case they are the skill (o spell) a cancel the animation of light / heavy attacks, depending on the build.
You have already read all this in my review of the Scalebreaker dungeon pack; what you may not know, however, is that by exchanging a chat with any other moderately experienced player, perhaps during one of the very long queues of the dungeon finder, we realize that regret seems rather widespread, not so much for the absence of auto-attack, in stile World of Warcraft so to speak, but mostly due to the lack of implementation of a system of legal macros.
A integrated macro function in-game, therefore authorized by the developers and allowed by the ToS, it might make the gaming experience less frustrating for all those players who come close to The Elder Scrolls Online more for membership in a successful franchise, featuring a lore deeper than the voice of Hermaeus Mora in Skyrim, which for the traditional challenges of a MMORPG.
Besides, I would avoid the early onset of carpal tunnel syndrome, but so be it.
It must be said, however, that in this new dungeon pack, Harrowstorm, the problem arises with less insistence compared to Scalebreaker: the dungeons are significantly less demanding and less stressful to complete, regardless of the difficulty level chosen.
The road to Dark Heart of Skyrim is still long
After Season of the Dragon, the previous chapter lasted about a year, Harrowstorm paves the way for the new story arc of Dark Heart of Skyrim.
Season of the Dragon began with dungeon pack Wrathstone, has continued with the expansion Elsweyr and with the dungeon pack Scalebreaker, and then finish with the DLC Dragonhold.
The same formula was chosen by Zenimax for Dark Heart of Skyrim: after the dungeon pack Harrowstorm we will have expansion Greymoor, which will open the western region of Skyrim, then a second dungeon pack, probably more challenging than this, and finally one zone DLC which, I imagine, should take us to the only area of Skyrim which at that point will still have remained unexplored: the central one, as in previous expansions we have already been able to wander around the eastern areas of Eastmarch, The Rift e Bleakrock Isle.
My predominant feeling is that the secrets discovered below Unhallowed Grave will cover a central role in Dark Heart of Skyrim, While the Coven of Witches di Icereach and related supernatural storms they will be at most secondary elements.
Will I be wrong or will I have guessed in my prediction?
We will only know in the next few months, let's keep in touch.
>> Read also: our expansion review IT – Elsweyr<<
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