The Elder Scrolls Online is getting a Dragon Bones add-on soon. The game pack features two new dungeons called Fang Lair and Scalecaller Peak. These new areas pit players against new and returning enemies, including plague-ridden ogres, powerful sorcerers and their undead creations, and even the reanimated bones of an ancient dragon.
One of the major complaints gamers expressed when The Elder Scrolls Online came out was that it lacked dragons. Many gamers thought that The Elder Scrolls Online would contain everything found in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and build upon that. Skyrim is so popular, in part, because it features unpredictable encounters with the legendary scaled beasts. Luckily, that complaint will be addressed to some degree in on February 12, 2018 for PC, and February 27 for Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
Scalecaller Peak is the burial site of a long-dead Dragon Priest, which is now overrun with diseased cultists harboring a terrifying agenda. You and your team must journey to Scalecaller Peak, battle your way through the cultists and their followers, and put an end to this threat. Players must stop the cultists from spreading a plague across all of Tamriel.
Deep within Fang Lair, an ancient Dwemer ruin, a master of necromancy uses a dark ritual in an effort to reanimate the bones of a once-living dragon. It's up to you and your companions to enter the dungeon, face the necromancers, and stop the ritual before this undead monstrosity can be unleashed on the world.
We recently played the Fang Lair dungeon with Zenimax Online Studios' Creative Director Richard Lambert, Lead Dungeon Designer Michael Finnigan, and Lead Content Designer Jeremy Sera. The area is a dilapidated Dwemer city which was completely destroyed by a dragon. Usually, when you come across Dwemer ruins in a game like Skyrim, they're still functional and look much better than the ancient Nordic structures like Bleak Falls Barrow. Seeing a Dwemer city in this state of disrepair is definitely a first for the franchise, and demonstrates the power of the dragon you'll have to contend with later.
The Dwemer were an advanced civilization far ahead of the other races found in The Elder Scrolls universe. They were well known for their skill and innovations in technology, engineering, crafting, forging, stone carving, architecture, planning, science, and any other area of advancement you can think of. Unfortunately, legend states that the people simply vanished after an incident involving a legendary dagger named Keening and a god's organ called the Heart of Lorkhan.
Fang Lair mostly features encounters against necromancers and their undead creatures. During our playthrough which lasted roughly ninety minutes, we fought many bosses and collected a variety of loot. The dungeon definitely requires teamwork because, eventually, you'll have to take on the reanimated remains of a dragon. The beast has a variety of attacks and even sometimes poisons the ground you're standing on. Make sure you revive your teammates because you'll need everyone doing damage.
Aside from the Dragon Bones content, The Elder Scrolls Online is set to receive Update 17 in the coming days. Update 17 includes some major changes like the new Outfit System which allows players to customize their look regardless of equipped gear. There's also Home Storage which lets you stash items in your house. That's not all, a new Level Up and Skills Advisor system helps you advance your character with intuitive suggestions, tips, and helpful rewards. Lastly, there are also significant changes coming to the combat mechanics which make it easier to identify and activate complex abilities.
During our playthrough, we were able to test out the new combat system and, aside from making it easier to select powers, it just feels smoother and more responsive. Striking your weapons seems more precise and a lot of the clunkiness is gone. For example, beforehand two-handed weapons felt unnecessarily cumbersome but now they feel like they're properly weighted. There's a noticeable difference and they're more along the lines of how these tools feel in Skyrim.
The Dragon Bones will be free for The Elder Scrolls Online Plus subscribers or available for purchase in the Crown Store. Plus is a subscription service which costs $15 a month and gives members access to all add-ons, monthly Crowns to spend on items, unlimited storage for crafting materials, and loads of additional bonuses like dyes and increased experience.
If you haven't played The Elder Scrolls Online in a while, now seems like the right time to jump back in. The title also features Xbox One X upgrades with native 4K resolution and enhanced effects. It's a noticeable jump over the base Xbox One especially when it comes to shadows.
The Elder Scrolls Online takes place in one connected world where you can stay up to date with everything your friends are doing. Whether you play alone or with companions, the game's combat system allows you to focus on action and tactics. You can use any weapon at any time, no matter what class, and customize your abilities to play the way you want. There are hundreds of quests and other activities to engage in. The goal is to uncover the mysteries of Tamriel and seek heroic quests on your own schedule. You can explore the far reaches of Skyrim, the mysterious lands of Morrowind, or the sprawling metropolis of Daggerfall. Despite its missteps at launch, The Elder Scrolls Online is now an expansive experience all gamers can enjoy.
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