The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood

In the end, The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood provides enough intrigue and content to whet one's appetite for new experiences, but won't be enough to fully satiate every player. Thwarting the Daedric machinations of Mehrunes Dagon and the Order of the Waking Flame is a fun experience, even if the current story didn't have a satisfying conclusion. It is absolutely clear that the developers put immense effort into the creation of Blackwood, from its sound and level designs to some of its more haunting and hellish landscapes.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is the only Elder Scrolls game I’ve never played. I’ve always meant to, though. It’s been downloaded on my Xbox One forever, and even been transferred over to my Series X! I’ve just never gotten around to it. So I had no nostalgia going into The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood, the Chapter entry for this year’s Gates of Oblivion storyline. This is my first time exploring Blackwood and my first time entering the Deadlands. Oblivion Portals held little m...

I am a huge fan of the entire Elder Scrolls franchise, and have played ESO since beta. My absolute favorite Chapter was Elsweyr and that will forever be a hard one to top, but Blackwood was quite enjoyable. The addition of Companions is fun for both new and veteran players, but I am kind of left feeling like this could have been a DLC rather than a full-blown Chapter. I had a good time questing through the area and completing the main story, and the throwbacks to Oblivion with the story and portals were very cool. I definitely hope to see more Companions added to the game, even if it’s throu...

The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood sets an interesting tone for the remainder of the Gates of Oblivion storyline. It’s a definite return to form after last year's Greymoor chapter, with a stable release that, while still had some issues, felt as though ZeniMax had recovered from the rough three weeks last year’s chapter launched with. Blackwood’s setting is clearly targeting nostalgia, especially for those who have invested time in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and while that can be ...

Blackwood is a brilliant throwback to Oblivion, but it feels like a starting point for a grander tale. Players going into Blackwood expecting a full-fat expansion experience will feel slightly letdown. Its dedication to 2006s Cyrodill shines through with the spaced out content making the overall zone feel a little empty. Still, the content itself is a job well done, ticking all the boxes to keep players entertained, but new features like Blackwood's companions work best when revisiting older zones.

Welcome back to the Gates of Oblivion, The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood faces players with the Daedric threat. With over 18 million players, The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) is one of the largest and most successful western MMOs to date. With each annual chapter DLC comes a slew of new story, characters, mechanics, and changes to the core game. In comparison to the last few years though, Blackwood doesn’t have the flames of ambition that it should.

However, there is a small chance our souls will be sent back to oblivion… fans are counting on Bethesda to lighten up their day! Taking into account what Bethesda has done in the past, they may have some exciting information to share! Especially since fans suffered from the unfortunate early events of Fallout 76…