The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road

The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road is a worthy addition to the ever-expanding game. The Scribing feature is a great addition for players who want to customize their character's abilities and the Mirrormoor Incursions help make the world feel alive. While these newly-added features help set Gold Road apart from the previous expansions, it does fall into the trap that many annual expansions are prone to where it does feel like the new features are marking off items on a checklist. Gold Road is a good addition to The Elder Scrolls Online, but after eight expansions in ten years, each expansion s...

After more than ten years since its original release, the team at ZeniMax Online Studios has graced us with another chapter of The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO), Gold Road. The newest expansion to the ever-popular MMO promises an adventure full of intricate character arcs and a meticulously crafted world that beckons exploration, a setting last seen in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

After last year’s excellent Necrom expansion, I was a bit worried that this year’s Elder Scrolls Online chapter, Gold Road, would be a step backwards. I have always maintained that The Elder Scrolls series is at its best when it’s leaning into the weird, and Necrom certainly does this. Gold Road benefits, then, from the fact that it is a continuation of the story that we experienced helping the Prince of Fates.

Gold Road doesn’t quite hit the highs of the previous expansion Necrom, with a story that has highs and lows but is ultimately average, quests that barely show any signs of massive creativity, and a scribing system that has potential, but is also pushing on the grind. This is one that is bound to divide opinions even among die-hard fans, even if West Weald has some nice sights and points of interest, so make sure to weigh all the pros and cons before embarking on this journey.

All up, Gold Road offers another familiar slice of adventure in the land of Tamriel. If you are going in expecting big things for the 10th anniversary, try to temper your expectations. We've enjoyed our time with the story and what the rest of the expansion has to offer so far, and we're looking forward to seeing what the future holds for Elder Scrolls Online.