Prima Game of the Week | The Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset

Why You Should Play

• 30 hours of new, compelling quest lines.
• New Dungeons and content to explore within a beautiful and living world.
• A new skill line to master that allows you to turn back time.

There’s a lot to love about The Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset, and it acts as the perfect follow up to the last batch of DLC that Zenimax Online’s hit MMORPG received at the end of last year. This time around, the island of Summerset has finally been opened to outsiders by the charming Queen Aryenn of the High Elves.

Related: How to Get the New Companions in Elder Scrolls Online High Isle Chapter Update

This makes for an excellent setting, as the once closed-off island is still home to many who are unwelcoming to outsiders. This is a feeling that’s present throughout the entire DLC, and really helps with the foundation that The Elder Scrolls Online has always been so good at achieving.

Unlike many MMORPGs, The Elder Scrolls Online has always tried to steer clear of the ‘world renowned hero’ trope that has become so rampant in MMOs and RPGs.

This is one of the game’s greatest strengths, and that strength continues to resonate throughout the latest DLC, all throughout the additional content, as well as the 30 hours or so of storyline quests that make up the main chunk of content.

It creates the sense of a living, breathing world that’s fun to explore and live within, and makes sinking a few hundred more hours into The Elder Scrolls Online even easier.

Gameplay

As far as gameplay goes, nothing about Summerset divulges from the base Elder Scrolls Online formula. It’s more of the same, but that’s not a problem, especially when you consider how strong of a contender The Elder Scrolls Online has been in the MMORPG genre.

It’s great to see the usual gameplay continue, and the changes that the developers made in the Morrowind DLC still resonate strongly within Summerset’s setting.

Storytelling takes a priority this time around, though, and while previous DLCs and expansions have really focused on tuning the core gameplay, Zenimax has managed to get things to a great place, allowing them to really explore the story behind the mysterious and beautiful island of Summerset.

This allows for the story to really focus on the here and now, instead of focusing on the player being the hero of the world. This creates a more ground and realistic story within the fantastical universe, and it blends really well with the gameplay.

On top of the core mechanics, Summerset also introduces an entirely new skill line with the introduction of the Psijic Order. These group plays a central role in the storyline, and the new skill line allows you to take control of time, giving you the ability to freeze time, slow down enemies, and even turn back time a few short seconds to restore health, magicka, and strategize in combat.

It’s a nice addition to the vast array of skills in The Elder Scrolls Online, and it makes for a welcome change of pace.

Visuals and Performance

When it comes to visuals and performance, The Elder Scrolls Online Summerset continues to bring the charm that Zenimax has made popular within the MMOPRG. The towering forests and cities of the Summerset isle make for a beautiful backdrop within the story, and the animations and all continue to feel smooth.

If you’re running a lower end computer—or even playing on console—then you won’t have to worry about too much FPS slog, despite all of the flashy screen effects used in the various moves. It’s nice to see that they managed to hold onto the optimization of the game throughout the past few years, especially given how much it has expanded beyond the original base game.

Game of the Week

With an additional 30 hours of storylines, new dungeons to explore, and an entirely new skill line for players to master, The Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset brings a lot to the table.

While it’s more of what the MMORPG has already featured, players can easily dive into the new DLC—even without having experienced the previous content in the game—giving them the ability to explore the island of Summerset without all the headache of trying to catch up.

With so much to offer players looking for a new MMO to sink their teeth into, it shouldn’t really be that surprising that we’ve chosen to feature The Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset as our Prima Game of the Week.

Be sure to check out the official Prima Games guide for The Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset as well, where you’ll find detailed information to help you through every step you take in the new expansion.

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