For the first time since The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion launched nearly 20 years ago, Bethesda Softworks and ZeniMax Online Studios have elected to bring The Elder Scrolls Online back to the West Weald for its 10th anniversary expansion, The Elder Scrolls Online: The Gold Road. As a longtime fan of everything The Elder Scrolls Online and a self-professed Oblivion superfan, having the opportunity to explore the lush biomes of the West Weald and meet a previously unknown Daedric Prince, Ithelia, was an offer I couldn’t refuse.
It’s apparent that with April 4th being the big 10th anniversary of The Elder Scrolls Online, the development team led by Matt Firor pulled out all the stops to make a big splash with The Elder Scrolls Online: The Gold Road. With their new narrative centred around a newly introduced amnesiac Daedric Prince, new cultist groups that wish to see chaos and the destruction of Nirn (because it’s Elder Scrolls), and a brand new spell crafting system called “Scribing.” The Elder Scrolls Online: The Gold Road expansion is the best excuse to jump back into The Elder Scrolls Online and brings enough fresh ideas for newcomers to join up for year 10.
A Familiar Land With A Fresh Story
The Elder Scrolls Online: The Gold Road lets longtime Elder Scrolls fans return to the West Weald (located just east of the Gold Coast, a previously released DLC with a similar name) and with that, the active city of Skingrad. Zenimax Studios brought the previous architecture up to snuff, as the city has many useful shops, with the typical fare of every expansion released thus far. Little did I know that a wild jungle had sprouted up in the West Weald, and other strange happenings had been reported around the region. Spoiler Alert, it has a lot to do with the conclusion of the previous Necrom chapter.
Ithelia, a newly introduced Daedric Prince called The Prince of Paths has a bad case of amnesia, and can’t remember really much of anything. While this is less than useful, your contact and agent of Hermaeus Mora, the High Elf Leramil the Wise, helps you by guiding your character to uncover secrets about the Prince of Paths and how the new Prince can lead Nirn to destruction.
Leramil brought me to an ancient Aylied ruin called Elenglynn that unsuspectedly used to serve as a domain for Ithelia’s followers. These followers are violence-addled Daedric Prince-worshippers who will stop at nothing to end your life, which is basically ‘a neighbour’ in Tamriel. The Aylied ruin is home to many traps, your normal fare of swinging sharp objects that could bring Dark Souls-fans back to Sen’s Fortress, and a well-designed maze chock-full of traps and enemies. A boss challenge of a uniquely named Minotaur, poison traps, and familiars awaits.
After besting the Minotaur, you are met face-to-face with Ithelia. After a vision supplied by Hermaeus Mora through Leramil, some of Ithelia’s memories return, and the plot thickens. The way the “Path of Chaos” quest unfolded brought the best of Bethesda with it. The constant excitement of “what’s going to happen next?” is a driving force in The Elder Scrolls Online: The Gold Road and one that I’m willing to take the ride for. Aside from a stunning recreation of the West Weald and its biomes, The Elder Scrolls Online: The Gold Road introduces Scribing.
A Forgotten Profession
The Elder Scrolls Online: The Gold Road adds a whole new area to the endgame. It’s called The Scholarium. This is where the Scribing magic happens. You can also talk to the attendant (who helps you with context and gives you quests to collect more traits for scribing), but I was supplied with the ability to tinker with the “Wield Soul” spell and let me tell you, you have options.
I was allowed to choose whether the spell damages or heals, and my character for this run is a Nightblade Argonian. The scribing ability allows me to equip a healing spell on a DPS class, a massive concept that allows for more build freedom without spending a whole skill bar on the Restoration Staff. A bonus is the Argonian passive class ability, Life Mender, which adds 6% effectiveness to healing and could prolong solo sessions. Using more of the new ink currency (a need for Scribing), you can also add buffs to a healing spell or boons to a damage spell.
Scribing is a massively powerful tool, and I was barely able to scratch the surface during the session. The Destruction Staff can fire off a powerful elemental explosion that tosses enemies skyward, sword-and-board heroes can channel their inner Captain America and throw their shield at enemies, and even Restoration Staff bearers can utilize a new ability that allows them to life link to another player. The Elder Scrolls Online: The Gold Road gives players a myriad of possibilities with the new scribing system, and while there are only a few abilities available to start with (no class-specific abilities can be scribed at launch), it can be a real game-changer.
To add to The Elder Scrolls Online: The Gold Road customization options and incentives to get cool stuff by playing, as well as certain in-game achievements, like “The Gold Road Pathfinder,” add the ability to change the colour of a favourite ability. A purple fire Wall of Elements is just badass. Enough said.
The Elder Scrolls Online: The Gold Road has exciting promise. Taking a fresh idea like scribing and adding it to The Elder Scrolls Online while also bringing fans back to a piece of Tamriel that hasn’t been played since 2006, just when it hits its 10th anniversary, is an exciting move.
Fresh additions like a brand new Daedric Prince and the new prologue quest, “Prisoner of Fate,” function like a fresh point for newcomers, making it feel like a true 10th anniversary year. From the opening boom of the newly mixed original Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion theme to returning to the West Weald, Zenimax Online Studios has a lot for fans to be excited about when the expansion lands in June.
