Test The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood – an extension lacking ambition

To celebrate 15 years ofOblivion, The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood has chosen to immerse players in the atmosphere of this legendary RPG. Betting big on nostalgia, the ZeniMax Online Studios teams risked taking the easy way out... It must be said that the studio tends to address itself above all to lovers of the saga via its various extensions. Does this new DLC go further by offering major additions? This is what we will see in this test.

Test The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood – an extension lacking ambition View PriceRead ConclusionThe Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood

The graphically and artistically successful game area
Adding companions
A delightful soundtrack
Lots of content...

...but quite classic and lacking in real novelties
The main quest quickly dispatched and ultimately disappointing
A (too) talkative extension
Translation errors and some crashes (on PS5)

Developed in a necessarily particular context (developers working at home), The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood expansion seemed to be full of good intentions. With its scenario strongly relying on the events of the fourth installment of The Elder Scrolls franchise, this big DLC for the MMO had everything of a good Proust madeleine. He had to immerse us in a known but necessarily different place since this new epic takes place 800 years before the adventures of Oblivion. As usual and despite the pandemic, ZeniMax Online Studios tore itself apart to deliver its annual expansion with a new frame, a new game area to explore and different extras.

A scenario that speaks too much

With Blackwood, The Elder Scrolls Online immerses us in The Black Wood, an area straddling the regions of Cyrodiil and Black Marsh. Regulars will no doubt take malicious pleasure in rediscovering the city of Leyawiin, which we could already explore in Oblivion (him again!). And the references to this episode are not lacking since it will be necessary to undo a Daedric plot which could lead to the return of the prince of destruction in person: Mérunès Dagon. To stop the overpowered Daedra, you'll have to team up with allies like Eveli Swiftarrow, a chattering elf already seen in the Orsinium downloadable pack. The main quest also requires finding the four ambitions, destructive weapons which the antagonist of this adventure tries to seize.

You have to know it, ZeniMax Online has put the package on the story and the background of the characters. Each NPC linked to a quest (even secondary) has its own stakes and a lot of things to tell. The curious who want to know the lore of The Elder Scrolls at their fingertips will no doubt be happy to drink in scriptwriting elements. Unfortunately, the game talks too much, all the time and even in the middle of some battles. The action is constantly interspersed with dialogues that can quickly seem endless. So much so that you have to hold on so as not to lose the thread. A rich scenario is often essential in any good self-respecting RPG, but it should not chop the progression and totally take precedence over the rest. Not to mention that the end of the expansion comes quite abruptly and without any real conclusion to the story. This will probably wait for a future DLC...

An extension to browse with a companion

At first glance, Blackwood delivers relatively standard content. In addition to more or less long quests depending on their importance, the game welcomes new world bosses, dungeons to empty, points of interest to find or celestial shards to collect. The formula has not been redesigned but discovering everything will easily take a good twenty hours as the map remains vast. To spice up exploration, world events teleport players to instances in the Wasteland realm. Can only be completed with several people, these dungeons do not necessarily innovate. The objective is simply to slaughter all the enemies up to the boss. Note also that being difficult to detect (no icons on the map or even an imposing effect on the screen), it is not uncommon to miss these instances that are finally quite erased compared to the rest.

As for the expansion's major addition, it's the companion system. By completing the appropriate quests, the player has the option of having a sidekick constantly by his side. It provides significant support during combat and its skills or even its equipment can be customized at any time. This feature is really valuable since it allows people who want to play solo to overcome certain dungeons more easily. Our companion will also become more powerful over the levels and his relationship with our avatar will evolve over the adventures spent alongside him. Note that companions cannot be used in PvP, in solo arenas and in houses. Only downside, only two sidekicks are available at the moment.

JVFR

During the fights against several enemies, our sidekick is clearly not too much

Tamriel is getting (more) beautiful

If we are far from the change of scenery provided by the regions of the Morrowind (2017) or Summerset (2018) expansions, that of Blackwood remains pleasant to browse. At the junction between two very different areas, the Bois Noir mixes the cultures of these ethnic groups. The Imperials of Cyrodill represent a more modern and civilized part of Tamriel, where the Argonians of Black Marsh have this more "rural" and ancestral dimension. This mixture is felt at each meeting but also through the artistic direction always so successful of the title. And all of this is highlighted by the arrival of the upgrade for next-gen consoles.

JVFR

Of course, the graphical improvements don't just apply to Blackwood, but to the entire gaming universe.

Available on both Xbox Series X|S and PS5, this optimization brings notable changes to The Elder Scrolls Online. Already, the player can choose between a fidelity mode with a definition in 4K and a mode favoring performance with a framerate of 60fps. In both cases, the fluidity is constant and the details of the people or the sets more precise. Draw distance has been increased and other elements (shadows, textures, ambient occlusion, anti-aliasing) optimized. Special mention to the really game-changing reflections on the surface of the water. Loading times are also faster. After seven years of good and loyal service, The Elder Scrolls Online retains a certain aesthetic charm. On PS5, we only regret the still too frequent crashes that we hope to see corrected very soon.

JVFR

The adventure (and its endless dialogues) awaits you!

The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood, l'avis de JVFR

Blackwood is an expansion that provides the union minimum by bringing a new busy area and many quests that complement the lore of the license a little more. Companions are welcome, and upgrading for next-gen consoles makes the game much more enjoyable to watch.

Unfortunately, there is a real lack of inspiration with a main adventure that is sloppy, classic and above all spoiled by rather exhausting dialogues after several hours of play. Still no new class on the horizon and players interested in PvP are the great forgotten of this DLC. Let's hope for a more ambitious 2022 expansion for an MMORPG that is still as exciting as a whole.

The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood

Fifth major extension of the MMO, Blackwood does not bring anything new and is satisfied with a story certainly carried by endearing characters but ultimately sloppy. If the lovers of the license should appreciate, the others will undoubtedly find it difficult to be interested in this DLC that is too talkative and not always very inspired.