Skyrim: Dawnguard DLC Review

Gamers who are looking forward to expand their journey within Skyrim have something to look forward to as the first expansion has finally been finally arrived. Giving fans and gamers alike roughly ten or more hours of gameplay, the Dawnguard DLC will give gamers more insight to the lore that’s been kept secret from the Elder Scrolls. Since we don’t know much of the Vampires that’s been lurking in Skyrim, now is the chance to uncover more of the secrets and choices will be made once again.

When it comes to the expansion of the Elder Scrolls games, we know that there is a lot to expect such as the development of its story, the new items to get and many more. With Dawnguard now available for Skyrim, is dishing 1600 Microsoft Points worth it? Let’s take a look on what’s HOT and what’s NOT in our review of Skyrim: Dawnguard.

HOT

Uncover the Secrets of the Vampires
In every Elder Scrolls game, the enticing aspect of the series is the story and lore that surrounds the world of Tamriel. Those who have finished the game and are now bored will now have a reason to go back and play it once again as the first expansion tells a new tale in the growing lore of Tamriel. In Dawnguard DLC, players will uncover the secrets of the Vampires that resides in Skyrim. The Vampires that we see prior to the DLC are simply regular Vampires and there are others, which are considered as the first vampires that lived, that’s been hiding for centuries. With the arrival of the Dawnguard DLC, a new task is at hand where the morality will be tested and hard decisions will be made.

With Vampires being considered as the predator in Skyrim that seeks out its prey at night, there are a group of people that protects everyone from them and they call them Dawnguard. As soon as the DLC is downloaded, a rumor from the guards in the major town can be heard and detailing that the Vampires have returned and the Dawnguard are looking for recruits. Now, there are two choices that needs to be made, make a pact with the Vampires to help them get rid the tyranny effects of the sun and become one of them, or be the protector to gain more powers from being a Werewolf. Regardless of what the player picks, they can expect a broader story that they can uncover in the DLC.

New Abilities, Items & More
Every time a new expansion is coming out in an Elder Scrolls game, the new items and abilities are the most sought out feature they look for. In regards to Skyrim’s new “features”, there are a decent amount to look forward to. Those who decide to become a Vampire, there will be new abilities that they can get and vice versa for joining the Dawnguard (Werewolf). Fans can also expect a new skill tree for players who become a Vampire Lord. As for items, there’s a crossbow waiting for you and a new mount (vampires only). These are just the few things that you can expect in Dawnguard as there will be more waiting for you such as new areas such as its dungeons and so much more.

NOT

Glitches & Bugs
It’s very common for an Elder Scrolls game to have a plethora of bugs that can break the game. In terms of Dawngard DLC, expect to experience more of the same thing or maybe worse. Through my playthrough in Dawnguard DLC, I encountered not a lot of bugs that almost made me give up playing the game altogether. The very first glitch that I encountered is the location marker of the area where I’m supposed to go to. After spending hours finding the cave to trigger the next sequence of the story, I finally found out that it’s farther from the marker that’s been pointed out on the map. Another problem is the annoying sound that cuts off too very often, despite the game being installed. Not only that, there will be times in the game where the ‘friendly people’ around you will randomly attack you even though you didn’t initiate the attack. These kind of problems are annoying and can be untolerable for fans. Since the DLC went through beta testing prior to its release, I was expecting it to be less buggy, but I was wrong.