The Elder Scrolls III: Bloodmoon

Ah, the open air, the countryside, the gentle breezes that caress the fur on your back.

... fur on your back?

Well, actually, it is not just relegated to your back. Werewolves have a tendency to generally be quite furry, and nasty in battle.

When Bethesda Softworks, and ZeniMax Media, launched The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, few games could match the depth and the wonder that it held. This was a game that was fresh, had deep gameplay and was quest heavy. That it looked good and played well was definitely a bonus. Then along came Tribunal, an expansion to Morrowind that presented a new range of quests and a different setting.

Now Bethesda has come up with a sequel, Bloodmoon, that is every bit as enthralling as the game it is an expansion to. Yes, you must have Morrowind to play Bloodmoon, even though the game itself takes place in a different part of the world, and has a rich feel that steps away from Morrowind in many ways.

The story of Bloodmoon takes place on the island of Solstheim. It is a wild forested land, where danger lurks seemingly everywhere. The Empire’s new mining colony is in grave danger and you are sent there to help it. There are numerous quests, most of which take on the guise of side quests.

While basically drawing form Nordic mythology, this game has enough new characters to keep the gameplay fresh and exciting. There are a host of new mobs to fight, including boars, bears, wolves, and spriggans, as well as the dreaded werewolf. Not only can you fight the werewolves, but you can catch the curse and become one yourself. That is a wonderfully done sequence.

In addition to the new monsters, there is also new armor and new weaponry available to help you. The size of the world can be daunting. Solstheim is huge and you may even find need to head back to Vvardenfell for needed items. Bloodmoon’s world, though massive, is full of surprises. The trek throughout the islands, spurred on by the numerous quests, will add a lot of gameplay hours to the original tale.

If players do get the curse, you should be forewarned that should you be seen transforming into your furry self, you will be forever marked for the rest of the game as a werewolf and shunned, or hunted. As any fan of the mythology of werewolves would tell you, silver is the bane of the beast’s existence, and unfortunately, a majority of the weapons carried and used against you contain the metal.

The only real problem with this expansion is that, while you can take a lower level character to the island, it is not recommended. Around level 18 or so, your character will be strong enough to withstand the rigors and the mobs that inhabit this strange but exciting world.

Graphically, Bloodmoon is superb. This is a rich and lush world with great environment treats guaranteed to delight the eyes of gameplayers. The animations are excellent and the combat is very well done. The game steps away from the earlier expansion of Tribunal and takes gameplayers back out to the wilds. This is a welcomed respite from the towns of Tribunal. And it seems that so much more danger lurks outside to make a truly thrilling adventure.

The sound elements of Morrowind were exceptional and while Bloodmoon does not change the core sound, it does do an excellent job of maintaining the rich aural experience.

Bloodmoon is a real treat to play, as well as being a decent challenge. The game looks good, has depth of play, and has a good enough storyline, with enough quests, to keep players entertained for many hours. Fans of Morrowind and Tribunal will definitely want to pick up this game. Fans of great role-playing PC games who don’t have Morrowind, will want to get that title, and then get Bloodmoon.

This game is rated Teen for blood and violence.

Gameplay: 9
The game is well paced, and the mapboards are very big, which can also be a drawback, and well designed. The game does have its share of cutscenes and load times but this is not too detrimental to the overall play of the game.

Graphics: 9
The graphics can be a little sharp, but this game is nonetheless a real treat for the eyes. The vision of the graphic designers seems to borrow somewhat from mythology and then twists it around for a more unique perspective.

Sound: 9.2
Morrowind’s original sound concept was superb and Bloodmoon upholds that. The voice acting may seem a little too mellow at times, too even-tempered considering the situations, but all in all this is a game in which the sound concepts are well paced and a joy to listen to.

Difficulty: Medium
First, you will need Morrowind to play Bloodmoon. This is an expansion program not a stand-alone. The control elements will take getting used to and expect a learning curve of at least 20 minutes to get quite comfortable with the interface. The higher level your character is when jumping into Bloodmoon, the easier time you will have with the denizens of this world

Concept: 9.3
The Bloodmoon expansion, of itself, may borrow many of the gameplay elements of Morrowind, but what this game brings to the table is a great storyline with fresh perspectives. And the evolving nature of the game makes it a real treat to play.

Overall: 9
Bloodmoon is a great expansion package to a terrific game. This is what an expansion should be - new worlds to discover, new quests and new mobs. There are more quests and the world is huge. This is a game that could easily have stood on its own with a little rounding out, but as it is, it is a remarkable addition to the original story.