I have to say I’m digging the new expansion for Skyrim. It has more of an adventure game feel to it than the rest of the game has. There’s more hidden rooms, puzzles and challenges per dungeon. I went into one tower that was practically 70% booby-traps and 30% invisible ninja assassins. That’s just the overworld quest part of the game. The story part takes on a whole new dimension, literally. Opening books will teleport you into a ghostly library made out of stacks of books and loose papers. Tentacles will reach out of the poisonous waters below to try and swat at you while, “Specters,” some odd half-ghost, half-crablike-tentacle things will try and blast you out of the dimension altogether after appearing out of thin air. Plus they summon more Spectres to fight for them. Finishing the book level will grant you one of three new powers. By far, the most useful ability I’ve see is the power that makes your Companions immune to your attacks. How many times have you killed one of you wardogs, of Lydia with a stray power, then had to make a choice between going on or reseting? I’m surprised it took this long to include the power in the game.
There’s a part in the expansion where you come across a mini-mage guild, housed inside giant mushrooms, because mushrooms and video games go together like PB and J. Inside the tallest mushroom, there’s a glowing shaft of wind spiralling upwards to the top. Interacting with this will float you up like you were in Futurama’s tubes. Getting back down is the hard part. Jumping will kill you, and you can land on top of your Comapnion’s or other NPC’s head. The wizard who owns the place will beckon you to follow him. He’ll jump down the elevator, then, after you float down after him, he’ll float back up. When you float back up, he’ll start the animation for opening a door at the top of the elevator, despite the fact the door is at the bottom, and disappear. Somehow, while not paying attention, I died two times trying to follow him through this simple step.
I got into another kerfuffle while trying to free slaves from another pillar. This time, I accidentally struck a Reaver, which is actually an enemy NPC. I got a 40 gold bounty on my head for that, for hitting a criminal. I decided to reset, just because. It was weird too, because there were about five or so Reavers standing around. I expected them to attack me after I free them, because that’s what they’re programmed to do. Instead, they just sort of gawk around then wander off to where ever they came from.
I was a vampire before starting the expansion and found it too difficult, as a majority of the quests involve walking across the map and exploring. I kept losing health, magic and stamina and not being able to regain it, so I opted for changing back to mortal. I met Delvin from the Thief’s Guild’s brother, the blacksmith, who had a less than impressive story for living on the island. I noticed, however, that his eyes seemed to glow in the light of his forge. Could he be a vampire/thief/blacksmith? That’s an impressive resume.
The expansion also gives you a quest to obtain a new home, pre-furnished. You don’t have to dick around with spending money on the house or decorating, which was kind of nice.
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