Boy, can you believe The Elder Scrolls Online has been around for 10 years? To be fair, the series did have some help getting off the ground—a one-two punch of being backed by Bethesda and carrying the Elder Scrolls name is bound to help you get your feet off the ground when you’re getting started in just about anything. But, in all seriousness, it takes more than clout for an MMORPG to be able to stick around for this long. It’s got to be good. And I’d say that ESO is pretty good as far as MMOs go. There’s no need to take my word for it, though. The game’s new content is ensuring that ESO is just as good now as it’s ever been; maybe even better. And there’s no better example of that than The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road.
The Path Less Traveled
You never have to wait long for something interesting to happen in Tamriel, huh?
Picking up immediately where The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom left off, Gold Road tasks the player, under the ever-watchful eye of Hermaeus Mora, to track down and help re-seal Ithelia—the once-forgotten Daedric Prince of Paths who, by the very act of being remembered, has been given freedom. Not wasting any time, your chase has brought you away from the City of the Dead and the West Weald—a place supposedly known for its sprawling, beautiful, golden plains. Unfortunately, said plains seem to be quickly disappearing thanks to a quickly encroaching Wood Elf forest. And things don’t get any better when word of a mysterious cult (possibly related to a certain daedra) begins circulating as well.
Contrary to Necrom‘s slower narrative approach—possibly due to what it was leading up to—Gold Road‘s story hits fast and hard. Almost too much for its own good. As much as I’d like to really dig into Gold Road‘s story, it’s kind of hard to do without spoiling things. And that, there, is part of the problem. I’m aware that storytelling works differently in MMOs, but I would have appreciated TESO drawing things out a bit more. Given her status as both a Daedric Prince and primary antagonist for Gold Road, Ithelia was an incredibly interesting character and one with whom I genuinely enjoyed interacting. Daedric Princes are overwhelmingly portrayed as beings who are either unreachable, purposefully obtuse, or extremely violent. While chucking in a Prince who breaks this mold is incredibly risky, Ithelia’s portrayal was done tastefully and I would have liked to see more of her than I did.
An Un-Weald-y Visitor
West Weald may be dangerous, but it sure is beautiful. …Well, the parts that aren’t completely dead, anyway.
I’m going to be honest with you, dear reader—the more Elder Scrolls Online expansions I review, the harder this part of the review gets. While looking at the specifics of each expansion is easy enough, there’s not always a whole lot to say about the region itself. This is because the West Weald is purposefully set up to operate in the same way as every other area in ESO‘s version of Tamriel. It’s a large area filled with villages, delves, overworld bosses, skyshards, quests, and more—all of which are woven together as seamlessly as possible to create an engaging experience for the player. We can be honest, here. You’re always doing the same things, regardless of location.
Mechanically speaking this is fine—it’s good, even. I love how this game plays, and I genuinely enjoy it when a new area opens up for me to explore. While West Weald wasn’t quite as mesmerizing as Apocrypha, I enjoyed taking rides through its rich golden plains and vibrant elven forests, and found myself so engaged with West Weald that I felt compelled to try to complete every single task that I had to offer. It isn’t always the job of an MMO to offer something completely new with expansion (although Golden Road wasn’t without that). Rather, it’s to ensure that its gameplay loop stays strong, enjoyable, and as flexible as it can be without twisting into something else entirely. And, to that effect, Gold Road passed with flying colors. Er… well, at least one color.
A Skill by Any Other Name
Scribing is a neat addition to ESO, but it requires plenty of legwork
The area of West Weald itself may be the biggest addition that Gold Road has to offer in terms of size and scope, but, depending on who you ask, Scribing is the most exciting thing that The Elder Scrolls Online‘s latest expansion has to offer. And it’s not hard to see why. A magical new mechanic with limitless possibilities (okay, not “limitless”, but there are a lot), Scribing allows players to combine properties known as “grimoires” and “scripts” into their own, unique skills. Not only is it an incredibly simple premise, but it’s also very easy to get used to and it’s a lot of fun!
Sadly, there is a bit of a double-edged sword, here. As previously mentioned, you’ll need two different kinds of items for Scribing—grimoires (your base skill) and scripts (additional effects). Unfortunately, with The Elder Scrolls Online being an MMO and all, neither of these are particularly easy to come by. While the game gives you a “starter set” by doing related quests, you’re going to have to put some time and money into things if you want to get a skill that really suits you. Still, given how neat it is to have your own signature skill, it’s all worth it in the end. And what’s an MMO without a bit of grinding every now and then, right?
Not All That Glitters Is Gold (But It’s Still Really Nice)
The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road didn’t attempt to do anything to “shake things up” for its 10th anniversary. But it didn’t need to—and its latest expansion is a great example of how it manages to keep things fresh while never veering too off-course from its core gameplay loop. Featuring an enticing new storyline with a brand-new Daedric Prince, the incredibly rewarding Scribing mechanic, and the entirety of the West Weald to explore, The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road is an incredibly enjoyable expansion and the perfect way for fans—be they veterans or newbies—to celebrate ESO‘s 10th anniversary in style.
Final Verdict: 4/5
Available on: PlayStation 5 (Reviewed), PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC; Publisher: Bethesda Softworks; Developer: ZeniMax Online Studios; Players: A Lot; Released: June 3, 2024; ESRB: M for Mature; MSRP: $39.99
Full disclosure: This review is based on a copy of The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road provided by the publisher.