Skyrim - Dragonborn DLC roundup #2

The main quest alone is lengthy, lasting roughly five hours depending on your pace. Were it the sole reason to fork over 1,600 Microsoft points ($20), you might feel a little ripped off. But the size of the landscape, the amount of new weapons and shouts to score, and the fact that it’s almost impossible to not happen upon a laundry list of optional side quests makes Dragonborn a meaty, worthwhile expansion to the main game.

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Though you’ll find plenty of side quests and new dungeons to explore, that uneven main quest (about a seven-hour jaunt) is the high point of the whole affair. Dragonborn’s supposed crown jewel — the ability to temporarily tame and ride dragons — turns out to be its most bitter disappointment. The first time you climb onto a dragon’s neck is a thrill, but best of luck getting your new slave to do anything terribly useful. Even if you can tolerate its awkward combat targeting and glitchy flight patterns, its laughably lackadaisical attack speed means you’re better off staying on your own two feet than trying to get a dragon to burn or bite your foes.

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Dragonborn actually is the greatest Skyrim DLC to date but, while Bethesda have matched the scale and scope of Fallout 3′s Point Lookout, they have fallen a dragon’s scale short of Oblivion’s Shivering Isles in terms of personality and imagination.

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While it's true that dragon riding promises so much and delivers so little, and antagonist Maarik is somewhat underdeveloped as a villain, 'Dragonborn' is exactly what Skyrim fans have been waiting for since exhausting the main campaign. Solstheim is a fantastic location, packed with interesting landmarks, challenging enemies and a wide variety of quests, and reigniting that initial sense of awe.

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But hey, this is Skyrim. The story is secondary. Dragonbon's quests might be "go there, do that, then do it again", but there's ample room for pointless tomfoolery in this massive fantasy world. Again, I didn't have to steal that cell key. I just wanted to see what was in there. That lead to a dead cop and permanent damage to my reputation in Raven Rock, but it also to the discovery of an underground lair with hidden treasure and more than a few deadly bad guys. That sheer open-endedness will entertain you for hours even if you ignore the quests. And in that regard, Dragonborn is the best of Skyrim's DLC so far, offering a significantly more substantial update than Dawnguard or Hearthfire. It's more than reason enough to return to Skyrim

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Overall, Skyrim‘s new Dragonborn DLC is definitely the best add-on so far, featuring a plethora of weapons, armor, powers, shouts and a dynamic quest that arcs across the daedric realms. The return to Solsthiem is a fantastic journey that rekindles nostalgia within the seasoned Elder Scrolls gamer, and is a welcome vacation from Skyrim’s frosty expanse.

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For those who haven't stopped playing Skyrim since its release, the Dragonborn DLC will come as a fire-warmed hovel for the starved and bereaved. This infusion of new content could probably occupy the thorough player for 15 or 20 hours. That in itself will please innumerable fans. There's an emphasis on quantity over quality, however, and the island of Solstheim is more Skyrim than Morrowind. The content just isn't very compelling, except for Apocrypha, and the Elder Scrolls V is getting old and exhausted. Let's send Skyrim to Sovngarde before the wise and venerable becomes crippled and insane.

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TheMadGamer said:

This question is for anyone with the Dragonborn DLC and who also played the Bloodmoon expansion of Morrowind.

Does the skyrim version of Solstheim 'feel' about the same size as the morrowind Solstheim?

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