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The Elder Scrolls III: Bloodmoon

Bloodmoon adds about 60 more hours of gameplay to the already massive Morrowind world. It is my sincere hope that Bethesda will continue to make expansion packs indefinitely, though I guess all good things must eventually come to an end. Still, no game has ever so monopolized my time as a role-player, so whether Bloodmoon ends the series or not, it certainly had a great run. Given that most expansion packs for games are simple add-ons and Bloodmoon - and Tribunal before that - is like an entire new game in itself, it deserves a perfect 5 Gem score.

Now we have Bloodmoon, expansion #2. And where Tribunal was a pleasant addition but not a necessity, Bloodmoon will be for serious Elder Scrollers—it sets the bar even higher for any other studio thinking of developing a CRPG, adding levels of new worth to an already worthwhile game. For those gamers for whom the thrill of Morrowind has faded, Bloodmoon will rekindle your excitement. Though it only adds about 20 to 40 hours of play, they are well worth returning to the world of Morrowind to experience.

Bloodmoon is a must-have expansion for those who enjoyed Morrowind with or without Tribunal. In some ways, it is a continuation of a well-loved favorite, in others; it’s like a whole new game.

Selbst ein Jahr nach Erscheinen hat Morrowind nichts von seinem Zauber verloren. Das bestätigen auch die vielen Plugins die von Fans mit Hilfe des Editors gebastelt werden. Auch Bethesda entäuscht seine Fans nicht und liefert mit Bloodmoon die zweite Erweiterungs-CD für ihren Klassiker. Wem Morrowind gefallen hat und immer noch nicht genug davon hat, kommt an Bloodmoon nicht vorbei.

Das zweite Add-on des Rollenspiels Morrowind macht vieles besser, was an Tribunal noch bemängelt wurde. So integriert sich die neue Insel Solstheim endlich in die übliche Landkarte, es gibt weitläufige Landschaften, mehrere Siedlungen und vor allem kurze Wege. Insgesamt wirkt die neue Welt dichter und lebhafter, das Niveau eines Gothic 2 wird jedoch immer noch nicht erreicht.

Like I said in my recent Tribunal review, Morrowind hardly needs an expansion. Bethesda's fantastic roleplaying game packs more content in to a single package than you're likely to find in the entire series of most other franchises. Nevertheless, the folks at Bethesda know a good thing when they see one and have graciously consented to offer up even more experiences for the legions of Morrowind junkies out there, myself among them.

In many ways, the newest addition to the Elder Scrolls universe is the exact opposite of what was previously introduced in Elder Scrolls III: Tribunal. Elder Scrolls III: Bloodmoon opens up a new island on the frontiers of the original Morrowind geography for exploration, fame and conquest. Bethesda's latest expansion pack carries the spirit of the first title and in its open-endedness is night and day different from the more scripted, rigid, and story-driven Tribunal expansion.

Auf Solstheim fühle ich mich richtig wohl. Die Wälder und schneebedeckten Berge sind ganz nach meinem Geschmack. Morrowind-typisch gibt es an jeder Ecke was zu entdecken: Monster, Dungeons, tolle Landschaften. Bloodmoon hat jedoch auch alle Nervfaktoren geerbt: viel Rumlaufen und NPCs, die immer dasselbe erzählen. Hinter der Faszination der gigantischen, abenteuerreichen Welt verschwinden die kleinen Schwächen aber schnell wieder.

In a nutshell, The Elder Scrolls III: Bloodmoon possesses several new and intriguing elements that include diverse new items, weaponry, indoor and outdoor environments, monsters, etc. I guess they could've always put in more features -weapons, items, and skills; there's always room for more, if you ask me. At any rate, the expansion pack succeeded in broadening the depth of gameplay of an already lengthy and complex RPG. True fans shouldn't miss it.

Whether or not the main quest is more than just an excuse to introduce cool new gear, it’s still fun to wander around lackadaisically — to survey the land by moonlight while standing atop a stone outcropping, to plumb the depths of an icy cave, to sneak through a dark forest at night in search of a safe place to rest. In short, to do the Morrowind shuffle.

The workhorses at Bethesda Softworks are back again with a second expansion to the wildly popular Morrowind RPG. Morrowind: Bloodmoon expands the original with a completely new island, roughly twenty hours of gameplay, new weapons, creatures, and spells. The big selling point of Bloodmoon, however, is the ability to fight against and play as a werewolf. Either through being bitten in the course of combat with a werewolf and catching lycanthropy or through following the quest and choosing to become a werewolf (a necessity if the character you are playing is immune to disease), players can become powerful man-wolves and obtain new powers and limitations, as well as a very focused and dramatic role-playing experience.

These days it's not often that developers listen to their fans, which is enough to give Bethesda credit on its own. But Bloodmoon is a quality product that is anything but a way to milk more money from a popular franchise and gives a little more of everything you loved about Morrowind in a new world that deserves to be on any Elder Scroll fan's shelf.

Solstheim, like the rest of the Tamriel islands and continents is a wonder to behold. Worth exploring just for the scenery. It's a snowy wooded land with rivers, streams, mountains, and thick coniferous forests. There's an over-arching plot, one solvable as any of the game's races or as a werewolf. Seems the Empire is trying to tame a portion of this wild land for mining purposes and you can visit this strange land at any time. You don't have to complete or play Tribunal, or even the original game, to visit. It's best you do however, things are pretty tough over here in the snow, especially when the wolvesbane blooms and the moon is full and bright.

Bloodmoon herstelt de waarden van Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind in een open avontuur en de mogelijkheid om verschillende karakters te spelen in een zelfde omgeving. Het nieuwe verhaal is goed, de omgeving keurig uitgewerkt en de mogelijkheid om als een weerwolf te spelen schept een heel nieuwe dimensie. De expansie biedt dus meer van het goede dat Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind al was, en dat horen we graag.

The Elder Scrolls III: Bloodmoon is a worthwhile expansion for all Morrowind fans. Those who missed the open-ended questing in Tribunal will be pleasantly surprised, and those who wanted to try something new will have the werewolf to play with. The new landmass, its inhabitants and history all seem very authentic, and it is obvious that the developers spent a lot of time designing it. Sadly, it also appears that the designers have rushed certain aspects of the game, especially the dungeon design, technological implementation and the integration with the title’s predecessors. Without a patch to fix these problems, Bloodmoon will remain attractive only to the technologically savvy fans and those who are more forgiving. The rest should wait for the patch to be released and tested by the gamers before considering a purchase.

Une excellente extension, qui souffre hélas d'un sérieux problème de stabilité. Un bon achat malgré tout, et l'occasion rêvée de ressortir Morrowind qui prenait la poussière sur l'étagère.

Dans la veine un tantinet malade de Tribunal, Bloodmoon traverse les mêmes intempéries pour terminer dans un état identique. Apportant trop peu d'innovations, il ne se place que comme un ajout assez dispensable. Mis à part l'idée géniale du loup garou et la conservation d'une interface moins oppressante, rien ne pousse à retenter l'aventure dans les contrées de Vvardenfell. Dommage, ce monde enchanteur est tellement proche de l'héroïc-fantasy pure souche. Un coup d'épée dans l'eau.

The bottom line with the game is this: if you liked Morrowind and want more of the same, Bloodmoon will be perfect for you. It's more or less exactly like Morrowind, which I suppose is to be expected from an expansion. If you feel you were more or less done with Morrowind and have no real desire to keep playing in the same vein, you should probably look elsewhere. This expansion doesn't offer much besides more places to explore, more quests to complete, and more monsters to fight. Good for some people, not so good for others. You decide which category you fall into.