Bethesda and ZeniMax Media really believe a lot in The Elder Scrolls Online. Proof of this is the continuous and planned development of other narrative strands to add to his MMORPG. Last year we faced dragons in Elsweyr - Anequina, the land of the Khajiit - while in this sad 2020 we set foot in the lands of western Skyrim. “The Dark Heart of Skyrim”, this is the name given to the story arc that started months ago with Greymoor. The expansion, as its name suggests, embraces largely darker and gothic themes, unlike the previous one. The newest DLC, Stonethorn, it is the extremeization of what in terms of stylistic and narrative design it had already been Greymoor. We will thus find ourselves exploring dungeons - two, to be precise - that have in common only many enemies, high difficulty and a lot of characterization.
Stonethorn thus adds to The Elder Scrolls Online two dungeons named after Castle Thorn and Stone Garden, seasoning the offer also with many new missions. Although we are talking about quests that are part of the narrative arc of The Dark Heart of Skyrim, and therefore fully canonical within it, they are definitely difficult to accomplish alone. In fact, it is recommended to take part in these dungeons together with three other players or, better still, with friends who are of high level. In any case, both share the same difficulty and an excellent characterization of the environments, capable of offering similar but different sensations in the genre.
The Elder Scrolls Online Stonethorn: In the shadow of Castle Thorn
At the beginning of Castle Thorn, for example, we will find ourselves in front of the huge tower of an abandoned castle in which it now resides Lady Thorn, a vampire who, although she never caused much trouble, now appears to be planning a plan of some kind. Together with our team, therefore, we will begin the advance inside the structure to try to understand what the intentions of the antagonist of the story are. The narrative sector, however, only serves as a condiment to what it is a good characterization of the environments and architectures, definitely much more gothic. The recurring themes of vampirism therefore continue to be on the agenda, continuing to make us fight dark creatures even more than in Greymoor. The type of enemies, their attacks, the music, and the areas that will surround us will therefore only be proof of how Castle Thorn manages to launch us on a mission that wants to be obscure, and that it fully succeeds.
What is really interesting, however, is the final battle, which differs from the others in The Elder Scrolls Online thanks to the dynamics that make the battle less static and much more dynamic. The characterization of the characters is less excellent, who fail to stand out as the protagonists of Greymoor did or, going to fish out the past, those of Elsweyr. The dialogues are too obvious and the twists fail to surprise as they would like. A missed opportunity, much more could be done.
Similar speech for Stone Garden: it too presents a suggestive story, of the iconic characters and that we will surely remember during the subsequent events of the current narrative vein. However, it is the setting that changes, getting much closer to alchemy and the use of science along with dark magic. The references to the Gothic remain, but they are much less incisive than those of Castle Thorn, and we really liked this a lot. Also in this case, however, we will fight enemies and advance in environments more attributable to the chemical context. The overall difficulty of the dungeon remains high, needless to say. Also this time it is recommended to start together with three other players. The same goes for the final boss, just as difficult to take down, even with friends.
The Elder Scrolls Online: The Werewolf Behemoth makes Stone Garden a unique dungeon
Basically, the decisive end-of-level clash could be a normal battle, were it not for the presence of a dynamic that completely changes the cards on the table. The peculiarity of Stone Garden is in fact the presence of the Werewolf Behemoth, a transformation for the player that will allow him to use very different attacks with equally different abilities and perks. The possibility of transforming into this beast, as well as being necessary to defeat the final boss and complete the dungeon, therefore represents an important gameplay dynamic, which makes Stone Garden truly one of a kind.
Summing up, it should be highlighted how the Stonethorn dungeons manage to have their pros and cons. Castle Thorn has a setting closer to Greymoor themes and a dynamic final showdown like few in The Elder Scrolls Online, while Stone Garden has its own Werewolf Behemoth with which it reaffirms its individuality. In any case, both manage to differentiate themselves properly and to be equally interesting for MMORPG players.
At their proposed cost, which is 1500 crowns, they are definitely an interesting way to find out how Greymoor's story will connect with that of the next set, as well as to get your hands on some good loot. Stone Garden will reward us with the Kraglen's Howl set, while Castle Thorn will give us that of Talfyg's Treachery, in our opinion much more interesting and original. In short, once again the boys of Bethesda and ZeniMax have shown that they know how to please fans of The Elder Scrolls Online, and they did it by releasing a simple, but well diversified DLC, capable of still giving that pinch of variety that, let's face it, does ESO just fine.
