Tamriel keeps on growing, one expansion at a time, as Bethesda releases the new The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom update. The acclaimed MMORPG is about to turn the decade mark and remains as fresh and relevant as it was years ago, with a considerable amount of content and a player base that similar games would kill for. With Necrom, adventurers get a whole new peninsula and a new class, but is this appealing enough to convince you to discover the new areas?

A Certain Shade of Green

The short answer is, yes, Necrom is a worthy expansion and one that will appeal to fans of the series. It’s a carefully crafted new world filled with quests that are never too taxing or overly complicated, maintaining a pleasant flow to the main story, along with a host of side-quests that are sure to encourage you for a few detours. Some may complain about the lack of challenge in a few quests as the objectives are marked by default and the experience is fairly linear, but as most MMOs go, this isn’t the focus of the game; instead, your aim is to explore as much as you can, develop your character in any way possible, and enjoy progression without cumbersome barriers.

The new Telvanni Peninsula is a place of towering mushrooms as far as they eye can see, beautiful rivers gently flowing and filled with fish waiting for your bait, and the occasional tentacular creatures that aren’t too keen on your presence, but that would make Cthulhu shed a compassionate tear or two. In a sense, it’s not too distinct from Vvardenfell, although with less volcanoes. It may not feel like a tremendously new place for regular Elder Scrolls Online players, and this is where it somewhat disappoints, but as you explore the area you will discover new places with different aesthetics and landmarks, adding some welcome variety to the place. Besides, it still looks very good occasionally for a game that isn’t getting any younger.

The capital city of Necrom is a flourishing place of business and missions, of guilds and merchants, a place for respite and to get rid of the junk that is cluttering your inventory. The mystifying green hue, the bedazzling alien environment, and the endless books of the Apocrypha are one of the main appeals here, a place  so mysterious that is even more riveting when you notice those awe-inspiring towers in the distance, almost as if you suddenly landed on another planet.

There’s a considerable amount of content to plough through, with main and side-quests piling up at a faster rate than you can complete them, a stroll to an objective taking you to the location of another NPC that just happens to need our help.

A Class of Its Own

The introduction of a new class, the Arcanist, is making waves in the community, considering that the last one harkens back to 2019, as part of the Elsweyr chapter. With so much content available and endless story branches, it sounds like a true nightmare to balance a new class without breaking something in the middle, and to make it feel relevant to the ongoing story. It’s hard to judge Bethesda’s ability to overcome this challenge, one that will ultimately be evaluated by the devoted players in the long run, but for now, the Arcanist is shaping up to be a resounding success.

The Arcanist doesn’t break any new ground and will feel familiar in a sense, as it’s a class that is easy to grasp in little time. It’s a variation on the mage template that is very well designed, with three intrinsic main skill lines to build upon – Herald of the Tome, Soldier of Apocrypha, and Curative Runeforms, all of them with active, passive, and ultimate abilities.

Herald of the Tome can be summed up into your attack spells, with some eye-catching rune effects, especially the Fatecarver. A blinding beam of green energy, it chars everyone in front of you with a low cost of Magicka, and surely an ability to become a fan favorite, as it deals damage to every foe unfortunate to come in its path. Soldier of Apocrypha is the skill path versed on protection runes, with shields and armor that protects you and other characters in your group. Finally, Curative Runeforms is the healing branch, crucial for parties where you want to play the support character.

Two new companions find their way into Tamriel with Necrom, eager to battle by your side after you give them a hand for a few story quests. One of them is the Argonian mercenary called Sharp-as-Night, and the other one is Azandar, a Redguard Arcanist.

The Good Kind of Scrolls

The new region is vast and interesting to explore, but in a way, it may feel visually unassertive to some, as the similarities to Vvardenfell are difficult to ignore. I also stumbled upon a few issues that were frustrating, such as one quest with our good old Hezehk, where an innocent act of talking to him just happened to reset the entire mission, forcing me to endure the missing secret search all over.

The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom is a good expansion that finally brings a new class into the mix, a task that was neglected for so long. What’s better is that it is fun to play, with a balanced build that seems to cover all fronts, no matter your favorite play style. Dive in expecting a content update that pushes for quality in continuity, and you will be pleased with the time you will spend exploring libraries and taking out tentacular creatures.

Score: 8.5/10

Pros:

• The Arcanist class is a blast to play
• Dozens of hours of lore and quests
• Two new companions

Cons:

• Telvanni Peninsula does look a lot like Vvanderfell

The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom review code was provided by the publisher. You can read MP1st’s review and scoring policy right here.