The Elder Scrolls Online remains one of the most finely balanced MMORPGs out on the market today.

The storylines are compelling, but equally the PVP, Missions, class variety and world building is as top tier as you can find. Necrom carries on that tradition famously, really building upon all that’s come before while managing to stand apart as something fresh and interesting.

Of course the headliner is the new class, the absolutely devastatingly brilliant Arcanist.

From the life-draining fatecarving beam which yields absolute carnage and destruction, devouring anything before you, to the equally powerful Unblinking Eye and a Runic Sunder to weaken enemy, reducing their damage while creating an equally powerful returning blow.

It’s a really fun class and I found myself flying through the content based on how almost overpowered it felt. Of course, the brilliant thing about TESO is you can just dive straight into the new content off the bat without having to wade through the previous expansions, so I was right into the story of Necrom.

The interesting thing about the Arcanist is that you can also play them in a variety of different ways. As you can probably tell, I was a bit of a destructionist, but they can actually play an effective role as a healer and even a defensive class. Dare I even say, this might be my favourite class in the entire game.

And it’s just as well because the expansion starts out a bit mixed. If the Arcanist class is a bit of a revelation, the Necrom storytelling takes a little while to get in its groove, sending you in all different directions before things get good.

The good news is when the story does pick up, it’s really good. Involved, unsettling, intriguing, and you’re contending with forces you really don’t know too much about or whether you should even be dealing with them in the first place.

It opens up the world in exciting new directions, lets you interact with characters you wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to talk to and see the world in entirely new guise.

All of that stems from within The Telvanni Peninsula, one of the new areas in Necrom. It’s a dark, foreboding place, almost a little too dark at times, but it has a bit of a distinct Morrowind flavour, thus the ‘Shadow Over Morrowind’ sub-title, with peculiar looking creatures, some oddly vibrant plant life, and uniquely shaped buildings.

Also mushrooms, I’ve never seen mushrooms quite so big, and it’s a little scary if I’m honest.

But that’s the thing about the whole place, it really does evolve, change and remain enjoyable as you gradually uncover its secrets and locales, the deeper you progress in the story. Though I couldn’t help feeling some locations did feel a little too familiar from past expansions.

There’s some great content options, though, and interesting companions to run alongside as you work your way through the weaving storyline. Necrom is full of interesting choices, memorable moments and it’s all really well written, expertly acted and there’s a great energy in the game that actually makes it feel like a self-contained Elder Scrolls experience rather than just another expansion.

This time around, you find yourself in the service of the Daedric Prince of Fate. Hermaeus Mora has a deep dark secret, well, probably a few of them to be honest, and it seems dangerous people may be able to get hold of them. It’s up to you to stop it and save the entire fabric of reality from being unravelled. Which probably wouldn’t be particularly pleasant, if we’re being honest.

And since you are helping out Mora, you’ll be pleased to know you’ll also get to visit Apocrypha, as well as the capital city of Necrom. Unsurprisingly.

I’m honestly just so impressed with the general quality. If you’re somehow not to get into TESO and you’re finding the wait for The Elder Scrolls 6 to be arduous, you’re absolutely spoiled for riches for this and the other expansions. This will more than keep you occupied.

As I say, it does feel a bit weighty at the beginning with multiple pathways, long distances to cover and a bit of map uncertainty on where you’re supposed to go. Zenimax probably could have done with streamlining things a little bit, but on the other hand it does give off a Morrowind or Oblivion vibe in that nothing is ever straight forward or clear cut. It prompts a sense of adventure.

Of course, Necrom is absolutely full to the brim with optional quests for you to take on and you’ll no doubt fly through the levels by picking through them. The world is interesting enough that you’ll want to spend a while longer there and give the regular folk the time of day. There’s a few fun ones in particular, actually, some directly feeding into the main quest and adding some cool context. Others are totally throwaway.

The Peninsula is also full of mini boss battles, some of them absolutely brutal in difficulty, others make for some fantastic conflicts to really break up the action. This is a great way to stumble along battle with others and have some brilliant conflicts that can really leave you on the brink if you stop paying attention for even the slightest second.

I did encounter some sound and voice issues in my playthrough with the odd line corrupting here and there, but for the most part, I thoroughly enjoyed the main quest of Necrom, I’m having an absolute blast with Arcanist and the wider areas and its quests are pretty enjoyable as well. You’ll also get two new companions, both of which seem interesting and compelling enough characters with their own little stories to keep you invested.

I’m excited to see how Necrom continues to grow throughout the year in the build to the next inevitable expansion, but it’s easy to see that Necrom is one of the most complete, enjoyable turns in The Elder Scrolls Online in some time with a compelling tale that feels right at home with some of the best in the franchise.

Verdict

Necrom is a brilliant expansion for The Elder Scrolls Online. In fact, it might just be my personal favourite. The Arcanist class is ridiculously enjoyable, the storytelling – while a bit slow to get off the ground – really hits its stride and compares to some of the best tales in the franchise, and the worldbuilding is at a genuinely high quality. With more enjoyable companions, some great optional quests, and tough, challenging, memorable boss battles and dungeons, this is as good as it gets for TESO and hopefully leads to even greater things in the future.