It almost goes without saying that Skyrim was one of the most beloved CRPGs of the past decade. And while this popularity will help to boost the upcoming Greymoor expansion for Elder Scrolls Online, it’s also raised expectations among fans. This is something that ZeniMax is keenly aware of, but the studio is banking on the mixture of “familiar and mysterious” to draw people in and keep them exploring.
“Players who no longer need the map to navigate Skyrim will do just fine,” the dev team said in this week’s diary. “The geography is there and should be very familiar. However, it IS a much earlier time in Skyrim’s history, so there will be new paths, new caves, and new places to discover.”
The team said that it started with the modern map of Skyrim and then worked back a while, changing some facets while leaving others (such as the city of Solitude) alone. The Nords are going to be even more prominent than in the single-player game, so get ready for a lot of fantasy vikings in your future. Skyrim will also feature the return of the underground realm of Blackreach, which should feature several new locations and surprises for Skyrim vets to uncover.
Our own Tamriel Infinium columnist has posted his own preview for those wanting his hands-on experience!
