Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset

When I am not playing Final Fantasy XIV,  I play Elder Scrolls Online. I enjoy it because I can play it with friends or do a lot of adventuring on my own. I was looking forward to the latest expansion of Summerset so I pre-ordered it. If you got the collector's edition, it came with some pretty nice perks in the way of items. My personal favorite that I got to use right away was the Nightmare Senche mount.

The Nightmare Senche mount is very cool. 

The other great items that came with the Summerset collector's edition pre-order are: Court of Bedlam costume (costumes are like glamours that go over your armor), two non combat pets; pocket salamander and a baby gryphon, treasure maps, Psijiic vault crown crate, experience scrolls, and a Psijiic spectral horse mount. 

Court of Bedlam armor and baby gryphon pet. 

The spectral horse mount is fun to summon because it comes up from the ground. Its speed is fairly okay as well. You can add it to your collection if you bought the collector's edition of Summerset. Mounts are just for fun and a great way to travel around the world of Tamriel. 

The spectral horse mount is great too.

To start the Summerset quest line is easy enough. You can find it in your user interface menu. Once you accept the quest, you can travel to the realm of the high elves in the isle of Summerset. This is also where you start the Psijiic Order quests.

Accept this quest to go to Summerset.

Summerset is beautiful. The pretty colors of the trees and the surrounding areas as well as the cities show how much thought went into the new area. The high elves are pretty too of course, but as with the lore many of them are incredibly snooty and racist towards anyone who is not one of them. My little Khajiit, Piroluna had to tolerate many of them calling her an intrusive cat or a meddling foreigner and yet they needed her help for the main story quests. 

Piroluna arrives in Summerset.

The main story itself is pretty interesting and you meet with your old friend Razum-Dar who is investigating for Queen Ayrenn since he's known as the Queen's Eyes. The quests themselves are a lot of go to this location and defeat this villain or fetch this item which can get tedious at times, but the big thing is the story. The characters that are introduced are complex and interesting and of course exploring Summerset is a lot of fun because of the scenery and towns. 

Talking to Razum-Dar.

The Psijiic Order quests are a bit boring. Part of the problem is one quest that has you trying to find time breaches on a map. The thing is, the breaches are not marked on the map. You have to use a key item in your inventory and then play the most frustrating game of Hot and Cold ever. I don't mind a challenge, but this was incredibly time consuming to the point of frustration. I had to look up a guide showing breach locations on the map just to get it done. 

Another part of the quests was having to wait around for abyssal portals to open so you could defeat enemies. You can do this with a group of other players which is fine, but it can be a long wait for these portals. I spent a lot of time fishing while waiting. They need to make the waiting time a little shorter or at least give you an idea of how long the wait will be. You do get rewards for completing the Psijiic Order quests in the form of weapons, gear, crafting materials, and scrolls. A lot of the gear seems more beneficial to the mage class, but there are some items for damage dealer and tank classes too. 

Piroluna visits the Psijicc Order.

There are a couple of public group dungeons you can do as well. However, be warned these are very challenging. The enemies here are stronger and hit harder. Using your skills and teamwork are key here. That being said, the dungeons are fun and the rewards of armor and weapons for your job class are pretty nice. There are group raids you can do also that are fun to do with your friends. The great thing about Summerset is you can play solo if you wish or you can join group events. There is something for everyone here. 

Summerset overall is colorful and full of a lot of things to do and see. The main story is pretty good with nice rewards while the Psijiic Order quests are a little boring, but they offer good rewards too. It has something for veterans of the game and allows newbies to dip their toe in the water without overwhelming them. Summerset is a solid chapter in Elder Scrolls Online and offers a lot of adventure that is fun to play by yourself or with a group of your friends. 

One of the costume rewards from Summerset. 

*Elder Scrolls Online is available to play on the following platforms: PC, Playstation4, and Xbox One