Bloodmoon was the third and final expansion pack to Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. You might remember that I reviewed Skyrim's Dragonborn DLC, which is in many ways a sequel to this one. Being that they take place on the same island, albeit without about two hundred years of difference removing them. And Bloodmoon itself has one particular facet about it that most people remember it fondly for and I know that most people are going to know it for and probably know why it's the main reason I saved this for now instead of doing it right after I did the write up for Tribunal a few weeks ago.
But to get to that point, one has to start the trip to the island of Solstheim. And how does one do that? Simple, talk to almost any NPC on the island of Vvardenfell and they'll tell you about an even smaller island off the coast, in the political territory of Skyrim. Here, the Cyrodiilic Empire are once more the outsiders in a land that's heavily steeped in both Dunmer and Nord lore (though largely the latter). The Skaal people still live on Solstheim and honor the old ways of their people, and are keepers of knowledge about greater happenings in their land, namely that of the Bloodmoon Prophecy.
Hircine, the Daedric Prince of the Hunt, is coming and he's bringing with him his hounds - the werewolves, which were the biggest draw in this game. Terrifying engines of destruction that seek nothing more than to hunt down and tear any living thing it comes across alive. In game terms, the player will turn into a beast that cannot use equipped items (apparel or weapons), cannot access inventory, has the overwhelming desire to kill an NPC, and will be either shunned or (more likely) outright attacked by NPCs upon being witnessed.
Have fun!
It's actually not too bad, if a little disorienting for people who aren't familiar with the controls. If you've played Skyrim before as a werewolf, then get ready because this is quite different. For starters, the transformation isn't voluntary - you shift every night for a certain amount of hours. If you shift in front of an NPC, they'll know who and what you are, and you'll get 1000 septims put on your head. Pretty heavy stuff. Of course, the alternative to that is being virtually unstoppable against anyone who doesn't have silver of Daedric weapons.
That's the big draw, but what's the meat of the thing? After all, werewolves alone does not a game make. Bloodmoon adds new weapons and armor, a gaggle of new creatures to fight, and a brand new land to run around. While it's not as big as the isle of Vvardenfell, but it is spacious and is a nice open area in comparison to the admittedly much more cramped locales available in Tribunal's Mournhold.
And unlike Tribunal, Bloodmoon's Main Quest doesn't immediately connect with anything of the Nerevarine stuff. So there's no real continuity errors if you leave Seyda Neen immediately and head for Fort Frostmoth. Of course, if you go there at first level - to borrow a chatphrase from LordKat - you're going to die. A lot. Pretty much, unless you're rocking god mode, you're not ready for Bloodmoon until you're a decent level (I recommend between fifteen to twenty), and decently equipped on top of that. Once you are, though, feel free to hop right over and see what's what. So nuts.
So yes, not exactly a horror game beyond the terrifying dread of the Beast within. But still, it's an enjoyable expansion that, like Tribunal before it, is basically just adding seasoning to the already delicious gumbo that is Morrowind. End of.
Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind - Bloodmoon is now available from Bethesda Softworks for PC and Xbox.
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