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Elder Scrolls Online’s new companion characters look handy for solo playersDon’t adventure alone, even when the guild is offline
Don’t adventure alone, even when the guild is offline
The next big expansion forThe Elder Scrolls Onlineis just around the corner, meaning plenty of folks will be grouping up to take on the new Oblivion-themed zones. Some of us prefer playing our MMO’s solo though, and for us ZeniMax Online Studios are introducing the new companion system for ESO. These new recruitable characters will join you in combat so you don’t have to go it alone, which honestly might be the most exciting ESO feature for me in a long time.
ZeniMax gave an overview of many new bits coming to the Blackwood expansion earlier this year, but they’ve now taken a closer look at companion characters in this new trailer.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Introducing CompanionsWatch on YouTube
The Elder Scrolls Online: Introducing Companions
The first two companions, who you’ll be able to recruit if you own the Blackwood expansion, are dark elf Mirri Elendis and human Bastian Hallix. You can customise the skills, equipment, and outfits for whoever you’ve recruited. Beyond that, companions also have a “rapport” system and personal quests for you to pursue.
Normally I’d be all about a companion character’s backstory, but when it comes to ESO I’m honestly just glad to have an extra hand in combat. Even if they aren’t as savvy as actual players—and of course they aren’t—I won’t turn down a questing partner. I’ve always been a very “alone together” style MMO player, and AI companions make it a lot easier to do my own thing even if I’m not great at solo-ing every encounter. I suspect there are plenty of folks who play ESO in a similar way, drawn to the universe even if they aren’t typical MMO players.
You can catch the rest of the specifics on companions inZeniMax’s blog postwhere they go over the particulars of summoning your companion and how you’re able to manage them in combat.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood launches on June 1st for PC playerson Steam, theESO store, andBethesda’s store.
