The DLC Firesong concludes the annual adventure “Legacy of the Bretons” in Elder Scrolls Online and throws you into the middle of a druid conflict. Read our review to find out why the story is so gripping despite the predictable twists and turns.
It”s a familiar pattern that one of the biggest MMOs follows: The Elder Scrolls Online releases a new addon with a fresh region every few months, there”s a new villain and the story proceeds along predictable lines until the big new threat is banished.
Why do we do this again with the new DLC Firesong Because the story is gripping – and we even fade out the typical ESO monotony over it.
Destructive Druids, erotic experiences
With the ESO annual adventure “The Legacy of the Bretons”, Zenimax Online Studios threw the nostalgia of the previous two years overboard and took you to the never-before-discussed Systren Archipelago, the origin of the Breton people, with the High Isle chapter in 2022. The expansion already conveyed a stirring mixture of folklore, knightly tales and druid magic and rightly received a good rating.
In Firesong you solve a druid conflict on the archipelago island of Galen and find out what is actually the reason for the actions of the sinister Order of the Ascended, who already made your life difficult in High Isle. Together with old acquaintances and new supporters, you will venture into a region steeped in ancient magic and learn much about what truly defines the Breton legacy.
In High Isle there was a noticeable focus on courtly intrigue and Breton chivalric culture. In Firesong, on the other hand, you get more insight into the lives of the druid covens based on the island of Galen. While the Ancestral Tide and Stone Doctrine covens live somewhat solitary but at least peaceful lives with others, the Firesong coven behaves in an increasingly hostile manner. Since the local earl”s son, Sir Stefan Monard, was both trained as a knight and learned from druids, he recruits you to investigate the resulting unrest and other trouble spots.
You soon discover that the current increase in raids by sea elf pirates is also related to this conflict and an ancient prophecy. Along the way, as always, you”ll have your hands full with helping the normal population – old acquaintances can”t be missed, of course.
Razum-dar, the spy in the service of High Elf Queen Ayrenn, hires you for a treasure hunt, where you also have to compete in a Glory Stories card game round and experience the new card set that came into play with Firesong in action right away. In addition, you will rescue a druid”s companion, take care of a herd of fauns, help a cook prepare a fiery delicacy and experience a hilariously staged, erotically tinged artefact theft with thief Quen and her partner.
Important people on Galen Island
Several people will assist you in resolving the Druid conflict and uncovering Order intrigues, and will remain with you until the conclusion of the year”s story.
New region, new luck
Of course, the main story turns out to be very predictable due to the yearly adventure structure, as usual, and the elucidation of the villain behind the Order of the Elevated does not really surprise either. Nevertheless, the development team succeeds very well in keeping us on our toes through the many interesting characters and cleverly woven drama.
Thus, the bittersweet narrative satisfies several times over, as both the political and the personal level receive a round and, above all, comprehensible ending. You can even forgive the fact that the boss fights again follow the same pattern and that there is a lack of other fighting challenges.
In this annual adventure, it pays off that Zenimax was able to create an entirely new setting without having to incorporate miles of nostalgia and references to previous Elder Scrolls games.
This keeps Bretons fresh and interesting with its story consisting of two core elements, also the setting of the main story gives hope that this adventure could have long-term consequences. After all, it is about peace negotiations between the three alliances to end the war of the three banners in the long run – and a peace is at least not ruled out.
If this idea proves to be true, it would mean a departure from the previous policy of always independent developments in chapters and DLCs and could leave a lasting mark on the game world. After all, we have been dealing with the same smouldering conflict since 2014 and the release of the base game, in which nothing ever really changes. A little rejuvenation would do ESO a lot of good for upcoming annual adventures, as even well-developed habits lose their appeal at some point.
A view of Galen Island
The northernmost island of the Systren archipelago is more primitive and more clearly influenced by the Druid culture than High Island and spoils with a lot of natural idyll.
A lot for the eye
If you take a little time to explore and experience the game world, you will be rewarded by the grandiose environment design, which nevertheless gives the island of Galen its very own flair despite many similarities to High Island and Summerset. Idyllic spots with turquoise lakes and sandstone cliffs alternate with lush jungle and lava crevices, and at almost every corner you will find evidence of the centuries-old presence of the Druid culture.
Even the harbour town of Vastyr, nestled close to the cliffs, has a Druidic quarter. There, the usual Breton stone buildings with many oriels and turrets are contrasted by dwellings hewn into the rock and brick entrances. Druids walking on the thatched roofs even let plants grow and blossom there. By the way, this time you will be especially rewarded for your discoveries, as there are six cuddly animals hidden on Galen – if you cuddle them all, you will receive an achievement!
A few bugs make starting Firesong a bit of a test of patience: sometimes we flew out of the game in mid-motion and had to repeat a quest section, sometimes NPCs were only responsive after reloading their environment or got stuck as temporary companions in a certain place. These are not gamebreakers, but they are annoying.
Editorial conclusion
The whole annual adventure surprised me in a positive way, as at first I didn”t really believe that there were many exciting experiences lurking with a mix of knights and druid magic. Of course, both the main story and the Firesong area story had their limitations due to the yearly adventure structure, but I noticed these limitations much less overall than in previous years. The nasty chief villain did become clear to me by High Isle (and I was right!). But that didn”t detract from the dynamic of the story, as I was thoroughly entertained by the other characters, the developing drama and the side quests, which were excellent as always.
Perhaps in years to come it will continue along the now almost cemented lines, with the same sort of boss fights, normal combat and a predictable amount of activity. As long as the stories of the game world can cover up this shortcoming, I”ll put up with it and just immerse myself in entertaining experiences for a few hours. But maybe I”ve just become jaded in my hope for real innovations (after all, I”ve been wishing for them for years), and I”m content with at least getting new fodder on a regular basis that you can have fun with. Competitors – yes, I”m talking about you, SWTOR! – can”t manage that anymore.
