The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim: Dawnguard Preview

In the spirit of Morrowind and Oblivion before it, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is finally receiving a piece of massive DLC–an expansion, of sorts. This expansion, titled Dawnguard, is slated for a June 26th release on the Xbox 360, with distributions over the PC and PS3 platforms staggered by at least a month later.

Update: Check out our Dawnguard review.

For a game as mind-numbingly massive as Skyrim, you would expect an outright expansion to be enormous. Thankfully, Bethesda plans to deliver. In previous reports, they’ve assured players that Skyrim’s proper DLC packs would be ‘meaty.’ If Dawnguard is to be any indicator, that promise will be kept. The upcoming expansion is reported to add 10-15 hours of bonus content to Skyrim’s already expansive experience.

What we know about the Dawnguard Expansion

Dawnguard, its questline anyway, will focus on a compelling vampire subplot. The entire questline will be integrated into the main game so that any player, from any level, at any point in the game can fully enjoy it. Your character simply needs to overhear a certain conversation from city guards. Throughout your adventures in vampirism, you will ultimately be given a choice–become a Vampire Lord and feast on the souls of innocents, or join the titular Dawnguard, and wipe them out.

Choosing to become a Vampire Lord will unlock a dedicated perk tree exclusively for that power. This Vampire Lord differs from the usual vampirism found throughout the Elder Scrolls series: your character turns into a gargoyle-esque demon, complete with Life Draining powers and the ability to glide around over the ground. Not much is known about the vampire agenda, other than it consists of a plot to ‘blot out the sun.’ Choosing to side with the Dawnguard, however, will give you exclusive access to the group’s powerful blacksmith resources and a brand-new weapon–the crossbow. Joining the group of vampire hunters will also allow you to commandeer what appears to be an armored troll companion.

In addition to the vampire/vampire hunter plot, the Dawnguard expansion appears to add a few other pieces of content. One of the most significant additions is a new steed–a new, flaming steed. It also seems that dragons have gained the pesky ability to attack from underwater. A dedicated perk tree for werewolves is also included in the new content. Lastly, the Dawnguard expansion adds a new dragon shout, called Soul Tear–which rends the soul from an enemy, turning them into your new pawn.

Skyrim: Dawnguard – Official Trailer

The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim: Dawnguard launches June 26th. Look for inMotion Gaming’s full review of the expansion soon after it launches.

Written by

Christopher A. Carlson

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