Stone Atronachs dotted these hills, and each had a power-blasting attack that meant even dodging and rolling was useless. Where Graven Deep is more focused on seaside coral reefs and drenched monsters, Earthen Root Enclave is mountainous, and filled with rocky golems.Įven with a level 600+ hero on board, the fights in Earthen Root Enclave were nearly insurmountable. Screenshot: GamesHubĮarthen Root Enclave, to which our team decided to retreat, was equally gnarly – but for other reasons. Various cries for ‘ please, oh my god, help!‘ and ‘ move or I’m gonna spit!’ were ear-shattering, and side-splitting.

Sure, a victory would have been nice – but even running through this gauntlet, screaming over a headset about being spat on and dying, was extremely good fun. While the Euphotic Gatekeeper doesn’t have an unreasonable amount of health, my little troop of three wasn’t able to get past him – thanks to frequent poisonings, hordes of Pangrits being set on us every few minutes, and the various hordes of creatures that flowed from the summoning geysers.Īfter a final blow to our team leader that meant we had to move on (mostly for time), I became suddenly aware of the appeal of The Elder Scrolls Online dungeons. This was my first touch of death in the Lost Depths preview. To advance through the dungeon and make your way towards untold rewards, you’ll need to contend with this insect-like beast, and his horde of creatures. The Euphotic Gatekeeper is the first major battle of Graven Deep – and unfortunately, it’s not optional. Their trails are easy enough to avoid, but you’ll actually want to get spat on in the fight against the dungeon’s first boss, as this spit can be used to close summoning geysers. In your quest through Graven Deep, you’ll come across packs of Pangrits – small, shark-like creatures that spit poison acid at you. Read: The Elder Scrolls Online asks nothing of you, and that’s perfect For one thing, the dungeon contained a brand new attack mechanic: poison spit, which can be absorbed and expelled before it goes off like a bomb. Graven Deep was up first and even in its opening, it was filled with surprises. I hopped into these dungeons alongside local reps for Bethesda in a media event, in order to test my mettle against a range of eldritch bosses. Earthen Root Enclave and Graven Deep, though? They’re absolutely not for the nomads amongst us. The Elder Scrolls Online is littered with dungeons, each themed after particular locales, factions, themes, or goals – and despite being very optional, they usually tie into game’s main story with special NPCs and quest givers littering these biome maps.ĭungeons tend to be for higher-levelled players, or those travelling in packs – but there are also ‘beginner’ dungeons for those just starting out, or those who prefer wandering to levelling. This unfortunate event occurred while playing through the game’s latest DLC dungeon pack, which contains two new locales: Earthen Root Enclave, and Graven Deep. That joy is, of course, being absolutely trounced by a giant rock monster while your over-levelled mates watch on and laugh.

I’m a big advocate for jumping into the game, and spending your time however you like – wandering fields, admiring roses, collecting quests you’ll never complete – but a recent media preview for the game’s Lost Depths DLC made me realise I was missing one of life’s greatest joys by committing to the ESO nomad life. While the game is littered with a variety of quests, sweeping storylines, NPCs with wild backstories, and plenty of dungeon crawling, you don’t really need to do any of that. The Elder Scrolls Online is an MMORPG that invites exploration and experimentation.

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