Review: The Elder Scrolls V: Dawnguard

This article first appeared on vgutopia.com

Continuing the tradition of releasing epic-scale expansions to its popular Elder Scrolls games, Bethesda had a high bar to clear considering how epic its latest entry Skyrim is on its own. The first major expansion to Skyrim, titled Dawnguard, drops the player straight into the middle of an all-out civil war between the expansion’s namesake, an order of elite vampire hunters known as The Dawnguard, and a large sect of vampires led by the mysterious Lord Harkon.

Video Game Review: Brink; A Few Bullets Short Of a Clip

 When Bethesda and Splash Damage Studios announced they were working on a multi-platform shooter that was to feature fast paced squad on squad battles, multiple objective types, a parkour-influenced movement system, and robust character customization featuring a large amount of unlockable outfits, skills, and weapons, I admit I was both excited and skeptical.  Considering Splash Damage gave gamers the insanely popular Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory after its success in crafting custom maps for the original Return to Castle Wolfenstein and that Bethesda, best known for the Elder Scrolls series of action rpgs, was backing the project, it seemed as if gamers had quite a treat to look forward to.