User:Bobfordsgun/sandbox

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Dragonborn is the third official add-on for the action role-playing open world video game, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. It was developed by Bethesda Game Studios and released by Bethesda Softworks on the Xbox Live Marketplace on December 4, 2012. The PlayStation 3 and PC versions are currently scheduled for a 2013 release.

Dragonborn involves the player character coming into contact with the first Dovahkiin/Dragonborn, Miraak. Miraak dwells on the island of Solstheim, previously featured in the Bloodmoon expansion for The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind.

Gameplay
Dragonborn follows the same gameplay style as Skyrim, with the player's character free to explore the island of Solstheim at will, pursuing quests at their leisure. New armors, weapons, locations and enemies have been introduced for the expansion. A new feature in Dragonborn is the ability to tame and ride Dragons. The player character can use the Dragon to target and attack enemies, but cannot control the flight, with the Dragon simply circling the location. New Dragon Shouts, or Thu'um, have been intoduced, as exclusives to the Dragonborn expansion.

Setting
The expansion is set on the island of Solstheim, off the north coast of Morrowind. Solstheim was a territory belonging to Skyrim until the High King gifted the island to Morrowind to serve as a refuge for the Dunmer fleeing Morrowind after the eruption of the Red Mountain. Geographically, half of Solstheim is similar to Skyrim, covered in icy glaciers and snow. The other half is barren, and covered in ash following the Red Mountain disaster. The island's settlements and buildings also reflect the differing cultures, with the Nordic half of the land populated by familiar, Skyrim architecture. The rest of the island follows a Dunmer build style, even containing houses made from giant mushrooms. The island's main settlement, Raven Rock, is governed by House Redoran, a powerful Dark Elf family from Morrowind. The island is also home to the Skaal, a tribe of wild Nords.

Release
Dragonborn was originally announced via a trailer on November 5, 2012. It was released on the Xbox Live Marketplace on December 4, 2012. Currently, no specific release date has been stated by Bethesda for the PlayStation 3 or PC versions, only a 2013 release date.

Reception
Dragonborn has received mixed to positive critical reactions. IGN praised the Apocrypha sections, but critiscised the story as "awfully short" and "anticlimactic". GamesRadar praised the amount of side-quests, and the new weapons and Dragon Shouts, but dismissed the Dragon riding feature as "gimmicky" EuroGamer gave the game 9 out of 10, praising the quests, new enemies and new location.