The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Dawnguard

 PC
User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 336 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 173 out of 336
  2. Mixed: 116 out of 336
  3. Negative: 47 out of 336

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  1. Necrotaur
    Aug 3, 2012
    7
    Dawnguard is a decent DLC, but I was expecting a little more. It adds a fairly lengthy questline (which ties in to the main quest, requiring you to have progressed to a certain point), some new weapons and armor, a couple of 'zones', a handful of new enemies and an expanded werewolf/vampire skillset. The low point is probably the new zones which are hit and miss - Soul Cairn plays out likeDawnguard is a decent DLC, but I was expecting a little more. It adds a fairly lengthy questline (which ties in to the main quest, requiring you to have progressed to a certain point), some new weapons and armor, a couple of 'zones', a handful of new enemies and an expanded werewolf/vampire skillset. The low point is probably the new zones which are hit and miss - Soul Cairn plays out like Blackreach (the underground, wide open Falmer area), however it lacks any real sense of visual awe, is largely unexplained, and there is not much incentive to explore it. Fortunately, Forgotten Vale makes up for Soul Cairn. The questline itself can be a little aggravating at times due to its tendency to send you to objectives on the other edge of the map, only to return and do it all over again. Occasionally, you also may be sent to areas you have already been through once before and cleared, though with different/respawned enemies (probably Radiant AI at work). The new dungeons it does add, however, have slightly better puzzles and better design, though they are still fairly linear. Anyway, Dawnguard was an enjoyable experience overall, but I wouldn't place it on par with Oblivion's Shivering Isles, or Morrowind's Bloodmoon.… Expand
  2. Aeryx
    Mar 28, 2013
    7
    A worthy addition to Skyrim and a great DLC (not expansion) overall. As an expansion, compared to TES IV Oblivion's Shivering Isles, this one falls short. The new quests and items together with the new adventure add some good bits to the game. I do have to mention though that postponing this expansion for PC and PS3 in favor of the XBOX 360 was not a welcome move from Bethesda as itA worthy addition to Skyrim and a great DLC (not expansion) overall. As an expansion, compared to TES IV Oblivion's Shivering Isles, this one falls short. The new quests and items together with the new adventure add some good bits to the game. I do have to mention though that postponing this expansion for PC and PS3 in favor of the XBOX 360 was not a welcome move from Bethesda as it alienates their fan bases using those systems and is just plain disrespectful to the PC folks which fought tooth and nail to make TES the greatest FPS RPG adventure on Earth.… Expand
  3. Spacenakora
    Dec 17, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Alright, for DLC this is going to be taken as an expansion to Skyrim. Initially, the changes are subtle. New Quests, new factions, new Skills for Vampires (Or the lord, in this case) and werewolves. All of which is not what makes this a nine in my books. Let's take vanilla Skyrim (A game which had immersion but lacked the 'OMG! PLAY MORE!' factor for me) and then add a character which made me want to side with the Vampires and explore their lore. Hell, the end was... cut short... it just needed an extra hour.… Expand
  4. Sizaki
    Apr 19, 2013
    7
    It doesn't add much for the 20$. It's pretty much a new guild. But there is more.
    It adds an interesting story, a good main character, new weapons and armors, new interesting places and adds two new skill-trees, one for the Vampire and the other for the Werewolf.
  5. s1pinup
    Aug 22, 2012
    5
    This DLC had a fun and interesting story which kept me playing just to find out what would happen next. Other than the story being interesting the rest of the DLC seemed very lack luster. The main story line takes 6-7 hours to complete at max, the dungeons are a bit dry, the new areas that it does give you have boring objectives or relatively pointless side quests within them. TheThis DLC had a fun and interesting story which kept me playing just to find out what would happen next. Other than the story being interesting the rest of the DLC seemed very lack luster. The main story line takes 6-7 hours to complete at max, the dungeons are a bit dry, the new areas that it does give you have boring objectives or relatively pointless side quests within them. The biggest disappointment for me, was the fact that whether you choose the Dawnguard storyline or Vampire story line the main quests are pretty much identical and bring about the same end. I would recommend that Elder Scrolls fans buy this DLC but definitely wait for it to go on sale.… Expand
  6. Ranger0
    Aug 19, 2012
    3
    Honestly, compared to older expansions such as Knights of the Nine or Shivering Isles for Oblivion, this is absolute **** Some of the new weapons and armor are nice but other than that, the DLC is lacking in content. When I was playing through it, I became bored roaming through the generic caves and dungeons and began to care less and less about what would happen next as I just wanted itHonestly, compared to older expansions such as Knights of the Nine or Shivering Isles for Oblivion, this is absolute **** Some of the new weapons and armor are nice but other than that, the DLC is lacking in content. When I was playing through it, I became bored roaming through the generic caves and dungeons and began to care less and less about what would happen next as I just wanted it to end. Overall it's not worth $20, wait for a sale...… Expand
  7. OMGmyFACE
    Nov 9, 2012
    4
    Pros: It's more Skyrim. There's some cool armor, a hot new follower, more fights to get into, incentive to level up your character some more.
    Cons: Falmer ruins, fetch quests, terrible story, bugs, the penultimate quest in which you have to get a bow (don't know why I'm trying to avoid spoilers for this) is the worst most-time consuming lackluster mission I've played in a video game in    Pros: It's more Skyrim. There's some cool armor, a hot new follower, more fights to get into, incentive to level up your character some more.
    Cons: Falmer ruins, fetch quests, terrible story, bugs, the penultimate quest in which you have to get a bow (don't know why I'm trying to avoid spoilers for this) is the worst most-time consuming lackluster mission I've played in a video game in years, $20 for only $8.50 worth of real content.
    Summation: Butts.    … Expand
  8. Triggerhappy
    Oct 28, 2012
    6
    All the content offered is very good, although the best way to enjoy it is to start a new character and enjoy how flawlessly the DLC is incorporated into the main character career in the existing world. That is right: this DLC exists not as an expansion for you to pursue when you reach, say, level 50, but rather to enrich playing through Skyrim from scrap all again. The only problem isAll the content offered is very good, although the best way to enjoy it is to start a new character and enjoy how flawlessly the DLC is incorporated into the main character career in the existing world. That is right: this DLC exists not as an expansion for you to pursue when you reach, say, level 50, but rather to enrich playing through Skyrim from scrap all again. The only problem is that, given the immense scope of the original game, the amount of new content is simply not enough given its price tag. Sure, if you are new to Skyrim and have little financial constraint, go for it, it is fun and enriches the world, but if you have already played and finished the game, well... sorry, but it is not worth the 20 bucks. With a level 40-50 master overkiller you have absolutely no incentive to use the new skill trees, and will easily breeze through all the new challenges. If you are expecting another Shivering Isles expansion, you will be sorely disappointed.… Expand
  9. Impartial
    Aug 15, 2012
    1
    wait for a steam sell if you really want this its nothing more than an elaborate mod for the price of a full add-on, I think Bethesda has really stopped trying at this point. The modding community has done more to fix the problems with skyrim than the company that eagerly took 59.99+ a peice for it. I ove the game but as usual the producing company half-asses it and charges full price thenwait for a steam sell if you really want this its nothing more than an elaborate mod for the price of a full add-on, I think Bethesda has really stopped trying at this point. The modding community has done more to fix the problems with skyrim than the company that eagerly took 59.99+ a peice for it. I ove the game but as usual the producing company half-asses it and charges full price then runs off and leaves you to fix a lemon. Hats off to the modding community they are leaps and bounds more talented than bethesda programmers and this add-on proves it.… Expand
  10. Itsapaul
    Sep 25, 2012
    8
    This is not an expansion, it's a small packet of DLC. I know the vampire lord has to be modded to be any use, but everything on the dawnguard side seems awesome to me. Quests aren't especially boring or anything and the side ones actually force you to go to new places you might've skipped over before. It was basically worth it for me simply for the crossbow and smithing upgrades (thoughThis is not an expansion, it's a small packet of DLC. I know the vampire lord has to be modded to be any use, but everything on the dawnguard side seems awesome to me. Quests aren't especially boring or anything and the side ones actually force you to go to new places you might've skipped over before. It was basically worth it for me simply for the crossbow and smithing upgrades (though the latter was already in through mods anyway).… Expand
  11. Although
    Aug 20, 2012
    6
    Just i have ambiguous feelings. The implementation is good. there is a companion who is living after skyrim companions who are dead. the conversations are good there are a little likeness than FNV. But the lore, story, huh. So sure Bethesda tried to build new"lore into base lore but it is a near same than awfull last some Underworld movie. and it give feeling again "Iam the GOD" . And trueJust i have ambiguous feelings. The implementation is good. there is a companion who is living after skyrim companions who are dead. the conversations are good there are a little likeness than FNV. But the lore, story, huh. So sure Bethesda tried to build new"lore into base lore but it is a near same than awfull last some Underworld movie. and it give feeling again "Iam the GOD" . And true there are zones for hit and miss. Just i havent finished this dlc yet but i dont believe it will change my opinion. So summary we can applaud because Bethesda heard some criticism for Skyrim. But i wrote a critique to skyrim and i was worred because of lore. Seem it wasnt baseless.… Expand
  12. HighwayUK
    Aug 29, 2012
    4
    For PC I can not see the point of it really, we have better community mods for free that cover most of the stuff in the DLC, apart from a new branch of story based mission is there any need for this DLC not to be free on PC? I say nope.
  13. Gmlver
    Nov 22, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Fine for a DLC. Dawnguard story line is fine but not the best. Some places like fort Dawnguard, castle Volkihar and Forgotten Vale are nice other than that every other places are nothing but a waste barren land. When first time I played dawnguard it was nice. Then I tried to play second time it was terribly boring. This dlc is best for someone who actually love skyrim very much.… Expand
  14. krushak
    Dec 30, 2012
    8
    not perfect, but the best dlc i have played, definitely better story than the main storyline and nice additions to the main game - must have for skyrim fans
  15. Gabbetthw
    Aug 18, 2012
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Dawnguard is quite a good DLC. For $25, it adds a considerable amount of content. I personally got 8 hours out of the main questline, and another 4 or so to finish the side quests. That's about $2 and hour, which is pretty damn good. Most importantly, it got me back into Skyrim again, after a long break. Isn't that what a DLC is really about? I went through and finished the missions I hadn't done yet, all because Dawnguard got me playing Skyrim again. I went through and got the extra achievements for the game, and ended up playing about 30 hours into the game.

    The Vampire Lord mode is quite a good addition to the game, but I feel it could have been done a little bit better. There were a few minor glitches with doors due to the Vampire transformation.
    The werewolf perk tree is a good enhancement, but really adds nothing useful to werewolves. If you intend to play consistently as a werewolf, this won't do much to benefit you.

    As a whole, the expansion did just that - it expanded the game. If you enjoyed Skyrim, I couldn't recommend this more. If you didn't like it that much, perhaps this isn't for you.    … Expand
  16. jonbravo2
    Feb 5, 2013
    1
    This DLC is great if you love running all over the game world doing nothing but being some person's errand boy. The main reason I played this DLC is for new loot and money, what else matters? In this story line, there is a severe lack of depth, purpose, and reward. The whole time, the suspense was building up to, "Hey, there must be something BIG at the end!" But after finishing the story,This DLC is great if you love running all over the game world doing nothing but being some person's errand boy. The main reason I played this DLC is for new loot and money, what else matters? In this story line, there is a severe lack of depth, purpose, and reward. The whole time, the suspense was building up to, "Hey, there must be something BIG at the end!" But after finishing the story, you get left with your hands empty, and your mind wondering, "Is this it?"

    This DLC is not worth $20.00 if you want my opinion. You will probably get about a day or two worth of extra game time, and a few new things to try out, but other than that, it was pretty worthless.    … Expand
  17. GottFaust
    Aug 7, 2012
    9
    Dawnguard is more akin to Morrowind's Tribunal or Oblivion's Knights of the Nine than Bloodmoon or the Shivering Isles. It's very heavily story driven, focuses more on Items/Powers than locations (though It does add two rather large areas, one of which is spectacular to see), and is generally relatively linear (Though it does branch once early on). That being said, it offers far moreDawnguard is more akin to Morrowind's Tribunal or Oblivion's Knights of the Nine than Bloodmoon or the Shivering Isles. It's very heavily story driven, focuses more on Items/Powers than locations (though It does add two rather large areas, one of which is spectacular to see), and is generally relatively linear (Though it does branch once early on). That being said, it offers far more content and is much better polished than either of those expansions were. Knights of the Nine and Tribunal could both be very easily run though in under 2 hours. The vampire-side story alone took me 8 hours to complete and I wasn't bothering with any of the side content. The new weapons are powerful and well designed. The new vampire lord form is satisfyingly powerful once you get the hang of it (note - Don't use Serana as your follower as your main attack gets heavily debuffed due to a bug), and the new werewolf perks add some flavor to what was previously a very flat and uninteresting feature. To top it all off they've tweaked and improved various undocumented parts of the main story and integrated the new story-lines into it quite seamlessly. They've also improved the visual fidelity of a lot of the particle effects dealing with smoke/steam/fog and fire. For what it is, it gets a solid 9 out of 10. It's no Shivering Isles or Bloodmoon, but it wasn't meant to be. That'll be Hearthfire. Bethesda works in patterns here people. Each TES game has a smaller, story driven expansion first, and then they add the major expansion with whole new continents and worlds to explore second.… Expand
  18. Mutini
    Oct 27, 2012
    0
    I like the base game very much. I have no idea whether or not I like Dawngaurd DLC. Dawnguard is full of MAJOR quest line stopping bugs. After I was turned into a vampire(one of the first steps in that quest line) no one but the guy who turned me would recognize me as a vampire. This prevented me from progressing in the quest line. I over-rode that step with a code I found online onlyI like the base game very much. I have no idea whether or not I like Dawngaurd DLC. Dawnguard is full of MAJOR quest line stopping bugs. After I was turned into a vampire(one of the first steps in that quest line) no one but the guy who turned me would recognize me as a vampire. This prevented me from progressing in the quest line. I over-rode that step with a code I found online only to have one of the steps mess up a short time later in the quest line to keep me from progressing. The same issue occurred for two pre-existing charectors I had so I made a bran new charector and tried again. Guess what? Same thing happened with the new charector. I wrote to Steam but of course Steam doesnt care if they sell broken games. I wrote to the game support...three times. No reply. They dont cover the issue in their "common problems and answer" pages but the problem is rampant according to what I found all over the internet after a random search. Dont buy this mess and if you do, dont say you werent warned....… Expand
  19. Aviod
    Aug 23, 2012
    7
    I enjoyed this DLC (even if it was on the expansive side)... It did get myself back-in to Skyrim and start playing again (in-fact i started a new character days leading up to the release..).. This is a DLC and not an extension pack, but it boarders on the good side.. I'm wary of DLC in general as DLC seems to be a rip off, especially weapon packs or something along that line (e.g. BiowareI enjoyed this DLC (even if it was on the expansive side)... It did get myself back-in to Skyrim and start playing again (in-fact i started a new character days leading up to the release..).. This is a DLC and not an extension pack, but it boarders on the good side.. I'm wary of DLC in general as DLC seems to be a rip off, especially weapon packs or something along that line (e.g. Bioware DLCs) I wasn't a fan of the fallouts so i can not compare to their DLC, but all in all i found it goodish.. I played the DLC twice through once with Markon? once with the dawnguard... I think i preferred playing as Dawnguard and i even persuaded Serana to turn human after it was done.. Im not a big fan of the vampire class :/ I would have like to seen a bit more character progression with Serana. All in all, i think it was worth it... I biggest peeve i had was it was delayed for PC... I hated that!!!… Expand
  20. rant
    Oct 15, 2012
    7
    It's no Shivering Isles in terms of quality or content, but it's no horse armor DLC either. It's decent, it provides some motivation to try out a vampire character if you haven't already, and it gives you an excuse to go back to Skyrim. As long as you don't expect a mind-blowing DLC at a bargain price, you should be satisfied.
  21. Rewe
    Aug 4, 2012
    8
    If, like me, you had hundreds of hours in Skyrim and would like more of the same, Dawnguard is for you. However, if you only enjoyed the game a small or medium amount, you might want to wait for a price drop or just not buy it at all. In other words, Dawnguard is more of the same.
  22. FFStudios
    Sep 17, 2012
    7
    For a first expansion, Dawnguard certainly isn't "bad", but it feels somewhat small compared with previous expansions. Let me quickly get the good points out the way; the quests are compelling, the new crossbow is satisfyingly powerful and the boss fights are better than they were before. The biggest issue with DG is the price; it simply isn't worth £14 for what essentially amountsFor a first expansion, Dawnguard certainly isn't "bad", but it feels somewhat small compared with previous expansions. Let me quickly get the good points out the way; the quests are compelling, the new crossbow is satisfyingly powerful and the boss fights are better than they were before. The biggest issue with DG is the price; it simply isn't worth £14 for what essentially amounts to a 6-10 hour questline and a couple of new dungeons & weapons. The new locations are hit-and-miss: the soul cairn is bare & boring to look at while the Forgotten Vale is much more interesting to explore. However, there's not really much to see there besides the view and a couple of new enemies. Another improvement made to the game is the boss encounters; they're not as bad now. The boss fights now involve more than just wailing on the enemy until they stop moving, but they still don't feel very diverse or satisfying. Although the DLC claims to have a two-way choice in it, there really isn't much impact one way or another: the quests are more-or-less the same although the vampire questline has a much more lively story than the Dawnguard's hum-drum boring serious storyline. There is one occasion where a certain character's dialogue changes depending on how far you progressed through the main quest; which is at least a step in the right direction. So I guess the final question is "is Dawnguard worth it"; in my opinion, yes. Yes, but only if you're a Skyrim fanatic who has exhausted everything the main game has to offer. Otherwise, don't bother. 7.3/10… Expand
  23. stewmo
    Aug 3, 2012
    7
    Dawnguard is not your traditional Elder Scrolls add-on. It does not include new expansive environments and lengthly quests, nor does it provide you with multitudes of new weapons and spells to add to your arsenal. What it does succeed in doing, is provide a fairly substantial addition to your Skyrim experience. IF you are a hardcore fan and much enjoyed the game, you will find reason againDawnguard is not your traditional Elder Scrolls add-on. It does not include new expansive environments and lengthly quests, nor does it provide you with multitudes of new weapons and spells to add to your arsenal. What it does succeed in doing, is provide a fairly substantial addition to your Skyrim experience. IF you are a hardcore fan and much enjoyed the game, you will find reason again to enjoy it. However, if you're in the market for something like the Shivering Isles was to Oblivion, you may want to steer clear and bide your time.… Expand
  24. elgringo
    Oct 30, 2012
    10
    Finally a DLC this year that was worth it's money! You get over 1GB of content for your buck and they even hired Laura Bailey as voice actor for this (she also voiced the female main character of Saints Row: The Third). The ending was a little abrupt, but you get some nice weapons, a great companion, a new player home, stronger dragons to fight and mesmerizing locations to visit. I giveFinally a DLC this year that was worth it's money! You get over 1GB of content for your buck and they even hired Laura Bailey as voice actor for this (she also voiced the female main character of Saints Row: The Third). The ending was a little abrupt, but you get some nice weapons, a great companion, a new player home, stronger dragons to fight and mesmerizing locations to visit. I give the full score for this.… Expand
  25. Orctownorc
    Aug 22, 2013
    5
    It's nice to see that todd Howard thinks the PC UI for Skyrim and the levelling system are fine. Rather than fix what is broken he is out milking the Skyrim cow for more money from half-witted gamers who get weak at the knees if you put their skill trees in the stars (and don't notice how poorly designed those skill trees are). Skyrim was a pretty dull feast of copy-pasted filler. But thatIt's nice to see that todd Howard thinks the PC UI for Skyrim and the levelling system are fine. Rather than fix what is broken he is out milking the Skyrim cow for more money from half-witted gamers who get weak at the knees if you put their skill trees in the stars (and don't notice how poorly designed those skill trees are). Skyrim was a pretty dull feast of copy-pasted filler. But that didn't stop hordes of lonely young men mistaking it for love (of a prostitute). The game got unwarranted rave reviews from all and sundry and sold, who knows how many copies (Zenimax is keeping the number under their hat, probably in the range of 5-10 million copies). You would think with all that damned money Zenimax would have given some back to Todd Howard and the copy-paste team and asked them to FIX Skyrim, to improve it to extend it. But NO! If people are dumb enough to throw both their money and their dumb-assed 10/10 scores to Skyrim, Zenimax figured it was fine to 'screw the fools some more.' Which they did here. For a price of around 33.33% of the Skytim game you can get an expansion that has about 1% of the content. Like everything else in the game it borrows liberally from the copy-pasted environments and totally lack-lustre writing that has bored you to death in the tedious realm of the Nords. Its about as boring and uninspired as the rest of the POS game and it does nothing to fix the consolised UI or the horrible levelling system. Since plenty of fools are fool enough to buy this DLC unquestioning, and even score it score it yellow or green scores (INSANE!), you can all expect more useless over-priced DLC FOREVER and a day. If you do not protest at this garbage with a score bomb score of 0-2 out of 10, the bastards in publishing will just keep on offering more trash like this, at sky-high prices. Wake up, foolish consumers. This is poor design AND terrible value for money. Wait for the GOTY edition on sale fools! Red score this trash! Shame on Todd and the copy-paste team. Out there whoring for Zenimax rather than making the game they should.

    THE GROT REVIEW CRITERIA: After a long time writing reviews like an anus, think its time to set a few bad habits straight: Stop insulting designers. Show some respect for the design process and getting games in circulation. Hence (1) No Red scores. (2) Game scores as follows: Bad Game 5/10. Poor Game 6/10. Mediocre Game: 7/10. Good Game 8/10. Great game 9/10. Stella Game 10/10. To get 10/10 it must be a game that can be (theoretically) play-able for 1000+ hours. Not only great but near endless fun. Games may be bad or poor but making them should earn respect. Thus even the worst POS will still be a 5/10. 0/10 no longer exists in my vocabulary. Yellow is the new red. For the sake of accountability: you can reply if needed: Orctowngrot: Tim Rawlins: timtimjp@yahoo.com    … Expand
  26. Not_Casual
    Aug 12, 2012
    0
    I've spent over two hours trying to fix this dlc to simply make the quests progress. I have completed about ten minutes of playtime for two hours of work and am now stopped again because another part of the quest is broken.
  27. SageLegacy
    Sep 8, 2012
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Dawngaurd was really not that bad. It was definitely not the best. This should be 15$ rather than 20$ but it has new weapons. I love the crossbow, and the dragon weapons. What I don't like is the barren soul cairn, and the barren pilgrimage with the water vase. It need more action and more enemies at certain parts. I did though like the Harkon Great Vampire Boss Fight. It made me feel like the power of the sun was in the bow and I was using it to defeat one of the greatest vampires ever. It need more though. It was not a bad 10 hours I spent but could be better. Is it worth the money? Depends how much you love Skyrim. If you just play Skyrim every now and then then buy it on a steam sale but if on X-Box 360, then you will need to play and like Skyrim quite often and be in to the game. To my opinion, I think this DLC was good.… Expand
  28. Dreadzilla
    Aug 22, 2012
    9
    Skyrim is a great game, and this is great DLC. Most of the Negitives so far are based on Price. I don't mind dropping 20 bones for more of this awesome game!
  29. STiAT
    Sep 1, 2012
    7
    Well, to start off with what I disliked.
    I see Skyrim as one of the best single player RPGs ever released (besides DA1, but I still see that Skyrim gives you more options and different pathes). The huge downside is the amount of bugs in the game, which never got fixed. This did not change in Dawnguard, and really sometimes kills the fun of playing. In example, on some bugs you have to    Well, to start off with what I disliked.
    I see Skyrim as one of the best single player RPGs ever released (besides DA1, but I still see that Skyrim gives you more options and different pathes). The huge downside is the amount of bugs in the game, which never got fixed. This did not change in Dawnguard, and really sometimes kills the fun of playing. In example, on some bugs you have to exit Skyrim and wait 24 hours (real life) for the bug to be gone. That's not the kind of quality I expect.

    On the other hand, the DLC has been pretty fun. I enjoyed the hours of gaming through there a lot, the new characters, the new areas and so on. On this side, it has been pretty decent. Just, the content was (considering the price) little. Playing through the whole DLC (both sides) took me ~10-12 hours. But still, fine enough - and new Skyrim content.

    In the end, if you liked Skyrim and spent hours, days, and probably weeks in the virtual world Bethesda created, you'll have your time and fun with the story. There are a lot of new opportunities to improve your character, and a lot of things to explore and do in the new content. Playing through does not include all side quests, I did not look at them yet, because I first had to re-roll in skyrim (new pc - didn't backup save games :D).

    A little thing which I missed is the reference to being dragonborn. I'm just the vampire or vampire hunter, the relation to the original game was completely lost. No conversations about who I am, that I actually did slay Alduin (except once, Durnehviir did mention I did slay Alduin), that's not what I expected. I felt completely unrecognized, which should not be the case. Depending on my progress in the main world, there should be possibilities for different answers and dialogs.

    Overall - it's a green rating. I did get my fun out of the game, but I am a bit annoyed of the bugs (especially quest bugs where you can't continue for 24 hours, which very likely means 48 hours if you're working and had a bad timing). The story is .. well, Elder Scrolls, and almost epic. I've got mixed feelings about the DLC, which is most likely due to the bugs, the rest was not 100, but probably 85-90 % of what I would have wanted to see.

    It's good work, especially by the quest and game designers. Development and polishing should have been taken more care of.    … Expand
  30. Wulfyn
    May 31, 2013
    9
    I thought that this DLC was much better than the main game. I get the points about having to do a lot of running around to different places, but that was basically what skyrim was all about. The follower is interesting and is not flat like the others and you begin to develop a sense of empathy with them. There is also a unique quest location that is very well done, and presents you with aI thought that this DLC was much better than the main game. I get the points about having to do a lot of running around to different places, but that was basically what skyrim was all about. The follower is interesting and is not flat like the others and you begin to develop a sense of empathy with them. There is also a unique quest location that is very well done, and presents you with a big dilemma to get to!

    Possibly not worth as a stand alone DLC unless you really liked the main game. I got it as part of a pack so the extra cost was not great and I'm glad I did as it made returning to the main quest line pretty boring.    … Expand
  31. okamimiyazaki
    Aug 28, 2014
    10
    This is a very underrated DLC. Yes, it's overpriced. Yes, it's full of bugs (or was, now it's much better). No, I don't think it deserves a perfect score, but people are bashing it too much. It's still an amazing piece of work. You have to applaud the people who really deserve recognition - the artists, writers and designers. The new dungeons are superb, top-notch environments. The mainThis is a very underrated DLC. Yes, it's overpriced. Yes, it's full of bugs (or was, now it's much better). No, I don't think it deserves a perfect score, but people are bashing it too much. It's still an amazing piece of work. You have to applaud the people who really deserve recognition - the artists, writers and designers. The new dungeons are superb, top-notch environments. The main quest is enjoyable and the new items, weapons and shouts are fun.

    Overall, it's another piece of Bethesda - artwork and creativity unrivaled by any other game, but filled with bugs on release.    … Expand
  32. LD9000
    Apr 26, 2014
    6
    Mixed feelings.

    Part way through this DLC, I realized that the gameplay is not much different from the original Skyrim. The addition of a uber-powerful crossbow for the vampire hunters makes the all ranged / stealth archetype much more feasible. However, after a few dungeons I realized the same thing that happened with original skyrim - it's pew pew with crossbow while exploiting    Mixed feelings.

    Part way through this DLC, I realized that the gameplay is not much different from the original Skyrim. The addition of a uber-powerful crossbow for the vampire hunters makes the all ranged / stealth archetype much more feasible.

    However, after a few dungeons I realized the same thing that happened with original skyrim - it's pew pew with crossbow while exploiting horrible enemy AI which can get stuck in random places or gives up searching for player after 20 seconds, while standing next to it's dead comrade's body. "It must be my imagination" says the AI while walking over a dead companion and sitting back in the same chair.

    While the vampire archetype looks awesome, I quickly found that it runs out of magicka really quickly and is overall luckluster after that. Maybe a mage character would find vampire path to be more satisfying.    … Expand
  33. hannibalektr
    Apr 9, 2013
    10
    66 meta rating? That's it? This DLC is FRICKIN AWESOME! $20 bucks it's worth every penny, hell its a steal at that price. The story is awesome, the followers are 2nd to none other in the whole game. Serana, Valerica, Hell dogs, german shepards, armored trolls. Content that lasts. There are so many free mods made for Dawnguard on the steam workshop. The Castle (Upgrade with free steam66 meta rating? That's it? This DLC is FRICKIN AWESOME! $20 bucks it's worth every penny, hell its a steal at that price. The story is awesome, the followers are 2nd to none other in the whole game. Serana, Valerica, Hell dogs, german shepards, armored trolls. Content that lasts. There are so many free mods made for Dawnguard on the steam workshop. The Castle (Upgrade with free steam workshop mod's like Caslte Volkihar Redux)...

    I give this mod 10 out of 10 because that is what it is. It's like a game within a game, everything you would expect from a DLC and way more. I can't udnerstand why anyone would say otherwise about this DLC. Now dragonbourne, that is a different story, I felt jyped on that one.

    For me, skyrim is the ultimate game, the best made so far ever. Dawnguard just brings all that much more to the table of an already delicious feast.    … Expand
  34. galadrijella
    Feb 20, 2013
    6
    Let me start by saying the storyline in Dawnguard is amazing. Characters too. But that is about it. Th rest is very disappointing, very linear and I feel like it was made just so Bethesda releases something. I couldn't care less for this DLC.
  35. MisterNoodles
    Mar 31, 2013
    1
    So Skyrim was a bad game to start with and needed to be patched in many ways and here comes their first DLC. And let's face it, this was just terrible. The quests was medium length and after I finished the Dawnguard's side I decided to try out the Vampires' side. So I join the vampires and after the first quest it is basically the same thing. The storyline was also down right crap. I thanSo Skyrim was a bad game to start with and needed to be patched in many ways and here comes their first DLC. And let's face it, this was just terrible. The quests was medium length and after I finished the Dawnguard's side I decided to try out the Vampires' side. So I join the vampires and after the first quest it is basically the same thing. The storyline was also down right crap. I than hoped the side-quests could redeem it. And I soon found out there was one and it wasn't very good to start with. Overall this feels just like Knights of the Nine the Oblivion expansion. Takes place in the same place and is very short. So being priced at $20 is not okay! It is worth maybe $5-10 dollars not $20.… Expand
  36. LordRaijin
    May 28, 2013
    1
    I was disappointed in this DLC. The new appearances for the vampires are a total failure. They look like zombies, NOT vampires. The new armor was OK, but not spectacular. The story wasn't good, but it wasn't bad either. The new NPC vampires in Volkihar Keep were very poorly written and designed, and so were the new NPC from the Dawnguard side, again a total failure. Is Bethesda even tryingI was disappointed in this DLC. The new appearances for the vampires are a total failure. They look like zombies, NOT vampires. The new armor was OK, but not spectacular. The story wasn't good, but it wasn't bad either. The new NPC vampires in Volkihar Keep were very poorly written and designed, and so were the new NPC from the Dawnguard side, again a total failure. Is Bethesda even trying at this point? I don't think I could release this DLC or Skyrim out into the world under my companies name without getting embarrassed with shame. Like what others are saying the Mod community help saved the quality of Skyrim and their 2 DLCs from utter destruction caused by Bethesda. Skyrim, Dawnguard and Dragonborn (The new and final DLC) was a total failure, and it cost the consumer well over 100 dollars. Is it any wonder why piracy is on the rise? People are fed up with buying lemon software's with their hard earn money, and companies like Bethesda refuse to accept the responsibility by refunding their customers money back for selling glitchy/buggy software's to the public. If you still want to try this DLC wait until theirs a steam sell for half price. 20 dollars is quite expensive for this DLC.… Expand
  37. BountyCritic
    Sep 8, 2013
    9
    Wether it's actually worth 20 dollars might be debatable, but I cen tell you this much. The Dawnguard's story is brags and bounces better than original Skyrim's. And the new, explorable area called The Forgotten Vale is my favourite experience in the game and one of the best experiences in gaming. I could go on about why, but I think it's better if you find out yourself.
  38. Sabatasso
    Nov 2, 2013
    2
    Dawnguard isn't all that big, but it adds some much needed gear to the boring Skyrim world. If Skyrim had actually been a decent game then this addon would be worth the money without a doubt. Too bad Skyrim is a poor, shallow game that is neither a good RPG, a good action game or a good adventure game. It tries to be all of that and more but it does everything far below average.
  39. DeusXCom
    Aug 2, 2014
    8
    I seem to be in a minority here, but I really liked Dawnguard DLC and enjoyed it much much more than the next Dragonborn. I really liked the story, the overall vampire theme, new items, locations, history lore, the option to choose different sides, added werewolf and vampire skill trees and the addition of the best companion and character that was actually more impressive than anyone elseI seem to be in a minority here, but I really liked Dawnguard DLC and enjoyed it much much more than the next Dragonborn. I really liked the story, the overall vampire theme, new items, locations, history lore, the option to choose different sides, added werewolf and vampire skill trees and the addition of the best companion and character that was actually more impressive than anyone else in the main game. Fantastic DLC and I would even dare to call it the best DLC in the entire TES series so far, or at least the one that I enjoyed the most. 8/10… Expand
  40. AlienSpaceBats
    Feb 5, 2013
    8
    Need more Skyrim? Look no further. I wasn't impressed with the decision to focus on vampires with this DLC (in hindsight surely Dragonborn should have taken precedence), however the opportunity to become a vampire hunter, hang around with a pair of armoured Huskies and the disembodied voice of Laura Bailey (Serana) quickly changed my mind. Dawnguard isn't essential but I found it worth theNeed more Skyrim? Look no further. I wasn't impressed with the decision to focus on vampires with this DLC (in hindsight surely Dragonborn should have taken precedence), however the opportunity to become a vampire hunter, hang around with a pair of armoured Huskies and the disembodied voice of Laura Bailey (Serana) quickly changed my mind. Dawnguard isn't essential but I found it worth the experience Ancestor Glade (moths) and Forgotten Vale were incredible.… Expand
  41. SittinginBasket
    Jan 1, 2013
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Most of the reviews on Dawnguard criticize the expansion for its price. I bought it during the 2012-2013 Steam Holiday Sale for about 6 USD, and I would say this is expansion provided the best Skyrim experience I have ever had, and this is coming from a person who did not enjoy Skyrim. The fact is that this expansion provides an excellent experience for the price I paid, with epic set-pieces and locations that were vastly superior to the locations in the base game. For example, I was amazed at Fort Dawnguard. Unlike the rest of Skyrim's pitiful little cities, castles, and forts which have 2 meter high walls that can't even be accessed, Fort Dawnguard was an actual fort with actual accessible walls at a massive scale compared to everything else in Skyrim. It was the type of architecture that I was expecting in Skyrim in the first place. The expansion also adds locations such as the Forgotten Vale and the Soul Cairn, which I had lots of fun exploring and looting. Both locations were huge, and had some beautiful scenary, such as the Inner Sanctum of the Forgotten Vale. The dungeons and other areas were also much more interesting than the boring and repetitive locations in the base game, and were a welcome change of pace and style. Not to mention the fights and enemies are much more cinematic in this expansion. The fight against the vampire snow elf for example was extremely well done, and was always something that I fought Skyrim lacked, proper boss battles with a sense of resolution and accomplishment instead of "boss" characters that immediately attack you and then just randomly drop down and die. The addition of huskies and armored trolls were great. I mean, armored trolls! The crossbows are also excellent weapons, and I loved using them throughout the Dawnguard quests.

    The narrative of the Dawnguard questline is superior to the other questlines in Skyrim. Serana was a great character, and progressing through the story with her created a questline that I actually cared about, unlike all of the other boring questlines in Skyrim where I am given no motivation and almost every character is introduced briefly and then thrown away, forgotten forever after only a single quest, and never given any depth, backstory, or sense of being anything more than just a character.

    I could go on, but for 6 USD, this was an excellent experience. This was the experience that Skyrim should have been, but wasn't. If anything, the original Skyrim was the game that had an unjustified price.    … Expand
  42. JimCorbett
    Jul 4, 2014
    5
    Dawnguard is an incredibly repetitive and annoying DLC. Once this DLC is installed, you'll be constantly harassed by Vampire raiding parties at night. If you're unlucky enough to get bit, you'll slowly turn into a vampire unless you seek help. These attacks won't cease until you get to the second mission of the Dawnguard DLC where you make the choice to become a vampire or join theDawnguard is an incredibly repetitive and annoying DLC. Once this DLC is installed, you'll be constantly harassed by Vampire raiding parties at night. If you're unlucky enough to get bit, you'll slowly turn into a vampire unless you seek help. These attacks won't cease until you get to the second mission of the Dawnguard DLC where you make the choice to become a vampire or join the Dawnguard. Depending upon which side you pick, the opposite will then either begin, or resume, attacking you. You have to complete the main quest, then complete all the side quests for one of the factions to finally stop these annoying attacks. That's easily the worst part of the DLC. The rest of it is the same enemies over and over as well as the same locations over and over and a relatively boring companion to follow you. The ability to turn into a vampire is terrible compared to the Werewolf. Not worth it.… Expand
  43. StaticSpine
    Oct 24, 2013
    8
    I'd say that this is a decent DLC for the game which sucked me in for a long time. The story is like most of Bethesda games like (three scrolls, ancient prophecy and all that generic stuff), there is a confrontation between the vampires and the Dawn Guard the vampire hunters. So, I'll say that the story isn't the main thing in Bethesda games, it's all about the addictive gameplay, andI'd say that this is a decent DLC for the game which sucked me in for a long time. The story is like most of Bethesda games like (three scrolls, ancient prophecy and all that generic stuff), there is a confrontation between the vampires and the Dawn Guard the vampire hunters. So, I'll say that the story isn't the main thing in Bethesda games, it's all about the addictive gameplay, and Dawnguard brings it on! A new dose of Skyrim's travels, new NPCs, new factions, new enemies, new creepy and atmospheric locations, I liked it, I think everyone who liked TES V should at least check this.… Expand
  44. faceless-1
    Jul 22, 2013
    8
    A solid DLC. Not as good as Dragonborn, but not as buggy as Dragonborn. I must say that content in this DLC is very good. In size i would compare it to tribunal Exp. on Morrowind (well a bit smaller). For the price this DLC 100% is worth money in mine opinion.
  45. FexZ
    Jun 11, 2013
    7
    It's good but not great as skyrim itself but it's a 7. You should buy this just to get more lore. And the fact that they upgraded werewolves and added vampire's (VAMPIRE'S SUCK!) But i feel they should have added more time into it, because i feel the ending were cut off short. But still it's a good dlc compared to other games.
  46. MishterBobo
    Mar 10, 2013
    6
    Dawnguard is really only for your hardcore Skyrim fans. If you're only planning on playing this game 1 time through or whatnot, you probably shouldn't get it. I'm not a fan of all the underground playstyle, and that's all this really is. I would recommend this under 2 conditions: 1) It's on sale (At least 33%) or 2) You really enjoy the game and want to play everything in it. If you'reDawnguard is really only for your hardcore Skyrim fans. If you're only planning on playing this game 1 time through or whatnot, you probably shouldn't get it. I'm not a fan of all the underground playstyle, and that's all this really is. I would recommend this under 2 conditions: 1) It's on sale (At least 33%) or 2) You really enjoy the game and want to play everything in it. If you're stuck in a bind between buying this or Dragonborn, for the love of Talos, go with Dragonborn.… Expand
  47. MissFelixia
    Mar 15, 2013
    5
    i was dissapointed in this. the trailer made it look good but the actual product wasnt. its good for modders though if you can get it to work with the game in creation kit
  48. Incunvenunce
    May 4, 2013
    8
    I'm still trying to figure out why the PC version is rated lower than the Xbox 360 version. The PC version is superior in every way is it 'cause Xbox got it earlier or is 'cause mircosoft payed you off, But all in all its wonderful
  49. Matt_Tao
    Mar 31, 2013
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I quite liked Dawnguard, it has the charms and content to make me want to play it again and again. You are thrown into a typical "Human vs Vampire" story, going up against a legion of powerful vampire lords. It's got some new features, Crossbow, Vampire Lord powers (which don't have the lethal life drain in sunlight as was in Oblivion), Skill trees for the Vampire Lord AND Werewolf forms. Now in terms of storyline, it ends up at the same ending no matter what path you choose, there is no loss of achievements (if you are an achievement hunter). You take the Dawnguard side, you end up on the same path, you take the Vampire side, you end up on the same path, and so on. I went with the vampires (for the nice powers) on my first playthrough, I sided with the Dawnguard on my second playthrough and surprise surprise, *SPOILERS* Got the power anyway.

    I would say the trip into the new areas and discoveries were very enjoyable to me, the rewards were very good and it did meet the price tag, to me anyway, I don't know about all of you. The Legendary Dragon is also introduced, a nice way of saying play more and get an achievement, new level of enemy blah blah blah.

    I thoroughly enjoy this, infact I might even indulge in another playthrough soon when I get the time. 9/10 from me, some complain about the price. I got it for €10, retail :P Thank you for reading my review and enjoy     … Expand
  50. CaptainThom
    Nov 10, 2013
    6
    Negatives
    Can someone please explain why Bethesda though it would be okay to make the dawnguard and vampire missions essentially the same? The new oblivion plain which is a major let down i went there once and found it empty and pretty boring, im not even sure if its possible to go back. Horse combat is pretty basic still which is a shame as i was hoping for something along the lines of    Negatives
    Can someone please explain why Bethesda though it would be okay to make the dawnguard and vampire missions essentially the same? The new oblivion plain which is a major let down i went there once and found it empty and pretty boring, im not even sure if its possible to go back. Horse combat is pretty basic still which is a shame as i was hoping for something along the lines of mount and blade. Theres only really a few quests aside from the main quest and these arent particularly interesting.

    Positives
    The new character Serena is possible one of the most fleshed out characters in the game and the new animations and smarter AI does really add to the immersion. Being a vampire Lord is pretty cool but the Dawnguard really do need more advantages to be worth playing as. What i did enjoy was finding out abit more about the falmer or snow elves.

    Really is hit and miss to be honest i would probably advise getting it on steam sale or as part of the Legendary edition.    … Expand
  51. Ottersplight
    Jul 4, 2013
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I Rated this DLC average because I found it was fun to play, but also felt the story line had gaps, ended suddenly, and without any real closer if you will. As an example, the Vigilants of Stendarr are wiped out, but their place of refuge (if you decide to go visit) is really lame. It was an old burned down shack with a few dead Vigilants laying about. I felt the story could have expanded on the finality of their group. The refuge should have been more like a castle (similar to Dawnguard) and it should be a major part of the beginning story line to give the story more of a serious feel to it (not a major feat to burn down a little shack). If you play Dawnguard, vampires constantly attack your main character and assault every major city in Skyrim, but only a few vampires attack the Dawnguard castle one time. With it being a major war, like the civil war in Skyrim, there should be at least one major assault on Dawnguard that your character should help repel. Serana is developed really well and tends to grow with your character. She often makes comments that would suggest she loves the main character and when you finally confront Harken at the end she is very defensive of your character. When all is said and done your character has the option to convince her to change to human. Later you have the option to ask her to marry your charater, but she always turns the character down. Since the story line is so in depth with Serana it would make sense to have the option to marry her since you have that option with many of the other adventure companions. If she is not an intended partner the option to ask should not be there.

    One of the weapons additions is nice (like the crossbow) and being able to create your own arrows and bolts are pretty cool, but it seems there should have been more weapons additions that are useful in the entire game and not just this specific DLC. Minus the crossbows, the other weapons and armor you find give specific bonuses against vampires, but are otherwise just another weapon or piece of armor. You are also not given the option to destroy the weapon's or armor for enchanting purposes.

    There are a few new spells, but the spell additions are really not that exciting. The majority of new spells are all conjuration spells, the rest are restoration spells. It would have been nice to have more of a variety. All of the new spells, except one, are found and are unavailable to buy.

    I also found the Vampire path to be incredibly boring. Besides the fact almost all story lines are the same as in the Dawguard scenarios, your character is extremely limited as a vampire. There are only a few spells available to the vampire while it is transformed and you are not allowed to use any items or normal spells while transformed.

    I think Dawnguard is a cool story addition, but it does not meet the standards I would think a major game addition should have. If the cost is 50% of the original game cost than it should have a lot more substance to it. It should be 1) A completely new map and/or land mass. 2) There should be a lot more spells, weapons, and armor options. 3) There should be several or many more places to visit including towns and NPCs.    … Expand
  52. Janlas
    Jul 21, 2013
    7
    If you loved the original game,you will have fun with this DLC,too.Although some people tell me Dawnguard is really bugged,i did not notice any Bugs while playing.It does not make Skyrim an even better game,but expands its world with a few changes,new landscapes,new dungeons,armors ,and a new storyline,which isn't really spectacular,but a nice pastime.I did expect a little more,but in theIf you loved the original game,you will have fun with this DLC,too.Although some people tell me Dawnguard is really bugged,i did not notice any Bugs while playing.It does not make Skyrim an even better game,but expands its world with a few changes,new landscapes,new dungeons,armors ,and a new storyline,which isn't really spectacular,but a nice pastime.I did expect a little more,but in the end,it was worth my money.But if 20 Dollars/Euros (Or what currency you have) is too much for you,wait for the Steam Sales,Dawnguard will most likely be reduced in its price.… Expand
  53. CiloH
    Nov 26, 2013
    7
    I very much enjoyed the Dawnguard DLC. It contributed more to the lore of TES. However, it has bugs. I broke my game once because of a bug. My obvious and unnecessary advice to you is: Save often, and multiple of them.
  54. Tomle1202
    Oct 28, 2018
    6
    For all the promising new settings and characters, Dawnguard never reaches for the sky, being pulled back by a number of problems that seem trivial at first, but prove detrimental in the long run.
  55. phwaap
    Feb 28, 2016
    8
    Frankly, I don't see how Dragonborn is rated higher than Dawnguard. Dawguard has what I think is the single best quest in Skyrim - Touch the Sky - and two excellent supporting quests in Chasing Echoes and Beyond Death. While the vampire bent doesn't appeal to me all that much, their impact can be felt throughout Skyrim (often too much) and encounters with them can be harrowing.
  56. Nerocz1
    Jan 8, 2017
    7
    To be honest i did not play this until the end because after the first half i had enough of skyrim after all of those years and hours. This add-on was to last for me to play and i was not particualary impressed. Yes the new vampire mechanic is nice, but a little boring. Quests have the same formula as always and nothing surprising happens. So for me it is 7 out of 10. Btw i really likedTo be honest i did not play this until the end because after the first half i had enough of skyrim after all of those years and hours. This add-on was to last for me to play and i was not particualary impressed. Yes the new vampire mechanic is nice, but a little boring. Quests have the same formula as always and nothing surprising happens. So for me it is 7 out of 10. Btw i really liked the castle and atmosphere of this DLC.… Expand
  57. Porng44
    Mar 18, 2016
    6
    Dawnguard features poor plot. the storyline has no feeling whether who you are or what you intend to do. there're few side quests that fun to interact with. but since the game add radiant quests, it like there's nothing to do left after the main quest completed. radiant quest is not my favorite, among all things to do in Skyrim. Become a Vampire can be interesting especially after watchingDawnguard features poor plot. the storyline has no feeling whether who you are or what you intend to do. there're few side quests that fun to interact with. but since the game add radiant quests, it like there's nothing to do left after the main quest completed. radiant quest is not my favorite, among all things to do in Skyrim. Become a Vampire can be interesting especially after watching movies and read books, so you want to become one and test what it feels like to be a vampire. side effects has its own advantage and bad parts. on look on a Vampire Lord, you might thing he's powerful. yes, he is, maybe if you're low level and so the enemy won't be so tough. but beware that from now on you'll take more damage than usual from fire attack make it very challenging when facing fire mages or fellow vampires who cast fireball at you.that not to mention playing on very high difficulty. aside from dragon bone weapon and some unique update and new enemies, this game feel nothing.… Expand
  58. Denathorn
    Dec 22, 2016
    8
    A great expansion with stunning new character assets and an awesome (unnecessary) crossbow weapon. You can definitely see that Bethesda put their heart into making great DLC.
  59. katieelizabeth
    Jan 8, 2022
    6
    I am mixed on this dlc. It has a great companion, lots of new interesting environments, you can become a vampire, and it adds crossbows. But some of the areas are utterly massive and really difficult to navigate naturally. The Soul Cairn area all looks the same and features a lot of copy/paste to me. Even with the in-game map, I have no idea where I am going as very little is marked orI am mixed on this dlc. It has a great companion, lots of new interesting environments, you can become a vampire, and it adds crossbows. But some of the areas are utterly massive and really difficult to navigate naturally. The Soul Cairn area all looks the same and features a lot of copy/paste to me. Even with the in-game map, I have no idea where I am going as very little is marked or unique. The dlc features a lot of scavenger hunt quests in these massive environments too where there are no quest markers to help you. You absolutely have to use a guide on steam to find all the points of interests - I doubt 99.9% of people found half of them or completed the various side-quests. The quest rewards for this boring, tedious content is also extremely mediocre. Very frustrating dlc. Sometimes less is more, and these bigger environments like Soul Cairn needed to be axed down to their essentials. A lot of the environments just overstayed their welcome for me. It could have been lot tighter.… Expand
  60. UncleEd
    Feb 25, 2021
    8
    I played the vampire storyline as a diehard fan of vampires. I like the addition of vampires, but this DLC is a bit sloppy. There are way more bugs than the original game. You will have very long walks in between missions, which aim to extend the gameplay hours for no good reason. Ghost mount is quite cool and you will see some beautiful zones. It is Skyrim after all and although stillI played the vampire storyline as a diehard fan of vampires. I like the addition of vampires, but this DLC is a bit sloppy. There are way more bugs than the original game. You will have very long walks in between missions, which aim to extend the gameplay hours for no good reason. Ghost mount is quite cool and you will see some beautiful zones. It is Skyrim after all and although still better than most faction questlines, I expected better.… Expand
  61. NightGeisha
    Jan 5, 2019
    8
    For any Skyrim fan, any DLC is a "most have". And Dawnguard has the most fantastic story of all.

    Probably after a good few hours of play you have had contact with vampires or werewolves, maybe they have already become one. Dawnguard allows to continue one of these two fates, as werewolf or vampire. We can live a new history and make us even more powerful than ever. Without spoil the    For any Skyrim fan, any DLC is a "most have". And Dawnguard has the most fantastic story of all.

    Probably after a good few hours of play you have had contact with vampires or werewolves, maybe they have already become one. Dawnguard allows to continue one of these two fates, as werewolf or vampire. We can live a new history and make us even more powerful than ever.

    Without spoil the fun, Dawnguard introduces new locations on the Skyrim map, new weapons and armor, among other news to the already vast Skyrim's universe. Fantastic extra content, better and bigger than many full games I've played before.    … Expand
  62. SilverOrlov
    Feb 12, 2021
    8
    Quite interesting story. At some point, traveling in a place where the bone horse appears, I began to feel tired of the game, but in general I liked the whole story of this DLC. The only pity is that a girl cannot be made a wife.
  63. Nekellor_Met
    Aug 1, 2020
    5
    Сюжетка с вампирами не зацепила никак. Форма вампира - развлечение на 5 минут про которую вы забудете.
  64. nastyjes
    Apr 20, 2023
    5
    This DLC is just okay. Turning into a vampire is just as useless as turning into a werewolf. Maybe a little more fun.
  65. Giero
    Jan 3, 2023
    8
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  66. Dimocracy
    Jul 6, 2023
    9
    The best DLC for Skyrim. I really like the vampire aesthetic and all that, so it was fun to go through.

Awards & Rankings

76
#76 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
87
#87 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
66

Mixed or average reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. PC Master (Greece)
    Feb 6, 2013
    74
    Dawnguard basically adds a storyline/side quest of roughly ten hours, that introduces the Vampire Hunters regime of Skyrim, the notorious Dawnguards and a royal fraction of Vampires that could care less about this whole fuss. More of what we like, but hardly worth the 20 euros. [November 2012]
  2. Games.cz
    Dec 10, 2012
    50
    For the consumers of The Elder Scrolls universe this is a very good excuse to come back. For the Twilight fans this is a vivid experience of the vampirish soul. For the rest of you the game is offering the content that is not going to change your leave it or love it relationship with the original title.
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  3. PC Gamer
    Sep 23, 2012
    59
    A bunch of fun new abilities and cool places but Dawnguard is far too glitchy to justify its steep price.
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