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. 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.
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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.
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. 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.
  16. 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
  17. 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.
  18. 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
  19. 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
  20. 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
  21. 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
  22. 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
  23. 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.
  24. 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.
  25. 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
  26. 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
  27. 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
  28. Nekellor_Met
    Aug 1, 2020
    5
    Сюжетка с вампирами не зацепила никак. Форма вампира - развлечение на 5 минут про которую вы забудете.
  29. 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.

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

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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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