Page 116 - PC Gamer - UK (February 2020)

MOD SP OTLIGHT

MAJOR MODS, ANALYSED

The first town I travel through is topology. Thanks to its notoriously different. ESO’s wide-open world and
Riverhold, just over the southern floaty physics, it’s easy to break a leg detailed cities are beautiful, but all
border. It’s not immediately different stumbling down a dune while give me architectural fatigue. The
from Cyrodiil – still lots of green, pursued by one of the many new steeply curved roofs that I’ve come to
with bushes and waterfalls like other monsters added in the mod. associate with the Khajiit thanks to
areas of Oblivion’s base game. Inside The desert is dangerous, it turns that game are a constant presence in
town though, I’m quickly face to face out. In true Oblivion fashion, I learn all of its cities in Northern Elsweyr.
with all the various ‘furstocks’ of the region’s fauna by running away Anequina features so much more
Khajiit. Most had never been seen in from them at full tilt, turning back contrast and more varied sources of
an Elder Scrolls game before, only every so often to fire arrows into inspiration thanks to all the different
described, and were left up to the their knees. The desert is swamped modders contributing to the
imagination and resourcefulness of with giant tarantulas, aggressive Alfiq, buildings and city designs of the area.
modders involved with Anequina. elephants that seem majestic and
Riverhold is full of Khajiit that calm but absolutely are not when you KHAJIIT HAS QUESTS
lore-buffs will recognise, though they get close enough, orc bandits, and It isn’t all just exploration, of course.
can’t possibly compare with the many other things that want to kill There are two dozen new quests and
renditions from Bethesda’s own me. It brings back fond memories of a few guilds to join. As in Oblivion,
creations in The Elder Scrolls Online. being chased by two very persistent not all quests are of grand scale. In
Cathay, one of the playable races of Riverhold my first encounter is with
most Elder Scrolls games, mingle a man looking for his lost child.
with Ohmes, which have physical IN TRUE OBLIVION Solving this small mystery involves
and facial features of Bosmer elves, FASHION, I LEARN asking around town and using
just with fur on top. The house Oblivion’s odd speechcraft minigame
cat-like Alfiq and big cat Senche both THE REGION’S FAUNA to increase residents’ disposition
seem to be based on the same BY RUNNING AWAY towards me to eventually pry
cougar-esque large cat model, but information out of them.
scaled down and up respectively. FROM THEM Outside town is a Khajiit
Whether by design choice or highwayman not so committed to his
technical concern, neither Alfiq nor wolves all the way from Bruma to task who simply gives up when I
Senche can be spoken to. Other Skingrad. Even a few remote villages refuse to hand over the 400 gold
Khajiit speak plenty, though of course of tribal Khajiit are hostile as soon as coins he demands. Further into the
their voiced lines are only greetings I got near their gates. desert I stumble over the dead body
like “Hello there!” and other small In between running from of a Khajiit lying next to a golden
phrases that already existed in oversized arachnids, Anequina’s fully lamp. Having learned no lessons from
Oblivion’s base game for its Khajiit featured towns each have their own pop culture whatsoever, I pick up the
characters. Their more specific lines distinct design. In Dune there are lamp and a dremora genie pops out
for quest giving are all text only. camels for sale, and giant golden to offer me a wish. Apparently I’m
Elder Scrolls lore suggests that the towers that look like a mosque on a not averse to deals with demons
scholarly Alfiq dislike speaking in postcard presiding over the open because I wish, of all things, for
front of outsiders, creating rumours market in the lower half of the city. love. I’m granted a random NPC
that they are actually mute. I suppose Riverhold is a treetop city of wooden friend for my trouble and the genie,
my Khajiit thief is an outsider to homes all climbing the same waterfall now contractually freed from
them after all. topped with a modest lodge that calls caring about my wants or needs,
itself a palace. Corinthe is a small proceeds to attack.
SANDY SIGHTSEEING town maze of back streets all With that problem behind me, I
Beyond Riverhold, green shrubbery branching from a central market, and pull out my Anequina guide book
gives way to the arid desert that the its mostly single-story architecture again, the tome that started it all. I
northern region of Elsweyr – crisscrossed with makeshift plank seem to remember seeing mention of
Anequina, as the mod is named after bridges between rooftops is the the Thieves Guild. As the Grey Fox of
– is known for. Grassy hills quickly perfect hunting ground for the local Cyrodiil I find it only right that I
turn into steep sand dunes ringed Thieves Guild. should visit the local chapter and see
with narrow walking paths that, to Compared with the Elsweyr I what dark work needs doing. That’s
Anequina’s credit, feel as if they know from The Elder Scrolls Online, where my great struggle lifting keys
belong with the rest of Oblivion’s Anequina offers something a bit from the pockets of merchants in
Leyawiin begins. In all my time
traipsing about Elsweyr I’ve entirely
forgotten how to be a proper thief. I
do eventually manage to steal all
ELSEWHERE IN ELSWEYR The Khajiit cities outside Anequina three requested keys and return them
to my new dispatcher Jinsiraga in
Corinthe. After that I’m off to steal
some horses, naturally.
These are only the beginning of
my adventures in the Oblivion version
of Elsweyr. Anequina understands
Oblivion’s playfulness with its lazy
highwaymen and desert genies. If not
RAWL’K HA SENCHAL TORVAL for having to install Anequina, I’d
Rawl’kha was present in ESO prior to In ESO, Senchal has been beset with The city-state seat of the Mane has
the Elsweyr expansion. dangerous wildfires. only been seen in Arena. have never known it wasn’t part of
Oblivion in the first place.

116 FEBRUARY 2020