The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Dragonborn Review Summary

Last updated: 2026-05-20
  • New weapons, armors, and enjoyable quests.
  • High-quality DLC with new area Solstheim.
  • New shouts, magic, and creatures added.
  • Underwhelming storyline and disappointing antagonist.
  • Dragon flying limitations and buggy gameplay.
  • High price concerns and tedious content.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Dragonborn header

Emotions

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Review evidence

Why players say this

What players like

New weapons and armors: The DLC introduces a variety of new weapons, armors, and items, enhancing the gameplay experience with unique gear and equipment.

High-quality DLC: The DLC is praised for its high quality and integration, considered one of the best expansions with exceptional content.

Enjoyable quests: The DLC features a variety of well-made and enjoyable quests, including side quests with good rewards.

New area: Solstheim: A significant new area introduced is the island of Solstheim, offering a large new territory to explore.

New shouts and magic: Players can enjoy new and powerful dragon shouts, adding unique abilities and enhancing combat mechanics.

Common complaints

Underwhelming storyline: The main story is criticized for being short, predictable, and lacking the personal touch and impact of other expansions like Dawnguard and Shivering Isles.

Dragon flying limitations: Players are frustrated with the limited and buggy dragon flying mechanics, which feel unresponsive and lackluster without mods.

High price concerns: Many players find the game expensive and feel that it is not worth the price, especially given the lack of sales or discounts.

Tedious and repetitive content: The Dawnguard content is criticized for being tedious and hastily assembled, with repetitive dungeons and fetch quest-like structures.

Disappointing antagonist: Miraak is not seen as a worthy antagonist, with players encountering bugs and finding his voice acting unconvincing.

Gameplay and performance

New quests and content: The introduction of new quests, including main quests, side quests, dungeons, settlements, and creatures, has been well-received.

New island exploration: Players are excited about the addition of a new island to explore, which comes with new quests and activities.

New gear and mechanics: Players appreciate the addition of new weapons, gear, abilities, and game mechanics, which enhance gameplay.

Dragon-riding feature: The ability to tame and ride dragons, including using them for fast travel, is a highly praised feature.

Challenging bosses and dungeons: The game features challenging boss battles and difficult dungeons, providing a test for skilled players.

Buggy gameplay elements: Several players reported bugs related to specific in-game items like Black Books and Apocrypha, as well as issues preventing dragons from flying properly.

Recommendations

Highly recommended for fans: Fans of The Elder Scrolls and Skyrim are strongly encouraged to get this DLC as it complements the base game well.

Worth the money: Many players feel that this DLC provides good value for the price, making it a worthwhile purchase.

Great expansion to Skyrim: This DLC is highly recommended for all Skyrim fans as it adds valuable content to the game, often preferred over other DLCs like Hearthfire and Dawnguard.

Recommended for specific groups: This DLC is particularly recommended for fans of Morrowind and those who love dragons, as it adds content that caters to these interests.

Consider buying on sale: Some players suggest waiting for a sale to purchase this DLC, indicating that while it is good, it might be better to get it at a discounted price.

Buying context

Community fair range: $15.00 - $25.00.

Game completion: 25.0h.

Story completion: 15.0h.

Endgame: 20.0h.

Player profiles

Nostalgic Veteran: Explores new content with a focus on connections to past games. Motivation: Nostalgia and appreciation for the series' history. Stance: buy.

Series Enthusiast: Engages with the game as a fan of the series, exploring new content and enjoying the overall experience. Motivation: Enjoyment of the series and the RPG genre. Stance: sale.

Value-Conscious Gamer: Plays the game with an eye on cost-effectiveness, often waiting for sales to make purchases. Motivation: Getting the best value for money. Stance: sale.

Extra review signals

Monetization: The reviews primarily discuss technical issues, purchase recommendations, and the value of the DLC content. There are no indications of predatory monetization practices such as pay-to-win, gacha mechanics, or other aggressive monetization strategies. The complaints are mostly about the base price and technical issues, which do not fall under the criteria for predatory monetization.