The new endless dungeon in ESO isn’t perfect, but it’s exactly what the game needs right now

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The Elder Scrolls Online is getting the new dungeon Endless Archive with Update 40. As the name suggests, it has no end, but rather lets you compete against enemies at increasingly higher levels of difficulty. MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch tried it out on the test server together with developer Mike Finnigan and was thrilled.

You can visit the Endless Archive either completely alone or with a fellow player or companion. There are different rankings for both modes, but the level of difficulty remains the same. So it’s easier with two people.

The structure is a bit confusing at first, but it quickly becomes second nature:

  • First you compete in three rounds against opponents you already know from the game world. After each round you learn a verse that gives you a bonus for the next round only.
  • After three rounds of enemies comes a boss round. Here too you will meet a familiar enemy.
  • These four fights are referred to as a cycle. After each cycle you get a vision. This gives you a buff for the entire dungeon run.
  • Once you have survived four cycles, you will meet the new boss for the first time. This boss is initially quite easy, but becomes more difficult with each higher level and sometimes also learns new skills.
  • Once you have defeated the boss, a new “Arc” begins. There you go through the same procedure, but with greater difficulty.

    • The endless dungeon run is lightened up by the fact that there are spontaneous events and additional “portals into the unknown”. There are bosses waiting there, but also NPCs who will give you an additional quest. For example, you have to collect bundles that are hidden somewhere in the rounds.

    There is also the constant danger of being thrown out of the dungeon if you die more than three times. However, in a group this means that the whole group has to wipe. A single death is not included in the statistics.

    But is it really fun and is it suitable for every type of player?

    Who is speaking here? Alex is the MMORPG expert on MeinMMO and has already sunk hundreds of hours into ESO. However, there he is mainly active in story content and the dungeons. He hasn’t yet attempted the trials for 12 players. He is all the more enthusiastic about the endless archive.
    In addition to ESO, Alex is mainly active in Guild Wars 2, New World and Black Desert and tests almost every new MMORPG.

    Accessibility and strong rewards attract everyone

    The answers are: yes and yes. Because the first rounds and bosses can be done by everyone. I was even a little disappointed in the first few fights because Mike and I plowed through the opponents far too easily – and with a build that was only adapted to the quick.

    We had enough time to talk about a few things about the dungeon or ESO itself. A cool activity if you want to do something with your best friend or listen to a podcast at the same time.

    ESO Endless Archive – PlayStation Trailer

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    You will receive the new currency Archive Divinations for the first stages and runs. You can use these to purchase useful rewards, including gold, furnishings, temporary and permanent buffs for the next dungeon runs, and a completely new set per class.

    There are also various achievements that give you, among other things, a brand new mount.

    The rewards are very successful and invite you to visit the Endless Archive again and again – regardless of whether you are a beginner, veteran or hardcore player. The latter in particular can look forward to the high levels of difficulty.

    The difficulty depends to some extent on chance

    But the Endless Archive won’t be a walk in the park. I discovered this surprisingly with the third boss. Because while we were able to chat easily beforehand, we met Yolnahkriin, a huge dragon. And it has it all.

    He can both throw enemies off the platform with his wings and burn them with a large AoE field in seconds. On our first attempt we were a bit unconcentrated and Mike and I immediately felt the wing.

    On attempt number 2, the AoE field caught us and on the third attempt we failed again on the AoE after the flight phase.

    That dragon was our end.

    Although our run together was over, I went in again and made it to the new boss.

    In this one you have to dodge large crystal fields, block a strong attack and be careful when setting up the mirror. Because everything you throw into it will ultimately come back as concentrated damage. This can lead to your own death if you don’t avoid it.

    And there are also adds and a huge laser beam!

    However, I had a much easier time on my second run, even though I replaced a player – in this case a developer – with a companion. The reason for this was the various boss fights. It’s just a matter of chance whether a dragon can throw you off the platform or you’re just fighting a necromantic wizard.

    This is also one of my smaller criticisms of the Endless Archive. Not every passage is the same. Sometimes it’s too easy and sometimes it’s suddenly so much harder. This can be frustrating.

    I also find the phases without boss fights a bit too long. For me, two rounds of opponents before each boss would have been enough. So you get a little bored every now and then.

    Everyone should try the new dungeon

    Overall, the Endless Archive is an absolute asset to ESO. Because casual players have a new, daily task. You can play your way to the end of the first arc and reap good rewards for it.

    Veterans can level up endlessly and place themselves in rankings. However, these do not count the time, but rather the highest level you have reached.

    In addition, you don’t have to go out alone, you can complete the dungeon together with a friend or partner. This strengthens the feeling of togetherness immensely.

    And the coolest thing is that you don’t need any expansion, DLC or subscription at all. If you want to get into the endless archive, you can do so directly with the release on October 30th on the PC or on November 14th on PlayStation and Xbox.

    How are you? Do you like being able to continue playing in a dungeon endlessly or does such content not appeal to you at all?

    In addition to the new dungeon, ESO is also getting a new group finder:

    ESO finally gets a proper party finder and “endless dungeons”

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