Bethesda Softworks has released the Hearthfire DLC for TES 5: Skyrim. This cosmetic expansion allows you to improve your living conditions and build your own house in Skyrim. We decided to find out how well this idea has been implemented.
What is Skyrim to you? Do you play for the story, achievements, and quests? Or is a vast chunk of Tamriel merely a backdrop for your own adventures, where you set your own rules? If it’s the former, then the new Hearthfire DLC holds no interest for you. It doesn’t offer new quests, storylines, or alternative endings. But if you found there wasn’t enough space in the original game and wanted a beautiful place to display your weapons and show off the treasures or rare gems you found on your journeys, now you can spend countless hours doing just that. All you need to do is install Hearthfire.
The expansion comes into play when a courier delivers you a letter informing you about the opportunity to purchase a plot of land in the regions of Hjaalmarch, Falkreath, or the Pale. For just 5,000 gold, you can buy a large piece of land where, starting with a modest house, you’ll be able to build your own estate.
Not only can you dedicate rooms to crafting, but the game will also let you build mills, gardens, stables, and even small businesses! But that’s not all. You’ll have the opportunity to defend your home from thieves, raiders, looters, and even slavers, as well as protect your estate from wild animals. Any of your companions in the game can become a steward and help strengthen the security of your home.
At the initial stage, you’ll be asked to build a modest house, which you can later expand into grand halls. The main “dining” hall can have three wings, and you’ll be able to equip the rooms in each wing as you see fit. However, don’t expect a lot of variety. While Hearthfire does allow you to customize your new home to a certain extent, it still confines you within very strict limits.
Storage rooms can only be on the west side of your house, and kitchens only on the east. Despite the various architectural styles presented in the game, you won’t be able to change the exterior appearance of your home, nor can you give it a custom name. Once the overall structure of the house is determined, you’ll get more options. For example, you can add gardens, streams, livestock pens, a beehive, a smelter, and more.
And of course, you’ll be able to decorate your home and display everything you’ve honestly (or not so honestly) acquired in your adventures. This process will take up most of your time—trust me, I’ve experienced it myself, sorting through my inventory chests and picking out the best trophies. If you make good use of these new features, you’ll not only lighten your load but also show everyone who the greatest hero in Skyrim is.
Once your house is finished, you can get married and have children. Naturally, the game lets you furnish a children’s room properly, and your children’s needs will grow over time. You can also interact with your kids, teach them, play games (like hide-and-seek), or ask them to play with other children outside. Pets are a special feature—you can get them for yourself or for your children.
For 400 Microsoft Points ($5), Hearthfire is worth exactly what it costs, and it’s definitely a more interesting way to use the game’s features than just buying houses in every city in Skyrim.
