£90 Elder Scrolls Online Imperial Edition – What’s in the box?

UPDATE: What’s in the box?
April the 4th has come and gone, and The Elder Scrolls Online is now available to everyone. Fans of the series that are still deciding whether to pick up the Imperial Edition box can take a look at our photos to see whether they think it is worth the extra over a digital edition of the game.

Back to Tamriel: Elder Scrolls Online review

The first thing you’ll notice is just how big the Imperial Edition actually is. The box it arrives in is well over a foot tall, in order to make room for the massive 30cm tall statue of Molag Bal. Carefully slipping off the clear plastic cover and opening the box reveals the Daedric god, which comes in two parts and must be snapped into place before being put on display. It’s made from plastic, rather than metal, but it looks the part and is impressively detailed. His Mace of Evil is particularly pointy too, so is best kept on a shelf where young children won’t try to grab it.

The other Imperial Edition highlight is the comprehensive art book. It is leather-bound, beautifully designed and packed with over 200 pages of full colour illustrations, concept art and Elder Scrolls lore. It’s a must-have for any serious Elder Scrolls fan, and has a permanent place on our coffee table; it would easily command £30-40 by itself, so arguably makes the Imperial Edition worth the price.

The fold-out map of Tamriel is another welcome inclusion, giving you an overview of every location in the game at a glance. It unfolds to larger than A3, so would look great framed on a wall. The steelbook DVD case is designed to appease collectors, but simply having the game to install from a disc (actually four DVDs) is a major timesaver for anyone with a slow internet connection.

Finally, the in-game items and bonuses are a great addition if you’re struggling to pick a particular alliance or race – the Imperial Edition lets you combine and race or alliance, including the Imperials, without limiting you to specific starting locations. The in-game pets are novel, but after just a short time playing we were surprised with how many other players had the monocled Mudcrab or white horse, so we’re inclined to hold out for rarer pets and mounts in order to stand out on the busy servers.

You can pick up the Imperial Edition here in the UK from Game, for £89.99.

Original story
PC gamers eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Elder Scrolls Online on the 4th of April now have a new object of desire; the newly announced Imperial Edition will ship with a full set of collectible gear, including a 30cm tall statue of one of the game’s Daedric gods.

The physical Imperial Edition, which is set to cost £89.99, will include a 30cm statue of Molag Bal, Prince of domination and enslavement, along with a 224-page illustrated Emperor’s Guide to Tamriel and a 53×66 printed map of the continent. It will ship in a limited edition steel case, decorated in the colour of the Imperials.

As well as those physical collectibles, the Imperial Edition will also come with a selection of in-game items, including the White Imperial horse, Mudcrab pet and optional Rings of Mara subquest, which grants an experience bonus when you and a partner play together. Imperial Edition owners will also be able to play as an Imperial and join any Alliance in the game, with access to unique bonuses, gear and crafting styles. You’ll be able to pick up these digital bonuses without the physical content with the Digital Imperial Edition, which will cost £69.99.

Both editions include a copy of the base game. Anyone pre-ordering ahead of launch will also receive The Explorer’s Pack, which includes a Scuttler pet, four bonus treasure maps, and the ability to play as any of the nine races regardless of your chosen alliance.

The Elder Scrolls Online is the first entry in the Elder Scrolls franchise to add multiplayer gameplay, letting players pick one of nine races and join alliances to save Tamriel from invading Daedric hordes, or take part in massive player versus player (PvP) battles to decide the fate of the Empire.

Gamers will be able to pre-order the Imperial Edition directly from the Elder Scrolls Online store, or pick it up in person from participating retailers. The game itself will launch on the 4th of April, with Xbox One and PS4 versions arriving in June.