The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Dawnguard Xbox 360
User Score
7.0 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 239 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 167 out of 239
  2. Mixed: 24 out of 239
  3. Negative: 48 out of 239

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  1. godWhisperer
    Jun 26, 2012
    10
    First off, Fort Dawnguard looks breathtaking! You get a werewolf/vampire skill tree, crossbows and 10-20 hours of content. With many new games today releasing with only around 10-15 hours of total content, we get this awesome expansion for arguably the best game of all time and it only cost $20. While dawnguard is not as extensive as, say, Shivering Isles, it's a great deal and it's the first DLC I've ever stayed up all night for.… Expand
  2. Cuddlezombie
    Dec 8, 2012
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I am aware that a number of people were disappointed with the Dawnguard dlc and it is due to that, that I feel its worth stressing the fact that this piece of dlc was an add-on. The fact that Dawnguard is on add-on impressed me more when playing, as Bethesda have managed to introduce new and interesting areas without having to leave the Skyrim area. I will not deny the fact that at times you are sent to areas which you may or may not have previously visited. However, these missions are generally side-quests and do not pertain to the main quest line. Also, the new npcs introduce new companions and the new ability trees allow you to experience being either a vampire or werewolf in a new and more in depth way. Once again Bethesda have shown that they know how to make brilliant dlc, which actually fits within the world of Skyrim. Therefore, I found this content very interesting, detailed and fun to play and I especially loved the attention to detail used by Bethesda when creating the new npcs.… Expand
  3. trollkiller
    Jun 29, 2012
    10
    Its more Skyrim, which is a good thing. Dual story lines mean you essentially get two games in one, which helps mitigate the 20$ price tag. Plus, Serana may be the hottest companion yet!
  4. ViolentDeath101
    Jun 27, 2012
    10
    This DLC is a must buy for anyone looking to enhance their Skyrim experience even more. This DLC introduces so many new features, and improves existing ones. The fact that they take vampires to a whole new level is great in itself.
  5. MeltdownCL
    Jun 29, 2012
    10
    I think besthesda did a great job with this add on. I mean, the perks for werewolves, and vampires alone is just plain fun. No, it's not the greatest of add-ons, but it definitely ranks in the top 5 that i've ever played.
  6. Twitch375
    Jun 29, 2012
    9
    Overall, I enjoyed Dawn Guard and thoroughly.. No, this is not in the ranks with The Shivering Isles. More like in the middle of that and The Knights of the Nine The story was lacking, with jumping plots and it strayed far away from the Gothic vampire theme. But the bonuses such as the vampire and werewolf perk trees to the new gear (Dawn guard & vampire armor. etc) made the D.L.C completely worth the low 20$ price tag. I think a respectable nine is what this D.L.C deserves.… Expand
  7. TheOriginalFan
    Jun 29, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. When I first heard about this DLC I thought it was great news. I purchased this as soon as I could off of the XBL marketplace and I don't regret a cent of it. It isn't as large as Shivering Isle, but I would say it is equally as enjoyable. I enjoyed every last bit of it, especially the saints soul.

    If you enjoyed Skyrim, this DLC is a must purchase.    … Expand
  8. AlbNYJediMaster
    Jul 24, 2012
    9
    With so many developers now releasing new skins for the characters and calling it DLC or two or three map packs and calling that DLC, Dawnguard is a refreshing change of pace. While it is not an entirely new domain to explore (ala Shivering Isles that seems to be the highest comparison) it definitely gives you 20+ hours of new content. Not to mention that it also fixes things like Vampires being such push-overs and the Werewolf being all but useless. The crossbows could have been made better in my opinion by being stronger to compensate for the long reloads, or make 1-handed versions of them. Also I was disappointed that they didn't offer all levels of crossbows (daedric/dragonbone crossbows would have been nice). I felt that the stories and unique items that were added were a nice addition to the already epic scope of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The graphics did not disappoint, however there were several situations with the Vampire Lord forms and actions that were buggy. With a game and an expansion this size, bugs are to be expected and I hope that most people are taking that into consideration.

    All in all this was a very nice and well done addition to the epic Skyrim universe.    … Expand
  9. crazywaffle124
    Dec 16, 2012
    9
    Woah woah woah. Whats with all the negative reviews. I found this DLC very enjoyable-much more content then some call of duty DLC. Even more so, this dlc got me back into skyrim.
  10. Madd_H4773r
    Sep 27, 2012
    9
    This being the first DLC for SKYRIM I believe it was amazing, however, I also feel it could have been longer and more challenging. I also liked taking on other forms, but I would have liked even more to see my standard character get a couple of extra perks.
  11. KristinWard
    Oct 31, 2012
    9
    Game is huge, you can spend hours playing it and world is amazing. However the relay to much on the radiant quests, which can get old quick. While they do have some amusing quests, it lacks the character of some of the older games.
  12. BurningDesire
    Jan 13, 2013
    8
    a good addon to an already great game, despite what is said against it, its a good solid addon with new weapons and gear, good quest line the game is broken with older characters so beware you may need to start a newer character. but still a great addon
  13. Sceptic
    Jul 12, 2012
    8
    More Skyrim can only be a good thing.New missions,weapons,armour,story,shouts etc are a blessing after hundreds of hours exploring the original to death.Several missions take the player on a fantastic journey involving excellent new lore,locations and characters for fans,though Soul Cairn is pretty poor.Though usually patient with Bethesda,the glitches infuriated me for once and I just don't understand why they keep releasing broken products.DLC thats requires patches is a blight on the company and the gaming industry and I'm now finding it hard to forgive.Still,I loved the parts that work but won't be as forgiving in the future.… Expand
  14. CiaranJ
    Jun 29, 2012
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Dawnguard is a welcome addition to the near endless content which Skyrim has to offer. It expands on the lack of vampire related lore and game play in vanilla Skyrim and does a good job presenting a unique and in my opinion a more interesting story than Skyrim… Expand
  15. MrWhiggy
    Jun 28, 2012
    8
    Overall, Dawnguard is not a bad expansion by all means. But as Skyrim has so much to offer already, the additions don't feel too great. That being said, Vampire Lord is enjoyable to play, and the addition of a skilltree for Werewolf and Vampire Lord is nice to see. However, the Dawnguard faction feels weaker to the Vampire faction, despite an Armoured Troll summon and crossbows. It feels that Bethesda really wanted you to go Vampire Lord. That being said, Vampire Lords were obviously in hiding for a very long time because the dungeons/caves in Skyrim occasionally get too small for a Vampire Lord to pass through! Having to wait around 30 seconds (that's if you turn back into Vampire Lord) just to pass through a 'low' part of the cave is incredibly frustrating. But, apart from stuff like that, I enjoyed the Vampire Lord. The quests themselves feel quite bland, and are not pushed forward by story all that much. They're still enjoyable, but don't expect to LOVE the story. The Dawnguard themselves are also slightly disappointing, as it's just another ancient group coming back to power with the help of the player. The legendary dragons, more fearsome and stronger dragons found in particular areas, were quite enjoyable. It's by now means a 'bad' expansion - it's actually very good. But tiny little, typical RPG bugs get in the way of the overall experience. A patch (like a bigger ceiling!) would be a welcome fix.… Expand
  16. Zyrocalt
    Aug 11, 2012
    8
    A different and unique DLC,Dont expect anything like shivering isles,Just dont. See this more like the knights of the nine of skyrim,But bigger. As a big elder scrolls fan i liked it,Like things i have been requesting and asked bethesda for got added,Like the werewolf perk tree and the ability to change your appereance. And i never was a fan of vampires of TES until this. The story of this dlc and the story of the side quests are much better then the ones in the vanilla game. You will encounter many suprises in this DLC,It is short. Yes. But it was epic. Sure,Stuff like this could be stuff that got added in updates.. But i like it anyway,The one thing i got dissapointed with are the lack of big and new landmasses,And i mean landmasses that has big cities and villages,Where you could shop,live and just do quests in. Skyrim needs something different,I liked Dawnguard. But it could have been better,But this DLC is the proof that bethesda listens to their fans,Well at least me :) I am looking forward to the next DLC and i really hope bethesda listens more to the fans and i really hope we get at least one big expansion sized DLC.. Shivering isles was very alien and different from the main land,What we need is something very different from tthe mainland skyrim. Hm,Parts of hammerfell or elsweyr? Or maybe even valenwood? Skyrim is very popular and i see many reasons to make a expansion sized DLC. The fans would just love that. And bethesda would get more money. Still Dawnguard was a great DLC,For me for features that i have requested for a long time i love it,But if you dont have anything to do in skyrim. Buy this,I think i have spend over 40 hours with the new content,And i dont mean just by questing, I mean having fun with the werewolf perk tree and stuff like that.… Expand
  17. OnAnarchy
    Nov 19, 2012
    8
    As far as DLC these days goes, it's not a bad investment as it adds an entire new game mechanic to an already exciting RPG. Bethesda did an excellent job at adding beautiful landscapes and new worlds to explore, but after a while the whole quest line and story becomes both unbelievable and tedious.
  18. SCHMOOPITIZE
    Jun 29, 2012
    8
    This is my second review of the dlc, as I believe i was simply starstruck by the fact that...well...it's skyrim dlc.
    Here's the honest to god review.
    It is quite large, mostly because 2 new "realms" are introduced. Both of these new places are quite vacant. So looking back on it, it doesn't add as much as that aspect seems. It also includes the single longest quest in the game. It was al    so the hardest. VAMPIRE/DAWNGUARD- the dawnguard lore is in my opinion cooler but the ability's are far better in the vampire lord side. The crossbow i found myself barely using. They should have made a crossbow for each weapon tier. It also would've been nice to have some miscellaneous stuff put in there. EVERYTHING IS ABOUT VAMPIRES. Which is like "duh" but 10-20 hours of VAMPIRES is a lot. Simply buy it if you like skyrim, especially if you aren't satisfied with current vampires.… Expand
  19. Tubey
    Jun 27, 2012
    8
    It's very difficult to review an expansion like Dawnguard. You have to remember that it is an add-on - it's not trying to compete head to head with the main game, nor is it trying to "double" the experience of the main game. With that in mind, Dawnguard is a decent expansion pack, but it isn't world class and for Elder Scrolls die hard fans it has the possibility to disappoint when set next to Oblivion's Shivering Isles.

    The expansion introduces a myriad of new features, such as a "Vampire Lord" transformation (a major part of the storyline in Dawnguard), Dragonbone weaponry, crossbows (and bolt crafting), a new quest storyline. On the surface, this is quite impressive, but next to the existing actual Skyrim game it feels like the expansion is only adding an extra 5% on top of the game. In a way, Dawnguard suffers from how good Skyrim was to begin with!

    The new Vampire transformation is quite clunky to play with, similar to the Werewolf combat mechanic but it feels quite rushed and can be a frustrating experience. The animation is really... well, "stiff" is the only way to describe it, like a demonic character design from Mortal Kombat 20 years ago! The crossbow is also very cumbersome, the knockback effect is utterly annoying, as is the reload speed, and I can't envisage many players using it ahead of a standard bow.

    But that's about it really - there's nothing overwhelmingly negative about Dawnguard. Is it worth the money? Yes, because it adds on to the overall Skyrim experience. It's worth it because the initial game itself is worth the price of admission on its own. So Dawnguard isn't the crowning glory of Bethesda DLCs, but it ain't bad. Hopefully, a much larger and more expansive Skyrim expansion pack is in the works, one along the lines of Shivering Isles rather than a focus on a new storyline and gimmicky feature additions. I'm scoring it 8/10, which for an Elder Scrolls game is a low score!!!    … Expand
  20. stewmo
    Jun 29, 2012
    8
    Why must this be compared to Shivering Isles? It wasn't created to serve the same purpose nor is it meant as the translation of it into Skyrim. No, what people are somehow failing to realize is that this DLC is meant to keep you engaged in the game with new abilities, weapons, spells and shouts. If you are unaware of what to expect from a standard Elder Scrolls DLC, you won't be dissapointed. If you purchase this game expecting something like Shivering Isles, however, you may find yourself a bit dissapointed. If you wanted to give it a score of how well it resembles Shivering Isles, it only deserves a 4 at best. However, you may find yourself quite intrigued if you manage to find it within yourself to go in with an open mind. 8/10… Expand
  21. disview912
    Sep 4, 2012
    8
    Dawnguard is short, doesn't really add much to Skyrim, and is a bit steep at 1600 MSP. However I give it an 8 because I love the crossbow and had a lot of fun with the quests. The way I see it, consoles don't have mod support so I will pay what I must to prolong my adventures in Skyrim.
  22. ROMshinobi
    Jul 1, 2012
    8
    This is great new DLC content for skyrim. For some reason, RPG's in the past have been very conservative when it came to producing dragons in adventures. Perhaps the game engines couldn't handle them. Then, along comes Skyrim with a zillion dragons but falls short because these dragons are very bland and weak. I mean, come on, dragons should be bright colors and wicked spells, evil minds (none of this philosophical bs), and actually be very tough to kill. How can a cave bear be more dangerous to fight than a dragon!!?? Anayways, Skryim is still pretty awesome and this new DLC does a much better job of vampires than dragons. The creators seem to understand the vampire mythos better. The quests are pretty interesting with creepy settings which is a must for an RPG. There is still the goofy thing going on though as with all these elder scrolls games. They are all kinda goofy as compared to Dragon Age Origins or Dark Souls. The main drawback to this DLC is that you seem to spend a lot of time walking compared to the main game. Also, vampires should have new spells to attack you with which are illusion based. maybe this comes later in the game. anyways, peace.… Expand
  23. logfish111
    Jun 28, 2012
    8
    Dawnguard is exactly what you should have now come to expect from Bethesda, stunning locations, an enthralling questline with a few glitches on the side. But most of all, assuming you are an Elder Scrolls fan you will come away with more reasons to invest yet more time in one of the best games of the current generation. These include a new range of weapons(dragonbone), crossbows, vampire lord and werewolf perks and all the joy of using these powers, I can safely say that this was worth my money.… Expand
  24. guen
    Jul 12, 2012
    8
    If you've spent a lengthy amount of time exploring the realm of Skyrim then yes, Dawnguard may seem like a bit of a disappointment as it mirrors one of the faction quest lines. That being said, it's not necessarily a bad thing. I found most of the faction quest lines immensely enjoyable and Dawnguard was no different, yielding some unique weapons and armour in the process. The addition of being able to smith your own arrows (at last!) as well as dragon weapons definitely made me super happy. Yes, it is not a spectacular new game but a DLC is not meant to be. It enhances the main game while offering some interesting new quests, skills and companions. I think it will be more enjoyable for those that have spent less time in the world because it does incorporate a lot of the old "go there, fetch that" quests but even for those like me who have spent a ridiculous amount of time playing the game it has something to offer. Don't write it off, but don't expect "Shivering Isles" either.… Expand
  25. Butler
    Jul 13, 2012
    8
    A good reason to play Skyrim again, quite entertaining but not enough to get me to play any more after the quest line was complete. A good add-on for any vampires or vampire slayers.
  26. dingdong91234
    Jul 29, 2012
    8
    this dlc is great it adds more to the already ginormous world of skyrim adding crossbows dragon weapons and a cool new form the powerful vampire lord really cool but also in terms of quest it was surprisingly short considering skyrim as a whole
  27. dpsdust
    Aug 19, 2012
    8
    Lets be honest the frost giant an vampire lord modes are enough to add 30 more hours to skyrim. I did not like the expansion for awhile but some of the side quests like a new and fresh dwemer ruin(s), Dragon bone weapons and skooma smoking den turned my frown upside down. It is a bit better than Nights of Nine but come on Bethesda! do better, its still good though that's why I give it a hate out of ten lolz!… Expand
  28. DeviantWaffle
    Oct 7, 2012
    8
    This game was AMAZING the first time around. I very much enjoyed the quests and combats. The graphics were okay, not the best. I found the world extremely bland and tasteless. Be prepared to see a lot of brown, gray, white and yellow when you buy this game. The sounds and voice acting was okay... Besides a few voices which didn't match the NPCs body. While on the subject of voices... WHERE ARE ALL THE VOICE ACTORS!?!? THERE ARE LIKE 10 DIFFERENT VOICES IN THIS DAMN GAME SAYING THE SAME THING. The most ANNOYING thing about this game I have to say. If you're like me, then you would want to create the most evilest bastard whom ever lived... So lets say you're going for a stroll and you get a thirst for slaughtering helpless villagers... TOO BAD... Most of the game NPCs in this damn game are invincible. What got me the most about this game was the freedom to do ALMOST anything you wanted, which was in the last Elder Scrolls... The world was very wide and just tempting you to explore. After completing the main quest of slaying big-n-nasteh (which really wasn't too long..) I found myself lost. Very much... Bored. I mean there are a TON of fun quests in this game that will make you laugh and twist your emotions... But past those fun quests are dull and endless quests that have you run across the world to kill some bandits then run across the world to kill some more... IT WAS BORING... Don't get me wrong though, this game is a MUST PLAY. The story will suck you in and not let you go until you slay that ugly bastard. Slicing the heads off of random people will keep you entertained for quite some time and it is worth your moneys worth. Don't worry, when you complete all the fun stuff it will call you back for more and you will make a new character.… Expand
  29. Monstr92
    Nov 2, 2012
    8
    Skyrim is one big open world full of plenty to do. Skyrim might quite possibly be a buggy game, full of fast-travelling places, and riding horses. But for that quick moment when encountering a dragon, makes up for the long grinding of repetitive dungeon scouring. The main story-track of Skyrim is suffice, and does justice with beautiful spectacles, stealth, and plenty of dragon slaying. The game though, falls short of it's loosely put together procedural quest generator, and minor annoyances. Though, that doesn't make the game terrible. Skyrim does right with it's beautiful vistas, mountains, and fields to walk and ride through. The ai, may fall short in some scenarios, and you'll find yourself doing things over and over again. Climbing into dungeons, going fifteen levels deep, learning a trade, collecting, and re-doing that over and over again. But what makes the long grind worth it, is the spectacle. The feeling of being in Skyrim, befriending others, completing side quests, and the sheer joy of exploration is what makes Skyrim all worth it in the end. Just prepare, to fork over long hours to complete this games main story track and along with it the side quests that will stray you away from the main story track. There's plenty of gameplay, plenty of story, and plenty of quests that will keep you occupied as you simply explore the land of Skyrim.… Expand
  30. warblinggangste
    Dec 3, 2012
    8
    YAWN!!!!!!! this is gayest dumb poop ive play it. stup. dont. dum. Chell dies in the end of Max Payne 3, definitely recommend among 4 hardcore gamers and softcore boners
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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
73 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 47 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 47
  2. Mixed: 24 out of 47
  3. Negative: 0 out of 47
  1. DailyGame
    Feb 25, 2013
    95
    Dawnguard is much more substantial add-on than Hearthfire, adding on a full storyline centered on a war between the vampires and the Dawnguard.
    Read full review
  2. Pelit (Finland)
    Oct 14, 2012
    85
    The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Dawnguard. Bethesda shows how a dlc should be done. Dawnguard's 20-euro price tag is quite steep, but the amount of quality content more than makes up for it. Also, playing as a vampire lord is a welcome distraction. [Sept 2012]
  3. Hyper Magazine
    Aug 8, 2012
    50
    Predictable, bug-ridden fare. [Sept 2012, p.72]
See all critic reviews »