The story, unlike previous iterations, doesn’t dwell on Daedrics, vampires and the like. Instead the story for High Isle focuses on politics, where you are involved in peace talks to prevent a war from happening. It is low-key, but a pleasant change in pace. However, I felt like the story didn’t push it much. Especially when we are so spoilt with great stories coming in from both video games and TV.  I was hoping for more nuance and excitement, which unfortunately was not the case. Instead, we get a whiff of the so-called political drama before it fades into the background.

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There is still a lot of combat in the game, especially if you hunt for trouble. The enemies are not that challenging, and some bosses are way too easy, making it easier for newbies. Despite the lacklustre main story, there is still a lot to do and many side-quests to explore. There is also a whole card game within the game. The card game called Tales of Tribute is a bit challenging initially, and the tutorial does you no favours. However, a few good YouTube videos later, you should be a master of playing this game. That said, it isn’t a groundbreaking card game, and you usually end up playing it when you need a change of pace.

High Isle also looks fantastic. Elder Scrolls Online looks good and plays even better for a game launched so many years ago. The wonderful thing about ESO is that you don’t need to play with other people. You can be on your merry way doing whatever you want and play the game like any other Elder Scrolls game. There is so much to do solo; you can be forgiven for forgetting that this is, in fact, an MMORPG.

The main story quest for High Isle has around 27 hours of gameplay which is not bad. What is bad though is the things I had to do to get the game to start. The game installer is very annoying. Not only did it constantly change the estimated download time, but it also would stall the installation process if I left it to do its thing. Then after the download was completed, the installer decided the file was corrupted; this meant it had to fix the download, which took another chunk of time. I also found the server disconnected from time to time, which was a bit annoying. 

Elder Scrolls Online High Isle is a pretty good addition to the franchise. It is simple enough for people who are new to the game, but at the same time, there are some challenges for veterans, making this a great game if you are looking to start playing. Server issues aside, the game looked and played well.

Squid skin inspired coffee cups

A material inspired by squid skin has been developed by researchers from the University of California, Irwine. It can be stretched to double its size, and can insulate beverage cups, restaurant to-go bags and parcels. Expansion and contraction in a squid’s skin alters the reflection and transmission of visible light, and these changes help it communicate and camouflage its body to hide from predators. The research team mimicked this approach by enabling “tunable thermoregulation” in their material, which can lead to improved energy efficiency and even protect sensitive fingers. The top layer of the material is made of copper and the underlying support layer is a common rubbery polymer. The composite material can be recycled in bulk by removing the copper with vinegar and using established commercial methods to repurpose the remaining stretchable polymer.

Wearable textile exo-muscles

Researchers in Zurich have developed Myoshirt, a wearable textile exo-muscle that serves as an extra layer of muscles. It is designed to help those with limited upper body mobility. Working via sensors embedded in the fabric, an algorithm detects the wearer’s intentional movements and the amount of force required. A motor then shortens a cable in the fabric running parallel to the wearer’s muscles—a sort of artificial tendon—and supports the desired movement, tailored to the  users preferences.