It's a full "Bloodmoon" tonight on "X-Play," and Bethesda has brought some werewolves out to play in the latest expansion to its popular "Morrowind" game. New scenery, new enemies, and new quests abound for fans of the third Elder Scrolls game, but the familiar story line and lack of any real innovation keeps "Bloodmoon" from shining too brightly.

Adding the new island

"Bloodmoon" magically adds the Nordic island of Solstheim to the "Morrowind" map. Like the first expansion, "Tribunal," you can explore the "Bloodmoon" story line at your leisure and move freely between the two islands. Although you can tackle "Bloodmoon" at any time, the dangers of Solstheim are best experienced with a mid- to high-level character.

"Bloodmoon" departs from "Tribunal's" cramped dungeon-crawl setting and places much of the action in the frozen outdoors. After a brief stop at the Imperial foothold on the island, you'll explore tundra, ice floes, and Alpine forests across the island. There are also plenty of caverns and underground waterways all making use of the new snow and ice models. Sadly for veteran players, there is no new music and you'll have to sit through another 60-plus hours or the original score.

Creatures of the woods

Solstheim is populated with new creatures, including some of the most powerful bears this side of Ursa Major. The woodland creatures of Solstheim are all mighty. Even lowly wolves are still a challenge to high-level characters when traveling in packs. Like everything on Solstheim, the new creatures have a distinctly Nordic bent, from the mundane Berserkers and boars to more fantastic creations. Among the more unique enemies are the ankle-biting Ricklings and the Spriggan, a sort of Freddy Krueger wood-nymph who -- like the Elm Street resident -- just refuses to stay dead.

Creatures of the moon

Much to the delight of series fans, werewolves make their "Morrowind" appearance in "Bloodmoon." Despite a clear effort to distance itself from fantasy RPG cliches, the Elder Scrolls series has always had a soft spot for vampires and werewolves. Whereas vampires are a peripheral part of "Morrowind," "Bloodmoon" puts players in direct conflict with snarling wolfmen as part of the main story.

But killing werewolves isn't nearly as much fun as playing one. Even better, players infected with lycanthropy can take their newfound strength and speed back to the main island to cut a Tasmanian-devil swath on Vvardenfell. Just make sure to find a cozy nook for your nightly transformation. If you're spotted turning into a wolf your social life will never be the same.

Could it be the one?

"Bloodmoon" is less linear than the first expansion, offering a few more side quests and greater room for freeform exploration. "Bloodmoon's" story is brand new, but somehow manages to seem strangely familiar. Solstheim, like the island of Vvardenfell, is a land where Imperial expansion has come into conflict with a native population more connected to the environment. It's your quest to serve as a bridge between the two cultures. Replace Ashlanders with Nords and dust storms with blizzards and "Morrowind" is magically transformed into "Bloodmoon."

It's not all recycled material. The main story is more focused and can play out in many different ways. You still get the feeling, however, that the developers cribbed some of the original design.

Noticeably absent from "Bloodmoon" are any attempts to improve the interface or rebalance gameplay quirks. The map and journal adjustments from "Tribunal," which didn't completely work, are included for those who didn't buy the first expansion, but no new fixes or additions are in evidence. Thankfully, most user mods that were created to address complaints will run under "Bloodmoon" and Bethesda has provided a suggested workaround to recover saved games if you find some mods are incompatible.

Good, just not great

The lack of anything noteworthy in the improvement department and the familiarity of the additional content suggests that the "Morrowind" developers may be getting a little long in the tooth -- and not in an exciting, lycanthropic sort of way. Hard-core fans will love it because it unquestionably delivers on the promise of a challenge for high-level characters. As good as it is, however, "Bloodmoon" covers too much familiar ground to earn more than three out of five stars.

"The Elder Scrolls III -- Morrowind: Bloodmoon" (PC)