Reviews of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, Game of the Year Edition

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This game will redefine the computer role-playing game genre forever. If you have any interest in CRPGs then this is the game for you. I picked up the original two years ago and still play it to this day. The replay value is astounding. What Morrowind has that no other CRPG comes close to is open-endedness. You literally can wander anywhere your heart desires on the island (which is massive to say the least). The graphics are fantastic, the experience system is very realistic you learn by doing the more you do something (successfully), the better you get. The world created is so atmospherically saturating and immersive that you literally feel like you are walking through a swamp (or wherever). Almost every single shortcoming of this game has been overcome through the massive modding community that supports Morrowind. Thus the potential universe for you to explore is quite literally limitless. The original game promises over 200+ hours of gameplay to cover each and every possible quest (I honestly think this is conservative given that you cannot possibly do a all the quests with any particular PC). Each expansion adds at least 100+ hours of gameplay each. Then there is the mod community. Morrowind ships with a construction set that allows even the most novice of us to learn to create whatever worlds one desires. Some more clever people in the modding community have gone well beyond the initial scope of the construction set to enhance various aspects of the gameplay experience. Quite frankly, as you are playing the game, if their is something you think that should be improved, it has probably already been thought of and their probably is a mod out there that can do it. If not, pull up the construction set and go onto the chat bullentin boards to get some help. The mod community for Morrowind is second to none and supports people at all levels.

That being said, what kind of game is Morrowind? As I said before, it is extremely immersive, extremely detailed, extremely open-ended. What are the weak points?

Although it is possible to gun through the primary quests in much less time than the entire game encompasses, but why? If you want a game that can give you a fast fix (say 30 minutes of action) then this is NOT the game for you. The biggest hurdle most people face is getting familiar with the game. When I first played the game, I initially became quickly frustrated at the lethargic pace of progress my character was making. For people who like fast action-oriented games, they will likely abandon this game after 30 minutes because the pace is too slow and their character is too weak to even handle a rat. It will likely take hours of gameplay before your character has enough fortitude to wander through the wilderness at night and not get killed by even the most benign of critters. However, once you get past this initial hurdle, you will most likely be hooked for life.

The other limitation of the game is combat. Despite whatever weapon used, there are really only three different moves a character can make: chop, slash, and thrust. For fighter oriented characters, this gets quite boring after a couple of hundreds of hours. However, this also offers up a new opportunity. If you max out your fighting skills (say 100% with long swords) then why not take up a little bit of magic with the same character? Unlike other games, you are not restricted in any way in which skills you can pursue. Another limitation this game has is the repetitiveness of dialogue, voice acting and character graphics (I must remind you that what becomes boringly repetitive for Morrowind is not on the same scale of most other games as you will likely play the game several orders of magnitude longer, as a result even the most creative aspects of the game will seem a bit boring after, say 500+ hours of gameplay). However, as I mentioned before, there are mods out there that add a great deal of diversity to all of these constantly keeping the game fresh.

The other significant limitation to the game is a lack of multiplayer. The game was never designed with multiplayer in mind. Although some people have tried modding it to be multiplayer, none have been successfull. What makes Morrowind great: a completely immersive single-player experience, is what keeps it from becoming multiplayer.

All in all, a fantastic, unparalleled, single-player CRPG. A game that will redefine the genre. For people who are willing to become immersed in a limitless, unique world for hundreds of hours at a time. Not a game for people looking for quick, fast action. This game truly takes time and dedication to enjoy. It is addictive at some level, but you can also leave it for months, come back to it and enjoy it anew. Any when you finally think you have seen everything there is to see or would like to change something to your liking, just hop onto the bulletin boards and start downloading some mods. Quite limitless gameplay and probably the most entertainment bang for your buck in gaming. Morrowind will likely have replay value for years to come, since the mod community is still growing strong.

On a side note: picking up the strategy guide is a must for most fans of this game. If for nothing else than the maps that show exactly where certain quest tidbits can be found. It is far too easy to spend hours looking for the precise location of something in several acres of terrain. After spending 6 gameplay hours looking for a specific person in the vast city of Vivec, I gave up and bought the strategy guide and found them in 10 minutes. Plus the fact that there is SO much detail in the game that you can quite easily miss 90% of it just by rushing through certain areas. I have revisited some areas 10 times and found something completely new (to me) each time.

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Morrowind is quite simply one of the best RPGs of all time. For those who haven't played it, this collection is an insanely good deal, and you shouldn't even think twice about getting it.

The minute you start Morrowind you know that this is a game unlike any other. Your character can be one of ten races, each distinct in appearance and abilities. You can create your own classes, emphasizing any of 26 skills and eight attributes. As you enter the vast fully-3D world you advance your character by practicing and improving chosen skills. This makes it practically impossible to create the exact same character more than once.

The game world is simply giganticMorrowind has a huge landmass that takes you upwards of a half hour to run from one end to the other. The expansions Tribunal and Bloodmoon (included in this edition) add the additional Mournhold city and Solstheim island. All of the areas are chock full of enemies, caverns, tombs, ruins, and non-player characters. Many of these give you quests, which have rewards varying from gold to unique items. There are hundreds of quests, weapons, items, objects, and distinct locations in the game. I've played Morrowind for hundreds of hours and still occasionally come across something I have never seen!

The main story of Morrowind is well done and quite involved, and Tribunal and Bloodmoon add additional main quests to the plot. However, unlike every other RPG I've played, it's not at all compulsory to complete them. In fact, you can simply go gallivanting about Vvardenfell doing whatever you see fitand have a good time at it too. There's plenty of towns and people to talk to (and, naturally, to kill) and side quests to complete. You can join one of three Great Houses and build a stronghold for yourself, or join any of a half dozen other factionsall with unique missions and rewards.

Morrowind's graphics are awesomethe detail in the objects has to be seen to be believed. There isn't a single sprite in the entire game, and both characters and terrain are all extremely well done. The game world is thickly populated with all manner of persons and objects, and you can explore in either first or third person. This can be a problem, however, if your system isn't up to it. If you can't see all the pretty graphics, the game isn't so fun, so be sure you exceed the recommended system specifications. Morrowind needs everything your PC hasthere really is no such thing as too much power with this game. In particular, the game looks a lot better if your graphics card can run full-screen antialiasing with it.

Admittedly, combat in Morrowind is rather straightforward and can get a bit dull. You can shoot, hack, or nuke things up at will, and the ability to create customized weapons and spells makes this fun in a Diablo-esque way. Fighting isn't really the best part of the game, though. Rather, the freedom is. You can go anywhere and do anything you want in any ordera rather intoxicating degree of control that I've not seen in any other game. In fact, I should warn new players that after playing Morrowind other gamesespecially other RPGswill seem extremely constricting due to the lack of freedom.

That said, there's another 'best' part of the game. That is the customizability of Morrowind and the jaw-dropping amount of fan content already available for download. With the editor you can change almost anything in the game. With that and 3D Studio MAX you CAN change everything in the gameand people have done so. Everything from total conversions to monster additions, new items, new objects, new quests and areas, and even new races and appearances are available for download. Due to the very intuitive plugin system, addition of this content is simple (the only problem being potential conflicts in plugins). If you take the time to learn a bit about it, you can make your own items and locations with the editor. Another warning herethis is more addictive than most narcotics, and once you start you'll always see something else that 'needs improvement.' It is not unheard of for 'players' to spend more time editing Morrowind than actually playing it.

Last of all, the soundtrack is definitely worth mentioning. Jeremy Soule (Icewind Dale, Total Annihilation, Neverwinter Nights) has composed one to remember. Best of all, it's all there in mp3 format, and you can customize it as well.

Even if you're not that much into RPGs, Morrowind is sure to hold your attention for a very good, long time. While it's initially not much of a challenge to play and there are a few sub-optimal features, these problems can (and have been) addressed with the editor. Though it lacks multiplayer mode, the game will almost certainly have you hooked for as long as any game with multiplay, and then some. There's a good reason there's no 'hours of play' figure on the boxthis, like almost everything else with Morrowind, is completely up to you.

Morrowind is probably the best PC game ever released, in terms of sheer entertainment value. It's almost certainly one of the top ten RPGs of all time. If your computer can handle it, you should definitely pick up a copy.

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I recently discovered the Morrowind Game of the Year strategy guide and thought that players would like to know that it exists and is worth looking into if you are becoming perplexed by the challenges of what is probably the world's most detailed RPG.

This is the first guidebook that can cause sudden-game-depression. You start out in one city on the continent of Vvardenfell play for 20 or so hours and you begin to realize that you have covered exact four tiny squares on the map. And the more you wander, the more you find. Eventually you decide you want to get on with it, but it gradually becomes clear that you aren't quite sure what 'it' is. You break down, by the guide, and you finally realize that Morrowind and its subgames are inconceivably huge.

There are hundreds of cities, dungeons, fortresses, monsters, and NPCs. All with individual stories. And the only way you have any hope of finding all of them is to wander forever or buy the guide. The guide provides heavily annotated maps, and descriptions of all the major and minor quests. Various hints, and even discussions about what to do in Morrowind between tasks (go out and kill a few diseased crabs). Even with all 400 pages, I doubt that the guide covers much more than half the possibilities. The scouring of Vvardenfell could take years of play.

Even with everything that is in the guide, there is yet more that I would like to have seen. In particular, indexes and where found guides. I guess the publishers decided that anything more than 400 pages would scare away the average buyer. Seriously, though, a guide is almost a necessity if you want to get full values from the game without dedicating your life to it. It is well written and organized. I would have preferred better quality printing but not at the price it likely would have cost. If you get a chance pick it up, it will greatly increase your appreciation of the game.

Honest reviews on The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, Game of the Year Edition

Absolutely. I, personally, loved this game. From the 100's of possible quests, to the 1000's of styles of weapons, to the practically infinite variations of skills, to the unnaturally real looking surroundings, to all the possible variations that result from interaction... For a while, this game was my life.

One day, I was walking through a tech. con, browsing through the anime, the video cards, the moniters. I came to the games section and perused through the mix of the Zork Zero complete sets, the Unreal Tournaments, the Dungeon Keepers, when I found it. Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, Game of the Year Edition. I had heard good things. The reviews I had read had all said basically the "enter this living, breathing world" type of thing that came so often with MMORPG's and basic Rpg's. I decided to buy it, and went home with the nice, shiny, gold box.

At first, when I installed the game itself, I was intimidated by the drawings of skeletons and wierd looking monsters. However, I used to love Diablo II, (I got bored by the hack-and-slash thing. It was just too repetitive.) and had seen things mortals shouldn't have to see, so I wasn't easily scared away by the strange depictions. Still, it was slightly foreboding, and I started playing the game with a slight sense of apprehension.

Now, to the real part of the review. As soon as I started out, and went through the whole class picking/introduction type thing, I fell in love with the game. This might be my favorite game of all time.

First Graphics

This game has some of the widest and most varied animations I have ever seen. Most NPCs are completely different looking, exceptions including the Legion troops and the monsters, who look like their brethren (as they should). The graphics are actually breathtaking in most areas. The mountains are incredibly detailed. The cities are really, incredibly astounding. I love the elvish cities. There are some areas that I spent hours in, just roaming and exploring. The underwater graphics, while not perfect, are some of the best I've seen. The Dungeon and below-ground areas are perfectly sculpted, and made to look axactly as they should, based on where you are. When I would look up, whilst outside, I would see moving clouds. Weather was amazing. There were many times, early in the morning, where I would look around, and it would actually be foggy. This is the most amazing thing I have ever seen. The graphics get a 5.0, nothing less.

Sound

The music and sounds in this game are really some of the I have ever heard. The music is mainly orchestral, and is so vivid, you'll feel like your at a concert, basking in the beauty of this amazing game.I can only imagine having surround sound speakers; I, unfortunatley, was using headphones at the time. I only wish that I could hear more varied sounds from the people and monsters, though, for a game this big, they are adequate.

Score = 4.7

Fighting

For fighting melee or ranged, there is like, no learning curve. For magic, It's a bit harder getting used to, but in the the term, remains fulfilling. The left-click hit is simple and basic, but works perfectly with the pace of the game. What I love is seeing a weapon on the floor or in a shop, taking it, holding it, and suddenly it's, like, I'm holding a different weapon! I know that sounds kind of stupid, but I love getting an axe and using it, and suddenly I have this gigantic Great-axe that's half the size of my body.

Weapons = 5.0

Gameplay

Have you ever fallen in love with somebody, and when your first dating and you know that person, he/she is the most amazing person in the world? And, sadly, sometimes people get more used to each other, and they seem sort of old, as though that other person is nothing new, seeming as if they have just fallen into an abyss, and the exciting person just doesn't want to come out?

Morrowind is like that, except that there isn't ever any falling-out, there isn't any big abyss, and this doesn't have anything to do with people. Every day I played it, I would fall in love again, and again, and again... The reason for this being, of course, that I have never played in a bigger, vaster, more infinite-seeming universe. There is a certain spell in the game that I discovered called something like "levitation". This allows you to, basically, fly. There were a couple of times that I would go far out into the wilderness, night or day, I didn't care, and I would levitate upwards look in a circle, and see absolutely nothing that I recognized for miles. This, hopefully, gives you some sort of sense of how vastly, gigantically, incomprehensibly huge this game is.

The story is, to say the least, amazing, (I'm sorry I've been repeating words about how good this game is, I don't have an entire dictionary right at my handDOH!!!) with the main plot splitting out into hundreds of tiny subplots that really aren't that tiny when compared to other games. The aspect's of the guilds, the character, and the expansions make this game perfect for replayability. In fact, each guild has it's own story lines and quests, which, in themselves, could make up an entire game.

I am sad to say that I have to resort back to that to often used statement: Morrowind makes up an living, breathing, thriving, building world that is so awe-inspiring that it can actually steal your breath from you.

10 out of 5, 100 out 20, 1000 out of 50, This is, in my unbiased opinion, one of the best games ever created. Amen.

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If you're looking for an action-thriller, shoot-em up FPS crossover, hit back and keep looking.

If you're looking for an intelligent, detailed, intriguing RPG operating system, this is it!

The original Morrowind with its expansions Tribunal and Morrowind are absolutely phenomonal and will keep you in their world for literally hundreds and hundreds of hours. It is possible to play the game for hours a day for months and still not have done everything.

The best part is the Construction Set that comes with the game. This allows amateurs to build new areas, sculpt and decorate terrain, create new weapons, buildings, quests, NPCs, and absolutely everything you could ever think of. Theoretically, the game never ends. It's not just the best RPG you'll ever play, it is truly a gaming operating system.

I can't tell you anything that the editorial review doesn't already mention, but I can recommend this game if you've ever been into gaming where your thoughts involve more than "which gun should I use to blow the next guy's head off...?" Prepare to be immersed in the world of The Elder Scrolls III!