Buy The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind® Game of the Year Edition

My opinionated review for:
Disclaimer : I have played all of the TES games in reverse order so my praise for the game is not pure nostalgia.

Gameplay: This game is the pinnacle of the TES saga. Every RPG element is here and works well. Upon startup, you are greeted with a rather bland title screen. What makes it so special is the iconic theme of Morrowind that has appeared by variation in all of the later TES games. Clicking new game will send start a skippable intro video and then the game starts. Your backstory is that you were sent to Vvardenfell under the orders of the emporer. This backstory is vague enough for you to be creative with your story, unlike Fallout 3 or Oblivion. You will be awoken by a Dunmer named "Juib" who then asks you for your name. This is the character creation process. You will then select one of 10 races, a class, and a birthsign. It is short and sweet enough to not be annoying like Skyrim's god-long intro sequence. You will collect your papers and orders from the census offices and then you're off. No intro dungeon. No forced story. Nothing. This is where most people are lost. They are so used to the handholding from the newer TES games. You will have to read your journal for info. So you open it up and it says to deliver a package to some guy in Balmora? Where is Balmora? Players will then proceed to run around and then get killed by a mudcrab because they don't understand the stat based combat. That is the beauty of this game. Nothing will be handed to you except insults for being an outlander. What would you do in this situation? Ask for directions of course. The dialogue system is made so that you can ask a npc about almost everything that your character knows of. Unlike Skyrim's 3 phrases that nobody cares about, you can ask about secrets,rumors,services,work, about the dungeon you just delved, an assassin that attacked you, and even a weird dream that you may have had. It is very in-depth. There is also a disposition system where you can ahave enemies based on race,guild, or even for the fact that you are a criminal! Not everyone will be your friend, just like real life, so stay close to those who you trust. You have a diverse range of skills that are all useful in their own ways. You cannot master them all, so train wisely! Attributes are availiable as well, unlike Skyrim. This game is a true RPG, so don't expect action based combat. If you wonder why you can't hit anyone, it is because you are not properly trained with the current weapon you are using. It makes more sense if you think about it. Some may say it is extremely boring and tedious, but I say it is fair, seeing how you should not be able to pick up a weapon and automatically start killing with it. If you prefer to stay out of conflict, there is a great alchemy system availiable. You have multiple tools to mess with and to this day, I still haven't fully understood the sytem. There are many other systems in the game but I cannot fully explain them all or we'll be here for days.

Art: In order to judge and old game's graphics in a modern day, you must compare other games that came out the same year. Going by that, I say the game looked fairly well. It has a lot to look at and read (tons of books availiable!) and while the animations may be a little unbelievable and robotic, they get the job done. One thing you may notice about Morrowind compared to other RPG's, is how alien it feels. That is the prime charm of Morrowind. Think Japanese culture mixed with Mayan culture. There are not a lot of video settings available, so you may need to download Morrowind Graphics Extender if you want to fully customise the graphics and short view distance and low fov.

Music/Sound: This game has one of the best soundtracks ever. Composed by Jeremy Soule, every track is movie quality and always keeps a great feeling inside. It adds to the atmosphere in a big way. The sound design is great as well, although ambience is rather dead, the music makes up for it. The voice acting is top notch, although sometimes non-existent, or maybe I'm just spoiled by Skyrim.

Entertainment Value: Like any other TES game, you can sink an infinite amount of hours into it. There is always something new to explore in Morrowind, a new dungeon, new npc, new weapon, etc. I consider it the best in the series followed by Skyrim. If you are an RPG fan and you don't care if you have to put in a little work to enjoy what this game has to offer, you will most likely enjoy what Morrowind has to offer. And if you are not pleased with how the game looks or plays, there is an active modding community available that will fix every issue you have.

Score:
I love Morrowind to death, so of course this review was biased, but I feel you cannot help but enjoy the land of Morrowind just like me. With Skywind coming soon, we may get another chance to explore this land once again.


Thank you for reading.

Like Skyrim? Like being the Dragonborn?

Sit back and let me tell you something.

Dragonborn is nobody compared to the Nerevarine. Dragonborn needed fast travel, dual-wielding and a Voice-Weapon to get the job done. You gotta walk up the Throat of the World? Nerevarine could levitate over the Red Mountain! Skyrim took so many ideas from Morrowind it decided to drop the act for the Dragonborn DLC and just send you back to Solstheim because Skyrim didn't have enough giant mushrooms and ash-wastes.

Nerevarine could enchant rings to make Sauron bow down like a punk.

He killed more vampires than the sun.

He could float, heal diseases and walk on water, which makes me wonder about the theological ramifications of this game.

He slayed more Nords than Alduin.

Nerevarine, man.

Nerevarine for the president of Tamriel.

Use a dead guy's leg as a weapon. Your move Skyrim.




10/10 septims

Morrowind is the peak of Bethesda's game making history. No question. I have played this game for almost 70 hours and I have never beaten the main questline because this game is so engaging that I get side-tracked every time by the multitude of side-quests to undertake, and with the two expansions, and the fair number of mods put out by the community, I have resigned to playing another 70 before I do complete the story, and I will love every minute of it.

If you've played Oblivion and you enjoyed that, you will love Morrowind.

If your only Elder Scrolls experience is with Skyrim, I highly recommend that you try Oblivion first, because Morrowind is quite a dated game, but if you do that, then go for it because you will not regret it.

PLAY THIS GAME. YOU CAN WEAR CLOTHES UNDER YOUR ARMOR AND ROBES OVER IT JUST BUY IT NOW PLEASE.

*saw stairs*
*spam jump*
Your Acrobatics skill increased to 45


10/10 would jump again

In Oblivion, you are an assistant to the hero prophesied by the stars and the dream of a king, and go on to greatness as foretold. In Skyrim, you are a natural hero born with dragon blood and the innate ability to speak the language of dragons, and go on to greatness as foretold. In each game, along the way, you are seen as the savior of many guilds, groups, and towns, even if they are in conflict with each other in some way.

In Morrowind, you are placed in Vvardenfell by order of the Emperor because you match a supposed prophecy. With the Daedric prince Azura's assistance to enact her revenge, you're thrown into the position of fulfilling said prophecy under guidance from the Blades, and by going to the hard work of convincing everyone you really are the prophesied one. You don't know if you really fit the bill, but you'll be damned if everyone else won't believe it.

You climb your way up the ladder of each guild or ruling house you join, fighting your way to the top each time. It's a long, hard road through many cracked and broken pathways, but you clamber up the pile of corpses you made with One-Clan-Under-Moon-And-Star wrapped around your finger, and an ancient Dwemer hammer in your hand. You reap what you sow.

This is a sign of how different this game is from its successors and predecessors. A story which questions deification, worship, and prophecy; a world wracked by cataclysmic blight storms and the threat of a mortal-turned-insane-god; gameplay that greatly encourages a close eye to character building and leveling; and a plot which culminates in the death of gods and the destruction of that which deifies mortals. This is why Morrowind is so much different than its peers.

Is the gameplay to everyone's liking? Of course not. Those unexperienced with character building, and those without the patience to take in the world around you, won't find much to enjoy in this game. That's the key word. Patience. It's encouraged, and rewarded in spades. Don't play this game if you started at Oblivion or Skyrim. There's very little chance that you'll find this an enjoyable experience.

For those with the open mind and the patience, this is an incredibly worthy experience that will suck you in and never let you go. Play this only if you know how to manipulate chance and skill to your favor, and how to make your way through a harsh, unforgiving, and challenging world.

Some of you will notice I have only put in .6 or so hours to Morrowind on steam. I have owned Morrowind (and the expansions) since the days they were released (Morrowind was released in 2002). I played Morrowind the most between its release and Oblivion's release. I only recently bought Morrowind on steam a couple months ago (to finally get a digital copy, I still have the CDs), thus the lack of play time on steam. But make no mistake, I have put many, many hours into Morrowind.

Field	Rating	Review
Graphics	6.5	Poor Morrowind has not aged well at all. Though not terrible, it is a bit jarring to return to from the beauty that is Skyrim. However, with the upcoming Skywind project (and currently available texture packs), keep your eyes peeled. Morrowind is well worth exploring, despite being a little tough on the eyes at times. (Graphics are not used in the overall score, due to the game's age.)
Gameplay	10	The epitome of an open-world RPG, Morrowind not only pushed the envelope, it lit it on fire and hand-crafted a new one. Classic RPG elements come into play with your skills, leveled up according to you. Quest giver giving you lip? Kill him, take back your items. Short on cash? Steal it from whoever you want, just be prepared to pay the price if you're caught. You cannot go wrong with Morrowind, which captures the magic of another world like no other game out there.
Story	10	A long, arching plot with plenty of diverse character interactions. As you progress, your fame grows, and the world reacts to this. Experience the joy of embracing your destiny to save Morrowind. With countless sidequests and unique zones to explore, and tons of lore to discover, Morrowind has many stories to tell. But most of all, yours.
Multiplayer	N/A	Sadly, this game can only be enjoyed alone.
Replayability	7	Never has any game absorbed more of my time than Morrowind. You'll never play it the same twice. Once Skywind comes out, expect this number to jump plenty high, as Morrowind deserves your time, and will be even more beautiful than it was when it first released.
Overall	9.3/10	Morrowind captured the magic of exploration and gaming for me. I have extremely fond memories of this game, and highly recommend it to anyone, and everyone. Even without the upcoming Skywind mod, Morrowind is a game you should pick up. Do NOT miss out on the pinnacle of the Elder Scrolls series, and a legend among games.

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Edit: Reworked scoring so that the age of the game and its graphics weren't damaging the overall rating, as that's not very fair for older games. Also reworded the overall review to focus more on Morrowind instead of Skywind. Fixed some styling. Added note explaining lack of playtime on steam.

Morrowind is by far the greatest open world RPG ever, and shows all the potential games like this have. Beautiful story, so many secrets - and with many quests and dialog thats actually useful, your time will surely be consumed. Replay value is high especially with a quick start vs Oblivion or Skyrim's lame storytelling effort. Get the Overhaul 3.0 for the graphics if you can't stand them.

Where has my life gone?

To know greatness, you must first learn your heritage. Play this game and you will understand what they are talking about in Oblivion and Skyrim to a far better degree. The game is far more detailed than Oblivion and is on par with Skyrim if not exceeding. (I say this as skyrim is voiced and morrowind is text based, er go, allowing more lore)

Buy it, play it, and know greatness of another era.

Morrowind.

Slaughtering the Balmora Corner Club and making it my home since 2003.

10/10 would race cliffs again.

CHIM

i highly reccomend this game to anyone who likes the elder scrolls series and also doesent like to be babied with when and where to go, you get a simple journal and a map, no waypoints or quest markers.

you actualy have to think in this one

I got this game after I got/played Skyrim so no nostalgia here
However i find this game to be an amazing ride!
The story just sucks you in and keeps you there tell you have to leave the screen

True the combat system is abit...harsh, but once you get used to it, its not as bad as some peopel make it out to be

Morrowind is a harsh but amazing place just waiting for you to explore!

Ahhhh, Morriwnd.

Even since 2002 (wow, it's been 12 years already), it's been a beautiful, immersive world (especially to me, who started the Elder Scrolls series with Morrowind) where story and sidequests are equally as enthralling to each other as the strange sense of magic you feel when exploring the vast, ash-barren countryside of Vvardenfel.

Although while in today's standards, the graphics do appear to have suffered some, that only adds to the pure nostalgia for those of us who have played this when this was the cutting-edge of RPG and sandbox production. Sure, you don't have many options for hair or face, and yes, the sluggish walk and dicey combat system can be a bit off-putting. But past it all, when you've finally gotten to that comfortable place where you can run faster than a slug on a Sunday and hit more times than you'll miss, you begin to appreciate the game as more than just a piece of software. You really do begin to see it as an adventure into a foreign land. A place where you've never been before, but will surely uncover its secrets in due time.

And thanks to the good people of the Internet, mods have been created that help with issues in game, such as the overall graphics (especially NPC and player models, such as the Better Bodies mod) and whatever else you might consider to be a problem or upgrade-worthy factor. The fact of the matter is, that when the dust has settled and all is said and done, Morrowind still remains one of the cornerstone RPGs of yesteryear, and I certainly know that it'll forever be one of the defining games for the RPG genre.

9/10, Thank you based Azura

Still the best Elder Scrolls Game of all time. Hands down, thumbs up.

EDIT

I played Morrowing for some time and realized one thing: it requires patience. You must invest more hours it it before it shines before you in all it's glory.

Battle system is one of the cons of ESIII. For those who are not in the know: battle system is based on a random chance of hitting. The higher your, say, short sword skill is, the higher the chance for your strike to be successful. Not a lot of fun, to say the least.

Animations are bad, sounds repeat too often but that's about it with downsides.

Pros:

Atmosphere. Burnt-out ashlands, giant mushrooms, swamps... The world and lore are one of a kind. Graphics are Ok so it all looks pretty neat.

Music is epic. I loved almost every second of it.

Story is engaging.

Morrowind is harsh. No fast travel, no markers - just a map and your a.s.s. You have to read a f-n journal in order to understand where to go! That's terrific!

Weapons and armor break and you have to repair them. Essential for RPG's IMHO.

Some creatures cannot be hurt with particular weapons or skills. For instance, you can't hit the spirit with a common sword!!! Hell yeah! Now we're talking!

Game's pretty hard. Anyway, you can adjust difficulty but even on easy your butt can be kicked hard in the wilderness.

And about deepness. The world IS really deep. Earlier I thought it's just an illusion but it's not. There are some filler NPC's and generic dungeons but really... There's so much to do here! Sidequests, reading books, crafting potions, kicking creatures' a.s.ses. And main story, of course.

Considering that the game came out in 2002 (technologies, you know) all downsides can be and ARE forgiven. Must play for every RPG, fantasy and ES fan.

No matter how far into the future from now it may be, and no matter how many signs of age this game shows... I will always be able to pick it up and play through it again. Why? It's difficult to put into words. But something about Morrowind's universe captivated me from the very first moment I reached the city of Balmora. I really can't explain it. There is a certain ambience that emanates from that particular city. Some people feel it, others don't. Part of me believes that this is the dividing-line between the people that can drop hundreds of hours into Morrowind in the blink of an eye and the people who just can't get into it. Both viewpoints are understandable. The other part of me thinks that maybe I'm reading far too much into a simple video game. Who's to say? The only thing that I can say for sure is that Morrowind is anything but simple.

I've played through this game many, MANY times since it's release and I always stumble across something I've never encountered before. It never fails. Sometimes it's flavor text that helps me piece together a story I didn't fully understand before... occassionally I'll find some unique artifact or item that I had never found previously. There is always something out there, subtle or not, to enrich the experience for me even more. And that's part of what keeps me coming back.

I highly recommend installing MGSO for Morrowind (old and new players alike). It's a compilation of some of the best mods on the market for Morrowind. It essentially gives Morrowind a facelift. I know some of you may not feel like taking the time to figure the modding-aspect of the game, but when it comes to MGSO you have nothing to worry about. It literally installs itself for you.

It's like Skyrim except it's an RPG.

Morrowind: The revolutionary open-world RPG that set the standard for Western titles of the same genre and remains relevant and enjoyable today. A hands-down work of art, this beauty features an endless array of skills, magic, items, qeusts, and locations that will keep you exploring for hundreds and hundreds of hours. There are some bugs and balance issues, but I highly recommend this mod: http://www.ornitocopter.net/morrowind-overhaul/ to fix them and make the game more graphicly up-to-date.

10/10, a bargin at $20. Pick it up to experience the title that made gaming history.

its like skyrim with good