The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

"This is what RPG is all about"

Well I just beat Morrowind and here is my review:

I'd like to start by saying that I would have rather said I "finished" Morrowind instead of "beat" Morrowind but you really can't finish it. You can say that that is a good thing and a bad thing but let's be honest here, the positives outweigh the negatives in that category. First off, let's get right down to it - what did I score this game? - 7/10.

It's an interesting score for the 2002 PC Game of the Year but I have my reasons. Purely based on the fundamentals of the game: graphics, sound, gameplay, funfactor and presentation, you cannot rate this game any lower that a 7/10, but that's where this game ends - it's fundamentals.

GRAPHICS get a 9/10, very near the most intricate and detailed WORLD ever created. It's a beautiful thing when you can play a game like this and not have to spend your time grinding all day. There is so much to do and see that you will have to invest some serious time to see it all. I know this doesn't sound like this has anything to do with graphics but it does. When you have a world of this magnitude, and you wander in a random cave, and it is as intricate in detail as anything else even though it is realitively unimportant, it really goes to show you the attention every detai of Tamriel got. Not just the world, but also the enemies, and the main character. All the weapons and armor look unique and all appear on your character.

SOUND gets a 8/10, the music is very engaging and sparks a certain amount of intrigue by merely listening to it. The surround effects are nothing over the top but are present and accurate nonetheless. It does a good job with even a 2.1 system. Stand near something that is making noise, like a furnace or a waterfall, and spin the camera around, you will hear the sound effect spin around you. So you can imagine walking through a dfark cave a you hear something to the right. You know which way to turn to approach it.

PRESENTATION gets an 8/10, combine the graphics, in-depth story, seemingly ever-expanding world, and the easy to grasp concept of the game and you can't ask for a better package for an RPG. An RPG always has to start you off somewhere. I really like how you start as a prisoner on a boat and arrive to a land you know nothing about. It does a great job of putting you in the character's shoes. As you go through the game yoiu never lose that feeling, and you almost come away from the game as if you had those experiences.

GAMEPLAY gets a 10/10, we are talking about a 1st person RPG... I repeat a 1st person R P G. Name another 1st person RPG that is in real time with a good control system. You would have to at least go back to the PSX. This game was an innovator in it's own right as far as controls and gameplay for a 1st person RPG. The controls were simple to use and easy to understand. However, when you get involved in the more complex tasks of the game, such as making spells and enchanting items, you get into some pretty fun and tricky stuff. This captures your interest throughout the whole game because as you get farther you learn how to do more stuff.

FUNFACTOR gets a ?/10. This is because like I mentioned at the beginning of this review, you cannot finish it. Is it fun?... yes, but I did not get that feeling I got when I finished Knights of the Old Republic, Xenosaga, GTA Vice City, or any of those games that I gave a 10/10 to. I didn't run around my house screaming, I didn't almost wish I didn't beat it because I am sad that the experience is over, I didn't get choked up, and I didn't stare in awe of the awesomeness I just beheld.

In summary, you can get a strategy guide, beat the game, and get nothing out of it whatsoever. The fun comes from your own experience throughout your journey and what you make of it. The only problem is that if your goal is to create the best experience in Morrowind possible, you would never finish it because there is so much to do, yet at the same time, all good thing MUST come to an end, and all GREAT games push you towards that end, and sometimes you don't think your ready, yet they challenge you to believe you can do it, and at the last minute they swing the odds even further against you and dare you to push on. Those are the great.. anything, those that parallel our lives. Great books, movies, and games of all genres, give you that feeling of completing something great and you are better for the experience.

Morrowind was a solid, good RPG that deserves a 7/10. If you need something long, interesting, and different, pick it up and loose a month or two, just don't expect fireworks when it's over.... over?

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 06/21/05