The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

"One of the most in-depth games you will ever play."

Welcome to one of the greatest and most in-depth RPGs the gaming world has ever seen. With so many popular games like Final Fantasy, Phantasy Star, Shining Force, and Legend of Zelda, many RPGs have to present a unique gaming experience unmatched by the competition. Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind does just that. Morrowind is a fantasy world filled with fictional characters, quests, and a practical freelancing environment where you decide your character's fate. You can follow the main quest given to you, or go on your own epic journey for a dedicated cause. Either way, Morrowind is so in-depth, that many people lose track of their own lives in the process.

Graphics [10/10]
Some of the most expansive (and impressive) graphics you will see for the X-BOX is in Morrowind. The entire game is played from primarily a first-person view, but you can also switch to a third-person view with the simple click of a joystick. Unlike other RPG games where there is an ''overworld'', Morrowind is the environment. Imagine yourself thrown onto a foreign planet. That's how Morrowind looks. Every thing matches in size with what surrounds us. Morrowind has such realistic graphics because of the beautiful shading, variety of colors, excellent depth perception, and best of all, special effects. Unlike other games where 'fogging' is used to increase framerate, Morrowind uses none of that. You can peer a mile into the distance, with the sun setting on the horizon, or watch the beautiful ocean water caress the beach. Morrowind simply looks like everything in real life.

Character models are absolutely superb. There are several different races in the island of Morrowind; this includes humans, elves, orcs, and monsters. There are so many different uniforms, dresses, faces, headwear, and unique appearances that nearly all 3,000 NPCs look different. Animations are awesome in this game. Characters move with realistic motions, and there is none of that walking with a gazebo up your butt. Vector animations are precise, accurate, and without any walking into scenery. Your accessories make your character have his/her own unique experience. Jewelry, armor, headwear, they all make a difference as to how you appear to other characters in the game. The environment is still the best part. Every terrain is imaginable in the game. There are desolate wastelands, fertile plains, dark caves, murky caverns, and even forests. Monsters have unique appearances, capable of being distinguished as unusual or common enemies. Framerate is so smooth in the game, and rarely has any slowdowns or stoppages. Occasionally, there will be a jolting or two if multiple enemies are chasing you. Animations will slow down in dust storms, and natural weather. But that's what makes Morrowind so unique, weather looks so realistic. Lightning almost makes you think it's raining outside. The simplest way to put it is that the game is breathtaking in the graphic department.

Sound/Music [10/10]
Any game needs music, sound effects, and audio clips to be successful. Morrowind uses enough of them to create one of the most interactive environments ever seen in a RPG. Every stranger you approach has a different tone of voice based on their race. Some shop keepers tend to sound like giddy giraffes, while elves may sound dark and mysterious. Many special scenes, quests, and adventures have special recorded sounds to almost make it sound like the user is talking to you in real-life. As for the actual in-game sound effects, clear the way. These are simply amazing as both the quality and quantity of sounds is overwhelming. Every creasing wave, opened door, animals in the distance, they all make unique sounds. Unsheathing your sword can make a nice slithering sound, while a dark spirit might hum in the distance. Weather effects are amazing, especially the thunder - wait till you hear that. There are so many effects that you'll be amazed how much detail went into the environment.

Music is truly a classic in this one. The Morrowind overworld theme is very enjoyable, able to keep you happy, while sounding like you're the savior of a tribe. There are also more songs throughout the game, but they come based on the level or scenery. Battle sequences spruce the music up with a more warningful song, to let you know that battle has been initiated. For a RPG, the graphics and sounds are a big wow-wow.

Gameplay [8/10]
Amazing. You couldn't possibly believe how much detail went into this game. To start off, the basic storyline behind Morrowind is, well there really isn't one. You start the game off as a prisoner on a ship who gains his freedom back. At the beginning of the game, you pick your race, class/skills, face, and what you specialize in. After customizing your character, you're told to go to a man in a neighboring city for more orders. But this is where the freedom begins. Morrowind has no set destiny. Unlike most linear RPGs where you're forced to do something, Morrowind is nothing like that. The game is entirely unlinear, based around your own actions and their results. If you kill a guard, then you're a wanted criminal. If you follow the main quest, then you can become a popular person around the continent. Your playing style decides the rest of the game.

This tends to be a downfall in retrospect. Some gamers don't have the leadership to make their own destiny, and often fall flat on their face when they're left with so many open tasks. Some people prefer being led into a quest, but Morrowind lets you select what missions you want to do. You can join a guild, become a thief, assassinate people, it comes down to how you feel. The battle system for the most part is simple. Your press the attack button with whatever weapon you have equipped. If you want to cast a spell, you press the spell button, and then cast it. You also have HP, Mana points, and a stamina bar. Actions are decided based on how tired you are, whether you have the requirements to do it. The gameplay is simple, you can only truly dodge attacks based on how well you move the control stick. Most of the battles are based on how well you can hack and slash, but strategy is very important. The longer you train with a certain weapon or skill, you will gain skill points in that category. Eventually, once you gain 100 skill points, that skill will increase a level. Finally, once you gain so many levels in a certain amount of skills, your character will gain an actual level, and you can select five stats to increase.

Unlike traditional RPGs where the games relied on experience, Morrowind actually counts experience (and use of abilities) to your advantage. There are thousands of quests in Morrowind. The main quest is only one of the few, but it is the main quest any character should follow. You will get a true ending to the game this way (although you can keep playing after you beat the main quest). There are plenty of weapons in Morrowind. They can range anywhere from throwing knives to swords, axes, spears, poleaxes, and even staves. The quality of accessories increases as you face harder opponents, and/or find a secret item. There are tons of secret quests, places, and an insane amount of caves in Morrowind. There are also a decent amount of large-sized towns with your local shopkeepers, and fortresses. There is simply too much to go into detail on Morrowind - I'll let you explore the rest after you buy the game. By the way, single player mode in the only way to play, but you probably knew that by now.

Fun [8/10]
Since everything in Morrowind is similar to real-life, this also means you must travel by foot to reach most places. Traveling to a town or cave can take an hour or two in real-life. While this sounds downright boring, it isn't. There are plenty of enemy encounters along the way, and sometimes you'll find a side quest or two that will sidetrack you for a day or two. Remember, you're a human, you can go anywhere on the island of Morrowind. This is both good and bad since you can find a secret cave with some extremely powerful thugs. Maybe you'll find some lucky treasures, or go diving for some pearls. Either way, there are tons of things you can explore in the game. There are also ways to travel briefly, such as teleports and ''silt striders''. Some people may get annoyed at constant enemy encounters, or a very tough enemy, but for the most part, Morrowind is a unique experience.

Replayability [10/10]
I have never witnessed a game that has ever had as much depth, detail, and exploration capabilities that Morrowind has. It's simply impossible to match. There are over 3,000 NPCs. That's more computer generated characters than some towns in the world! There are hundreds of quests to keep you busy, items to plunder, and ways at training your character to become stronger. Maybe you want to become a devout monk, or dedicate yourself as a full-time assassin. Do what you want when you want to do it. You can sleep, eat foods/ingredients, or even do drugs (illegal substances hehe). This is the game when it comes to freedom as to what you can do. There's no other way of describing it.

Difficulty [8/10]
Unfortunately, Morrowind does have some downfalls that can challenge gamers early on. When you create a new character, often you'll go to places you shouldn't be at yet. If a level three main character wanders into a cave full of level fifteen characters, you're pretty much screwed. Wandering off without properly prepared can be the mistake that costs your life. Also, if you die, you can continue from the last save point. But this is really bad since the game has to reload your entire save file, and that takes about a minute. Some quests are too challenging for your character when he accepts the quest, and it could prove to be a depressing factor when you die. Morrowind is a very difficult game early on. The gamer has to be prepared to put a lot of time, patience, and fortitude before expecting to cast spells like there's no tomorrow. Once you gain a grip as to how the system works, and you master your character, the game becomes easier and easier as you progress.

Final Factor [9/10]
If you've been looking for a game to consume your life, then you've met your match. Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind is an absolute classic in its own state of mind. No other game that I've ever played has come remotely close to the expansion and things you can do in this game. Most RPGs nowadays are so focused on setting your destiny that most players get angry when they have to be the weak, cowardous hero. Now's your chance to prove them wrong when you decide your own destiny based on your own actions. This is one of the best RPGs available for the X-BOX, and a must-have game for any collection. Don't think like a pencil, this game is for more than just simple RPG fans. If you see it anywhere, buy it at all costs.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/19/03, Updated 07/19/03