The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind Game of the Year Edition

"Greatest RPG experience of my life...and the most free"

Introduction

The game Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind GOTY is a very peculiar game. It has all the elements of an RPG: a level up system, a D&D like damage system, magic, skills, etc., but it also has something virtually unknown to most RPGs: freedom.

Freedom :)

There is not a single thing in the entire game binding you to the main quest; absolutely every area (with the very, very small exception of two areas in the expansion packs) is available to you from the beginning (given that you can fight off the enemies, if any,) you have complete control of your character customization, from race, gender, name (which should be expected from almost any game) and all of your skills. Some of these skills themselves are almost revolutionary in terms of freedom, for there is alchemy (allowing you to make your own potions that can affect almost every aspect of your character, and these potions can become very, VERY potent if you get skilled enough,) enchantment (this amazingly free skill, once you get good enough, allows you to take weapons, armor, articles of clothing, etc., and add mystical properties to them that can drastically affect their effectiveness or imbue you with new found power.) There is also a skill which makes the conventional searching for keys to unlock doors that bar your way no longer necessary; why spend forever looking for some possibly non-existent key when you can simply pick it. It is possible to pick-lock any door (excepting one in one of the expansion packs,) thus leaving any and all treasure within your grasp. One of the most startling (and time-consuming) is the idea of factions. There are many factions that you can join and rise in rank (I can think of twelve factions you can join off the top of my head) and it can be quite rewarding. With rank comes privilege, and this axiom proves true here too. Everyone will like you a little bit more in your faction as you gain rank, and, if you gain sufficient rank, you will be almost worshipped by your underlings. MWAH HA HA! However, this freedom does have its limitations, which is why I had to dock a point from the score, for it is impossible (as should be expected, I suppose) to destroy objects (though you can kill NPCs and monsters) and you cannot actually "converse" with people (that would freakin' ROCK) as well as other limits which, though necessary, are quite sad.

Graphics

I have heard that the graphics for this game are very inferior to that of the computer, but I was still awe struck the first time I went out and watched the rain fall upon the sea. It was the most realistic thing I have ever seen on a video game. Also, the sceneries are simply beautiful, and in some cases almost terrifying (I wouldn't much care to walk through the ash storm stricken plains of Red Mountain in real life.) The appearance of the actual characters themselves is amazing at first, but loses its luster after a while, and thats when you begin to notice some of the glitchey effects. Perhaps the most noticeable is that of the shadows. Yes, the game does have shadows, but they typically defy the laws of physics and usually take away from the realism. An example of this is, in one of the Imperial Legion forts scattered throughout Morrowind, a legionnaire will be pacing to and fro on the second story while, you, being on the ground floor, are bewildered at the strange shadow moving back and forth along the floor. That is the fatal flaw of the shadows, for they simply cannot work in the 3-D world.

Sound Effects/Music

Alright, I'll be quite honest here. The game has two pieces of music, and two only. The first is the introductory theme, which is also the standard overworld theme, and the battle music, which, though stirring the first few times you hear it, does get old after a while. The sound effects, however, are all very realistic, when your shield contacts someone else's sword, it sounds exactly as it should; when your character is struck by an enemy he (or she as it may turn out) lets out a howl of pain.

Replayability

Do I really have to answer this? I certainly hope not. With so much possible customization, you haven't even PLAYED the game if you don't have multiple characters. Honestly, the back of the game case does not lie. This game definitely has the capability of 100+ hours of fun, and in my case multiple 100's.

Story

The story of this game is very deep and intertwining, but also very difficult to understand without the many, many in-game books describing the history of the country. I am not going to spoil any part of this game's storyline, so this section won't last much longer. Let it suffice to say, you'll be doing a LOT of reading.

Final Statement

If you like customizable RPGs with fairly straightforward combat, then you MUST BUY THIS GAME. However, if you are not totally comfortable with RPGs (or the idea of a huge world to explore) than I suggest renting this game, though you cannot possibly experience even a fraction of the game in a mere five days.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 02/23/06