The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind Game of the Year Edition Reviews

• Quite Possibly THE most Fantastic CRPG Ever!

  
  By A11IDX2W2GVVS2 on 2004-06-28
  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.
  
  

• A Look at the Strategy Guide

  
  By A1M4NJYP0WNL8Q on 2004-01-29
  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.
  
  

• Fun at the start...

  
  By A2GR5G1WQ6EWRZ on 2004-03-31
  This is a decent game. It's not a perfect game, as some of the other reviews might lead you to believe, but it is not bad. At the beginning, you've got seemingly endless choices -- 10 different races, 27 skills, 21 classes, and a dozen groups you can join. Unfortunately, all these different paths eventually lead to the same road. Morrowind will give you the illusion of freedom, at least for a while.

  The graphics are great, and the first person aspect really helps you become immersed in the game. The music is also quite good, but it would have been nice if there were more of it. The main story of the game is interesting, but not particularly compelling.

  The scope of the game is really impressive. Both the setting and the culture built into the game are incredibly expansive. Morrowind has dozens of towns to visit and probably hundreds of caves, ruins, and tombs to explore. The history of Morrowind is not explained through the manual, but instead through books you can find or buy in the game. There are books that have absolutely nothing to do with finishing the game and which only serve to expand on the history and culture of Morrowind.

  Morrowind begins with the illusion of freedom. You can follow the main story, go on missions for various groups, or just adventure on your own. This freedom is fun until you realize that all the missions are pretty much the same -- either kill something or find something. You can advance to the top of the fighter's guild or don't -- it doesn't really matter, because it won't affect anything else in the game. The different paths are all very isolated. At first the missions are fun in themselves, but eventually they become tedious, and you begin to ask yourself what's the point? You can adventure on your own in search of treasure, but eventually, you'll have all the best armor and weapons. And this is the main problem with the game. At some point (usually about halfway through the main story) you'll have everything you want for your character, all the money you'll ever need, and stats high enough to kill anything in the game. Obviously, at some point, there has to be an end to the growth of your character, but this comes far too quickly. You'll realize that for all the freedom you seemed to have, your character is exactly the same as every other character you could have played. You may have started as an assassin who relies on sneaking in the shadows, but you'll end up with a generic character who can just as easily run up and hack your way through anything -- I did.

  The fact that the game is so massive leads to a generic feel in many areas. Many of the characters say exactly the same thing, making dialogue boring. Since there are so many different dungeons, they all tend to be fairly small and pretty much the same. The missions tend to lack creativity and become tedious.

  For a game that attempts to give the player as much freedom as possible, there really aren't very many meaningful choices. You can choose to do whatever you want, but it's rarely ambiguous what you're meant to do. Can this character be trusted? You'll never have to decide, because it will be spelled out for you.

  While this game is a technical success, I believe it lacks in gameplay. It has a high replay value in that you'll probably start several characters before you ever actually finish the game. It's absolutely massive in scope with literally months worth of things to do, but unfortunately, these things tend to get repetitive long before you complete half of them. It's entirely possible that Morrowind is worth buying because of the fun you'll have at the start, but just don't expect perfection.
  
  

• The Most Amazing RPG World Ever

  
  By A1R3VYK82AKFR8 on 2003-11-06
  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!
  
  

• Don't Hesitate

  
  By A1YEPFLLH42OU1 on 2003-12-31
  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 gigantic- Morrowind 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 fit- and 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 factions- all with unique missions and rewards.

  Morrowind's graphics are awesome- the 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 has- there 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 order- a 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 games- especially other RPGs- will 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 game- and 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 here- this 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 box- this, 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.
  
  

• Even more info
  By A3L3XRJ1UV1620 on 2004-03-08
  Reviewing the other reviews, it sums things up pretty well I think for this game. It's definately not a game for everyone, which is true for just about any game. If you expect it to be the same as other RPGs out there you've played, that's probably going to set you up for disappointment. It's not like other RPGs out there. Most RPGs are heavily story oriented and as a result, are very linear. Morrowind also has story, and the story is quite linear as well, however where Morrowind really shines is I think is when you get away from that. It's also an extremely open-ended game. You can just ignore the main story-line and go wondering off to do your own thing. The game becomes more of a fantasy world simulation then, and this is what tends to appeal to the gamers who love this game. If that doesn't really appeal you, then you may want to pass on this game. In other words, this game is for you if you want to be in control, rather than the story-line. Maybe the best way to decide this is to consider how important the story is to games you play. If you think story is very important, you're probably a story oriented gamer. For myself personally, I prefer to watch a movie when I want story, and play games to have more control over things. Hope that helps you decide if this game is a good match for you.

  I also wanted to point out the huge mod community that exist around this game. People often complain about aspects of this game (NPCs look terrible, gets too easy later on, going up in levels occurs too quickly, etc). Some of these people do something about it too, though, so mods are available to address these complains. So that's something to factor into your decision as well. The amount of mods out there are very impressive, and the mod community is still going very strong.
  
  

• Morrowind - is it worth it?
  By A7P121OJHHBMG on 2005-08-02
  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 hand- DOH!!!) 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.
  
  
• A Giant in RPG: A Must Own Game
  By A3M2O06MCHJG18 on 2004-10-07
  I purchased Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind (GOTY Edition) in early May of 2004, looking for an adventure game to provide me with some escapism, and also wanting to have a game to test drive a brand new, high-end lap top on. It is now October, and I have been playing the same game ever since. I have only recently completed the last of "the major" quests in the game, and even now I am enjoying the process of finishing up the minor quests... and I'm finding little things I've missed along the way.
  
  From the beginning, I was captivated with the 3-D universe of the game, the graphics, and gameplay. The size of the navigable world presented in this game is titanic. I still have not traversed every path in this game, and I am absolutely certain that I will find new tombs, ruins, and more before I move on to a new game.
  
  There are mountainous regions to explore, wastelands, forested plains, coastal regions, underwater expanses, large cities, small towns, hamlets. And there alot of animals and creatures, from mudcrabs to vampires to Golden Saints, who don't like you roaming around on their turf!
  
  The storyline behind the main quest, which I will not give away, was simply great theatre. I was genuinely surprised by some of the extraordinarily creative twists and turns.
  
  The character creation process was very inventive, enjoyable, and gave me several options. The begining of the game contained a very informative, interactive tutorial, which was just right in size and explanation. The booklet that came with the game was great; it didn't answer all my questions, but then again, I'm glad it didn't. Things I discovered about the game on my own were revelations!
  
  Little things: The ability to create my own potions and magical objects was a lot of fun, and something unexpected going into the gameplay experience. When I figured out how to make an enchanted object, for example, I did what just about any RPG warrior would do: I created swords with terrible powers, and clothing that boosted my character's strength to Godlike status. But the best objects I created were those that helped me levitate over large mountains and navigate underwater without drowning. The abilities to create potions and magical objects might seem trivial, but what it does to the experience is magnificent... it gives a character freedom. It isn't scripted by a writer... the writers and programmers have given the person playing the game the ability to go where they want, do what they want, and make things they want. It's not always an A, B, or C choice. Often, the player creates the rest of the alphabet to choose from.
  
  Very very few downfalls to speak of, and perhaps they are only matters of taste. I wish there were a wider variety of creatures to battle against... and stronger ones toward the latter stages of the game. And there perhaps could have been a better melee combat interface... most of the time, I hacked and slashed using just one button and the mouse.
  
  But these things are truly minor. Compared to other games I've played in the past, this game is galactic in realm. Fun. Challenging, deep, beautiful.
  
  I have yet to attempt anything with the accompanying scenario creator, which I am anxious to try. Evidently, I have the ability to create my own world if I want to, and give it to others who have the game to try. I look forward to investigating it... as soon as I feel I am done with the Morrowind I am fet to complete, I will!
  
  
• Maybe the Best RPG Since Baldur's Gate 2
  By A8DJ4WKJJ8T4J on 2004-01-11
  What can I say about The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind? Well, I don't know if I've ever played a stand-alone game (i.e. not an MMORPG) that made me want to explore such a vast beautifully rendered fantasy world. Morrowind is one of those games that you'll never fully appreciate if you don't have a top of the line video card, a large monitor and some nice speakers or headphones. It truly does capture your imagination and throw you head first into the world you're exploring. It's also one of the least linear RPG's I've ever played. There were hundreds of quests and I didn't have to do anything in a specific order. I could become a dastardly criminal, a chivalrous knight, and then suddenly change my occupation to a mysterious mage. Except for a few game essential characters, I could kill anyone and steal anything. Not that I wanted to, but that's just to give you an idea of how much is possible in this game. If I could compare Morrowind to anything it would be an offline version of Everquest because the vast amounts of land and people in this game almost feel like an MMORPG. Morrowind has it's own system of rules and leveling and that would be one of my few complaints, leveling is too darn easy in this game. It's very easy to obtain a "god level" in no time at all. Also, while there are hundreds and hundreds of quests and NPC's, sometimes there isn't enough variety to keep your interest. But the Game of the Year edition comes with both expansions so that should help ease some of the problems that inflicted gamers who only played the original game. The first expansion, Tribunal, takes place in a large city and is heavy on NPC interaction while the other expansion, Bloodmoon, gives you another world to explore that focuses on werewolves. Morrowind is one of those love-hate games. Gamers either love it to the end or end up hating it for some of the reasons I mentioned above. Whatever your final opinion of the game is, you will definitely be hooked for at least two or three weeks. Morrowind is a truly ambitious RPG and brings new life to this once popular but declining genre.
  
  
• Not for everyone.
  By on 2004-06-22
  I love RPGs, both PC and console. I've played the big names, and whichever of the little ones I could find. So, of course, I tried Morrowind. To be honest, most people either love or hate this game. I can see where the love comes from - Morrowind is a party of aesthetic goodness. It boasts a gigantic world where freedom reigns. It also has a great community backing it up with fantastic unofficial add-ons. However, I can also see where the hate comes from. I do lean to that side after all. The combat and magic systems are terrible. The NPCs are lifeless and their dialogue equally drab. With freedom comes a feeling of aimlessness.

  Don't get too caught up in the "Game of the Year" title, or rave reviews - bad reviews neither. If you get the chance, try the game first. That's the only way you'll know where you stand. Keep an open mind, but don't think that you have to like it.
  
  

• The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind GotY Edition
  By on 2003-10-31
  What can be said... This version of the popular, addicting, and vast game is, at this moment, the very best. It contain The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind, Tribunal, and Bloodmoon. Yes this game has the first and both expansions! Not only is the game addictive and beautiful, but it is also one of the few games that has mods well worth using, some being the Stargate Mod, the Skooma Addiction mod, and of course, the Private Mobile Base mod. Download those as soon as you get this game, they are the very best! With this version of the game, not only are all of the bugs pretty much weeded out, but the major glitchs that were extremely annoying are also gone with the wind. This game deserves the 5 out of 5 I gave it, simple as that. I hope you enjoy this game as much as the other thousands of players out there!
  
  
• Good gameplay, but lacks life
  By A9KDAGCZ197UO on 2005-02-21
  I know this review will probably only be found helpful by about two people out of two hundred, but in my opinion, Morrowind isn't all it's cracked up to be.
  
  To me, an enjoyable RPG has to have a lavishly detailed, continuous world; an innovative and nonlinear storyline that includes lots of side quests; a variety of characters and monsters to encounter; and of course, a good skill and leveling system.
  
  Morrowind falls sadly short of my expectations in one way: the game doesn't feel...alive. It actually feels more like a Windows productivity app than a good-old-fashioned RPG, especially with all the mouse-clicking for inventory commands. Also, the speech system was efficient, but I felt like I was talking to...well, a computer, actually - who was instantly spitting out strings of information. This is mostly due to the fact that no time at all is taken for NPCs to speak. Whatever they say is instantly added to a little speech text box on the screen.
  
  But UI gripes aside, the game world itself felt artificial and lifeless. Try playing Gothic II for an hour or two and then switching to Morrowind. You'll see exactly what I mean.
  
  I'm sorry, Morrowind die-hards, but I must recommend Gothic II over Morrowind. One hour of Gothic II is more fulfilling than one day of Morrowind adventuring.
  
  
• Old, boring, dumb
  By A8SPPHKETDZ41 on 2005-08-27
  Why a 1?
  
  a) The game is devoid of fun.
  b) You move about as fast as a crippled snail, even when running.
  c) The NPC's "talk" after you have concluded your text-based talking.
  d) The graphics may have been good about 5 years ago but they are just muddy and dull now.
  e) The game is open ended but as a result there is nothing really to do, and the land is so barren that you just get incredibly bored very fast.
  
  I now know why there is no demo for this game, if there were no one would buy it.
  
  BTW, some have argued that the "slowness factor" is a graphic/system problem but it is not. Your "character" simply is exceedingly slow, there is little jaggies or system level slowness. If you have played something like everquest or WoW, think of it like this; running in Morrowind is at the speed of walking in those games, and walking in Morrowind is about half that speed.
  
  Also, the "since of wonder" at seeing stars is old, been done everywhere and doesn't impress. Walking down a road and seeing a door stuck in the side of a mountain means "dungeon" in morrowind...there is no since of wander, the dungeons are doors in the side of a mountain.
  
  finally, if you want to buy this thing go ahead, clearly it appeals to some people. I rate it as one of the worst games I've ever spent money on and furthers my belief that if a game doesn't over a demo then there is some reason they are hiding it until after you make the purchase.
  
  
• If your imagination can take the place of consequences for your actions, then until 2006 this was the ultimate roleplaying game.
  By AUERKXWCV3BE4 on 2006-07-02
  You are a prisoner. For some reason, the Emperor of Tamriel - the mythical land in which all Elder Scrolls games take place - has deemed that you should be released from the Imperial city, and taken to the land of the Dark Elves: Morrowind. When the game begins, you are released from a prison ship on the massive island on which the game takes place, Vvardenfell. Vvardenfell is a district of the province of Morrowind. If you follow the main quest, you will discover that the reason for your release is more profound than you may have thought initially. Of course, whether you ever even do the main quest is entirely up to you, which is one of the great things about Elder Scrolls games.
  
  So, why were you imprisoned to begin with? What crimes you committed or whether you were falsely accused is to be decided in one place and one place only: your imagination. This is important, because it introduces you to Morrowind's greatest strength and weakness - its reliance on your imagination. Morrowind requires a good bit of imagination in order to both understand its complexities and subtleties, and enjoy its frequent lack of substantive ramifications following your actions. It isn't quite the "living breathing world" Bethesda probably intended (and which they finally succeeded in creating with Oblivion, which - if you like Morrowind - you should definitely play.) Morrowind has three things going for it.
  
  1) It's enormous to a degree you've never seen in a game, and probably even bigger than you're imagining before playing it.
  2) It allows you to do almost anything you want, go wherever you want, and be any sort of character you want.
  3) It offers a rich cultural back-story and depth that is not unlike the meticulous lengths Tolkien went to in crafting the history, races, and minutia of Middle Earth in his Lord of the Rings saga and related materials; there are religions, races, regions, local flora and fauna, competing factions and centers of power, and an ancient history stretching back for thousands of years (all of which, incidentally, is chronicled in the literally hundreds of readable books found throughout the game - all of which are optional, but there if you want to check them out.)
  
  It has several weaknesses, however.
  
  1) Its enormity can sometimes be daunting, especially when you simply want to get where you're going and can't find your way.
  2) While you can go anywhere and do anything and be anyone you want, nothing really changes in the world around you as a result (this is a shortcoming Oblivion resolved by giving the world more lifelike characters who remember how you've behaved around them in the past, and branching story paths similar to those in KOTOR.) You simply get rewarded with money, special items you can't get anywhere else, or more of the story (all of which is conveyed via text only) when you make a decision. Once again, your imagination is key, because the motivations and ramifications (beyond your reward and allegiances forged in the process) exist only in your mind.
  3) Despite its genuinely impressive depth and richness, its fine points are conveyed through long-winded, encyclopedically clinical dialogue that exists purely in the form of text on the screen. Combined with the limited movement - all of which is entirely scripted - of the people who inhabit the world, this makes them seem pretty boring, redundant, and lifeless for the most part. They are basically gruff, seemingly listless cardboard cutouts masquerading as people, and they often repeat dialogue other characters have already shared with you. What is there, however, is extremely interesting and can even be engrossing if you (once again) use your imagination to breathe life into the otherwise lifeless text.
  4) The game can often seem perplexing or seem bugged because locations, people, or items that should be present and are required to complete certain quests often seem like they aren't simply due to the enormous scope and complexity of the game. It can take ages sometimes to find someone or something, and this can make the game quite frustrating. It doesn't help that in two or three instances (though in a game this massive, the fact that there aren't more examples is impressive) actual bugs are the cause of the inexplicable issues.
  5) You really have to breathe life into your character by role-playing. This is a true role-playing game, not just a fun romp that calls itself one. You have to envision the character you want to be in your mind, and then stay in character in the game. Most games impose restrictions, making you stay in character for the sake of consistency. But Morrowind doesn't. It allows you to do whatever you want. On the surface, and on the whole, that's a good thing. The problem is, if you are a knight that uses heavy armor and carries an axe, you are given the option to stray totally out of character because of that freedom. You can ditch your heavy armor, take up medium or light armor, and use a bow and arrow instead. This has the effect of making your character's class seem irrelevant, save for added convenience of your class skills leveling up more easily and being easier to use than those outside of your class. You have to avoid the temptation to go out of character if you hope to enjoy the game. Stay in character, and make decisions not as YOU would, but as the CHARACTER would. This is what "role-playing" actually means, and the Elder Scrolls series is a true example of an RPG. If you create boundaries for yourself (for instance: a character who only relies on magic because of some inate trait you come up with for them, or because they simply detest melee weapons as a quirk of their personality) and stay within them, the game is much more fun than it is when you just do whatever you please, totally disregarding your character's class. On the plus side, while there are numerous pre-made character classes, you can combine any of the game's 21 skills and attributes to create (and even name!) your own character class. When added to race and gender, as well as options for face as well as hairstyle (independent of one another) this makes for (not an exaggeration!) more than one million possible character variations. Ultimately though, regardless of the combo you choose, you will essentially be playing a stealthy thief or assassin type character, a magic-heavy wizard or mage, or a brawny warrior that uses armor and melee weapons. Everything else is just grey areas between the three.
  
  THE TAKE HOME POINT OF ALL THE ABOVE FACTS IS: In order to really get into it, and "feel" like you're living another life in another world, you must overlook the above shortcomings, and use your imagination. See in your head the emotions and personalities of the people, as you would when reading a book. Do this from the outset, be very patient, don't rush, and you will enjoy the game - I guarantee it. Bethesda liked to say, "This is a thinking person's game, and doesn't hold your hand with video sequences or well-acted narratives." Personally, I think it surely could have done with SOME at least lol. They add drama, as they did in KOTOR. Nonetheless, what they said is true. Think, imagine, be creative, and you'll have fun.
  
  
• The game grows on you steadily
  By A324507DQU0XOI on 2004-07-27
  When i first purchased morrowind, i had JUST built my first computer, and figured that my onboard video would be enough to handle this game. LOL was i wrong, and since i was having so much... er of a slow time playing it, i shelved it... until i had completely forgotten i bought it altogether. well, down the road, i bought a vert nice video card, and was goin through some games and i picked up Morrowind again, completely astonished that i had forgotten of its existence in my house. Boy oh boy, what an overwhelming feeling it is when you get started, and have not a CLUE as to what the hell you are supposed to do, of course, this is a GOOD feeling ^_^. You immediately are swathed in the games... how to say... Openness, and it gives you this feeling of adventure that you perhaps had not felt before. So you continue on roaming around, perhaps attempting to be sneaky and be a thief, mashing the quicksave before each attempt lol, and then you make your way over to the big bug called a silt strider, and plop on over to balmora by chance. Perhaps then it is when you find that you should maybe partake in the story a little. So you venture to find Mr Cosades and when you do, you go through your little sequence of events and when you are done talking to him, you embark outside the city walls. At your first siting of an enemy, you may be a little overwhelmed with the, WHAT? why am i not HITTING this thing? Relax, relax, it takes time and effort to build these things up. Weapon skill builds up with useage, and each time you hit an enemey, the skill meter bumps up a bit, the more you use it, the easier time you will have with an enemy. No worries folks, it is quicker than you might think. Then you wonder how exactly you level up? Well, to be of some service and save you the effort, you might notice that each time you level a major or minor skill, your level meter goes up by 1/10. you are thinking, wow, that is a cool way to level up! so of course, you figure it out, after your first three levels, leveling is a Cinch, and of course, you keep on embarking... now you may or may not find that embarking on the main quest is HARD without a strategy guide, well, in my opinion, it is VERY hard to do so... but, not impossible. There is SO much in the world of morrowind to see. The world is enourmous, and you can quite literally do anything you please. Walk, run, steal, kill, travel, fly, ANYTHING. you dont like the price that person is trying to sell something to you for? why... if you are brutish, just kill him/her and loot the fort lol, but beware, as the law system in morrowind is very unforgiving... you will find yourself sneaking around quite avidly if you pull off too many stunts like that. There is a small secret that perhaps will aid the beginner, upon your arrival in Balmora, seek out the weapon shop owner, Tal Virr or something, he is a Kajiit salesmen. Upon entering you will notice that he has stacks of gold sitting right next to him. well, simply steal ONE piece of gold, and the Kajiit will come after you, be ready to fight! You can as a level 1 character take him out, but it is difficult, remember to save beforehand. When he is dead, drop all your stolen loot, and run outside, pay the guards 1 gold, and run back. Congrats, not only do you have a place to stay, and put all your belongings, but you have an assortment of goods to keep, or sell for gold :)
  In any case, try Morrowind out, it is a deeply enthralling experience and is very much worth the money to try it. I do recommend both PC and XBOX versions, but make sure you use the patch for pc and have a powerful enough system to run the game ok. Have fun!
  and a little PS, once you obtain a place of residence, it is very fun decorating your house, quite fun.
  
  
  
• Overwhelming
  By A3OFCP5DTLDG6Y on 2006-08-14
  
  The game is buggy, I've fallen through floors, been stuck waist deep in floors, and have been frozen in battle from surprise attacks (especially when I'm close, too close, to the target).
  
  I changed the 'player controls' in "options" menu before I started the game. Because of that, I lost two very important character attribute menus. Setting the 'controls' back to default had no effect. I wasn't able to access them until I uninstalled and reinstalled the game. After waiting for the game to initialize the controls through its "tutorial", I could then assign controls and menus to the keys of my choice without losing menus or other functions. With a P4 at 3.2 Ghz, 1.5 GB RAM, Toshiba Super multi-drive, 64 MB Nvidia GeForce FX Go5200 Video card, and only 23 GB of my 1 month old 80 GB hard drive, I don't think it is my equipment even though its dated.
  
  Yet, another bone to pick with the game is the endless, repetitive reading of NPC or supporting character advice and responses. Its mostly the same spiel over and over and over and over, with a tidbit here and there that will update your map or journal. So the player (me or maybe you) is pretty much stuck, in the beginning (which is about the first 60 hours of play) reading this not very clear print, with the exact same content again and again and again. Another problem, the characters don't speak, except for "Keep Moving". Its point and click dialogue reading and reading and reading and reading, even when we are being attacked.
  
  There is a lot wrong with this game, yet it is addicting. Why? I don't know...because if I read about the geography Morrowind ... one more time!!!!!
  
  For those of you who are familiar with the game, and understand what I am talking about, but who also can't stop playing the game...there is a 7 and 1/2 minute speedrun of Morrowind on CNET's Gamespot (Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind PC > Videos > User Videos), while the resolution leaves something to be desired, its a hoot to watch. (Amazon you provide links to CNET and CNET"s Gamespot all the time for computer related reviews. Give me a break.)
  
  Part of the attraction might be the open ended play. Marching around endlessly in this fantastic world, even though muted and a bit glum, is addicting. World of Warcraft players probably won't be impressed because of the dull grim color combinations. Yet it is a fantastic and an ingenious and an inventive and a surprising game.
  
  The game is very complicated...as I said I can't remember what attributes I chose to help me level up faster, but they are complex and are character expensive. They charge your creation mucho dinero to become an accomplished foe to the evil forces of Morrowind, so if you are not wandering around stealing (which the game encourages you to do) you are forever reading the history of Morrowind waiting for the mushrooms and plants to grow back to gather and barter.
  
  If you want to give this game a go, there is a PDF, 328 page, free game guide at CNET's GAMESPOT (called of all things):
  
  "Gamespot's Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind Game Guide"
  
  Struggle with the game enough to grasp what the game guide is refering to. The guide won't play the game for you. However, it has invaluable hot tips that make this very complex game more playable, and therefore more enjoyable.
  
  EX. Hot Tip: You don't have to carry around all your stuff all the time. You can drop it even in an open area and it won't be disturbed. However, if you store your stuff in a container where objects are replenished, the game will lose the contents of your belongings when the containers objects are updated.
  
  Morrowind is a big bang for your buck and it is an endless, single player game that literally possibly might never end. This edition comes with the two expansion packs, Blood Moon and Tribunal, not to mention the construction set. Add the numerous Mods available and this game will keep anyone who attempts it very busy for a long, long, long time. As a matter of fact, it is so big and multifaceted, it does become overwhelming. **** Read "Comment" to my review...The Mods are fantastico!****
  
  
• Quite possibly the best RPG ever.
  By A2IW9OB9ONCXQQ on 2004-08-20
  I have been a fan of RPG's for a long time, and thus I spent quite a while looking for the perfect one. As soon as I found morrowind my search ended. It had everything I hoped for, no limits or restrictions on where you can go or what you can do. There isn't the "if you level up in this skill you level down in this skill" system that quite a few other rpgs have. Crime systems are realistic, and you can even enchant your weapons, brew potions, and create new spells. The controls are no where near as hard or complex as some other reviewers have been saying either.
  
  I had more fun playing the main story line than I ever had in any other game. But by no means are you required to complete the main story line, you can do whatever you want, including slaying the village peasents, but don't count on getting away with it! Every town has guards that will arrest you if you commit a crime. You don't have to go quietly though, you can always resist arrest and fight the guards instead. If you're a big enough bad guy you might even get a death warrant!
  
  It is clear that an amazing amount of effort went into the design of the world, the creatures, and the culture. There are whole religions thouroughly thought through, a complex government system, and you wont find any of the boring old traditional dragons, unicorns, or faeries in morrowind as the game has hundreds of it's own original monsters roaming the land (pesky cliff racers!)
  
  And better yet, you can open up the Elder scrolls construction set and modify any aspect of the game you wish. You could create another continent if you wanted to! And many web sites offer "mod databases" where you can download the wonders that other players have created using the construction set.
  
  Just remember to pay attention to the ESBR rating. This game is not by any means for children, trust me.
  
  The game goes on, highly recommended by me and many others.
  
  
• Half-and-half
  By ALR819EYYWX06 on 2005-05-03
  I've played almost all the TES games over the years, and finally ended up picking this up. Each time I walk away from these games with a little bit of dissatisfaction. I'm no stranger to RPGs, having been playing since the original Bard's Tale on the Commodore 64, but over the years, nothing can beat the Might & Magic series. Now, considering the raves this particular game received, if I haven't pissed you off already, read on :)
  
  The gameworld is awesome. It's huge. You can find all sorts of stuff to do, and the plot is fairly open-ended. Those are trademarks of TES games.
  
  Graphics are well-done. The music is OK, and sound effects are nice, especially in stereo.
  
  There is a However.
  
  Combat sucks. It seems to be grossly hack-n-slash. I normally like those kinda games, but the combat system here is just pitiful. Madly clicking on the mouse while trying to keep the enemy in target, all in game-time. No turn-by-turn. No real time to develop strat once the combat begins.
  
  Inventory management is cumbersome. Click here, click there. It's easy to manage, but there are seemingly no keyboard shortcuts, everything is purely mouse-driven.
  
  Skills are use-based improvements. As you use any skill, you'll eventually imp. So if you spend 15 minutes selling a worthless item, and buying it back, you'll imp up the necessary mercantile skills. Same for communication, just spend 30 minutes admiring someone. Such systems are easily exploitable. Search the web for a 14-minute TES:Morrowind solution.
  
  NPC intereaction is distance-triggered. If within a few feet of almost any NPC, you'll trigger their dialogue and they'll start talking to you. It can get annoying.
  
  Quest management is non-existant. To review your quests, open or closed, you need to open a journal which stores events in chronological order, and page back and forth between entries. A lot of gamers often receive quests which are too high for them at the moment, move on to gain levels, and return later on. By this time, you've got several journal entries cluttering things up, so you need to thumb around the journal to find them.
  
  There is no way to keep in-game notes, so if I get a quest which involves 5 NPC's, I need to physically write down their on a notepad.
  
  They (BethSoft) also have some strange engine which gives me motionsickness after a few minutes. I don't have this problem with any other 1st person perspective game. Something odd about this particular engine. For instance, I can play UT2004 with no problem, and that game moves a lot faster than this one.
  
  
• Morrowind Forever
  By A1ILEVGCZXRTC7 on 2005-08-31
  I've been playing this game for quite a time now and decided to hop on and see what the Amazonites are saying about it: suffice to say pretty good overall but the negative / "okay" reviews are a little absurd... Nothing against any in particular but I have a few things to say regarding those reviews:
  
  Graphics and sound are exceptional... As mentioned there are times when I forget its a computer world... Look up at the stars and see constellations with clouds dancing in front of them and tell me that's not exceptional - I dare you! Hearing footfalls, animals digging, bugs buzzing, and other environmental noises is marvelous. Experience it and don't compare it to other things...
  
  Gameplay is wonderful... All you need is a sense of adventure and curiosity and you're good for years of gameplay in this world... The controls are very simple... Some have complained that they are hard to understand: ummmmm... point and click, press a few keys to move... What's the problem? If you can't stand using two hands at once I have genuine pity for you... The controls are easy and once you understand the layout of the game's interface it's a breeze: easily memorized...
  
  There are other aspects such as the storyline, the interaction of characters, and so forth that would be insane to try and summarize... The world was designed for you to be part of and explore: it's not perfect but neither is ours! Get into the story, get into your character, and have fun! Explore everything, don't be afraid to run, and try lots of new things!
  The game has so much to offer and at the price it is now for the Game of the Year edition why pass up a potentially limitless gameplaying experience???
  
  Performance is great... You should have a strong PC setup, however... I have all graphics settings cranked up with a resolution of 1024x768 and 32 bit colors but I'm running a 128mb AGP 8x card with 512mb DDRam... Make sure if you want solid performance in this game you have some good hardware (should comfortable exceed the game requirements)...
  
  The only conceivable point I have to say is the learning curve for someone unfamiliar with this game is huge: but I picked up it pretty quick when I first played it (and I haven't played the other Elder Scrolls games before) so that's not really an excuse in and of itself... Just have some patience, practice the controls and you'll find yourself in your character's shoes in no time...
  
  ... The game has its obvious quirks and deficiencies: but its not right to even call them problems - what game doesn't have something that somebody will complain about? There is no perfect game so evaluate a game for what it has not what it lacks (is that the glass half full argument?)...
  
  So sheath your sword, load your quiver, and get out there and slay some beasts and plunder their treasure!
  
  
• Deepest and broadest RPG ever
  By A33ANDXPL6C8R9 on 2005-09-06
  This is an unusual RPG. It goes to all the trouble of making this ENORMOUS, gloriously deep world with its own politics, religion, aesthetics, mythology, even literature; it makes this multitude of engrossing characters and factions; it creates these vistas of sublime beauty for you to traverse through as you undertake these elaborate quests and the deeply powerful storyline... And then, it puts it up to YOU to decide if you want to do ANY of it. For all the makers cared you could be a grave robber, a clam diver, a Legionnaire, a thief, an assassin.. And they took great pains to ensure that if you did choose to be any of these, you were gonna have a heck of a time doing it. This game is so open-ended it just defies all explanation. It's deep, it's beautiful, it's mature, it's creepy, it's hilarious, it's awe-inspiring... It's like a life outside the real world. And don't get me started on the mod community; anything Bethesda didn't think of, they did.
  
  
• Morrowind, an alternitive to MMORPG's...
  By A1JLOKOT3K88QM on 2005-11-24
  The first note I must make is that I have nothing against MMORPG's, the companies that produce and maintain them, or anyone who uses them. The reason I titled this review that way is that Morrowind for the PC and Xbox has a world with the size and complexity of an MMORPG, without any of the human interaction.
  
  I will the pros and cons by catagory.
  
  #1: Graphics
  One of the first things on a players mind. Like the tipe face on a book is to a reader, the graphics in any given game are the first thing to be seen (other than the main menu) and, therefore, that must come first in any review of the game.
  Morrowind was the first game in the Elder scrolls series to use rendering effects, and only in one place, the water. These effect do a lot to make the game beleveable to one's eye and to immerse you into the game. Now, even for the time, the graphics were a little below par, but taken with the enormous size of the game, this can be justified. The one thing that shines very brightly about this game's grafics are the skies. The sky in the day time cam be anywhere from majestic vista's of clouds that make you want to fly amongst them, to moody rainclouds. At night, the stars are vivid and clear in the sky. There are even constellations to be picked out (even a in-game book of the various constellations) Look straight above and you see two large planets, one red one silver. This gives you the distinct immpression that you are definately in another world. Other than that, there is little more to say about the game's graphics engine, other than to say that the textures are crisp and the game definately has its own visual stlye (Angular and crisp), and that the game is 3D 1rst person/3rd person style.
  #2: Sound.
  Starting at the music, the game's sound in definately top-notch.
  Each individual track was composed and directed by Jeremy Seoule (Now famous for his work on the Harry Potter films). The theme is dazzleing and epic (The morrowind Title, along with 20 other pieces of video-game music are in the PLAY orchestra's play list, sheduled to tour the northern united states in 2006)
  Every creature's call and pain+death sounds are unique (Loud squealing from Kwama foragers {Little worms} to the Silt striders, who's call sounds like whale song) and the voice acting is top-notch (Voice cast includes Linda Carter, former Wonder-Woman). Every race has its own vocal feel to it (From the nords, loud and verboise; To the Dunmer {Dark elves} Low and gutteral). Metal boots sound different than leather boots, and all of the weapons sound different. The only problem is that the noises of combat will start to get tiresome after a while.
  #3: Performance
  This is the only downfall of morrowind. In today's world of 3 GHZ prosessors and the Radion X1800, the system requirements are no longer a great difficulty. The game still has a myriad of difficulties from graphics glitches to complete game crashes mid-gameplay. The only solution to many of these problems is, unfortuatly, to save, save, save! With a good post-pentium II computer, ample RAM, patience, and a little luck Morrowind should run okeydokey.
  #4: Gameplay.
  From the start, the gameplay is what sets morrowind apart from most other RPG's. From the start, you to not choose what 'class' you are from a short list. You choose ten skills that you are very good at (Major skills), and ten that you are not so good at (Minor skills) The rest are put into 'micellanious' skills. This allows to to, essentially, create your own class. You can also pick your class from a list, or go through a set of questions that determines the best class for you, based on the answers to those questions. You can always make your own class, but sometimes it's fun just to go as "Battlemage". The use of the 'Skill' system over the 'class' system means that any charicter can get good at anything. A mage can learn to use a sword, a knight can cast bolts of lightning to fry his opponent. Also, skills are upgraded as they are used, which means the only way to get better at useing a short sword is to actually use a short sword. This system is Infiniely more versitle and beleveable than baldur's gate's "Pick your weapon skills, and no, no one can use magic but a mage and mages cannot be good at swordplay!" Gandalf cannot exist in the world of D&D, but in Morrowind, Gandalf not only flourshes, but kicks butt. As well as skills, you pick your face, whether you are male of female, your race (From human to Orc to Cat-man to Lizard-man!) and even your astriological system (Remeber those constilations up in the sky?). In the game world, combat feels good, and magic looks good.
  In the game world, there are over 2,500 NPC's living in the world. This is a huge number, one that no other game can attest to (Baldur's gate, again for instance, has perhaps 300 through the course of the game, and many were simply 'Comminer' or 'child', each NPC in morrowind has his or her own name and skills). Where Morrowind is strong in numbers, however, it lacks in individuallity. The NPC's while they all look pretty much different from each other, have pretty much the same diolouge. Other than unique caricters, most NPC's will have the same list of toplics (some are slightly different due to race or profession of the NPC), and even though you can persuade any of them in a multitue of ways ("persuade" "Insult" "Threaten" and even "Bribe) there is, sady, no direct reward to that than an increase in your speachcraft skill and a little text. Otherwise, the game plays exellently, and with 400 dungeons and thousands of sub-quests off of the main quest, you will be entertained by Morrowind for months at a time.
  As to main quest, you are the person who could. perhaps, fulfill an ancient prophicy and slay an ancient evil. Cookie-cutter stuf on the outside, but when you head down the path, you discover that Morrowind's main quest is very well written and very well inplimented. There in virtually no obligation to start the main quest, persue the main quest, of finish the main quest. This is a completely open ended RPG, you can do what you want and when you want. And with a multitude of guilds and side quest, Morrowind insures that you can do just that.
  #5: Overwview.
  
  Overall, this game is one for the ages, and with the subsiquent expantion packs that rocket the number of hours you could spend playing the game from 180 to about 280 (I have, personally, been playing Morrowind off and on for the past two years), This game is one to set in gold and mount over the fireplace.
  
  A look back:
  Graphics:
  Pros:
  Good water
  Perfect dynamic skies and weather
  Everything looks crisp
  
  Cons:
  Pretty dated by now
  Some Problems for some cards
  
  Sound:
  
  Pros:
  Complete original soundtrack
  Great Voiceovers
  Multitude of original creature sounds
  
  Cons:
  Battle sounds get a little tired
  
  Preformance:
  
  Pros:
  if you are up to date, the system requirements are not harsh, and everything looks good.
  
  Cons:
  Even if you are up to date, expect frequent crashes which, while well worth it, can get extremely tiresome.
  
  Overall:
  I recomend this game, all of my friends would recomend this game. The only problem is that your boss might not reccomend this game because it will get you into work late every day becuase you will not have slept as a fault of this game keeping you up all night. And with the price so low, it might actually COST YOU MONEY in purchase prices invested in substandard games.
  So on the behalf of the US economy, buy this game!
  
  If you do not buy this game, the terrorists will have already won.
  
  I give it a Five out of Five
  
  
• Perfection...with two exceptions
  By A1ITCL7EBBB78V on 2005-12-28
  
  Morrowind is an amazing game; truly a first-of-its-kind that will be the basis for future amazing games. The graphics were fantastic - the visual world is exactly what RPG fans have been awaiting since we first played Bard's Tale.
  
  The skill system is also wonderful. You can really customize your character and build whomever you want (and any skill combination can be made viable - there is no "super-class" in this game). There is a heavy favoring of magic-use, but that's just a personal quibble of mine.
  
  Two issues dampened the entertainment factor as I played through the game.
  
  (1) Combat balance. You are either going to decimate your opponent, or they're going to decimate you. There is little room in-between, and once you start maxing out weapon/armor skills, you can basically run around and kill whatever you want to kill (up to and including the "End Boss"). As a result, many of your quests just become a matter of putting in the time to run all over the place - strategy will go right out the window.
  
  (2) Uber-characters. You can literally become an expert at every skill, and have near-unlimited casting of every spell...and once again, strategy goes right out the window.
  
  Complaints aside; as an immersive, fully-fleshed-out, quest-oriented world, Morrowind is my new standard for future RPGs. It really does feel like you've stepped into a whole new world.
  
  
  For those looking for a Morrowind-ish experience on a no-$ budget (or just an alternative), I do have one graphics-free recommendation: ADOM, another quest-driven game that welcomes strategy back into the mix...and MAN, is it a challenging game. I've put perhaps 1000 hours into that game over a 10-year span, and only beaten it once. And Google can find the URL for you :-P
  
  
  
• Perhaps the greatest RPG in history and the worst at the same time.
  By A32JJOOCHMLUQG on 2006-03-05
  Morrowind...
  
  I have been reading other people's reviews on this game and they all come down to one thing, which I will tell you right now. But first I gotta say that I have played this game, I know its workings, and I am gonna be completely neutral in this review.
  
  So will you enjoy Morrowind?
  Whether this game becomes the best RPG you've ever played or the worst is completely defined by YOU. Not by this game.
  
  Here's the deal.
  
  Basically, Morrowind is a HUGE, and listen carefully H-U-G-E game! And you can do WHATEVER, listen: W-H-A-T-E-V-E-R the heck you want... I even daresay that Morrowind is the truest RPG of life. Because in this game you are REALLY role-playing.
  
  Just simply put, you can do whatever you want in this game, you wanna run around and kill a whole town? Sure go right ahead. You wanna just stand outside and watch the sunrise or sunsets? Go for it, the graphics are amazing. You want to explore and see the many different places you can visit? GO FOR IT! You want to get sick and become a werewolf every night? That can happen too!
  
  This game is a portal to another world. Yes, there IS a main storyline but you can completely ignore it if you want to and make your own and do whatever you want, or you can follow a bunch of side stories and millions of mini-quests.
  
  Now here is where you come in... What type of RPG do YOU like?
  
  If you enjoy a game that will completely immerse you into it, give you hundreds of hours of gameplay, let you do anything that you want, become anything you want, and engage you... AND You got the time, patience, and interest for it? Then Morrowind is THE game for you.
  
  Now, if you'd rather have a game that has a story which you follow in a dozen or so of total playing hours, then this isn't your game... Matter of fact, you will hate this game simply because it is way too open ended and extremely easy to lose track of yourself and what you're supposed to be doing.
  
  My personal story: I enjoyed and loved the game very much. For the most part I was doing my own thing, and getting into the main quest every now and then... But for the better part I was just going places, looking for good items/monsters/options/quests/sights/etc... I had a bunch of side quests to do, and a small story built on my head about who my character was and will be in the Morrowind world... However, college and work came into my life so I couldn't play as often... Matter of fact, I eventually stopped playing it completely for a couple of months. When I came back to it I didn't remember much of what I was doing and I realized I had no time to start out with a new character or backtrack with my old one... So with some pain, I deleted the game...
  And I am positive that I probably covered a little over 5% of the main storyline and only got to see about 35% of everything that there is to see... I never even visited any of the places of the expansions!!! And I am talking about a whole summer of playing... Just so you can get an idea of how gigantic this game is!
  
  So if you know that you won't be able to keep track of yourself and be glued to this game, then I don't suggest you get it, you're gonna end up frustrated when you realize that your character will become like a plant, which you gotta devote routine time, take care of, and help develop, and eventually (And hopefully) someday, see the end of things and what his role is in the Morrowind world. SO, I say it again, if you don't have the time or patience, you will probably hate this game because there is SOOO much to do.
  
  And if you're on the other side of the story, then let me introduce you to Morroweed, your new drug.
  
  Hope this helped you guys out.
  
  *TECHNICALS*
  Pros:
  - Awesome graphics.
  - Awesome music.
  - Modding community is incredible.
  
  Cons:
  - Interface.
  - Refinement (sometimes you get stuck on an object or small things like that)
  
  *TECHNICAL COMMENTS*
  - I read some reviews about people pointing out how horrible the character modelling is done (Which I agree with) Or any other degrading details... However, nothing is lost, the modding community is amazing... And there is one that fixes the characters' blocky 3D modelling...There are even mods that when you strip off a body of its clothes, it will be naked!
  So if you do get the game, download any patches, and if you still got complains on it, check out modding communities, I'm sure they'll scratch your itch.
  
  
• Morrowind is fun and well worth the money
  By A32PBXO4HOQX9V on 2006-08-14
  I purchased a copy of the Game of the Year Edition at the end of May, 2006. It is now almost September. I have been playing Morrowind for three months most week day evenings for about 4 hours and most weekends for about 12 hours.
  
  The game has great graphics, the character interaction is fairly intricate though at times repetitive, the game AI for the monsters and non-player characters is fairly advanced, the game manipulation was fairly easy to learn, the layers of complexity can be somewhat challenging though not overwhelming, and most importantly the one or two puzzles I have come across thus far were straightforward to resolve. Most of the various quests are not terribly intricate and difficult to do so they lend themselves to jumping on for a few hours and then taking a break.
  
  I wanted a game that would be visually appealing, with simple game manipulation mechanics, interesting but easy puzzles, mysteries, and above all to provide an immersive virtual world to explore. And I wanted an inexpensive game and that would run on an older 900Mhz AMD Thunderbird with an NVIDIA FX5200 128MB video card and 1 GB of RAM. Morrowind fits the bill nicely.
  
  I have ignored all of the FAQs and manuals about how to play the game as most of those provide spoilers and instructions as to the most opportune or expedient path. I have discussed the game with some of my students who have moved on to Oblivien, the fourth game in the series.
  
  All in all, this was the best 20 bucks I have ever spent on a game. Previous to this I have played Call of Duty and Civilization II extensively and some other strategy games a bit. I did play Dungeons and Dragons with a group of friends in college some 20 years ago so the fantasy ideas embedded in the game are familiar.
  
  
• BEING STUCK ON AN ISLAND WAS NEVER SO FUN
  By A3S1YIQQW7AZO on 2005-11-29
  What bad luck I have! My plane just crashed over the ocean and now I'm stuck on this island in the middle of nowhere. There's only one palm tree bearing coconuts that I can't open and . . . what's this? A treasure chest? Let's see what is in it: A laptop with a copy of the game of Morrowind. Hmmm, well, I have nothing better to do, so I guess I'll try it out.
  
  Okay, I'm in the game now. What! I'm on another island! Albeit a MUCH bigger one. A bit too close to home right now, but ok. I think I'll create a character for this adventure that is good at stealing things because I could certainly use some items right about now.
  
  *back to reality*
  
  As you can see, if you were stranded on a little island in the middle of nowhere, this would be one game that you would want to play. Occasionally I think that people should beat the game in question before writing a review of it, but in the case of Morrowind, I think that prerequisite can slide. For one, yes, there is a main quest. But, like the Grand Theft Auto games, some of the most fun is had by doing whatever you want in this brave new world that is yours for the taking. You want to steal that book and sell it? Go right ahead. You want to be a law-abiding mage and use your magic to only defeat the forces of evil? Go right ahead! You want to try and climb this mountain, even though you honestly don't think you're ready for it or whatever may be on the other end of it? GO RIGHT AHEAD! I just love games that really put YOU in command and let you do things at your own pace.
  
  There really isn't much bad to say about Morrowind. The bartering system requires a bit of patience, sometimes you don't have the right skill or ability when you need it the most (opening level 100 locks, if you're not trying to cheat), and the unrealistic fact that if you hit a bald-headed NPC with a monstrous Claymore sword you sometimes fail to kill them in one hit (even though in real life the results would have been much more disastrous).
  
  But those are minor gripes. The bartering is only if you don't want to pay the asking price, there are cheat codes for about everything, and even though the combat is little more than frantic Left-Mouse button tapping, at least it is all in first-person real-time and not Turn-Based.
  
  *back to the island . . .*
  
  I don't know how long I've been on this island, playing this game. But all I can tell you is this: Can someone PLEASE help me get my grey beard unstuck from between the keyboard buttons!
  
  
• I just ordered my copy..
  By A1Q4RQRP1VZPT2 on 2006-05-02
  
  For those of you who were upset because you bought
  Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and it wouldn't run on
  your system, this is the game for you. From what
  I've seen, this game is so enormous that even if you
  bought it the day it came out (a few years ago), you
  could still be completely immersed in this game
  today. Granted, the graphics for Oblivion are probably
  more astounding, but so are the $300-400 worth of
  upgrades required. I know plenty of people who are
  still playing this game (Morrowind) and perfectly
  satisfied with it, having no desire to purchase
  Oblivion yet, because of all there is still left to
  do. Also, many people are saying that the combat
  system and the leveling is much better in this version
  of the Elder Scrolls series. If you're like me and
  you would rather not go buy a $200 video card just to
  play Oblivion, this game offers everything Oblivion
  does, but without the major system requirements.
  I highly recommend it, even now, after the release
  of Elder Scrolls IV.
  
  
  
• STAY AWAY if you want to have a LIFE
  By A3L14D8BAREUSV on 2007-01-29
  The wide range of options will create a life inside of a life.
  
  If the game is not enough, it is the MODS. You can spend hours perusing the mods that do everything from bug fixing the game(yes there are a few quests and other things that just may not/ will not work right hence the "unofficial Morrowind patch,") to mods that make ones life easier- "better herbilism mod" that removes plants once they are examined (so you don't keep reexploring the same empty plant over and over again) to a sappy romance with babies and even graphic adult addon lovemaking mod!
  
  You can spend many days and weeks exploring these mods (there are at least THOUSANDS) installing and reordering and tweaking and reloading not ever leave the town of Seyda Neen (the first blurb of a burg on the map).
  
  And if that's not enough, there is a game editor included that allows one to make their own mods, or perhaps more importantly, modify someone elses mod to your own tastes. The scripts and programming of this editor and utilities easily available elsewhere also allow one to add models and programe creatures and other characters from outside sources into the game. If you learn everything about this editor and addon utilities, by the time you are done you can work for one of the great 3d animation houses somewhere. Infact, I suspect the vast majority of modmakers never finished the game, they got going on this...
  
  Can I recommend this game? Yes no, if you want a life and have bills to pay, people to see , then beware, but at least I think its safer than maybe some of the online games which websites are dedicated for "addiction recovery."
  
  I give it a 4 for fun and because to make some tasks less tedious such as the plants, as mentioned above, a mod is needed (extra work required). Or maybe I'm swinging and hit a companion by accident and suddenly they are whaling away at me--ugh reload last save. Alot of time can be spent looking at that reload screen. Fun otherwise.
  
  I give it a 4 overall because once again the access to mods is required to remove some of the bugs or an inadvertant action on the players part (oops, killed him by mistake) some quests become unaccomplishable.
  
  But I give it 6 stars (bonus star) for flexibility to do almost anything you want with it.
  
  
• Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind
  By A2R3Y5LUUZG09V on 2004-03-29
  Morrowind is probably the most beautiful RPGs (role-play games) that I have ever played. Your character moves seamlessly through a huge world, zoning (loading) new areas only on occasion. Also, each area of the world holds its own charms. No two areas of the world are exactly alike.

  Of Morrowind's strengths, your character may pursue every skill in the game regardless of class (like warrior or mage). Your character can learn a large number of spells and may even design his/her own (you can even make your own magical equipment). Throughout the game, your character is presented with a large number of choices which s/he may do is s/he pleases or not. For all intensive purposes, you may play your character as a good or evil character.

  Of Morrowind's weaknesses, the game can be extremely long if you decide to take on all of the side quests. And, quests in the game eventually get to the point where they seem to be just endless stops around the world. I found that combat in the game was without a doubt best handled by a warrior type - the power of spells was not significant compared to a sword and purchasing custom enchanted items. Lastly, although I'll say nothing more of it, I found the ending to be slightly disappointing. The "final battle" was possibly the coolest I've ever seen, but the story there after left me hanging.

  Despite all of its weaknesses, I have not seen a quality computer RPG like this in a long time. The game continues to draw you in throughout the storyline. I would compare the quality of this game to that of Ultima 7.

  With the Game of the Year addition now available and the extra content added, the price for this game makes it a great deal for an RPGer looking for a game to play.
  
  

• Poor interface ruins a great idea
  By A314FGG1E41LVG on 2004-08-02
  This could have been one of the best games. The open playability is great, the characters and storyline are interesting, the fights are the right difficulty - BUT - the game is nearly impossibly to navigate. Clumsy two handed controls just to move and a lot of letter keys to remember for any given action. Also, while the graphics are decent, the viewing choices you are given go from bad to worse. :( I was really looking forward to this, and hoped I'd get used to the odd controls and view in time, but I finished the game still clumsy and disgruntled.
  
  
• Best non-online RPG ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  By A3FOCMI9WLE96W on 2005-02-10
  I bought Morrowind a couple of years ago and I still haven't even gotten close to finding everything about the game. I'm sick of those games that you can rent and finish in a few days, but Morrowind took me a couple months just to beat the main missions, and there is A LOT more to the game than just the main missions.
  
  Warning to those who don't like complete freedom (wtf is wrong with you???), in this game you can practically do anything. If you don't like this freedom move to Cuba and play games like Fable (huge let-down). The main missions in this game are even optional, which I sometimes don't even do because there is so much else you can do.
  
  If you got the cash, by this game... I swear you'll like it. I can't wait till Elder Scolls 4
  
  

• PC Gamer (1-year)

• Baldur's Gate 2: Ultimate Collection (Shadows of Amn and Throne of Bhaal)
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition
• Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Knights of the Nine
• The Morrowind Prophecies: Game of the Year Edition Official Strategy Guide