Elder Scrolls Iii: Morrowind, Bethesda Softworks Inc - M$ Options

[JaggedChild04]

Game: Elder Scrolls III Morrowind - NTSC
Genre: RPG
Developer: Bethesda Softworks Inc
Publisher: MS
Release: Summer 2002
ESRB Rating: Teen

Introduction: you wake up on a boat not knowing who you are, where you came from or where youre going. Hmm this sounds like a game of the year RPG. Morrowind is the most visually stunning RPG that has come to the xbox. Although morrowind doesnt fit every gamer¡s criteria of a great game, RPG fans will have no substitute. Pouring 200 hours into a game couldnt be easier, this game is by far the most addicting game Ive ever played.

Customization: in morrowind you have the power to choose from 10 races: Argonian, Breton, Dark Elf, High Elf, Imperial, Khajiit. Nord, Orc, Reguard, and Wood Elf. Along with that you have choice of twenty-one classes to pick from including: Barbarian, Scout, Archer, Mage, Sorceress, Thief, or Monk. Thats just naming a few. Bethesda has even added just a little more to our surprise with a birth sign. Birth signs allow specials extra features that can make or break you thought your game. Pick only the best or fall at your enemy. If you decide to become a magician the game opens up into categories of magic and leaves it fully up to you. Whether you want to master in illusion, conjuration, destruction, restoration and others choices, it¡s all solely in your power. You beginning choices in the game can have an enormous effect on the destiny of your character.

World Map: the world of vanderfall is a vast open wilderness crawling with creatures of every kind. Some tougher then others depend on how far you want to venture out without leveling up a bit. From the time you step off the boat. The map is completely open, making it to the other side at the start is nearly impossible, but who says it can¡t be done. We all got tired of entering water in grand theft auto 3 and dying. Now we can swim for hours and hopefully not get killed. My biggest amazement in this game is how big the world is. If youve beaten the game maybe once or twice, you still havent covered the whole map. Only with hours of game play and the right character level can survive this crazy world.

Controls: my biggest pet peeve on games is controls. If a game cant be played without wanting to throw the controlled I wont play it. Smooth easy to handle, makes you feel you have complete control over the character is what makes a game playable for hours. Which in morrowind you will need endless hours or spare time. The analog joy sticks control your character as in all or most fps¡s with R trigger activates your weapon.

Graphics: Bethesda has truly out done us this time around with morrowind. They have added almost every type of landscape thinkable in this game. Except for snow and desert atmospheres because the island youre on is mountains and forest like. Every little plant you notice on the ground is full detailed and graphically beautiful. Ive found that the lava is a little bit shotty and not done as nice as it could have been. But the little areas in the game where there is lava it isnt that big a deal. The nice textures of browns greens blues mainly make up this game. But in towns is where a lot of the attention to detail comes in. each how is beautiful and very complete, along with the inside. The game creators also went to an extent of time adding in items to EACH house. Mostly u can steal them but they arent worth much unless you have a very good barter skill. However when you do come across those items you¡ll be happy u broke up in the first place. The dungeons in this game are dark and gloomy and gives the effect that your really in the game. When it comes to water in a video game it has been outdone in other games, however Ive never found an RPG where you can swim anywhere and go anywhere in the water. It isnt the fastest way of travel but to get some nifty stuff you must take the time to get to secret locations hidden within the game.
One of the greatest thing in this game is the magic graphics. A fireball just isnt a fireball when it comes flying into an enemy and looks horrible. Bethesda has gone to extensive lengths to cover a wide variety of magic and the stunning colors and visual effect to go along with them.

Story: at first when you start the game all you know is nothing and that stays like that for some time. Well looky here, mr slave fresh off the boat was a cover up. So putting them first 20 hours into the game wasnt such a waste. The story turns just for the first time. Once you learn about the prophecy the game takes off and now if where people are so highly addicted to it. What Ive found out from asking around is that the game is a little slow at the beginning, and people arent just into games like that. Most of us want a jump right into action type game such as first person shooters, but for the RPG loving fans it isnt that easy. Final fantasy doesnt even have such an in-depth story and a long game as morrowind, in my opinion. I couldnt put the controller down, and thats what makes a story and complete story. Going from nothing to something and getting a feeling of satisfaction upon completion of the game.

Side Mission: most rpg fans have played a game where if u dont get a side mission done now you cant go back later and do it. Well morrowind with its open map lets u go back and do missions for respect of money at any time . The game offers over 200 side missions through guilds or houses. A guild is like a club house for a certain class of people. For instance the fighters guild, starting out as a magician you probably wouldnt join this group at start, but you can eventually gain strength to complete missions. There different guilds you can join like the fighters guild the mages guild or the thieves guild. At first they dont like each other but that eventually will change. Only in certain cities are these guilds held at and if you complete one city¡¦s guild missions itll refer you to another, but you cannot go to vivec and join because they will send u to the first city where the guild is held at. Pick the guild that comments your character class and have fun.
Not only are there guild but there are houses. These places are very against each other but again getting far into the main game when you start fulfilling the prophecy you become orator, or war leader, of all 3 and there hatred will commence.
Not only after guilds and houses side missions you can do separate missions that you will come across from people in the game. Some will want to be escorted places, other might want stuff, or some want a bounty. But theres tons of tem for you to come across in your journey

Sounds: no game is complete without a stable and extensive library of sound effects and music. Playing morrowind without any sfx is like staring a wall. Most of the effects inside the game are perfectly done. Ranging from when your hit an enemy to dropping an item on the floor, jumping and character voices. The game has it all. And each type of character you encounter will have something to your ears. However jumping everywhere makes that noise just get really annoying, but its something u don¡¦t notice after a while. If you fall from a great height and land hard you will get a nice effect of some bones crushing and your hp does down a little, but why aint my characters bones broke

Artificial Intelligence: my greatest problem within the game at the start was the computer a.i. id steal from people in the city and do it right in front of there face. Little did I know that if one person doesnt like you, there friend across the town probably wont either. The game is all set up to where you have to be careful about who your screw over and who your nice to. Or else no one else will like you and not want to do business with you.

Drugs: if your poured a nice amount of hours into the game youve probably notice moon sugar that you picked up somewhere along the game. And did you wonder why no one will trade with you when you have that in your inventory. Hehe its a little narcotic thats in the game. Yea its worthless in your inventory value. But stash them somewhere because eventually you will come across some dealers that you can make major profit from the moon sugar if you sell it to them.

Expansion: any pc gamer has probably played the expansion packs for elder scrolls 3 morrowind on pc. Sadly they havent made it to xbox. Well coming soon will be the morrowind Game Of The Year edition containing the normal morrowind along with 2 expansion packs added in to make the game even longer then what it already it. Preorder that today.

Ending Thought: All in all I think morrowind deserved the 50 bucks when it came, and hey now its only 20 dollars new and 15 dollars used. Go pick it up and add it to the collection. You find that with a little patience the game will give you back more then what you paid for it. Stunning graphics and awesome story makes this game Game of the Year. In which it was giving that award, and this is my favorite xbox game of all time.

Written By: JaggedChild04 exclusively for www.xbox-scene.com

Please post all your comments about the review. i like to hear feedback about my work. thank you and enjoy.

EDIT - delete all the wierd charates it changed around from the copyin from word to the post box.

This post has been edited by JaggedChild04: Oct 18 2003, 10:23 PM