The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

Would you like to live in a game? Wouldn't it be sweet to do anything you chose to do? Whether it be help, steal, kill, achieve, or explore? Well, this is the tip of the iceberg for what's readily available in The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind.

Bethesda Software has redesigned the RPG and more than that the average video game. Morrowind is definately the most in-depth detailed game I am yet to encounter. When I first saw this game I was enhanced by it, I loved it, every detail. This feeling is shared with a large majority of those who own and play Morrowind.

Let's start with the basics. When I ask you, "what do you see in the perfect video game?" what do you think about? Wait, let me guess, you're gonna tell me graphics first, then maybe a good plot, easy controls, and probably that it's original. Well by golly gee we just described Morrowind right there. I installed Morrowind on my machine, loaded it up which is quite a short process considering what gameplay is like, and was shocked. Completely and utterly shocked. I could not believe the depth and design put into every detail of the game... Every stone on the ground is a different shape and size... Every plant has it's own unique characteristic... No character looked like another... and then to me, came the most shocking aspect. The water.

You've seen a lake right? Well, probably. You've noticed the pretty ripples and reflectivity of the water correct? Well nothing less is in this game. Small waves run up along the shore just like they do at a real lake... Small islands submerge from the depth of the diamond waters and fish and creatures alike swim in the oceans, lakes, and streams of Morrowind.

Lets not stop with the graphics just yet though... It's just so unbelievable how astonishing they actually are... The mind boggles at their clarity, detail, and color. I can't stress enough that wilst being the largest RPG ever made, Bethesda still had what must have been decades to create the looks and feel of everything.

Now lets move onto plot... You are an "Outlander" as everyone calls you. A slave brought to Vvardenfell and there released to explore it as you wish. You get off the slave boat as the game begins, from there, you are led by one of the crew members into a large building just off the port of Seyda Neen (notice the creativity in these names - all original and all unique). Once inside a man instructs you to state your name, then to fill out a few census forms. Here's where your true "form" takes place. You can choose your race, your face, your hair, your physique, skills. Each of these categories is so large it'd be hard to find two of the same person. Once allowed out on your own, you are instructed to go to Balmora to meet with a man called Crassius Curo as he will give you more instructions as to what guild you'd like to join, there's a Mage Guild, Magic Guild, Fighters Guild, and a Legal Guild - which allows you to have somewhat of a Law-Enforcement status. You can join one or all of them if you wish, all have their own plot and story behind them with many, many, many quests at your disposal.

Now, you may be thinking yea that seems about right, one large plot. Haha my friend, think again. There are probably around 5 - 10 sub-plots, including House Plots, Assassin Guilds, and MORE! All with hours upon hours of duties, jobs, and quests. Now, even after completing all these many of the characters roaming around towns have jobs they'd appreciate your assistance on... Usually in exchange for Gold or an Item.

Controls for Morrowind are simple, same to the regular First-Person Shooter;
- A = Strafe Left
- S = Backwards
- W = Forwards
- D = Strafe Right
Then some more various commands come in, such as;
- E = Jump
- Spacebar = Use object, Interact, basically an ACTION key.
- CTRL = Sneak (You can pickpocket people and shop-lift personal/store items this way)
- SHIFT = Run (Similar to the GTA titles - two speeds of walking)
More controls would include various things, for example TAB will change you from First-Person to Third-Person - which is an interesting and cool add to any game. Right clicking your mouse will allow you to access your "Pocket" where you can equip items on yourself or use a potion of some sort. Left clicking would be to use a weapon/item that has been applied to your hands.

Now, as I was mentioning before, the extreme detail put into the environment. Well, let's just say Bethesda employees are either hard workers or have very very high salaries because the landscape is HUMONGOUS. A map is given to you in the box displaying a quite large area with detailed illustraions. You could complete the main story-line and not even cover the whole land; yes it really is that huge.

Next onto the Elder Scrolls Construction Set. This is an addition to the game available only on the PC version ; it comes on a single CD and takes up no more than 150MB on your systems harddrive. The Elder Scrolls Construction Set is one of the most powerful tools I've ever seen made available for a game. The program is one of the few Bethesda actually used to create the game; the Construction Set allows the user to create new NPCs (characters in the game) that can give quests or any other thinkable action. Also, it allows the player to add new items, spells, weapons, and most impressively worlds. You can add an entire city, much less a COUNTRY to your game of Morrowind with this powerful piece of technology. I myself only used it to modify the house given to me from completing my House Quests. The downside to this program is that it's in a just out of reach distance to being a
user-friendly program. On average I'd say a person needs a good amount of PC knowledge and some design and game knowledge would only help more. Also, it is not a model creator so you need a program that lets you build and export models as well. However if you know what you're doing, the Construction Set is a creation-haven for you.

Further on, in Morrowind a spell making option is provided to you and you have the ability to create spells and potions, these can range from the Spell of Icarnian Flight (a spell that allows you to jump incredibly high) to a poison used to kill certain people for certain quests. Anything your character has experience in can be related into making a spell or potion. Invisibility and Immortality are also cool available powers but commonly only for a short period of time.

Overall I'd say Morrowind has to be one of the most powerful and great games I've seen in all my game playing time, winning dozens upon dozens of awards this game walked out with such prizes as RPG GAME OF THE YEAR and even better GAME OF THE YEAR. Over one hundred hours of extensive original gameplay and so much options in your characters life to choose from it truely makes you feel like a real person in the game. I'm not usually one to play RPGs but this is one I very much enjoyed and I think
most other people would enjoy as well. Definately one for the records. Thanks for your time.