I tried to like this game, I really did. But Morrowind just seems like a chore to get through rather than anything fun.

I don't like the story. I think the lore and setting are great. But the actual things you do as a character in the world are usually completely boring. Most of the side quests are fetch or escort quests, and most of the main quests are to do something irrelevant in exchange for information or support. There are a few standout moments, but the Nerevarine's story is mostly boring stuff.

I also dislike the awkward combination of dice-roll combat and real-time movement, the unintuitive journal system and the lifeless and forgettable NPCs.

There was a brief moment, as I stood in the midst of the Urshilaku tents and listened to the wind blow through the bone-chimes, that I felt truly swept away. It captivated me like I haven’t been since I first watched the snowdrifts gently dance atop the glitchy mountains of Skyrim in 2011.

I’ve been trying to beat Morrowind off-and-on since long before then; it’s sort of a bucket-list item for me. I got a copy of Game of the Year Edition for the Xbox when I was probably 8 years old, and loved the atmosphere, but couldn’t quite grasp the gameplay. I was just as bad with a sword as I’d have been in real life. So I gave up, and I understand why I wasn’t alone in that.

Morrowind is a dangerous place, and the game itself can be just as unfriendly. It begs patience, time, and thought to learn its systems, and pretty much never handholds.

Now that I’m a little older, it’s a breath of fresh air to play a game that makes the player discover things like they would in real life. The closest I’ve ever come to this in my life was briefly living in South America without a car or smart phone -it’s a long story so I digress, but the point is, exploring with an unmarked map and writing down landmark-based directions, provided vocally, is something I don’t experience in my day-to-day or in games, and it can actually be fun.

There’s limited public transportation in lieu of fast travel, although the game comes into its own considerably when you become experienced enough to venture out blindly into the wilderness. So basically when you get your skills high enough to hit enemies consistently. There’s a strangely serene beauty to its grey 4:3 environment as well, like being at home sick on a rainy day.

The lore and world are rich, the game has a great sense of humor, and you are encouraged- honestly more like forced, to engage with its world. It’s honestly just a vibe and a half, putting you smack dab in a strange alien landscape and letting you loose.

I personally don’t think Oblivion or Skyrim dumbed down the experience to the point of ruining the immersion (although I’ve never really liked Oblivion idk why. I’ll try to beat it next), but I’m glad I can still experience a game like this, and I hope Todd & the gang take a look back at Morrowind as they begin to ramp up production on Elder Scrolls 6.

I’m honestly a little shocked, but very pleased, that I finally beat Morrowind.

P.S. all my homies hate cliff racers. Those dumb pterodactyls can suck it. And slaughterfish while we’re at it. Gtfo I’m just trying to get from point A to B bro please leave a Nerevarine alone.

Whether you think The Elder Scrolls 3 is a good game or not will depend a lot on how willing you are to engage with it on its own terms. The learning curve for this game is a sheer cliff face by modern conventions, and if that kind of investment is off-putting that's a completely reasonable response. The game does very little to hold your hand, and once you get past that first big hurdle of figuring out the basics of the gameplay itself, that philosophy works to make Morrowind one of the most immersive and rewarding RPG experiences out there.

Had a sudden impulse out of nowhere to try this again. Maybe I was too harsh last time? Maybe I wasn't in the right place?

As soon as I'd entered my name, the dude in front of me said "here comes the guard" and the guard got stuck walking back and forth in front of the doorway. "Better do as he says" my friend tells me. The guard says nothing, but keeps walking.

Ah, the classic jank, I heard about you. Chortle. Restart.

I made it a good few hours in this time, joined a guild and stole some gear and bought a sword, completed a couple of quests, and chuckled at the unprompted chatter from passers-by, but then I found myself somewhere I couldn't get away from safely, and just sighed for a bit.

I gave it a fair shake, and yeah there's something compelling about being whoever you want to be in this massive world, even if it is pretty dull and generic, but fuck me I cannot be doing with the invisible numbers bullshit the combat is based around. When I wave a sword, I expect it to slice. Is that too much to ask? Apparently yes.

Is this game perfectly made? Absolutely not.
Is this game perfect anyway? Absolutely it is.

My all time favourite game that I still play and replay more than 15 years later, no other game that I've played blends the alien and the familiar in this way, has a depth of choice this granular, or a fully fleshed out experience with such a broad scope that puts Oblivion and Skyrim to shame like this so I'll put up with needing a mod to make certain systems like stealth work correctly because even if you didn't this game is fantastic.

Oi Bethesda give us a damn remaster or anniversary edition already and stop shovelling us Skyrim, PLEASE.

Wow this was something.

I really wasn't expecting much when going into this game but man it really threw me for a loop. There is so much here that I wouldn't know where to begin. There is so much to love about this game.

I never understood those people who were hardcore morrowind fans, but I understand them now. It really is one of the best RPG's ever made and its bethesda's magnum opus. Hands down.

this game is so fucking weird and otherworldly

Even though there's tons of quirks and factors that are outdated, clunky, and downright monotonous at times, I'll take this any day over Skyrim. When I first started playing Morrowind, I definitely found lots of it to be kinda boring, slow, and obtuse. As I grew more familiar with the game and its mechanics, however, I eventually found myself either embracing (or at least not noticing) those aspects of the game. With Skyrim, I just found it all so BLAND.

i can't remember where i was going with this, but basically: drink skooma, obtain prostitutes

I have a long history with this game. I first played the Game of the Year edition on Xbox, probably close to 20 years ago. At that point I was too young to really understand the game and how it worked, but I was endlessly fascinated by the alien world of Morrowind and it had a lasting impact on my imagination. I knew I would want to return to the game at some point and see more of what it had to offer.

I finally did this in 2015, in my first year of grad school. I have fond memories of ordering Chinese food and sitting at my desk in my mostly undecorated on-campus apartment, completing quests for the Mage’s Guild, exploring swamps and ruins and tombs, and searching for any clues of why the dwarves seemed to have vanished from the world. I got pretty deep into the game then, but between grad school and beginning my first serious relationship my priorities shifted and I had the leave the island of Vvardenfell behind again. But recently I picked the game back up and decided I would do my best to get through the main storyline.

My absolute favorite part of this game is how much care and detail went into creating such a unique, believable world. Vvardenfell is full of strange wildlife, countless political and religious factions, and plenty of mystery. It’s a largely hostile and unforgiving setting, but as you talk to characters and learn more about the society and culture of Morrowind, it starts to make sense how people live there. I loved learning about the history and relationships between the great houses, the more traditional/nomadic Ashlander tribes, and external forces like the empire or the various deities influencing the game’s events. One thing I always appreciated about this game (and Skyrim after it) is that they take place in colonized imperial provinces, and they examine what that means and the different ways people react to being ruled by a foreign power. For some reason I’ve always really enjoyed these themes in fantasy and science fiction stories.

Actually playing the game is not always a pleasant experience, but I wouldn’t say it’s bad or that it aged poorly. In a weird way I think the complexity and opacity of the gameplay systems complements/benefits from from the mysterious tone of the game. It definitely adds to the feeling of being lost and helpless, particularly in the earlier parts of the game. (As a side note, these are always my favorite parts of Bethesda games; when you’re lost and overwhelmed and underpowered and there’s nothing you can do but explore and find ways to survive. Especially in combat, these games tend to lose their balance and some of their charm as you get more powerful, in my opinion.) Combat doesn’t feel intuitive and your normal movement speed is excruciatingly slow, which leads a lot of players to abuse a certain magic item that makes you move a lot faster. You can also use spells and potions to help with travel - by the end of the game I was leaping and levitating around the map and running on water to explore smaller islands.

I enjoyed the story of the main quest once things picked up a little, although the pacing was weird toward the end. There’s a long, drawn out series of quests and then you’re rushed straight into the climax. I’ve read that a lot was cut from the finale, and it’s pretty clear that’s true, which is a shame because the stuff they hinted at would have been very cool (it seemed like they wanted the final area to be similar to Hyrule Castle in Breath of the Wild). Still, I liked the game a lot and it feels great to have finished it! I haven’t checked out the expansions yet, and I’m not sure how deep I’ll go with those, but we’ll see.

In Morrowind you will spend hours and hours shooting your bow and never hitting your target. You will aim directly at your target, you will pull the bow string completely taut, you will have the best arrows you can afford. Even with all of that you will still miss your target.

In 2022 Morrowind is a hard game to play. It is clunky and janky and, by modern standards, looks pretty gross. What Morrowind can offer, however is something that I haven't been able to find anywhere else. This is a game that feels mysterious and threatening but also, if you put in the work, you can understand it and master it and break it over your knee.
The world is fascinating, the mechanics are just obtuse enough to be interesting but not frustrating, the jank is charming and can be used as a weapon in the player's arsenal.
By the end of my adventure in Morrowind I was casting powerful spells, stealing powerful weapons, crafting powerful potions, and, most importantly of all, hitting every damn shot with my bow.

I haven't "beaten" the game yet, but with 35 hours I can safely say this game is fucking awesome.

Edit: I beat the main quest, also did some quests for other guilds and became archmage. I am bumping this to a 10 from a 9

Edit: Moved review to goty I fucking hate editions

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind may show its age with dated mechanics and static NPCs, but it undeniably remains one of the greatest games of all time. Its captivating story and meticulous world-building create a cohesive and immersive experience that stands the test of time. While some modern standards may deem certain aspects lacking, the game's overall impact as an all-time classic cannot be denied. Morrowind's enduring legacy is a testament to its enduring charm and role in shaping the RPG genre.

Tentei jogar esse jogo a muitos anos atrás, e não consegui entender muito bem as mecâncias, parecia muito complexo e de fato senti que era muito robusto para mim. O resultado disso é que eu droppei Morrowind em pelo menos 2 horas de jogo. Porém, após terminar starfield e ter uma experiencia incrível. Resolvi dar uma chance a Morrowind e a serie The Elder Scrolls. Morrowind é um jogo INCRÍVEL, de fato MUITO ABSURDO E ABSOLUTO, ele é muito contrastante de RPGs convencionais e de fato uma experiência o tanto específica. Enfim, sem enrolação vamos para as notas.

Jogabilidade[4/5]: Os controles e keybinds são esquisitas no começo mas depois eu fui pegando o jeito, apesar disso algumas escolhas de controle de personagem eu acho bem duvidosas, mas no fim não é de todo mal. Eu diria que o problema central de eu ter droppado(na primeira vez que joguei) o jogo não está aqui, e sim na seção de gameplay, enfim é isso.

Dificuldade[5/5]: Esse jogo é bem quebrado, no sentido de, você! O jogador! Pode quebrar o jogo completamente se quiser, basta investir nos elementos corretos, eu fiz isso e tive uma experiência sandbox incrível. Enfim, é um jogo que começa dificil, e até deve haver um nivelmento de areas para quem jogou da forma "correta", o que não é o meu caso, já que eu simplesmente fui bem tryhard e fiquei mt forte sem nem mesmo começar a main quest direito. Mas é isso, não acho isso ruim, é algo que você pode escolher investir se quiser, mas ai vai de você escolher ou não.

Direção de arte[4/5]: Inicialmente eu me perguntava por que Morrowind resolveu trazer um cenário tão contrastante de RPGs em geral, já que, a aparência de todo o mapa é bem podre e bastante alienígena. Porém, apesar de no ínicio eu achar um pouco feio e uma escolha de designe esquisita, com o tempo eu acabo até começando a achar bonito o mapa de morrowind. Na real, acho que foi até arriscado para a epóca eu diria, e mesmo com as limitações eu diria que a escolha toda do cenário é meio que algo próprio e muito único. No fim não acho ruim, porém não acho lindo ou perfeito. Mas é aquilo é só estranho e repulsivo, porém esse simbolo de estranheza acaba sendo aconchegante com o tempo. O fato desse mundo ser estranho e nada convidativo talvez seja um dos elementos que torna esse jogo incrível.

História[4/5]: Não é ruim, mas também não é nada genial. A história é densa e contada a partir de livros e livros de lore. E outro fator interessante é que você precisa ler bastante nesse jogo. A quantidade intensa de lore de até pequenas coisas em Morrowind é gigante. É algo interessante e que enriquece a gameplay do jogo, porém, entendo que o jogo mesmo que não tendo um foco muito cinemático, a história principal não é la essas coisas. Você é o grande herói predestinado e precisa derrotar o vilão. E é claro, não desmereço a construção até você ser reconhecido como o herói, até porque, as pessoas daquela cidade não iria apenas respeitar um forasteiro como o grande herói de Morrowind, você vai precisar construir a confiança de tudo e de todos ao redor com as milhares de quests do jogo espalhadas pelo mundo.

Trilha sonora[5/5]: A trilha sonora de Morrowind não nem um pouco enjoativa, na verdade é tão marcante que quando se termina e vai jogar outros jogos, até bate uma tristeza por não estar mais escutando elas. Muito incrível como a bethesda acertou tão perfeitamente na trilha sonora desse jogo. Definitivamente uma boa experiência épica, marcante e até um pouco solitária.

Gameplay[3.5/5]: Aqui é onde o jogo mais pesa na minha opinião. É impossível ignorar os diversos bugs de quests que acontecem que te força a ter ou que ficar voltando no save ou arrumando por meio do conselo do jogo. Além de que, precisei baixar muitos mods para melhorar minha experiência no jogo. O jogo também tem um sistema meio robusto de RPGs onde você tem habilidades, chance de acerto e varios elementos que podem parecer complexos inicialmente, mas com o tempo se tornam interessantes de se explorar. Inclusive lembra que falei que fiquei muito forte no jogo? Poiser, fiquei tão forte que eu quebrava o jogo algumas vezes, no sentido de simplesmente não conseguir finalizar a main quest por conta disso. No fim eu tive que me nerfar literalmente para terminar o jogo. Porém tirando tudo isso eu preciso ter que reconhecer, que provavelmente não terei mais nenhuma experiência que me dara a mesma sensação de Morrowind novamente, onde isso se deve ao fato, de que você tem liberdade de explorar os sistemas do jogo da forma como quiser, seja criando magias, poções e armaduras muito fortes e colocando os efeitos disponiveis que quiser. E sim, simplesmente existem diversos sistemas que você pode explorar. Isso é a magica de Morrowind, as quests não são tão interessantes e a maioria é só o fato de que você tem que ficar indo nos lugares que os npcs pedem pegar ou matar algo e voltar, porém esses sistemas de faz ter vontade de fazer isso e querer evoluir dentro do jogo. Além de claro, você poder se emergir dentro da lore e fazer parte dela como um jogador. E de fato, as quests não são lá grandes coisas, principalmente quests aleatórias de ir buscar item e tal lugar ou algo do tipo, algumas são até frustrantes, já que você não tem muito direcionamento de onde tem que ir, e ter que sempre ficar procurando e as vezes perdido o tempo inteiro dentro do jogo. O mapa é gigante e as vezes achar a porta de um local, mesmo com direções, é como achar uma agulha em um palheiro. Mas ainda assim Morrowind é magnifico naquilo que propõe e talvez não tenha mais nenhum jogo que me dê essa grande vontade de se tornar o indestrutível mago que me tornei no game.

Conclusão[4,25/5]: Definitivamente não estava esperando toda essa aventura de +50 horas que tive com Morrowind. Provavelmente algum dia eu retorne para o jogo para tentar fazer tudo aquilo que ele tem disponível. Definitivamente é um jogo que é marcante e muito gostosinho de se jogar. No fim, é um jogo que peca em alguns fatores, principalemte em bugs como um bom jogo da bethesda, porém não é algo que atrapalha toda a experiência de Morrowind. Eu diria que para você que quer testar o jogo, não se assustar com os cenários repulsivos e até nada convidativos do jogo. O designe de fato não é nada comum, porém ele tem seu charme. Enfim recomendo mais esse jogo do que os outros the elder scrolls para se ter uma ideia. É um bom jogo no fim de tudo!

My point of reference for the Elder Scrolls was Skyrim because that's the game I played when I was a teen and it's also the game everyone around my age, give or take 10 years, played when they were teens because Bethesda won't make another one and just keeps re-releasing the fifth installment in the series.
While Morrowind is significantly more complex, I don't think it's any more difficult and I would even dare say it's rather accessible all things considered. It's not hard to steamroll all challenges the game throws at you after the introduction which is great because levitating around dropping skeletons on people is a ton of fun.
Morrowind gives a new meaning to the word freedom in comparison to later installments and now I understand why some people complain about streamlining. Other mechanics have become more obtuse funnily enough, such as the UI.
Another aspect that people lament about newer installments is the quality of the writing and that one is also legitimate. Morrowind has an alien world with a unique culture and the story actually has interesting characters and such. Some of them have 6 lines total but that's all they needed to become iconic.
On a different note, some aspects about the game are not as nice. I enjoy the lack of quest markers because you can actually get lost and discover new things on the road to your destination, but when you really want to find something NPC indications are often lacking and that can be really frustrating before you get some form of advanced navigation.
I'm also not a fan of the stat growth system. It basically makes it so you have to grind non major/minor skills to get the optimal level ups and I think I'd rather play the game normally so I think it's ok if you mod that out to always give you +5s. One could also argue the game is not difficult enough to warrant that but it's still kind of a bummer to have to deal with that.
Speaking of mods, the game is also prone to bugging out but thankfully there's Open Morrowind if you want a smooth vanilla or even modded experience.
In conclusion, Morrowind is truly a game like no other. If you can get past the first couple hours when your character is slow as a snail, fails every cast and can't hit the broad side of a barn then the game becomes a lot of fun.
It's a shame Bethesda will never make another game as good as this and, even if they did, they would add some barbaric monetization to it.

One of the most expressive and satisfying level curves in any game. Extremely good worldbuilding, main quest, and themes. My current favorite game of all time.

Three primary flaws:
1. The game is bad at explaining itself. How stats and skills work, how enchantment works, and so on are poorly elaborated on. I have 100+ hours and still get blindsided by the particulars of magic at times.
2. Jank. It's an old game. OpenMW helps, but there's some things you just can't fix.
3. The expansion content leaves a lot to be desired. Given that both expansions are meant to be played after the main game, the enemies' damage is cranked so far through the roof that you can be swinging an ancient blade of the gods, forged in the heavens by the immortal deity of war and enchanted with the most powerful magicks in the realm, and do maybe 1/5 of a sewer goblin's healthbar. Then the goblin one shots you. And unlike the base game, these expansions are heavy on combat. You will be in those sewers a lot. The stories of the expansions are good and continue on with the main game's themes well, but console commands get extremely tempting.