The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind GOTY Edition

First the bad: it's not aged well. There are reasons for the way the gameplay is but at the end of the day combat is frustrating. There's little voice acting, NPCs don't really have routines and just kind of stand in place all day doing nothing. But despite this, Morrowind is by far the most intoxicating game I have played, and that's because of two things: 1) the lovingly crafted, enchantingly alien world, story and lore and 2) it doesn't hold your hand, and will crush you like an insect. I'll talk about these in turn: 1) Vvardenfell is like no other game world out there I can think of. It somehow mixes standard fantasy tropes and almost psychedelic, exotic elements to make a world that feels original without feeling like it's trying too hard. It hits that perfect balance that makes it feel real - not an experience crafted for the player but just something that exists. It's also kind of dark - there's open racism, xenophobia, slavery, censorship, class-divides, crime, and starting off everyone treats you like what you are - a recently released convict and foreigner with little to offer anyone - and this makes earning your place in the world such a rewarding experience. When people start to like you, it feels like home, and you really grow a fond attachment to certain places. 2) There's no quest markers, not much fast-travel, little NPC-levelling, and you can end up completely screwed in a fight if you didn't prepare. You have to find places using vague directions given to you by an NPC, meaning you WILL get lost. Basically the consequences of your actions are up to you, and it's empowering. If you're creative enough, you can almost break the game with powerful item/skill/alchemy combinations, but it feels good because you earned it. Real adventures have hardship, struggle and times when you don't think you can make it. I wish I had more space to write. If you can see past its flaws and enjoy it for what it's supposed to be, this game will reward you.

It's so immersive and left such an impact on my life that I still wake up in a cold sweat after hearing a cliff racer in my dreams

Morrowind is the 3rd game in the Elder Scrolls series, and features a large handcrafted world that was only rivaled in size by MMOs like Everquest on release (not counting procedurally generated games like Daggerfall). It's sort of a mix between Ultima 7, where you can pick up and interact with any item, and Ultima Underworld with its first person perspective, 3D world and real time combat. Morrowind's biggest strength is its setting. It takes place on the island of Vvardenfell, which is a uniquely strange place that combines influences from Middle Eastern, African, European and other cultures to create a mix that feels alien. You'll travel from swamplands to volcanic regions to mushroom forests and archipelagoes in the sea, while also diving into caves, Steampunk themed ruins and shrines to various gods. It's very fun to explore. It's also probably one of the most open-ended RPGs ever made, at least in terms of big budget games. From the very beginning, you can teleport all over the island for very little money, and nothing is blocked off from access. You can create your own spells, your own enchantments and build out your character any way you like. The game does have some problems, however. The default movement speed is glacial and makes getting around the large world tedious, so you'll want to boost your Speed stat early. It's also not very well balanced, and you'll find that you inevitably become an overpowered god, even with the difficulty maxed out. Combat is super basic and relies on dice rolls to determine if you hit your enemy, which may put some people off of the game. NPCs can also be a bit generic and will sometimes speak more like an encyclopedia than a person. Overall, the game is a classic of the genre that any fan of open world RPGs should try. I strongly recommend using OpenMW (search for it) to make it run well on modern systems. It's also heavily moddable to bring graphics up to modern standards or change how it plays, if you like.

Morrowind is the game that shaped the Elder Scrolls series into what they are today. There would be no Skyrim without Morrowind. If you played any of the newer ES games, this game will feel familiar. Yes, the graphics might seem rough for today's tastes, and the leveling, stats and combat systems are different than today's standards, but all of that is besides the point. The value of Morrowind is in the unique blend of setting, story and sounds, which all help shape the experience. Unusual game mechanics are easily overcome by reading guides (esp. UESP wiki) and planning the character ahead. Graphics and art style are subjective, and personally I like to leave any game as close to the originally intended look. That said, there are graphical overhauls with high resolution textures and whatnot on modding sites for those who really cannot immerse themselves into a game without them. Issues with modern OSes are overcome by using a modern engine like OpenMW (highly recommended) with the data files from the original game. So, if you haven't yet, there is no excuse not to play this classical gem.

For almost 2 decades, I have spent more time in Morrowind, than almost all other games I've played combined. It's not a matter of habit, just the simple fact that after comparing and playing other games, very few have managed to even come close to what Morrowind offers (KOTOR, Skyrim are close). My longest save is over 800 hours, and never went over 40% of the storyline. I have a save that never activated more than the initial 3-4 quests and you could still finish the game with as little as 25-30 hours (maybe less if you take a few shortcuts). But I still come back for the world, exploration, new areas, the excellent modding from the community and above all the no-rush approach for the main storyline. The world doesn't scale with the character, there are easy areas and some that remain deadly no matter your level. You have access to varied fighting skills/weapons, multiple armors and more spellcasting schools than you could probably use. Enchantments, Potions, Spells can all be customized, adding depth and expanding your options. All in all, this is a world were you can get lost, live and struggle to survive (well, maybe not in vanilla) while the multitude of mods ensure that you can tweak the game as you see fit and bring the graphics up-to modern standards