The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind GOTY Edition

Still playable today (although it is recommended to grab OpenMW or MWSE for stability). Travel must be planned, there are ports, bugs, spells etc). The world is just about the perfect size for this. Don't let your stamina run out when attacking. It's why the "missing attacks" memes exist. It was so far ahead of its time in what it allows you to do without being overly obtuse (did you know there were language skills in ES 2?). A true classic that should be played by everyone with even a passing interest in Western RPGs.

The feeling you get when you walk around the lands here hasn't been reached in any other RPG that I've come across. You start out as a true nobody, ignored by the populace as being a foreigner, and end up becoming a god. There may be a bit of a snag for some people who dislike the dice-rolling system that Morrowind has. Although this is a bit of a headache at the beginning, it only makes it all the more satisfying (in my opinion) when you go from not being able to even properly hit a rat with a dagger to being able to slaughter whole cities wholesale without even so much as a thought. A quick tip to those coming from Skyrim however: Classes exist here and they actually matter. If you pick a full mage class, then try to use a sword on people, you're going to have a bad time. Be careful and think ahead in what you truly want to use in this game.

Here it is, my favorite game of all time. Morrowind manages to produce a world that is both unexpected and cohesive. It suggests at greater mysteries without feeling incomplete. I remember the first time I stepped into Vvardenfell, it was one of the rare moments when a game really fills you with wonder and awe. More so than Oblivion or Skyrim, Morrowind's setting is unique and alien. The combat may seem archaic, it is all dice rolls behind the scenes, and it can be overwhelming with all your options, but the game has a magic few games can touch. The plot initially feels pretty generic, but the delivery is excellent. You never know just what the truth is. I think a large part of Morrowind's success also lies in the more deliberate pace. With more restrictive fast travel and decently long treks out to remote areas, it may seem like the game would be boring. Instead, you have time to think, to explore and to stumble upon the little surprises that dot the landscape. The world, regardless of actual size, feels more expansive than any of its predecessors in the series. There is so much detail in the world beyond just dungeons and the necessary missions. Plantations and mines dot the landscape; chests and homes are filled with everyday clutter. Similarly, while NPCs may not all be unique, and have very little in the way of AI, the towns feel populated and complete. Your actions are less restricted too, you can kill anyone (with a friendly warning when you kill one of a few plot essential NPCs) and pickpocket whoever, learn to fly or just jump over a mountain. Morrowind is dated, and not the pretiest game, but it still retains a majesty and alien quality that set it apart. I believe it is the best Elder Scrolls game to date, and one of the best games ever made. A classic, and my personal top game of all time.

How many games do you revisit after more than a decade since release ? How many games have a vivid modding community after this time ? TES III Morrowind is for me the peak in the Elder Scrolls Series as there is so much love put in details of the world e.g. each faction has its own architecture and culture. Of course its a - very good - old game but mods like Ornithopters overhaul or Tamriel Rebuilt breath new life into it. I still have the original disks but better save than sorry. So I'm buying it here at GOG a second time. If you're into RPGs and never played it you owe it to yourself to try it out.

I struggled with this game at first. I didn't like it. It was easy to get sidetracked, caught up in minutiae of the world (like picking flowers), and didn't seem to have a clear goal. So I put it down. Tried again a year later. Put it down again. Then tried Oblivion, which I enjoyed immensely. Before trying Morrowind again, I read some advice of "it's easy to get stuck when you first start out. Just ignore the town you start in, and immediately head to the first goal. Ignore everything else." That worked wonders for me. The game is deep, immersive and challenging. It is very open as to how you want your character to develop. Later games in the series (Oblivion, Skyrim) started dumbing down character options, and especially for me, lessening magic capabilities. (I was pretty annoyed with Skyrim about how shouts are more powerful than magic spells - thus making a mage character somewhat meaningless). I have now replayed this game fully over 2 dozen times. I love the mechanics (you can even fly everywhere), the storyline, sidequests, and the world itself. It is great in it's vanilla form, or with the myriad of mods that exist. It is older, but if the graphics bother you, then a graphics mod, like https://www.nexusmods.com/morrowind/mods/36945 works great.