The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind GOTY Edition

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.

The atmosphere created in this release of Elder Scrolls was the most engaging for me out of all of the games. That is not to say that it hasn't aged or even aged well. I have not played this title in years. However when I did play it the sounds, sights and stories sucked me in like little else has done since Ultima Underworld. I was fully invested in my character. So much so that I remade my character many times after leaving the starting town to get it "just right." I don't think I've cared to that degree about my toon in any other RPG. Once I was satisfying the rest of my many hours in this game we're engrossing. I never felt like my hands were held playing this game but that was in a positive way. I read every book or scroll I found in the game and there were a LOT of them. They were all well-written and interesting. I actually found myself seeking certain thing or areas out in the game just based on the interest piqued by the in-game flavor texts. Over time my character evolved into a sort of rogue conjuror. I kne how to summon all sort of horrible creatures (the more horrible ones being possible only after practicing summoning skeletons over and over. If my monsters and beasts were not enough I could summon whole suits of armor to Don and enchanted weapons. One paralyze spell and me slicing madly with an Eldritch dagger and my crocodile demon going to town were usually more than enough to finish anyone that caught me robbing their house blind.

No generic quests like in Skyrim! Lore and the feeling of your place in the world is just right. Great guild quests. You can be very creative with builds, magic, skills, weapons and armor.