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.
