Looking back at 10 years with Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

LemonManX
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Good lord! Bethesda's massive open-world RPG, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind has officially turned 10 as of today. That's something that will take some getting used to. Not because of the fact that it came out 10 years ago, but because some modern gamers (who started gaming only recently) would probably turn their nose up at the game. In honor of such a brilliant game reaching its tenth anniversary, I will now dedicate this post to its memory. Please feel free to jump into the comment section and offer your own Morrowind adventures as well. But first, let's sit back and allow our ears to take in one of the greatest pieces of music to grace the world of video games.
When I first got my hands on Morrowind, I wasn't really a PC gamer. I was still knee deep in my Nintendo 64 and original PlayStation backlog. I saw the game on a retailer shelf and curiosity had gotten the better of me. Hiss at me all you want, but I never had a chance to play Arena or Daggerfall, so this was my first Elder Scrolls experience. In retrospect, I didn't really know what I was getting myself into, but the second I stepped into that world I knew I was in for something special. I can't even remember how long I spent sifting through the signs and face designs before I settled on my character, but it was definitely awhile. Upon stepping out into the world for the first time, I took a few minutes to really take in the hustle'n'bustle going on around me and then set about talking to nearly everyone.
Ahh... memories...I'm going to take the liberty of having all of these actual memories and jump straight into my first real adventure out of town. Now anyone who has played Morrowind will know that the first quest you are given is to go over to the Silt Strider and take it from Seyda Need across to Balmora. That sounds simple enough, right? Well, I was feeling like a bold adventurer and decided that I would brave the wilds and reach my destination on foot. Unfortunately, I hadn't taken my own adventurous and curious nature into consideration upon making this choice. About halfway along the way I was distracted by an inland lake, which I hadn't yet encountered. When I arrived there, I spent approximately five or ten minutes viciously murdering Mud Crabs, even though I invaded their homes. After I had my fill of being a legendary hero of immeasurable proportions by killing crabs, I decided I should get back to my quest. Unfortunately I hadn't been paying attention and nighttime had settled in. I had a quick glance at my map to get my bearings and set out again, but unfortunately I didn't stick to the paths (as the game recommends that you do) and ended up facing off against a hostile mage. At this point in time, I was not at all equipped to face off against someone who could throw balls of fire at me, so my only option was to flee. It was here that I learned that I had to keep fleeing and couldn't just run for a few minutes and be safe. Needless to say, I was followed and killed by so, so much fire. As you can see, my first adventure in Morrowind was one doomed by my own hubris and ignorance and I promise you that I was more careful next time.

It took some time and some patience, but I did eventually finish that game. And as I sat there watching those credits scroll, it dawned on me that this was one of the greatest video games that I had had the pleasure of experiencing up until that point. Even though some people will look back and judge the visuals and the outdated gameplay, it won't change how that game warped my idea of western role-playing games. At its time the world was huge, intricately detailed, and there was a plethora of different quests to tackle. What more could a gamer ask for? You were given control over what sort of character you were. Maybe you were a smooth-talking dark elf, armed with dagger and a bow. Or maybe you were a short-tempered imperial, who wielded a broadsword as sharp as your tongue. Obviously it was easier to progress through the game if you were decent towards those around you, but no one was forcing you. Having said that, there are still rules in place so if you do plan on being a thief or a murderer just make sure that no one witnesses any of your crimes otherwise you'll find yourself in trouble with the law.

It might not look like much, but play the game
and everything is worth checking out.My iPod still contains the wonderful soundtrack put together by Jeremy Soule, and even though I have the Skyrim one on there as well, I definitely think that Morrowind's soundtrack gets more playtime. Every song just stays with you, especially if you have experiences to go with it. Whether it is vivid memories of desperately fighting for your life against several bandits to the tune of 'Bright Spears, Dark Blood' or actually surviving the night and relishing hearing the playful tune of 'Silt Sunrise', there is definitely plenty to love about this fine soundtrack. Kotaku recently posted a piece about just how good the soundtrack to this game is and I find myself inclined to agree. Morrowind probably features my favourite soundtrack from the entirety of the Elder Scrolls series. Tell me half the tracks on this playlist don't send shivers down your spine.

10 years later and we've had two sequels, Oblivion & Skyrim, and while both were stunning games, neither quite matched the height of first stepping out into Vvardenfell and having my eyes assaulted by this wonderful world. However, I won't deny that a large amount of my time was spent jumping up and down as I sprinted across the land in order to increase my athletics skill, we've all been there, right? I suppose something that is equally as endearing as the game itself is the dedication that fans still hold to it. To learn how dedicated they still are you only need to head over to Google and search for 'Morrowind mods' and you'll see a variety of new things that they have added. From maps, to weapons, to full graphical rebuilds, the fans still keep this game alive. So alive, in fact, that if you have the time and understanding, you can actually get Morrowind to look considerably better than it really should. You can check out some of their hard work below.

Credit to warvon for the video.
Valve's Steam is helping celebrate the anniversary of this remarkable title by slashing 50% off of its price, so if you haven't played it before then you really have no excuse not to do so. You can also pick up Oblivion for the same reduced price tag. What I want to know more than anything is how did Morrowind affect you? Did it have the same profound effect on you when you first played? Or of even more interest to me, is there anyone out there who has only played the game recently?

We salute you, Bethesda, and I want you to know that Morrowind has definitely left its mark on me.

Written by: Kyran Morrison

(This post was last modified: Yesterday 09:55 PM by LemonManX.)

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