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Quite Possibly THE most Fantastic CRPG Ever!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 217 / 219
Date: June 28, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This game will redefine the computer role-playing game genre forever. If you have any interest in CRPGs then this is the game for you. I picked up the original two years ago and still play it to this day. The replay value is astounding. What Morrowind has that no other CRPG comes close to is open-endedness. You literally can wander anywhere your heart desires on the island (which is massive to say the least). The graphics are fantastic, the experience system is very realistic - you learn by doing - the more you do something (successfully), the better you get. The world created is so atmospherically saturating and immersive that you literally feel like you are walking through a swamp (or wherever). Almost every single shortcoming of this game has been overcome through the massive modding community that supports Morrowind. Thus the potential universe for you to explore is quite literally limitless. The original game promises over 200+ hours of gameplay to cover each and every possible quest (I honestly think this is conservative given that you cannot possibly do a all the quests with any particular PC). Each expansion adds at least 100+ hours of gameplay each. Then there is the mod community. Morrowind ships with a construction set that allows even the most novice of us to learn to create whatever worlds one desires. Some more clever people in the modding community have gone well beyond the initial scope of the construction set to enhance various aspects of the gameplay experience. Quite frankly, as you are playing the game, if their is something you think that should be improved, it has probably already been thought of and their probably is a mod out there that can do it. If not, pull up the construction set and go onto the chat bullentin boards to get some help. The mod community for Morrowind is second to none and supports people at all levels.

That being said, what kind of game is Morrowind? As I said before, it is extremely immersive, extremely detailed, extremely open-ended. What are the weak points?
Although it is possible to gun through the primary quests in much less time than the entire game encompasses, but why? If you want a game that can give you a fast fix (say 30 minutes of action) then this is NOT the game for you. The biggest hurdle most people face is getting familiar with the game. When I first played the game, I initially became quickly frustrated at the lethargic pace of progress my character was making. For people who like fast action-oriented games, they will likely abandon this game after 30 minutes because the pace is too slow and their character is too weak to even handle a rat. It will likely take hours of gameplay before your character has enough fortitude to wander through the wilderness at night and not get killed by even the most benign of critters. However, once you get past this initial hurdle, you will most likely be hooked for life.
The other limitation of the game is combat. Despite whatever weapon used, there are really only three different moves a character can make: chop, slash, and thrust. For fighter oriented characters, this gets quite boring after a couple of hundreds of hours. However, this also offers up a new opportunity. If you max out your fighting skills (say 100% with long swords) then why not take up a little bit of magic with the same character? Unlike other games, you are not restricted in any way in which skills you can pursue. Another limitation this game has is the repetitiveness of dialogue, voice acting and character graphics (I must remind you that what becomes boringly repetitive for Morrowind is not on the same scale of most other games as you will likely play the game several orders of magnitude longer, as a result even the most creative aspects of the game will seem a bit boring after, say 500+ hours of gameplay). However, as I mentioned before, there are mods out there that add a great deal of diversity to all of these constantly keeping the game fresh.
The other significant limitation to the game is a lack of multiplayer. The game was never designed with multiplayer in mind. Although some people have tried modding it to be multiplayer, none have been successfull. What makes Morrowind great: a completely immersive single-player experience, is what keeps it from becoming multiplayer.

All in all, a fantastic, unparalleled, single-player CRPG. A game that will redefine the genre. For people who are willing to become immersed in a limitless, unique world for hundreds of hours at a time. Not a game for people looking for quick, fast action. This game truly takes time and dedication to enjoy. It is addictive at some level, but you can also leave it for months, come back to it and enjoy it anew. Any when you finally think you have seen everything there is to see or would like to change something to your liking, just hop onto the bulletin boards and start downloading some mods. Quite limitless gameplay and probably the most entertainment bang for your buck in gaming. Morrowind will likely have replay value for years to come, since the mod community is still growing strong.

On a side note: picking up the strategy guide is a must for most fans of this game. If for nothing else than the maps that show exactly where certain quest tidbits can be found. It is far too easy to spend hours looking for the precise location of something in several acres of terrain. After spending 6 gameplay hours looking for a specific person in the vast city of Vivec, I gave up and bought the strategy guide and found them in 10 minutes. Plus the fact that there is SO much detail in the game that you can quite easily miss 90% of it just by rushing through certain areas. I have revisited some areas 10 times and found something completely new (to me) each time.

A Look at the Strategy Guide

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 141 / 162
Date: January 29, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I recently discovered the Morrowind Game of the Year strategy guide and thought that players would like to know that it exists and is worth looking into if you are becoming perplexed by the challenges of what is probably the world's most detailed RPG.

This is the first guidebook that can cause sudden-game-depression. You start out in one city on the continent of Vvardenfell play for 20 or so hours and you begin to realize that you have covered exact four tiny squares on the map. And the more you wander, the more you find. Eventually you decide you want to get on with it, but it gradually becomes clear that you aren't quite sure what 'it' is. You break down, by the guide, and you finally realize that Morrowind and its subgames are inconceivably huge.

There are hundreds of cities, dungeons, fortresses, monsters, and NPCs. All with individual stories. And the only way you have any hope of finding all of them is to wander forever or buy the guide. The guide provides heavily annotated maps, and descriptions of all the major and minor quests. Various hints, and even discussions about what to do in Morrowind between tasks (go out and kill a few diseased crabs). Even with all 400 pages, I doubt that the guide covers much more than half the possibilities. The scouring of Vvardenfell could take years of play.

Even with everything that is in the guide, there is yet more that I would like to have seen. In particular, indexes and where found guides. I guess the publishers decided that anything more than 400 pages would scare away the average buyer. Seriously, though, a guide is almost a necessity if you want to get full values from the game without dedicating your life to it. It is well written and organized. I would have preferred better quality printing but not at the price it likely would have cost. If you get a chance pick it up, it will greatly increase your appreciation of the game.

Fun at the start...

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 53 / 63
Date: March 31, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This is a decent game. It's not a perfect game, as some of the other reviews might lead you to believe, but it is not bad. At the beginning, you've got seemingly endless choices -- 10 different races, 27 skills, 21 classes, and a dozen groups you can join. Unfortunately, all these different paths eventually lead to the same road. Morrowind will give you the illusion of freedom, at least for a while.

The graphics are great, and the first person aspect really helps you become immersed in the game. The music is also quite good, but it would have been nice if there were more of it. The main story of the game is interesting, but not particularly compelling.

The scope of the game is really impressive. Both the setting and the culture built into the game are incredibly expansive. Morrowind has dozens of towns to visit and probably hundreds of caves, ruins, and tombs to explore. The history of Morrowind is not explained through the manual, but instead through books you can find or buy in the game. There are books that have absolutely nothing to do with finishing the game and which only serve to expand on the history and culture of Morrowind.

Morrowind begins with the illusion of freedom. You can follow the main story, go on missions for various groups, or just adventure on your own. This freedom is fun until you realize that all the missions are pretty much the same -- either kill something or find something. You can advance to the top of the fighter's guild or don't -- it doesn't really matter, because it won't affect anything else in the game. The different paths are all very isolated. At first the missions are fun in themselves, but eventually they become tedious, and you begin to ask yourself what's the point? You can adventure on your own in search of treasure, but eventually, you'll have all the best armor and weapons. And this is the main problem with the game. At some point (usually about halfway through the main story) you'll have everything you want for your character, all the money you'll ever need, and stats high enough to kill anything in the game. Obviously, at some point, there has to be an end to the growth of your character, but this comes far too quickly. You'll realize that for all the freedom you seemed to have, your character is exactly the same as every other character you could have played. You may have started as an assassin who relies on sneaking in the shadows, but you'll end up with a generic character who can just as easily run up and hack your way through anything -- I did.

The fact that the game is so massive leads to a generic feel in many areas. Many of the characters say exactly the same thing, making dialogue boring. Since there are so many different dungeons, they all tend to be fairly small and pretty much the same. The missions tend to lack creativity and become tedious.

For a game that attempts to give the player as much freedom as possible, there really aren't very many meaningful choices. You can choose to do whatever you want, but it's rarely ambiguous what you're meant to do. Can this character be trusted? You'll never have to decide, because it will be spelled out for you.

While this game is a technical success, I believe it lacks in gameplay. It has a high replay value in that you'll probably start several characters before you ever actually finish the game. It's absolutely massive in scope with literally months worth of things to do, but unfortunately, these things tend to get repetitive long before you complete half of them. It's entirely possible that Morrowind is worth buying because of the fun you'll have at the start, but just don't expect perfection.

The Most Amazing RPG World Ever

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 34 / 37
Date: November 06, 2003
Author: Amazon User

If you're looking for an action-thriller, shoot-em up FPS crossover, hit back and keep looking.

If you're looking for an intelligent, detailed, intriguing RPG operating system, this is it!

The original Morrowind with its expansions Tribunal and Morrowind are absolutely phenomonal and will keep you in their world for literally hundreds and hundreds of hours. It is possible to play the game for hours a day for months and still not have done everything.

The best part is the Construction Set that comes with the game. This allows amateurs to build new areas, sculpt and decorate terrain, create new weapons, buildings, quests, NPCs, and absolutely everything you could ever think of. Theoretically, the game never ends. It's not just the best RPG you'll ever play, it is truly a gaming operating system.

I can't tell you anything that the editorial review doesn't already mention, but I can recommend this game if you've ever been into gaming where your thoughts involve more than "which gun should I use to blow the next guy's head off...?" Prepare to be immersed in the world of The Elder Scrolls III!

Don't Hesitate

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 20 / 20
Date: December 31, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Morrowind is quite simply one of the best RPGs of all time. For those who haven't played it, this collection is an insanely good deal, and you shouldn't even think twice about getting it.

The minute you start Morrowind you know that this is a game unlike any other. Your character can be one of ten races, each distinct in appearance and abilities. You can create your own classes, emphasizing any of 26 skills and eight attributes. As you enter the vast fully-3D world you advance your character by practicing and improving chosen skills. This makes it practically impossible to create the exact same character more than once.

The game world is simply gigantic- Morrowind has a huge landmass that takes you upwards of a half hour to run from one end to the other. The expansions Tribunal and Bloodmoon (included in this edition) add the additional Mournhold city and Solstheim island. All of the areas are chock full of enemies, caverns, tombs, ruins, and non-player characters. Many of these give you quests, which have rewards varying from gold to unique items. There are hundreds of quests, weapons, items, objects, and distinct locations in the game. I've played Morrowind for hundreds of hours and still occasionally come across something I have never seen!

The main story of Morrowind is well done and quite involved, and Tribunal and Bloodmoon add additional main quests to the plot. However, unlike every other RPG I've played, it's not at all compulsory to complete them. In fact, you can simply go gallivanting about Vvardenfell doing whatever you see fit- and have a good time at it too. There's plenty of towns and people to talk to (and, naturally, to kill) and side quests to complete. You can join one of three Great Houses and build a stronghold for yourself, or join any of a half dozen other factions- all with unique missions and rewards.

Morrowind's graphics are awesome- the detail in the objects has to be seen to be believed. There isn't a single sprite in the entire game, and both characters and terrain are all extremely well done. The game world is thickly populated with all manner of persons and objects, and you can explore in either first or third person. This can be a problem, however, if your system isn't up to it. If you can't see all the pretty graphics, the game isn't so fun, so be sure you exceed the recommended system specifications. Morrowind needs everything your PC has- there really is no such thing as too much power with this game. In particular, the game looks a lot better if your graphics card can run full-screen antialiasing with it.

Admittedly, combat in Morrowind is rather straightforward and can get a bit dull. You can shoot, hack, or nuke things up at will, and the ability to create customized weapons and spells makes this fun in a Diablo-esque way. Fighting isn't really the best part of the game, though. Rather, the freedom is. You can go anywhere and do anything you want in any order- a rather intoxicating degree of control that I've not seen in any other game. In fact, I should warn new players that after playing Morrowind other games- especially other RPGs- will seem extremely constricting due to the lack of freedom.

That said, there's another 'best' part of the game. That is the customizability of Morrowind and the jaw-dropping amount of fan content already available for download. With the editor you can change almost anything in the game. With that and 3D Studio MAX you CAN change everything in the game- and people have done so. Everything from total conversions to monster additions, new items, new objects, new quests and areas, and even new races and appearances are available for download. Due to the very intuitive plugin system, addition of this content is simple (the only problem being potential conflicts in plugins). If you take the time to learn a bit about it, you can make your own items and locations with the editor. Another warning here- this is more addictive than most narcotics, and once you start you'll always see something else that 'needs improvement.' It is not unheard of for 'players' to spend more time editing Morrowind than actually playing it.

Last of all, the soundtrack is definitely worth mentioning. Jeremy Soule (Icewind Dale, Total Annihilation, Neverwinter Nights) has composed one to remember. Best of all, it's all there in mp3 format, and you can customize it as well.

Even if you're not that much into RPGs, Morrowind is sure to hold your attention for a very good, long time. While it's initially not much of a challenge to play and there are a few sub-optimal features, these problems can (and have been) addressed with the editor. Though it lacks multiplayer mode, the game will almost certainly have you hooked for as long as any game with multiplay, and then some. There's a good reason there's no 'hours of play' figure on the box- this, like almost everything else with Morrowind, is completely up to you.

Morrowind is probably the best PC game ever released, in terms of sheer entertainment value. It's almost certainly one of the top ten RPGs of all time. If your computer can handle it, you should definitely pick up a copy.

Even more info

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 18 / 18
Date: March 08, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Reviewing the other reviews, it sums things up pretty well I think for this game. It's definately not a game for everyone, which is true for just about any game. If you expect it to be the same as other RPGs out there you've played, that's probably going to set you up for disappointment. It's not like other RPGs out there. Most RPGs are heavily story oriented and as a result, are very linear. Morrowind also has story, and the story is quite linear as well, however where Morrowind really shines is I think is when you get away from that. It's also an extremely open-ended game. You can just ignore the main story-line and go wondering off to do your own thing. The game becomes more of a fantasy world simulation then, and this is what tends to appeal to the gamers who love this game. If that doesn't really appeal you, then you may want to pass on this game. In other words, this game is for you if you want to be in control, rather than the story-line. Maybe the best way to decide this is to consider how important the story is to games you play. If you think story is very important, you're probably a story oriented gamer. For myself personally, I prefer to watch a movie when I want story, and play games to have more control over things. Hope that helps you decide if this game is a good match for you.

I also wanted to point out the huge mod community that exist around this game. People often complain about aspects of this game (NPCs look terrible, gets too easy later on, going up in levels occurs too quickly, etc). Some of these people do something about it too, though, so mods are available to address these complains. So that's something to factor into your decision as well. The amount of mods out there are very impressive, and the mod community is still going very strong.

Morrowind - is it worth it?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 18 / 18
Date: August 02, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Absolutely. I, personally, loved this game. From the 100's of possible quests, to the 1000's of styles of weapons, to the practically infinite variations of skills, to the unnaturally real looking surroundings, to all the possible variations that result from interaction... For a while, this game was my life.

One day, I was walking through a tech. con, browsing through the anime, the video cards, the moniters. I came to the games section and perused through the mix of the Zork Zero complete sets, the Unreal Tournaments, the Dungeon Keepers, when I found it. Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, Game of the Year Edition. I had heard good things. The reviews I had read had all said basically the "enter this living, breathing world" type of thing that came so often with MMORPG's and basic Rpg's. I decided to buy it, and went home with the nice, shiny, gold box.

At first, when I installed the game itself, I was intimidated by the drawings of skeletons and wierd looking monsters. However, I used to love Diablo II, (I got bored by the hack-and-slash thing. It was just too repetitive.) and had seen things mortals shouldn't have to see, so I wasn't easily scared away by the strange depictions. Still, it was slightly foreboding, and I started playing the game with a slight sense of apprehension.

Now, to the real part of the review. As soon as I started out, and went through the whole class picking/introduction type thing, I fell in love with the game. This might be my favorite game of all time.

First - Graphics
This game has some of the widest and most varied animations I have ever seen. Most NPCs are completely different looking, exceptions including the Legion troops and the monsters, who look like their brethren (as they should). The graphics are actually breathtaking in most areas. The mountains are incredibly detailed. The cities are really, incredibly astounding. I love the elvish cities. There are some areas that I spent hours in, just roaming and exploring. The underwater graphics, while not perfect, are some of the best I've seen. The Dungeon and below-ground areas are perfectly sculpted, and made to look axactly as they should, based on where you are. When I would look up, whilst outside, I would see moving clouds. Weather was amazing. There were many times, early in the morning, where I would look around, and it would actually be foggy. This is the most amazing thing I have ever seen. The graphics get a 5.0, nothing less.

Sound
The music and sounds in this game are really some of the I have ever heard. The music is mainly orchestral, and is so vivid, you'll feel like your at a concert, basking in the beauty of this amazing game.I can only imagine having surround sound speakers; I, unfortunatley, was using headphones at the time. I only wish that I could hear more varied sounds from the people and monsters, though, for a game this big, they are adequate.
Score = 4.7

Fighting
For fighting melee or ranged, there is like, no learning curve. For magic, It's a bit harder getting used to, but in the the term, remains fulfilling. The left-click hit is simple and basic, but works perfectly with the pace of the game. What I love is seeing a weapon on the floor or in a shop, taking it, holding it, and suddenly it's, like, I'm holding a different weapon! I know that sounds kind of stupid, but I love getting an axe and using it, and suddenly I have this gigantic Great-axe that's half the size of my body.
Weapons = 5.0

Gameplay
Have you ever fallen in love with somebody, and when your first dating and you know that person, he/she is the most amazing person in the world? And, sadly, sometimes people get more used to each other, and they seem sort of old, as though that other person is nothing new, seeming as if they have just fallen into an abyss, and the exciting person just doesn't want to come out?

Morrowind is like that, except that there isn't ever any falling-out, there isn't any big abyss, and this doesn't have anything to do with people. Every day I played it, I would fall in love again, and again, and again... The reason for this being, of course, that I have never played in a bigger, vaster, more infinite-seeming universe. There is a certain spell in the game that I discovered called something like "levitation". This allows you to, basically, fly. There were a couple of times that I would go far out into the wilderness, night or day, I didn't care, and I would levitate upwards look in a circle, and see absolutely nothing that I recognized for miles. This, hopefully, gives you some sort of sense of how vastly, gigantically, incomprehensibly huge this game is.

The story is, to say the least, amazing, (I'm sorry I've been repeating words about how good this game is, I don't have an entire dictionary right at my hand- DOH!!!) with the main plot splitting out into hundreds of tiny subplots that really aren't that tiny when compared to other games. The aspect's of the guilds, the character, and the expansions make this game perfect for replayability. In fact, each guild has it's own story lines and quests, which, in themselves, could make up an entire game.

I am sad to say that I have to resort back to that to often used statement: Morrowind makes up an living, breathing, thriving, building world that is so awe-inspiring that it can actually steal your breath from you.

10 out of 5, 100 out 20, 1000 out of 50, This is, in my unbiased opinion, one of the best games ever created. Amen.

A Giant in RPG: A Must Own Game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 15 / 15
Date: October 07, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I purchased Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind (GOTY Edition) in early May of 2004, looking for an adventure game to provide me with some escapism, and also wanting to have a game to test drive a brand new, high-end lap top on. It is now October, and I have been playing the same game ever since. I have only recently completed the last of "the major" quests in the game, and even now I am enjoying the process of finishing up the minor quests... and I'm finding little things I've missed along the way.

From the beginning, I was captivated with the 3-D universe of the game, the graphics, and gameplay. The size of the navigable world presented in this game is titanic. I still have not traversed every path in this game, and I am absolutely certain that I will find new tombs, ruins, and more before I move on to a new game.

There are mountainous regions to explore, wastelands, forested plains, coastal regions, underwater expanses, large cities, small towns, hamlets. And there alot of animals and creatures, from mudcrabs to vampires to Golden Saints, who don't like you roaming around on their turf!

The storyline behind the main quest, which I will not give away, was simply great theatre. I was genuinely surprised by some of the extraordinarily creative twists and turns.

The character creation process was very inventive, enjoyable, and gave me several options. The begining of the game contained a very informative, interactive tutorial, which was just right in size and explanation. The booklet that came with the game was great; it didn't answer all my questions, but then again, I'm glad it didn't. Things I discovered about the game on my own were revelations!

Little things: The ability to create my own potions and magical objects was a lot of fun, and something unexpected going into the gameplay experience. When I figured out how to make an enchanted object, for example, I did what just about any RPG warrior would do: I created swords with terrible powers, and clothing that boosted my character's strength to Godlike status. But the best objects I created were those that helped me levitate over large mountains and navigate underwater without drowning. The abilities to create potions and magical objects might seem trivial, but what it does to the experience is magnificent... it gives a character freedom. It isn't scripted by a writer... the writers and programmers have given the person playing the game the ability to go where they want, do what they want, and make things they want. It's not always an A, B, or C choice. Often, the player creates the rest of the alphabet to choose from.

Very very few downfalls to speak of, and perhaps they are only matters of taste. I wish there were a wider variety of creatures to battle against... and stronger ones toward the latter stages of the game. And there perhaps could have been a better melee combat interface... most of the time, I hacked and slashed using just one button and the mouse.

But these things are truly minor. Compared to other games I've played in the past, this game is galactic in realm. Fun. Challenging, deep, beautiful.

I have yet to attempt anything with the accompanying scenario creator, which I am anxious to try. Evidently, I have the ability to create my own world if I want to, and give it to others who have the game to try. I look forward to investigating it... as soon as I feel I am done with the Morrowind I am fet to complete, I will!

Maybe the Best RPG Since Baldur's Gate 2

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 11 / 12
Date: January 11, 2004
Author: Amazon User

What can I say about The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind? Well, I don't know if I've ever played a stand-alone game (i.e. not an MMORPG) that made me want to explore such a vast beautifully rendered fantasy world. Morrowind is one of those games that you'll never fully appreciate if you don't have a top of the line video card, a large monitor and some nice speakers or headphones. It truly does capture your imagination and throw you head first into the world you're exploring. It's also one of the least linear RPG's I've ever played. There were hundreds of quests and I didn't have to do anything in a specific order. I could become a dastardly criminal, a chivalrous knight, and then suddenly change my occupation to a mysterious mage. Except for a few game essential characters, I could kill anyone and steal anything. Not that I wanted to, but that's just to give you an idea of how much is possible in this game. If I could compare Morrowind to anything it would be an offline version of Everquest because the vast amounts of land and people in this game almost feel like an MMORPG. Morrowind has it's own system of rules and leveling and that would be one of my few complaints, leveling is too darn easy in this game. It's very easy to obtain a "god level" in no time at all. Also, while there are hundreds and hundreds of quests and NPC's, sometimes there isn't enough variety to keep your interest. But the Game of the Year edition comes with both expansions so that should help ease some of the problems that inflicted gamers who only played the original game. The first expansion, Tribunal, takes place in a large city and is heavy on NPC interaction while the other expansion, Bloodmoon, gives you another world to explore that focuses on werewolves. Morrowind is one of those love-hate games. Gamers either love it to the end or end up hating it for some of the reasons I mentioned above. Whatever your final opinion of the game is, you will definitely be hooked for at least two or three weeks. Morrowind is a truly ambitious RPG and brings new life to this once popular but declining genre.

If your imagination can take the place of consequences for your actions, then until 2006 this was the ultimate roleplaying game.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 9
Date: July 02, 2006
Author: Amazon User

You are a prisoner. For some reason, the Emperor of Tamriel - the mythical land in which all Elder Scrolls games take place - has deemed that you should be released from the Imperial city, and taken to the land of the Dark Elves: Morrowind. When the game begins, you are released from a prison ship on the massive island on which the game takes place, Vvardenfell. Vvardenfell is a district of the province of Morrowind. If you follow the main quest, you will discover that the reason for your release is more profound than you may have thought initially. Of course, whether you ever even do the main quest is entirely up to you, which is one of the great things about Elder Scrolls games.

So, why were you imprisoned to begin with? What crimes you committed or whether you were falsely accused is to be decided in one place and one place only: your imagination. This is important, because it introduces you to Morrowind's greatest strength and weakness - its reliance on your imagination. Morrowind requires a good bit of imagination in order to both understand its complexities and subtleties, and enjoy its frequent lack of substantive ramifications following your actions. It isn't quite the "living breathing world" Bethesda probably intended (and which they finally succeeded in creating with Oblivion, which - if you like Morrowind - you should definitely play.) Morrowind has three things going for it.

1) It's enormous to a degree you've never seen in a game, and probably even bigger than you're imagining before playing it.
2) It allows you to do almost anything you want, go wherever you want, and be any sort of character you want.
3) It offers a rich cultural back-story and depth that is not unlike the meticulous lengths Tolkien went to in crafting the history, races, and minutia of Middle Earth in his Lord of the Rings saga and related materials; there are religions, races, regions, local flora and fauna, competing factions and centers of power, and an ancient history stretching back for thousands of years (all of which, incidentally, is chronicled in the literally hundreds of readable books found throughout the game - all of which are optional, but there if you want to check them out.)

It has several weaknesses, however.

1) Its enormity can sometimes be daunting, especially when you simply want to get where you're going and can't find your way.
2) While you can go anywhere and do anything and be anyone you want, nothing really changes in the world around you as a result (this is a shortcoming Oblivion resolved by giving the world more lifelike characters who remember how you've behaved around them in the past, and branching story paths similar to those in KOTOR.) You simply get rewarded with money, special items you can't get anywhere else, or more of the story (all of which is conveyed via text only) when you make a decision. Once again, your imagination is key, because the motivations and ramifications (beyond your reward and allegiances forged in the process) exist only in your mind.
3) Despite its genuinely impressive depth and richness, its fine points are conveyed through long-winded, encyclopedically clinical dialogue that exists purely in the form of text on the screen. Combined with the limited movement - all of which is entirely scripted - of the people who inhabit the world, this makes them seem pretty boring, redundant, and lifeless for the most part. They are basically gruff, seemingly listless cardboard cutouts masquerading as people, and they often repeat dialogue other characters have already shared with you. What is there, however, is extremely interesting and can even be engrossing if you (once again) use your imagination to breathe life into the otherwise lifeless text.
4) The game can often seem perplexing or seem bugged because locations, people, or items that should be present and are required to complete certain quests often seem like they aren't simply due to the enormous scope and complexity of the game. It can take ages sometimes to find someone or something, and this can make the game quite frustrating. It doesn't help that in two or three instances (though in a game this massive, the fact that there aren't more examples is impressive) actual bugs are the cause of the inexplicable issues.
5) You really have to breathe life into your character by role-playing. This is a true role-playing game, not just a fun romp that calls itself one. You have to envision the character you want to be in your mind, and then stay in character in the game. Most games impose restrictions, making you stay in character for the sake of consistency. But Morrowind doesn't. It allows you to do whatever you want. On the surface, and on the whole, that's a good thing. The problem is, if you are a knight that uses heavy armor and carries an axe, you are given the option to stray totally out of character because of that freedom. You can ditch your heavy armor, take up medium or light armor, and use a bow and arrow instead. This has the effect of making your character's class seem irrelevant, save for added convenience of your class skills leveling up more easily and being easier to use than those outside of your class. You have to avoid the temptation to go out of character if you hope to enjoy the game. Stay in character, and make decisions not as YOU would, but as the CHARACTER would. This is what "role-playing" actually means, and the Elder Scrolls series is a true example of an RPG. If you create boundaries for yourself (for instance: a character who only relies on magic because of some inate trait you come up with for them, or because they simply detest melee weapons as a quirk of their personality) and stay within them, the game is much more fun than it is when you just do whatever you please, totally disregarding your character's class. On the plus side, while there are numerous pre-made character classes, you can combine any of the game's 21 skills and attributes to create (and even name!) your own character class. When added to race and gender, as well as options for face as well as hairstyle (independent of one another) this makes for (not an exaggeration!) more than one million possible character variations. Ultimately though, regardless of the combo you choose, you will essentially be playing a stealthy thief or assassin type character, a magic-heavy wizard or mage, or a brawny warrior that uses armor and melee weapons. Everything else is just grey areas between the three.

THE TAKE HOME POINT OF ALL THE ABOVE FACTS IS: In order to really get into it, and "feel" like you're living another life in another world, you must overlook the above shortcomings, and use your imagination. See in your head the emotions and personalities of the people, as you would when reading a book. Do this from the outset, be very patient, don't rush, and you will enjoy the game - I guarantee it. Bethesda liked to say, "This is a thinking person's game, and doesn't hold your hand with video sequences or well-acted narratives." Personally, I think it surely could have done with SOME at least lol. They add drama, as they did in KOTOR. Nonetheless, what they said is true. Think, imagine, be creative, and you'll have fun.

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