The Source
07-17-2002, 02:40 AM
The essence of an RPG has always been easy and simple - do whatever you want, and make sure you're having fun doing it, whether it's on pen & paper or a computer. And according to Bethesda, they "don't believe a good RPG should restrict you from making choices, even if they're bad ones." This isn't your "standard" RPG like FFX where you follow along a set path in a set story with characters that have absolutely all of their interactions pre-scripted with only one possible outcome. And it isn't a hack-and-slash action RPG like Baldur's Gate where there is an endless stream of well animated baddies that you plow through like a super hero. What is it then you say? Morrowind is a completely open-ended, non-linear RPG that simulates a believable, fantasy world where the rules and physics match those of what you would find in a MMORPG such as Everquest. This game represents almost everything a game should be - it combines strong gameplay, solid graphics, excellent sound, and an absolutely massive world that you can completely explore to create one of the best experiences ever in an RPG.
Gameplay
This is basically the game's greatest aspect, and there's only one thing wrong with this - it will suck you in. Morrowind begins with a scripted event of you walking off a boat. As you walk to town you choose your name, your race, your class and your birth sign. These combinations offer an infinite number of character types (The Source read somewhere that there's about over 450 billion types of characters). Once everything is chosen, you begin in a town called Seyda Neen with the task of eventually going to Balmora to deliver a package to a man named Caius Cosades, where you can choose to walk there or take the Silt Strider. You can also talk to everyone to get an idea of what is going on around you. Some will offer you side quests that you can choose to do or ignore. You can also explore this little town inside and out by picking flowers, picking pockets, steal from the people, anything that your imagination desires. If you want, you can pull out your knife and try to kill a guard. The point is you can do anything you want. The decision is yours.
The controls are excellent, which are very similar to the standard settings found in Halo. You start the game in first person. If you don't feel comfortable with this view, you can switch to third person by pressing the Right thumbstick in. At first, it is not easy to switch weapons or spells on the fly. There are two ways you can do this - you can make the changes in the menu, or you can cycle through the selections using the triggers. Also, the Left Trigger causes you to jump and the Right Trigger attacks with your selected weapon or magic spell. Various buttons do various things. It's all easy to learn once you get accustomed to it (just like Halo's controls).
The battle system is done in real time, which can pose a problem for some people who are impatient. Most people try to buy the most powerful weapon and just run into a fight slashing away. All the weapons in Morrowind are class based largely. If you're a thief, you won't be using an axe or a giant hammer. If you do, you'll miss constantly. You must use a weapon you are skilled with. In the case of a thief, this usually means a dagger or short sword. You can power up your skills in other weapons by training, but early in the game you'll need to go with what you're given. Battles take place in real time and play somewhat like a FPS. It's not like in Halo where you aim and shoot. This game is an RPG, so remember - hits are more random. Think of each attack as a roll of the dice; some hit, some miss. Still, you can move in real time to get out of range and such.
There is also a deep magic system. There are defensive, offensive, summoning, enchanting, and all types of spells. If you don't like the spells in the game, you can make your own (something that most players wanted in RPG's). The Source has not tried this yet but there are instructions on how to do it in the manual. Offensive spells make the game more like Halo as you can hit at long range. Summoning spells are really fun to use as well. Like spells, you can create potions using alchemy and such.
With all that said, The Source must admit that some people will absolutely hate this game. Console gamers often like to be told exactly what to do all the time (see Final Fantasy series for reference). This game does not do that. Some will get frustrated because they will rush head first into battle with a wizard. It takes some patience to enjoy this game, but once you figure out what you're doing, this is one the best gaming experiences out there. Period.
Graphics
This area is more important to some than it is to others. There will be times when you'll look at this game and wonder if you're playing a game on your PS2. There will also be times when you'll wonder if you're actually seeing something this wonderful. The textures are clean and smooth, and the amount of detail in every object is impressive. Some of the environments are absolutely stunning. The towns in this game, thus far, are amazing, fully realized and packed with tons of items that make it feel like a real world. The water is really something special, as it looks wonderful and believable. If you don't believe The Source, look at a screenshot with a body of water in it. Certain weather effects like rain or a sandstorm also look wonderful. Take a look at the sky once during nighttime. Or take a look at the sun when it rises in the sky. The shift between day and night and between sunny to overcast to raining are done well. The fact that everything seems to attempt a real-life setting is impressive, even if the graphics engine seems a little unpolished. While the exterior settings may not look as good as in Halo, you'll be impressed by the city settings, each of which is designed and modeled with impressive detail.
However, the character models are incredibly flawed. Walking looks incredibly strange for every class and jumping looks worse than FPS games. Some of the articles of clothing look strangeā¦ to say the least. The characters could have used a few more polygons as well. Also, the draw distance is a little short, and character animations are jerky at a distance. But none of these things detract from the overall experience of the game. Some people will say that the resolution on the Xbox version is not as great as the PC, but I can't comment on that since The Source does not have the PC version. But still the graphics are stunning, although the frame rate suffers a little. It slows down in populated towns, but it doesn't really matter as much because when you enter a room or go outside a town, the rate goes up to 60fps, nice and smooth.
Additionally, the load times are absolutely minimal. Bethesda took a cue from Halo and front-loads every major area, like where you first load your game, it takes about 40 seconds (like Halo), but after that you won't see a load time of more than 5 seconds. This is a truly spectacular feat. A note of caution - if you die, you will have to go through the 45-second front-loading, so try not to die ok?
Sound
The sound portion of the game is nicely polished and top quality. Jeremy Soule again provides his imaginations and sounds for a game as huge as this. For those of you that don't know who he is, he did the soundtrack for the amazing Icewind Dale on PC. The music in this game is superb, fitting the game and setting perfectly. It really works in a timepiece manner. Also, this game is perfect for surround sound - when you turn your back on someone while speaking to you, the voice sort of lowers, making it realistic as possible. Sound effects are well done, especially when you hear a monster off in the distance heading your way. Everywhere you go; superb sound effects will be there in abundance. You should hear the tombs in this game - very creepy. The voice acting is one of the game's weaker points. The voices, while well done, are somewhat repetitive. Especially when you consider that there are only about 20 different voices that you will ever hear, even though you'll be reading text more often than not.
Conclusion
Considering all the options available to you, every adventure is different. Even with its flaws, the game is an excellent adventure for anyone who's looking for a non-linear game set in a world that they can live in. Morrowind is a game that requires effort. You have to keep your eyes and ears open to figure out what is going on in the world. You have to talk to people and actually ask them questions to figure out where you need to go and what you need to do - no one will just tell you. Gamers who don't care for PC-style games may be turned off by the open-endedness of Morrowind, or by the large amount of text that you'll read. They want the game to be little more of an interactive storybook (like FFX). But if you can look past the minor gripes mentioned, open up your mind and dive into an adventure unlike any other (an adventure where you control what is going on in the world around you), then you should buy this game without a doubt. Morrowind is a wonderfully huge experience that should not be missed.
The Verdict is in!
Overall: 9/10
Well there you have it folks, yet another amazingly detailed review by yours truly The Source.
Gameplay
This is basically the game's greatest aspect, and there's only one thing wrong with this - it will suck you in. Morrowind begins with a scripted event of you walking off a boat. As you walk to town you choose your name, your race, your class and your birth sign. These combinations offer an infinite number of character types (The Source read somewhere that there's about over 450 billion types of characters). Once everything is chosen, you begin in a town called Seyda Neen with the task of eventually going to Balmora to deliver a package to a man named Caius Cosades, where you can choose to walk there or take the Silt Strider. You can also talk to everyone to get an idea of what is going on around you. Some will offer you side quests that you can choose to do or ignore. You can also explore this little town inside and out by picking flowers, picking pockets, steal from the people, anything that your imagination desires. If you want, you can pull out your knife and try to kill a guard. The point is you can do anything you want. The decision is yours.
The controls are excellent, which are very similar to the standard settings found in Halo. You start the game in first person. If you don't feel comfortable with this view, you can switch to third person by pressing the Right thumbstick in. At first, it is not easy to switch weapons or spells on the fly. There are two ways you can do this - you can make the changes in the menu, or you can cycle through the selections using the triggers. Also, the Left Trigger causes you to jump and the Right Trigger attacks with your selected weapon or magic spell. Various buttons do various things. It's all easy to learn once you get accustomed to it (just like Halo's controls).
The battle system is done in real time, which can pose a problem for some people who are impatient. Most people try to buy the most powerful weapon and just run into a fight slashing away. All the weapons in Morrowind are class based largely. If you're a thief, you won't be using an axe or a giant hammer. If you do, you'll miss constantly. You must use a weapon you are skilled with. In the case of a thief, this usually means a dagger or short sword. You can power up your skills in other weapons by training, but early in the game you'll need to go with what you're given. Battles take place in real time and play somewhat like a FPS. It's not like in Halo where you aim and shoot. This game is an RPG, so remember - hits are more random. Think of each attack as a roll of the dice; some hit, some miss. Still, you can move in real time to get out of range and such.
There is also a deep magic system. There are defensive, offensive, summoning, enchanting, and all types of spells. If you don't like the spells in the game, you can make your own (something that most players wanted in RPG's). The Source has not tried this yet but there are instructions on how to do it in the manual. Offensive spells make the game more like Halo as you can hit at long range. Summoning spells are really fun to use as well. Like spells, you can create potions using alchemy and such.
With all that said, The Source must admit that some people will absolutely hate this game. Console gamers often like to be told exactly what to do all the time (see Final Fantasy series for reference). This game does not do that. Some will get frustrated because they will rush head first into battle with a wizard. It takes some patience to enjoy this game, but once you figure out what you're doing, this is one the best gaming experiences out there. Period.
Graphics
This area is more important to some than it is to others. There will be times when you'll look at this game and wonder if you're playing a game on your PS2. There will also be times when you'll wonder if you're actually seeing something this wonderful. The textures are clean and smooth, and the amount of detail in every object is impressive. Some of the environments are absolutely stunning. The towns in this game, thus far, are amazing, fully realized and packed with tons of items that make it feel like a real world. The water is really something special, as it looks wonderful and believable. If you don't believe The Source, look at a screenshot with a body of water in it. Certain weather effects like rain or a sandstorm also look wonderful. Take a look at the sky once during nighttime. Or take a look at the sun when it rises in the sky. The shift between day and night and between sunny to overcast to raining are done well. The fact that everything seems to attempt a real-life setting is impressive, even if the graphics engine seems a little unpolished. While the exterior settings may not look as good as in Halo, you'll be impressed by the city settings, each of which is designed and modeled with impressive detail.
However, the character models are incredibly flawed. Walking looks incredibly strange for every class and jumping looks worse than FPS games. Some of the articles of clothing look strangeā¦ to say the least. The characters could have used a few more polygons as well. Also, the draw distance is a little short, and character animations are jerky at a distance. But none of these things detract from the overall experience of the game. Some people will say that the resolution on the Xbox version is not as great as the PC, but I can't comment on that since The Source does not have the PC version. But still the graphics are stunning, although the frame rate suffers a little. It slows down in populated towns, but it doesn't really matter as much because when you enter a room or go outside a town, the rate goes up to 60fps, nice and smooth.
Additionally, the load times are absolutely minimal. Bethesda took a cue from Halo and front-loads every major area, like where you first load your game, it takes about 40 seconds (like Halo), but after that you won't see a load time of more than 5 seconds. This is a truly spectacular feat. A note of caution - if you die, you will have to go through the 45-second front-loading, so try not to die ok?
Sound
The sound portion of the game is nicely polished and top quality. Jeremy Soule again provides his imaginations and sounds for a game as huge as this. For those of you that don't know who he is, he did the soundtrack for the amazing Icewind Dale on PC. The music in this game is superb, fitting the game and setting perfectly. It really works in a timepiece manner. Also, this game is perfect for surround sound - when you turn your back on someone while speaking to you, the voice sort of lowers, making it realistic as possible. Sound effects are well done, especially when you hear a monster off in the distance heading your way. Everywhere you go; superb sound effects will be there in abundance. You should hear the tombs in this game - very creepy. The voice acting is one of the game's weaker points. The voices, while well done, are somewhat repetitive. Especially when you consider that there are only about 20 different voices that you will ever hear, even though you'll be reading text more often than not.
Conclusion
Considering all the options available to you, every adventure is different. Even with its flaws, the game is an excellent adventure for anyone who's looking for a non-linear game set in a world that they can live in. Morrowind is a game that requires effort. You have to keep your eyes and ears open to figure out what is going on in the world. You have to talk to people and actually ask them questions to figure out where you need to go and what you need to do - no one will just tell you. Gamers who don't care for PC-style games may be turned off by the open-endedness of Morrowind, or by the large amount of text that you'll read. They want the game to be little more of an interactive storybook (like FFX). But if you can look past the minor gripes mentioned, open up your mind and dive into an adventure unlike any other (an adventure where you control what is going on in the world around you), then you should buy this game without a doubt. Morrowind is a wonderfully huge experience that should not be missed.
The Verdict is in!
Overall: 9/10
Well there you have it folks, yet another amazingly detailed review by yours truly The Source.