The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind Game of the Year Edition

 Xbox
User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 165 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 142 out of 165
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 165
  3. Negative: 16 out of 165
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  1. Gammacee
    May 22, 2007
    10
    Never before has a single player game kept me playing for so long. Still not bored...
  2. Ben69xd
    May 21, 2012
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is the crown jewel of all The Elder Scrolls games. No fast travel, a better armor and weapon innovatory, and no memes. you can only level up via your Major and minor skills, which is a good thing. if you don't feel like running for an hour then you can take a stride sture. a smaller map is better than what you think. means more things can happen while traveling. combat is straight forward. and the text dialog makes it so they call you by your characters' name which is better then people just calling you "Dragonborn" or in this game "Nerevarine".… Expand
  3. PaulS.
    Jan 16, 2004
    10
    The Best RPG Game on Xbox. It destroys Knights of the Old Republic. You can do anything you want and when you want. It has great music, great gameplay, and great story lines. You can join many different factions or groups and complete their duites. BUY THIS GAME!!!!
  4. Macca
    Nov 19, 2003
    10
    F...n awesome. get it. get it now. or die.
  5. Michael
    Feb 6, 2004
    10
    This game is the bomb!!!
  6. DanH.
    Jul 10, 2004
    10
    In my top 5 games ever.
  7. JoeD.
    Nov 19, 2003
    10
    This game is the best game on XboX.
  8. Nathen
    Dec 14, 2003
    10
    This game is a great open-ended RPG. I have never played a more detailed RPG. The amazing landscape makes this game look great!!!
  9. LycaonCaesar
    Aug 5, 2011
    9
    This is almost a perfect RPG. Morrowind is open-ended, offers hundreds of quests, plenty of story lines, and the main plot is possibly the best I have seen in any game. In true RPG fashion you start with nothing but your shirt, pants and a stolen dagger, and you might end up as a force to throttle the heavens. The world is beautiful and varied - especially for a game of its age - and thereThis is almost a perfect RPG. Morrowind is open-ended, offers hundreds of quests, plenty of story lines, and the main plot is possibly the best I have seen in any game. In true RPG fashion you start with nothing but your shirt, pants and a stolen dagger, and you might end up as a force to throttle the heavens. The world is beautiful and varied - especially for a game of its age - and there is never a shortage of places to go, dungeons to explore, items to find and people to interact with. Regardless of where you go, you will be filled with a sense of wonder, and anticipation of possible rewards.

    I would like to give Morrowind a perfect 10/10, but there are a few elements that needs to be improved upon for that (and fan-made mods have indeed been made). The most deterring aspect is combat, which severely lacks excitement, as you will find yourself chopping away with your sword or axe, smashing the same mouse button repeatedly until whatever is in your way is dead. There is no strategy to melee. Spell-casting would be fun as the spell book is far more varied than in the game's successor, Oblivion, but unfortunately you will find yourself lacking the mana pool to do prolonged combat with destructive spells and there is no mana regeneration.

    However the problems with the combat system barely deters from the overall enjoyment of the game, as the story will leave you hungering for more. Whenever you complete a quest you will want to continue unto the next one, and whenever you travel the world - which you will be doing a lot - you explore every canyon crevice hoping to find something new, which you often will.
    The expansions have equally impressive story-lines. Bloodmoon offers a new, enormous landmass to explore, but sacrifices story quality (although it is still fantastic and engaging), whereas Tribunal is confided to one large city and its sewers, but with a story rivaling that of the original. Further the difficulty of the expansions is high, making them great for characters that have already completed the main quest. Unlike Oblivion there is no scaling, and the game does not hold your hand. You can fail quests, and you can kill ANYONE, meaning a particularly malicious player can mess up his own progress, by slaughtering important NPC's. This is not a critique, but an applause, as the game lets you experience the consequences of your own actions in a believable way. The game is fantastic and once you start, you might never stop playing. Eight years after its release and I still enjoy it as much as any game I've tried since.    … Expand
  10. Pahn
    Jan 21, 2012
    10
    One of my top 10 favorite games of all time. Sure, it's a little buggy at times and you have to swing your first weapon about fifty times at a cliff racer to hit it, but this game isn't for the average gamer. It's for explorers--people who enjoy going wherever they want and doing whatever they want. It's for those who enjoy putting hours and hours into their character & leveling upOne of my top 10 favorite games of all time. Sure, it's a little buggy at times and you have to swing your first weapon about fifty times at a cliff racer to hit it, but this game isn't for the average gamer. It's for explorers--people who enjoy going wherever they want and doing whatever they want. It's for those who enjoy putting hours and hours into their character & leveling up skills so you can become the most powerful force in the game. It also allows you to progress with the main quest whenever you darn well feel like it while providing ample opportunities to advance with other organizations. This game is more "real" than any other I've played, including Oblivion & Skyrim. You can go into a house in the middle of nowhere, murder the occupants, steal them blind, and sell all their wares at a nearby village. The guards won't know a thing, as they shouldn't..they weren't there and you left no survivors. This is NOT the case in Oblivion or Skyrim, where every guard nearby seems to know the moment you stole that little silver cup. That's not real to me, but BS.… Expand
  11. FloodSlayer
    Nov 11, 2013
    10
    One of my most favorite game of all time. I've played this game for over 8 years now & there are a lot of missions I haven't done & locations I haven't been to yet. This is one of those that I would be ok with if this was the only game I am allowed to play for the rest of my life. The only problem I have with this game is the horrible combat mechanics & hit box.
  12. Tubie
    Jan 24, 2011
    10
    This game made me buy the Xbox twice. I thought I had no use of the machine then I tried this game and just had to get another Xbox because I did not have a PC that could handle this game. I was introduce to this great franchise, a game that introduced me to what a real open world game looks like.
  13. JaceN.
    Feb 23, 2006
    6
    To be considered the definitive version seeing as just about everyone traded in their copy of Morrowind for Morrowind GOTY. And adventure of incredible scope and depth with so much to see and do. Occasionally the luck based roll of the dice that determines success gets truly annoying and the distance required to travel for some quests leads to "driver fatigue", plus the ever present To be considered the definitive version seeing as just about everyone traded in their copy of Morrowind for Morrowind GOTY. And adventure of incredible scope and depth with so much to see and do. Occasionally the luck based roll of the dice that determines success gets truly annoying and the distance required to travel for some quests leads to "driver fatigue", plus the ever present elitist element that believes the game is too easy and you get too rich & powerful too quick...despite how long it took. The real downfall of Morrowind has to be its crippling software bugs. Often while the system performs a marathon juggling act with massive amounts of data between the game disc, RAM and the XBOXs hard disc...something gets dropped and the game will freeze up, the screen stops dead, the loud buzzing errupts from the speakers and you have to eject & insert the game to begin again. Its truly an inexcusable flaw in an otherwise awesome game. Its a miracle that the XBOX was able to do a version of Morrowind in the first place but the phenomenal system strain and terrifying crash bugs rob it of a higher score. For a game that is so long you dont want your system locking up all the time as youre just starting to get into things.… Expand
  14. DarrenM.
    Sep 20, 2004
    3
    Morrowind is currently enjoying an undue resurgence in popularity because it's suddenly become cool to compare Fable (unfavorably) to this game. So, to clarify: Morrowind has a huge scope and pretty nicely rendered large environment to screw around in. But the story is awful, the game has no end, there are (I think) like four main NPC scripts that get really, really boring in about Morrowind is currently enjoying an undue resurgence in popularity because it's suddenly become cool to compare Fable (unfavorably) to this game. So, to clarify: Morrowind has a huge scope and pretty nicely rendered large environment to screw around in. But the story is awful, the game has no end, there are (I think) like four main NPC scripts that get really, really boring in about four minutes, more statistic jibberjabber than anything not called dotHACK, really boring gameplay after about the first two hours, LOTS OF WALKING to get to anywhere, absolutely no humor at all, and once you begin to progress through the game there are constant load times and slowdown. and that's not an exaggeration-- if you've completed the main game, and are working on the expansions, and have a character equipped with legendary artifacts and maxed-out stats, the game will literally take five minutes to load from the hard drive. and if you've equipped the Boots of Blinding Speed with the Cuirass of the Savior's Hide?, you seriously can't move two feet without a load pause. it's absurd that this flaming pile of a game was ever released, I don't care how good the concept was. The execution is terrible.… Expand
  15. MarkW.
    Feb 3, 2005
    5
    This game was good in the beginning. I really wanted it to be good; however; the quests became very mundane and my character became very powerfull. Sadly, you may feel compelled to keep trudging along after investing so much time into the character. This game is a poor spin-off of an old PC game: Might and Magic's Mandate of Heaven. It has some good points, but im soooo tired of This game was good in the beginning. I really wanted it to be good; however; the quests became very mundane and my character became very powerfull. Sadly, you may feel compelled to keep trudging along after investing so much time into the character. This game is a poor spin-off of an old PC game: Might and Magic's Mandate of Heaven. It has some good points, but im soooo tired of running back and forth I cant think of them. If you want to play a God-like errand boy with no problem solving skills then buy this game---I bought it used for $ 14.00.… Expand
  16. Uter
    Jan 5, 2004
    3
    It's really long which is great, but what's the point of being long when it isn't fun?
  17. SamM.
    Apr 11, 2006
    0
    Worst game I have ever played this game is for losers.
  18. JohnB.
    Jun 17, 2005
    9
    All I can say is that certain people who complain about poor graphics or too many loading times in the game obviously have no one tom blame but themselves- It's pretty obvious that you need a GOOD computer to run this game. My computer runs it just fine, at 512 MB RAM memory, and this game is almost flwless. One criticism could be the fact that the difficulty curve is a little steep.
  19. DustinK.
    Nov 19, 2003
    10
    Big additon to the original the expansions rock. I love being a werewolf and wiping the world clean of life over and over again.
  20. [Anonymous]
    Jun 30, 2004
    10
    Best game ever and loaded custimization, plus traveling all over the world takes long periods of time(sometimes even taking days). This is amazing with landscapes and the land is big and remarkable.
  21. Dbl90
    Jul 17, 2004
    9
    Morrowind by itself is one of the best RPG's of all time. The conveniant and brilliant levelling system which has one only level in the skills they use.The stunning visuals and audio make one feel totally emmersed in the game. The game has hundreds of hours of gameplay and quests and even more just mesing around. Tis is done in part because Morrowind is a CRPG, and because of this Morrowind by itself is one of the best RPG's of all time. The conveniant and brilliant levelling system which has one only level in the skills they use.The stunning visuals and audio make one feel totally emmersed in the game. The game has hundreds of hours of gameplay and quests and even more just mesing around. Tis is done in part because Morrowind is a CRPG, and because of this you can do anything you want, you may have to face the conequences but the option is still there. Morrowind also has Now add the GOTY version to the picture, which contains two expansion packs and the main game. It is even worth buying even if you the main version. Each expansion pack adds many more hours of gameply to the experiance and will allow for a greater dificulty in play, greater variation, and will balance the game a little bit more. The new expansion packs offer items, and in the great morrowind tradition, more quests than you can shake a stick at. Although a great game Morrowind also has some problems. Morrowind has a big world as I mentioned earlier. The problem with it is that without a particular item or items, and a low speed skill it can take a long time to get to the middle nowhere as some quest require. Also, the game is buggy. Expect for the game to shut down randomly every once and a while and save often. Also, there are many complaints about the combat system. It isn't the best, and it isn't the worst it is bearable. If one uses magic or ranged combat or turns of always use best attack they can mix the combat up sufficiently so that it is fun. The third and final flaw is the game gets REALY easy after you hit level thirty. You can get a rediculous amount of cash, the expansion packs adress tis problem, but after they are completed there is not realy anything that will put up any fight. All in all Morrowind is a great game with some flaws, but still must have game for any owner of an xbox.… Expand
  22. EricR.
    Sep 7, 2004
    8
    It think this game has a sound concept, but it lacks in excitement. It is nearly impossible not to be bored when you start, lots of teadious walking, and paperwork (yes i know its an rpg, but still, paperwork?). The costomization of the characters is the higest point in the game in my opinon, as with its ability for diversity in its storyline according to your path and game decisions. But It think this game has a sound concept, but it lacks in excitement. It is nearly impossible not to be bored when you start, lots of teadious walking, and paperwork (yes i know its an rpg, but still, paperwork?). The costomization of the characters is the higest point in the game in my opinon, as with its ability for diversity in its storyline according to your path and game decisions. But this game really lacks in excitement. It is very hard to get into, but once you do (my brother is my test subject in this), it is very hard to get off the damn xbox.… Expand
  23. Bobjoe
    Sep 7, 2004
    10
    I love this game, when i first got the orignal game i played untill i could beat everyone on the game. then i got the game of the year edition and there is just so much more to do in this game i just can't put it down not even to eat.
  24. Andrew
    Jan 9, 2005
    10
    Give it an hour or two...you WILL be sucked into a gigantic world in which you will never run out of things to do. You see those mountains surounding the town you're in? You can climb them, and maybe find one of an endless supply of dungeons harboring a legendary weapon that has never been explored, and doesn't need to be, its like you are the first to ever discover it. GottaGive it an hour or two...you WILL be sucked into a gigantic world in which you will never run out of things to do. You see those mountains surounding the town you're in? You can climb them, and maybe find one of an endless supply of dungeons harboring a legendary weapon that has never been explored, and doesn't need to be, its like you are the first to ever discover it. Gotta friend not into RPGs? Let them massacre a village in their underwear, that should be enjoyable for any attention span.… Expand
  25. RavenX301
    Mar 6, 2006
    9
    I'm not sure what to say. It IS so massive and amazing that you have to give the game aleast an 8. I can't even wrap my mind around how the developers created such a huge, huge land and still keep realative good pacing. Still, the hugness of the game is also a downfall. The game is so large that its take up to a includeing 2 hours for some missions just in traveling and finding I'm not sure what to say. It IS so massive and amazing that you have to give the game aleast an 8. I can't even wrap my mind around how the developers created such a huge, huge land and still keep realative good pacing. Still, the hugness of the game is also a downfall. The game is so large that its take up to a includeing 2 hours for some missions just in traveling and finding your way around. I have to constantly look at the map over and over again. This now being 2006 in March I have yet to see another game of this scope come out. The combat system is...well....better once you get higer levels sense you acual HIT the target more than once every ten throws. Grahpics are a bit wierd in some places, mainly just the charater anamtions and how they move. However, This is still the only game sense Bluader's Gate II came out that you can really lose your self in all the extra stuff. It's like you can just simply come across a door in the hills on your travels and suddenly your on a quest for a hidden Gem or somthing. I love that. There has been no other sense BG II That i could ever entirly loss myself in and forget totally about the story. Again, however the traveling is so harsh. Most of the missions, no matter where you get them, leave you to go from one side of the map to another or inbetween. When you think about it, it is pretty real to have to travel for what seems like forever and the feeling that you get when you finally return to a life town instead of volcanos and rubel is priceless but in a game it seems just tooooo long for simple travel. There are ways like the mages guild and this large bug and boats that you can travel but its sometimes hard to always rely on them becasue they only take you to some places. traveling in this game does have it's good points. You see tons of cool places and new and wierd locations and going from place to place leaves you always looking at you map they give you with the manual and i find that rather cool sense it feels so much realer to me.… Expand
  26. MrG.
    Nov 26, 2003
    9
    Amazin game u play this game think about takin a month off this is a beautiful game excellent graphics fantastic ai. the only reason i gave it a 9 was the loading times weere a tad slow and didnt like the sword to sword combat sytem. Except for that a great game.
  27. MattD.
    Jan 29, 2004
    10
    I love this game... not only do you get to be assassinated, or atempted to be should I say, but you can turn into a vampire/werewolf. If you are an imperial and you are an assassin, then you are the best. I almost got made dead, but I pulled out my sword and "slice", the guy was gone. I am so amazed by this awsome game, even though I don't have an x-box, I go over my friends and play I love this game... not only do you get to be assassinated, or atempted to be should I say, but you can turn into a vampire/werewolf. If you are an imperial and you are an assassin, then you are the best. I almost got made dead, but I pulled out my sword and "slice", the guy was gone. I am so amazed by this awsome game, even though I don't have an x-box, I go over my friends and play this, I'm at level 23, while he is at level 67. Either way I still think this game is the perfect RPG EVER!!!!!!!!!… Expand
  28. TeeJayH.
    Apr 23, 2004
    10
    Superior. This Morrowind is MUCH better then the original version, with new challenges, new armor, new missions, and new looks. And I thought the regular was better, this version has just blown me completely away. I'm STILL playing it, after about 2 weeks of straight playing hour after hour. Can't beat Morrowind, this game is #1 all the way.
  29. Masko
    Jul 10, 2004
    9
    The game has great graphics and becoming a werewolf is very cool but it somtimes gets me confused with the directions but still this is a very good game.
  30. JamesS.
    Aug 24, 2004
    10
    How Can you not like it. From costimizing your own hero, to picking your own faction, or becoming a werewolf or a vampire. Also tricking yourself out with your own armour and weapons is also really cool.
  31. DarrenS.
    Jan 9, 2005
    10
    For everyone that thinks this game is bad, they can go eat a load of c***. The graphics are great the game play is awsome.
  32. Mutatedkangaroo
    Jun 15, 2005
    8
    Paul S. you better be kidding KOTOR kicks this game's butt. With that said, this is still a good game. The only problem is that it gets kinda old after a little while because you become invincible and there isn't much variety in the game (go here complete a task, go back and get a new task).
  33. Noodleboy
    Jun 17, 2005
    9
    I like the fact that its a large map with lots of goodies myself, beening a hard core gamer, i believe this is one of the best rpgs i have ever played yet the lack of various creatures and the scarcity of traders with healthier check books makes it a little bit wrong so in short a rated m game with better graphics, gratuitous disembowlment, and richer people would make it much better but I like the fact that its a large map with lots of goodies myself, beening a hard core gamer, i believe this is one of the best rpgs i have ever played yet the lack of various creatures and the scarcity of traders with healthier check books makes it a little bit wrong so in short a rated m game with better graphics, gratuitous disembowlment, and richer people would make it much better but thanks anyway.… Expand
  34. MikeK.
    Oct 3, 2006
    10
    Truly a gaming masterpiece, in my opinion the greatest game ever made. Open ended gameplay, a positively immense world, multitudinous quests, great replayability, and a fascinating story line all add up to true perfection. This game will have you playing well into the night months after purchase.
  35. ScottH.
    Mar 13, 2006
    10
    This game is awsome its amazing I love the way that you can just do anything you want to its awsome.
  36. KrzysztofK.
    Feb 21, 2007
    9
    Top notch. The nearly open-ended story and huge world makes for a wonderfully long play time without being too massive (as the previous installments were).
  37. Rob
    Nov 22, 2003
    10
    This game is simply the best fantasy Adventure game ever, so far. If you like games with wizards and magic and elves and creatures and treasure and magical swords and leveling up a character, there is no better game. The world is HUGE and so consistent with being an actual world. I can clear most games in one rental. This one took me three months at three hours a day to clear the main This game is simply the best fantasy Adventure game ever, so far. If you like games with wizards and magic and elves and creatures and treasure and magical swords and leveling up a character, there is no better game. The world is HUGE and so consistent with being an actual world. I can clear most games in one rental. This one took me three months at three hours a day to clear the main quest, loving every second of it, and there were still an enormous amount of side quests. … Expand
  38. Mr.BT
    Nov 20, 2003
    9
    The most ambitious console RPG in history. There are so many ways to go about playing this game that a review is purely subjective as to how the gamer plays it. But know this--no RPG world has ever been more expansive or daunting as Morrowind. None.
  39. Kabootle
    Dec 8, 2003
    9
    An amazing game. Has a great story and hundreds of sub-stories and the game is huge. Its incredibly huge and has a gigantic variety of things to do, making potions, fighting, and anything you can think of. Only issue is slow loading times, occasional glitches, and the combat system isn't the best.
  40. DMX
    Jan 11, 2004
    10
    Morrowind goty is one of my favorite games, but the only thing wrong with my disc is that it has like some inner water, and it keeps f...ing freezing.
  41. JonathanA.
    Jan 12, 2004
    10
    Ive got one word.... WOW this game is already one of the most in depth games not only on the console but in games entirely! The new version adds an entire city full of espionage and curruption as the Imperials and The Temple fight for control. It also adds an entire island that has some of the best armor and weapons able to find. This is a complex game and requires patience and an Ive got one word.... WOW this game is already one of the most in depth games not only on the console but in games entirely! The new version adds an entire city full of espionage and curruption as the Imperials and The Temple fight for control. It also adds an entire island that has some of the best armor and weapons able to find. This is a complex game and requires patience and an ENOURMOUS amount of time. A great game through and through.… Expand
  42. Adam
    Oct 31, 2004
    9
    Great game, although sometimes frusterating because whenever you get done playing you've never accomplished what you've set out to do, due to the endless sub-plots.
  43. EricM.
    Mar 19, 2004
    10
    One word: AWESOME!!!!!!
  44. Hooblabeebee's
    Jun 23, 2004
    10
    Uh because its got the stuff to be fun and is long and interesting and a fighting game.
  45. VictorA.
    Dec 31, 2005
    10
    This game is far the best RPG Game ever,i recommend this game to everyone.But the bad news is there is to much walking around and sometimes the quests dont give you much info on it.But still this is a good game.
  46. MichaelS.
    Jun 17, 2005
    9
    Overall a great game but there is a lack in the varity of monsters you can fight, and the moves you can do with your weapons and the lack of gore, a mature rated game would allow for more gore.
  47. perroel
    Jun 10, 2011
    10
    this is the best game I've ever played. I guess the modern gamers who complain about it don't want to spend so much time making their first character good.
  48. Nostalgium
    Jul 13, 2011
    9
    This game is bloody amazing. This game is huge, and anyone not playing it is REALLY missing out. This is not even a game anymore, it lives on it's own.
  49. TechnologoDoom
    Aug 2, 2011
    10
    After all these years, TES III Morrowind is still my all-time favorite game. Far better than Oblivion, it's world is more arcane with many more Houses and Guilds to explore, not to mention a far more alien world with 2 stellar expansions (Bloodmoon and Tribunal). Most other open-world games pale in comparison. I still manage to play an 80-hour character about once a year. Oh, and don'tAfter all these years, TES III Morrowind is still my all-time favorite game. Far better than Oblivion, it's world is more arcane with many more Houses and Guilds to explore, not to mention a far more alien world with 2 stellar expansions (Bloodmoon and Tribunal). Most other open-world games pale in comparison. I still manage to play an 80-hour character about once a year. Oh, and don't forget the new mods! :)… Expand
  50. Odlenator
    Oct 6, 2011
    10
    This game will forever be in my top 10 favorite games off all time. If you are a big fan of open world games with complete freedom as to what you can do and where you can go this is the game for you. You want to to kill a key NPC and effectively end the game's main story? Sure! You want to enchant a ring that can make you fly? Why not! You want to become a vampire and feed on people? GoThis game will forever be in my top 10 favorite games off all time. If you are a big fan of open world games with complete freedom as to what you can do and where you can go this is the game for you. You want to to kill a key NPC and effectively end the game's main story? Sure! You want to enchant a ring that can make you fly? Why not! You want to become a vampire and feed on people? Go right ahead! Some people complain that the travel system is slow and it takes forever to walk places. I think this is a good thing. Walking from place to place makes the game feel more authentic and mystical. There is a mass transit system that can get you between the main settlements on the map. There is so much to do and see in this game it's unbelievable. This is the first Bethesda game I ever played and I have played every single one they've produced since. This game opened my eyes to a genre of games I didn't know I liked and now I play almost exclusively. Give it a shot even if though it's old now.… Expand
  51. HARVEYtheDAMNED
    Oct 25, 2011
    10
    From the time you step off of the boat, Morrowind will sink its claws into you and never let go. The combat and graphics have not held up well over the years, but the incredible adventure filled land of Morrowind has.
  52. DeathChurch87
    Nov 15, 2011
    10
    Morrowind is easily one of the best games available on XBOX. The absolutely epic scale of the game, in and of itself, was enough to get me to shell out $50 for it many years ago, and recently repurchased a used copy ($4 on Amazon). Even after the countless hours I've already spent in this game when it was new, there are still many more unexplored avenues for adventure, untold stories of myMorrowind is easily one of the best games available on XBOX. The absolutely epic scale of the game, in and of itself, was enough to get me to shell out $50 for it many years ago, and recently repurchased a used copy ($4 on Amazon). Even after the countless hours I've already spent in this game when it was new, there are still many more unexplored avenues for adventure, untold stories of my exploits, and an unexplainable craving to leave no rock unturned, no cave unexplored. Infinite replay value aside, nearly every facet of this game made an impact on me as a gamer. The loading times are long, more bugs than I would normally tolerate, companion pathing is a pain, and the combat system is simplistic, however, for it's time, you cannot find a more involved, open ended RPG. Period. This game was developed for the PC, and runs much better on more powerful hardware than the XBOX has to offer, however, Bethesda did a wonderful job tailoring Morrowind so console gamers could enjoy this game. With everything it has to offer, any flaws in the game are completely blown away by the sheer amount of content. This game has a special place on my top 5 games of all time.… Expand
  53. bowflexman
    Jan 20, 2012
    10
    Morrowind is the first Elder Scrolls game I played. Simply put, it is incredible. In fact, I would venture to say that it is vastly superior to its predecessor, Oblivion. Morrowind is the first in the series to introduce a truly open and vast world that not only takes hours to see and explore, but manages also feel very much alive. It is filled to the brim with interesting scenery,Morrowind is the first Elder Scrolls game I played. Simply put, it is incredible. In fact, I would venture to say that it is vastly superior to its predecessor, Oblivion. Morrowind is the first in the series to introduce a truly open and vast world that not only takes hours to see and explore, but manages also feel very much alive. It is filled to the brim with interesting scenery, characters, quests, monsters, lore, and so on. I honestly cannot place exactly why this game was more fun than Oblivion besides to say perhaps the overall all "mood" and design of the continent. Skyrim managed to return to the series' roots while still taking several steps forward, and it is superior to Morrowind, no doubt, but if you get the change to try out this amazing, epic game that paved the way for Skyrim, do not hesitate. I give this game an easy 10 out of 10.… Expand
  54. TheSquirrel
    Oct 31, 2014
    10
    The greatest Xbox game, period. Beautiful for it's time and vastly ahead of the open-world concept craze, Morrowind was the first truly immersive game I played. All RPG's that dare to go full 3D open world are measured Morrowind's complexity, it's diversity, and it's massive environments.
    Add to this a Fighter guild, Mages guild, Thieves Guild, Morag Tong assassins Guild, Tribunal    The greatest Xbox game, period. Beautiful for it's time and vastly ahead of the open-world concept craze, Morrowind was the first truly immersive game I played. All RPG's that dare to go full 3D open world are measured Morrowind's complexity, it's diversity, and it's massive environments.
    Add to this a Fighter guild, Mages guild, Thieves Guild, Morag Tong assassins Guild, Tribunal Temple, Imperial Cult, Imperial Legion, Blades main Guild, chance to join one of three ruling houses, East Empire Company, Ashlanders, and even a rare chance to join one of three Vampire clans. Add to this many non-faction miscellaneous quests and you have a near endless amount of missions to complete.
    What separates this game from current versions is that there is little to no enemy leveling system. There is also little to no item leveling occurring. This allows for a far more dangerous and potentially far more rewarding exploration experience. Vampire den at level 4? Your dead and it's your fault. Find a massive enchanted sword at level 6? Hope you built your character to use it, enjoy! Find something impressive at level 10 and sell it only to discover it was mission essential later at level 30? Your fault, start over.
    Another thing worth mentioning is a brilliant music score.
    It is not perfect, however. This game also taught me what it was to have a game you could not rely on to be stable, which has become Bethesda's calling card. The combat is quite weak, you just flail at your opponent while they flail back and you see who had the better odds at flailing. The graphics may have been great when this game was made, but they have not aged particularly well. Also Cliff Racers are the most annoying enemy in gaming history.
    Not a game for people looking to have hands held through a game, but unrivaled in it's time and still a great play today. Top 5 game on my all time list.    … Expand
  55. MisterNoodles
    Mar 31, 2013
    10
    This is by far one my favorite games. The game will keep hooked for many hours at a time with it vast amount of quests and stories. Some of the guilds my lack a little bit in story, but overall the game is worth buying on the PC since load times on the Xbox are insane. The best Elder Scrolls game yet.
  56. Paarthurnax
    May 27, 2013
    10
    Great game, large world, beautiful landscape. While quests get boring and some of the monsters you encounter may be dull, the game provides a thrilling time for all ages.
  57. Frowney
    Aug 10, 2013
    10
    This game is absolutely amazing. The storytelling is amazing, the depth is just astonishing, the NPC interactions make the NPCs feel alive, and you can do whatever you want to do. Your choices actually matter, the people recognise your good or bad deeds, the DLC is great. I could go on and on about this game, but play it for yourself and experience the full beauty of a real RPG.
  58. Rcj8993
    Sep 18, 2013
    9
    Not bad at all, great compared to the PC version, has minor bugs when playing it on the original Xbox, but on the xbox 360 I have yet to see any bugs
    a pure RPG game, the combat is a little unbalanced, but its because the game adds into effect your attributes and your luck, and your skill with your current weapon.
  59. Kuszh
    Oct 24, 2013
    9
    Morrowind changed the RPG game. It provides an immersive and gigantic world to get lost into. One of the few games where the content actually surpasses the cost.
  60. DarkJEM
    Dec 18, 2013
    10
    Quite simply the best and most immersive RPG to grace any console. If you own an original Xbox or 360 its worth your time seeking out this game. I have been playing this game for years. I get some time per week to indulge in my gaming and always go back to this one. Its amazing, OK the graphics might be a little dated compared to its sequels, Oblivion and Skyrim, but the shear size ofQuite simply the best and most immersive RPG to grace any console. If you own an original Xbox or 360 its worth your time seeking out this game. I have been playing this game for years. I get some time per week to indulge in my gaming and always go back to this one. Its amazing, OK the graphics might be a little dated compared to its sequels, Oblivion and Skyrim, but the shear size of the game is astounding and puts the other two to shame. Get out there and find a copy, you will not be sorry. GOTY copies are a little pricey though. If you own a half decent PC then seek out the main game and copies of the expansions as this is a cheaper option. Brilliant game, just brilliant.… Expand
  61. Saman_Tepes
    Feb 11, 2017
    10
    Morrowind gives you wings. I remember playing this back in 2003 and really struggling at first to get through the first 3 hours of the game. Back then the concept of grinding was a new one to me. Once I managed to level up my character a bit I was on my way to what turned out to be one of the best RPG's I've ever played.This is a good example of what Bathesda's capable of doing when notMorrowind gives you wings. I remember playing this back in 2003 and really struggling at first to get through the first 3 hours of the game. Back then the concept of grinding was a new one to me. Once I managed to level up my character a bit I was on my way to what turned out to be one of the best RPG's I've ever played.This is a good example of what Bathesda's capable of doing when not trying pander to the casuals and those seeking a short blockbuster of a main quest full of cash-in cliff hangers that most real gamers will burn through in 8-12 hours. The main quest alone will take an average of 45-50 hours to complete 80+ if you play through the Guilds side quest's and grind a bit in between sections. I played this thinking every Elder Scrolls after it would be an improvement but the newer games seem more rushed, their simpler,shorter and a lot less fun.For me Replay Value isn't just about how many fetch quest's you can cram into a game cause we all know Bathesda can do About 200+hours like they did in Skyrim. I'm not sure where they think player's priorities are.
    Spoilers Below

    Pros
    -A long but interesting story that kept me hooked the entire play through. As you progress along the main quest you start to gain an understanding and knowledge of the lore and mythology in the world of Tamriel through your meaningful interactions with NPC's and through all the Books you'll find in the game.
    -Great Map, small compared to newer open world RPG's of today but big for it's time.
    The story takes you through to different regions on the map, all with their own unique style of architecture. It really feels like a world that's been hand crafted and not a cut and past job like Bathesda's later games.I know ES:Oblivion and ES:Skyrim have better Graphics but I preferred the visuals in Morrowind a lot more. As a first time player there are a lot of wow moments when you come across an area that you hadn't discovered yet, later regions look nothing like what you encounter at the beginning of the game keeping things fresh throughout.
    -Exploration. This is a game without way-points or quest markers, your given directions by NPC's and they expect to find your own way. This seems frustrating at first but after awhile you learn to pay attention to your surroundings,open the map once in a while and to check your compass. It's very rewarding to find your destination using only your brain power and not your eyes glued to an arrow. Something I wish more open world RPG's did.
    -Great Soundtrack/Main Theme.
    -Lot's of Variety. loads of armor,weapons,loot,potions,magic spells,enemy types, and interesting characters. The level of customization is beyond what ES:Oblivion and ES:Skyrim offer you.
    -Character Builds and the way you level up is also a lot better in ES:Morrowind. you have so many option as far as what skills you want your character to learn. and this gives the game some replay value and comes in handy later on if you want to learn new skills for a different character build without starting a new game cause it's easy to gain the first few levels quickly and Attribute and Skill points never seem like they're wasted.
    -Did I mention you can fly? Cause you can. Either by use of potions,enchantments,or spell casting. It comes in very handy when you spot loot that's out of the way but is also used to progress through a few story sections.I don't know why they took out this feature from the ES:O and ES:S. Flying around,complex character builds and a long and engaging main story were some of the features that I really missed from the sequels.
    -Loads of fun and interesting Side quests.You run into some interesting characters along the way and solve their problems for them or you can join one of three Guilds and work your way to the top.

    Cons
    -Glitches/Bugs like any other Bathesda game but since this is a console port from a time before Update Patches they actually did a good job of polishing this one before release. My game only crashed a few times. I only wish the load times weren't so bad cause getting back in usually meant a good minute or two of loading from the main menu.
    -No voice acting but that was most games back then so I can't really complain.
    -Combat was the least imaginative part of this game with 3 basic slashes and automatic blocking but it's not terrible.
    -Lack of cut scenes throughout the game were annoying,There's only one before you start the game. Having played 60+ hours to finish the game I was a bit disappointed. This is something Bathesda has to change in future Elder Scrolls Titles. The ES games have little to no cut scenes which is a bit frustrating when you consider the fact that most RPG's today will include at least an hour or two of cut-scenes to fill in the gaps between Chapters/Missions.I'm not sure why Bathesda can't be bothered(maybe their staff is too busy making Horse Armor DLC and other useless things for $5-20 bucks a pop)

    -Even with all it's flaws it still a 10/10 game.    … Expand
  62. humunguschungus
    May 25, 2019
    10
    Morrowind is without a doubt Bethesda's crowning achievement. Morrowind is simply a master piece of fantasy and role playing game design. Modern gamers will probably hate it after being spoiled by the lack of depth modern and hand holding of RPG's (and even latter games in the series). But for those willing to try something new, Morrowind offers something that simply can not be recreated.Morrowind is without a doubt Bethesda's crowning achievement. Morrowind is simply a master piece of fantasy and role playing game design. Modern gamers will probably hate it after being spoiled by the lack of depth modern and hand holding of RPG's (and even latter games in the series). But for those willing to try something new, Morrowind offers something that simply can not be recreated. Do yourself a favor and play this game… Expand
  63. Lamar_Burton420
    Apr 28, 2020
    10
    An incredibly unique experience for every player. Enough depth to make the replay value satisfying and DLC content you can enjoy for higher level characters.

Awards & Rankings

16
#16 Best Xbox Game of 2003
2
#2 Most Discussed Xbox Game of 2003
50
#50 Most Shared Xbox Game of 2003

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 25
  3. Negative: 0 out of 25
  1. Xbox Nation Magazine
    80
    These new options are perfect for the hardened "Morrowind" veteran, adding just the right amount of innovation to an already solid RPG, and fortunately, this edition is compatible with old save files. [Mar 2004, p.91]
  2. Armchair Empire
    100
    The depth of Morrowind's gameplay and overall design is matched by the audio-visual presentation. Hands down, Morrowind's soundtrack should be released on CD – once you've heard the opening chords you'll be humming it for hours after first booting it up.
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  3. Digital Entertainment News
    98
    I love you, Bethesda. I eagerly await Elder Scrolls 4 and Call of Cthulu. Marry me.
    Read full review
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