I wasn't allowed to play video games for a lot of growing up, but i got this game for free when my childhood church cleared out the video game cabinet in the youth group area. ended up playing it on the big clunky TV in my attic for hours at a time, consulting the map and the wiki the whole time since the game does very little hand holding and directing and relies on in-game dialogue and the interaction journal to guide the player along the story progression. this game is probably the single reason why i enjoy mostly RPGs now, especially stuff like Elden Ring. I'd say Morrowind in its own way was the Elden Ring of its time.
first, the environment and lore are so rich and unique. while a lot of fantasy games feel like medieval europe but with magic (later Elder Scrolls games especially), the Morrowind world feels totally alien. it feels closer to the goofier parts of early DnD and tabletop games, totally unrestrained by later fantasy genre tropes and conventions. honestly i would just explore the map and follow my curiosity most of the time, letting my gameplay happen naturally rather than following a set progression that most games have now. the map is filled with neat things to do if you just stay curious. the music is also amazing, I could spend hours just vibin in the open world to the dinky MIDI orchestra dungeon bardcore type beats
this all being said, this game is over 20 years old now. is the gameplay dated and clunky? absolutely. are the graphics ass? yeah but in an endearing way. are a lot of elements in the game broken and buggy as hell? frustratingly so. is finding ways to work around this and being rewarded for your stubbornness and cleverness still a rewarding gameplay experience? you bet. i'd recommend everyone with a still working OG Xbox or 360 to find a copy of the GOTY edition and go wild with it (or just get it on steam, but don't use mods, play it as is)
