Romier S
Senior HTF Member
- Joined
- Sep 2, 1999
- Messages
- 3,525
Well here it is. It took long enough so lets get to the first impressions of Morrowind. I'm also pleased to announce that this will be my first official review for HTgaming.com which is actually (believe it or not) nearing completion and should be up sooner than you think. (Though I'll of course be removing references to my older Morrowind review when I post it
) So lets get on with it...
Story:
Im sure you have been reading the previews and waiting with anticipation for this game to finally hit. The story is at the beginning not a horribly complex one. The game starts with a short introduction foretelling the coming of a hero. You are a prisoner that has been sent to Morrowind for unknown reasons. Neat huh?
The longer you get into the game the more you discover about this prophecy and how in the world your gonna get to fulfilling it.
Character Creation:
You begin the game on a boat which is where the character creation process starts. If you read my PC Morrowind review, I'm sure you know how I feel about the character creation in the game. I think its the most creative and enjoyable available. You will first select a name and the shortly after select a race. All the appearance selections are all here as well. The X-box version includes everything.
You are then asked to select your class. You can answer ten questions and the game will select a class for you based on the answers or you can select select from a list. Even better simply create a custom class with its own unique name and stats. Again it has all been retained.
Gameplay:
Morrowind is virtually identical to the PC version in terms of content and what the thrust of the gameplay is about. You speak to townsfolk, explore dungeons, find new unique items. So forth so on.
All the character interactions are here such as the persuade and travel options. Believe it or not I actually like the menu interface better on the X-box version that I do the PC. Its downright easy to use and you can navigate very quickly through the options.
Here is the controller set-up:
A-Activate
B-Menus
Y-Ready Magic
X-Ready weapon
Black button--Rest
White button-Journal
Left Trigger-Jump
Right trigger-Attack
Hold X and hit L or R Trigger-Cycle weapons
Hold y and hit L or R trigger-Cycle Magic
Click and hold the left thumbstick -sneak
Double click left thumbstick- Toggle sneak
Click right thumbstick-Change view 1st or 3rd person
Click and hold right thumbstick-View your character, when holding you can use the L and R trigger to zoom in or out.
The game is very easy to play and if you have had any experience with Halo this should take you a few minutes to get used to.
The battle system is one of the main complaints lobbed at this game and I can understand that opinion. It can feel somewhat shallow at first but it is actually very dependant on your characters statistics and how he/she is developed. The more you play the better you get. It works well.
The world is of course simply HUGE! You will never find yourself thinking you have nothing left to do. You will be immersed while playing Morrowind. The world felt very much alive in the PC version of the game and that feeling has translated well to the X-box version. Here is an excerpt from my original review for the PC version which shows an example of one of the quests you will partake in:
Here is one for instance:
-You speak with a gentleman that is looking to gain some money from a subordinate of his. He know this person has been skimming from the top. He asks that you watch this subordinate to find the hiding place for the money. There is a light tower where you must watch him from. The subordinate only checks this position at night.
I went to the light tower and watched this gentleman until he moved to the hiding place (Very spy like and I loved it). I then retraced his steps and found the hiding spot. I retrieved the money and returned to the quest giver for reward.
Dynamic is the best description you can give this game. The X-box version is pretty seamless with a small loading time to change areas (ala Halo). There are times when you will find yourself lost but thankfully Morrowind has an excellent mapping system. You can view the full landscape of the area you are in and it even goes so far as to mark all doors with the shop names so everything is easily accessible. Its your choice how you move along. You can explore the towns and the area or just move along with the main quest. All in all Morrowind has over 200 hours of gameplay to be had.
One last thing for all of you criminals out there, Morrowind has a jailing system. If you commmit any crime the guards will catch you and you will be given the choice to either pay a fine (40-1000gold), go to jail, or flee. Going to jail degrades one of your main attributes and passes time along so you most definitely do not want to end up in the old square box.
Sound:
The X-box version of Morrowind does indeed support the Dolby Digital 5.1 sound format and in my opinion it is used well. You can hear guards footsteps move along the room from speaker to speaker. The indoor dungeons and caves are especially impressive with some good ambient sound that fills the room.
Bass is strong though not overpowering. My sub was thumping but certainly not to the extent of more actiony games out there. Do not of course expect any whiz-bang effects ala Halo here. In the end though, my ears were pleased with what they heard.
Unfortunately there is one blemish on this otherwise fine 5.1 mix, the center channel is again neglected. All character dialogue is shared by the two front speakers. I thought that was worth mentioning.
Musically, Morrowind has a fantastic soundtrack, though a bit repetitive. Jeremy Soule has composed some emotion filled music to help aid you in your battles and I think he should be commended for his work. I just wish there was more of it.
Dialogue is high quality. All the voice actors are believeable, though again it can be a bit repetitive. Every time you walk by a particular person they always say the same things. A little variety would have helped.
Sound effects are all top notch with the quality "KLANGS" and "SWOOSHES" you expect to hear from this type of game.
Good aural experience all around!
Graphics:
The graphics unfortunately I cannot be as enthusiastic about. Let me break this down into three categories:
27 Inch Sanyo Television
I first loaded Morrowind into my X-box on my smaller second bedroom television. The connection used is of course S-video and the television has been calibrated using the Avia Home Theater Calibration disc. (via the X-box)
Upon first entering the game everything looks good. Again all content is identical to the PC version. The first guard walks upon you and you will notice that the texture quality is good though a bit muddled. Once I stepped outside I was able to take in the pixel shaded water and finally get a look at the draw distance for the version of the game. (Covered in the PC comparison)
The game has a hazy appearance off the bat (in relation to the PC version) so I turned my sharpness up some which helped. The character models were of good quality as were the environments. Morrowind does look a tad washed out though. Nothing out of the ordinary and I think all in all the game looks DAMN good for the X-box. So far I'm sure your thinking whats the problem?...read on my friends..
Toshiba 42h81 16:9 Widescreen set
There is only one way to say this. Morrowind *DOES NOT* support 16:9. It is a crushing blow in my opinion as it is something that the developers have been touting since the games inception on the X-box and one of my main reasons for my purchasing the game.
I verified this by switching the picture sizes on the Toshiba. The "full" setting makes the the NPC's stretch noticeably, though oddly the circular button icons do not appear any more ovular. Nonetheless I could notice off the bat that the environments were stretched to fill the screen. My heart broke.
Theaterwide 1 was the best solution to this. The characters looked fairly normal and it let the game show off its graphics a bit more.
Morrowind does on the other hand support 480p which is always good to hear but not enough to erase the disappointment at the loss of 16:9 support.
Playing the game on a high quality widescreen set really shows that there is *NO* anti-alaising here at all. Jagginess galore. My Tosh set is properly configured via the Avia disc. I ran through the disc again using the X-box for further testing. For those interested my sharpness setting is at 5 (very low). Disabling 480p only made it worse.
I have played over 20 X-box games on this set. Halo, Jet Set Radio Future, Rallisport Challenge, even Genma Onimusha all look far better than Morrowind when displayed on an HDTV. The jagginess here is inexcuseable. Though the washed out appearance of the smaller television is all but gone . (Whats even more fouled up is that the jagginess is very minute on the 27 inch set, I suppose the haziness of an "average" television actually helps!)
I'm beyond disappointed with this...
PC vs X-box
This is of course what everyone wants to know so dig in my friends because the comparisons will start now. The two computers I have played Morrowind on:
P3 700
512mb Ram
Geforce 3
View distance at a little under half at 1280X960
AI distance set to low
P4 1.8
256mb Ram
Geforce 3 TI 500
View distance set all the way up at 1024X768
AI distance set to medium-high
View Distance:
The X-box versions view distance is set to a litte under half as noted above on the P3 700. My Tosh and computer are in the same room so I booted up the PC version and was able to verify this. This is not bad and itis not anything to be discouraged about. I will say though that the "high" view distance on the PC version is quite a bit nicer aesthetically.
Framerate:
The most asked question EVER, "How is the Framerate?". X-boxers, be very happy. The Framerate on the X-box version of Morrowind pretty much wins the fight against my P3 700 and in larger towns can even give the 1.8 a run for its money. The game runs very smooth with only small hiccups in the framerate. If you want a comparison, the game runs as good as Halo.
Take note that I did test the framerate in indoor areas, small towns and I even made a special trip to Balmorra (a crowded town) to verify how good the framerate was. I so no issues that will deter anyone from a purchase.
Texture quality:
The PC has the X-box version beat here in every way. Even at 640X480 the PC version has crisper and better looking textures all around. While Microsoft's version of the game has blander and less defined textures.
Morrowind on the X-box is no slouch though. It is most definitely not an ugly game by any stretch of the imagination. If you have never played the PC version of the game you will not be disappointed. The pixel shaded water is here and looking better than ever.
Bethesda most definitely put a good bit of work into porting this and making sure the game was intact. Morrowind's lack of 16:9 is VERY disappointing and its subpar performance on a Hi-def monitor leaves allot to be desired for the home theater crowd.
Conclusion:
The X-box version of Morrowind is a fine effort and it is a game that should be played by all. It is a quality title with great graphics, good sound and astonishingly deep gameplay.
For the Hometheater crowd your bound to be disappointed. It may very well be that Morrowind looks great on another brand of Hi-def television (I gotta give you some hope:frowning but it looked downright awful on my Toshiba. If there was 16:9 support and some form of anti-alasing I would not have any problem recommending this to even those that had a high end computer. As it stands...
If you have never played the PC version of the game you wont be disappointed. Its a damn good version of a damn good game.
If you have a lower end computer and want a nice smooth framerate at the cost of some texture quality, go for the box version. You'll appreciate the smoothness and better framerate.
Finally if you have a high end system that can pound out graphics like theres no tommorrow there is no reason to buy this. The superior draw distance and overall better resolution and quality will make you happy you spent all that money on your PC.
There you have it my friends..enjoy!
) So lets get on with it...Story:
Im sure you have been reading the previews and waiting with anticipation for this game to finally hit. The story is at the beginning not a horribly complex one. The game starts with a short introduction foretelling the coming of a hero. You are a prisoner that has been sent to Morrowind for unknown reasons. Neat huh?
The longer you get into the game the more you discover about this prophecy and how in the world your gonna get to fulfilling it.
Character Creation:
You begin the game on a boat which is where the character creation process starts. If you read my PC Morrowind review, I'm sure you know how I feel about the character creation in the game. I think its the most creative and enjoyable available. You will first select a name and the shortly after select a race. All the appearance selections are all here as well. The X-box version includes everything.
You are then asked to select your class. You can answer ten questions and the game will select a class for you based on the answers or you can select select from a list. Even better simply create a custom class with its own unique name and stats. Again it has all been retained.
Gameplay:
Morrowind is virtually identical to the PC version in terms of content and what the thrust of the gameplay is about. You speak to townsfolk, explore dungeons, find new unique items. So forth so on.
All the character interactions are here such as the persuade and travel options. Believe it or not I actually like the menu interface better on the X-box version that I do the PC. Its downright easy to use and you can navigate very quickly through the options.
Here is the controller set-up:
A-Activate
B-Menus
Y-Ready Magic
X-Ready weapon
Black button--Rest
White button-Journal
Left Trigger-Jump
Right trigger-Attack
Hold X and hit L or R Trigger-Cycle weapons
Hold y and hit L or R trigger-Cycle Magic
Click and hold the left thumbstick -sneak
Double click left thumbstick- Toggle sneak
Click right thumbstick-Change view 1st or 3rd person
Click and hold right thumbstick-View your character, when holding you can use the L and R trigger to zoom in or out.
The game is very easy to play and if you have had any experience with Halo this should take you a few minutes to get used to.
The battle system is one of the main complaints lobbed at this game and I can understand that opinion. It can feel somewhat shallow at first but it is actually very dependant on your characters statistics and how he/she is developed. The more you play the better you get. It works well.
The world is of course simply HUGE! You will never find yourself thinking you have nothing left to do. You will be immersed while playing Morrowind. The world felt very much alive in the PC version of the game and that feeling has translated well to the X-box version. Here is an excerpt from my original review for the PC version which shows an example of one of the quests you will partake in:
Here is one for instance:
-You speak with a gentleman that is looking to gain some money from a subordinate of his. He know this person has been skimming from the top. He asks that you watch this subordinate to find the hiding place for the money. There is a light tower where you must watch him from. The subordinate only checks this position at night.
I went to the light tower and watched this gentleman until he moved to the hiding place (Very spy like and I loved it). I then retraced his steps and found the hiding spot. I retrieved the money and returned to the quest giver for reward.
Dynamic is the best description you can give this game. The X-box version is pretty seamless with a small loading time to change areas (ala Halo). There are times when you will find yourself lost but thankfully Morrowind has an excellent mapping system. You can view the full landscape of the area you are in and it even goes so far as to mark all doors with the shop names so everything is easily accessible. Its your choice how you move along. You can explore the towns and the area or just move along with the main quest. All in all Morrowind has over 200 hours of gameplay to be had.
One last thing for all of you criminals out there, Morrowind has a jailing system. If you commmit any crime the guards will catch you and you will be given the choice to either pay a fine (40-1000gold), go to jail, or flee. Going to jail degrades one of your main attributes and passes time along so you most definitely do not want to end up in the old square box
. Sound:
The X-box version of Morrowind does indeed support the Dolby Digital 5.1 sound format and in my opinion it is used well. You can hear guards footsteps move along the room from speaker to speaker. The indoor dungeons and caves are especially impressive with some good ambient sound that fills the room.
Bass is strong though not overpowering. My sub was thumping but certainly not to the extent of more actiony games out there. Do not of course expect any whiz-bang effects ala Halo here. In the end though, my ears were pleased with what they heard.
Unfortunately there is one blemish on this otherwise fine 5.1 mix, the center channel is again neglected. All character dialogue is shared by the two front speakers. I thought that was worth mentioning.
Musically, Morrowind has a fantastic soundtrack, though a bit repetitive. Jeremy Soule has composed some emotion filled music to help aid you in your battles and I think he should be commended for his work. I just wish there was more of it.
Dialogue is high quality. All the voice actors are believeable, though again it can be a bit repetitive. Every time you walk by a particular person they always say the same things. A little variety would have helped.
Sound effects are all top notch with the quality "KLANGS" and "SWOOSHES" you expect to hear from this type of game.
Good aural experience all around!
Graphics:
The graphics unfortunately I cannot be as enthusiastic about. Let me break this down into three categories:
27 Inch Sanyo Television
I first loaded Morrowind into my X-box on my smaller second bedroom television. The connection used is of course S-video and the television has been calibrated using the Avia Home Theater Calibration disc. (via the X-box)
Upon first entering the game everything looks good. Again all content is identical to the PC version. The first guard walks upon you and you will notice that the texture quality is good though a bit muddled. Once I stepped outside I was able to take in the pixel shaded water and finally get a look at the draw distance for the version of the game. (Covered in the PC comparison)
The game has a hazy appearance off the bat (in relation to the PC version) so I turned my sharpness up some which helped. The character models were of good quality as were the environments. Morrowind does look a tad washed out though. Nothing out of the ordinary and I think all in all the game looks DAMN good for the X-box. So far I'm sure your thinking whats the problem?...read on my friends..
Toshiba 42h81 16:9 Widescreen set
There is only one way to say this. Morrowind *DOES NOT* support 16:9. It is a crushing blow in my opinion as it is something that the developers have been touting since the games inception on the X-box and one of my main reasons for my purchasing the game.
I verified this by switching the picture sizes on the Toshiba. The "full" setting makes the the NPC's stretch noticeably, though oddly the circular button icons do not appear any more ovular. Nonetheless I could notice off the bat that the environments were stretched to fill the screen. My heart broke.
Theaterwide 1 was the best solution to this. The characters looked fairly normal and it let the game show off its graphics a bit more.
Morrowind does on the other hand support 480p which is always good to hear but not enough to erase the disappointment at the loss of 16:9 support.
Playing the game on a high quality widescreen set really shows that there is *NO* anti-alaising here at all. Jagginess galore. My Tosh set is properly configured via the Avia disc. I ran through the disc again using the X-box for further testing. For those interested my sharpness setting is at 5 (very low). Disabling 480p only made it worse.
I have played over 20 X-box games on this set. Halo, Jet Set Radio Future, Rallisport Challenge, even Genma Onimusha all look far better than Morrowind when displayed on an HDTV. The jagginess here is inexcuseable. Though the washed out appearance of the smaller television is all but gone . (Whats even more fouled up is that the jagginess is very minute on the 27 inch set, I suppose the haziness of an "average" television actually helps!)
I'm beyond disappointed with this...
PC vs X-box
This is of course what everyone wants to know so dig in my friends because the comparisons will start now. The two computers I have played Morrowind on:
P3 700
512mb Ram
Geforce 3
View distance at a little under half at 1280X960
AI distance set to low
P4 1.8
256mb Ram
Geforce 3 TI 500
View distance set all the way up at 1024X768
AI distance set to medium-high
View Distance:
The X-box versions view distance is set to a litte under half as noted above on the P3 700. My Tosh and computer are in the same room so I booted up the PC version and was able to verify this. This is not bad and itis not anything to be discouraged about. I will say though that the "high" view distance on the PC version is quite a bit nicer aesthetically.
Framerate:
The most asked question EVER, "How is the Framerate?". X-boxers, be very happy. The Framerate on the X-box version of Morrowind pretty much wins the fight against my P3 700 and in larger towns can even give the 1.8 a run for its money. The game runs very smooth with only small hiccups in the framerate. If you want a comparison, the game runs as good as Halo.
Take note that I did test the framerate in indoor areas, small towns and I even made a special trip to Balmorra (a crowded town) to verify how good the framerate was. I so no issues that will deter anyone from a purchase.
Texture quality:
The PC has the X-box version beat here in every way. Even at 640X480 the PC version has crisper and better looking textures all around. While Microsoft's version of the game has blander and less defined textures.
Morrowind on the X-box is no slouch though. It is most definitely not an ugly game by any stretch of the imagination. If you have never played the PC version of the game you will not be disappointed. The pixel shaded water is here and looking better than ever.
Bethesda most definitely put a good bit of work into porting this and making sure the game was intact. Morrowind's lack of 16:9 is VERY disappointing and its subpar performance on a Hi-def monitor leaves allot to be desired for the home theater crowd.
Conclusion:
The X-box version of Morrowind is a fine effort and it is a game that should be played by all. It is a quality title with great graphics, good sound and astonishingly deep gameplay.
For the Hometheater crowd your bound to be disappointed. It may very well be that Morrowind looks great on another brand of Hi-def television (I gotta give you some hope:frowning
but it looked downright awful on my Toshiba. If there was 16:9 support and some form of anti-alasing I would not have any problem recommending this to even those that had a high end computer. As it stands...If you have never played the PC version of the game you wont be disappointed. Its a damn good version of a damn good game.
If you have a lower end computer and want a nice smooth framerate at the cost of some texture quality, go for the box version. You'll appreciate the smoothness and better framerate.
Finally if you have a high end system that can pound out graphics like theres no tommorrow there is no reason to buy this. The superior draw distance and overall better resolution and quality will make you happy you spent all that money on your PC
.There you have it my friends..enjoy!
