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Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind Preview

Chris Leyton

00/12/0000

Morrowind merges elements FROM newer RPG’s to those FROM classic older titles, will these equal a whole or two halves???

Bethesda Studios are currently hard at work on the third
title in their award winning Elder Scrolls series. The title is set to make an
appearance on the PC and Xbox, and will continue in the series non-linear story
telling approach. Eschewing the recent popularity of recent
massively-multiplayer-RPG, Bethesda are placing their bets on itâs captivating
single player only RPG showing Final Fantasy fans what a true RPG is.

From the start players will be able to create whatever
character they want, albeit a noble hero or an aspiring thief aiming to be the
leader of his guild, the scope is there to create whatever experience you feel
like playing. Your character will develop as you progress through the game,
depending on your actions and interactions with other people, confront the
assassinsâ guild, and theyâll take out a contract on you. Impress them, and
theyâll try to recruit you instead. The vast environment is populated with
over 10 different types of races, ensuring a varied experience throughout your
adventure.

The non-linear approach allows players to forge their own
way through the game, to the extent that not only will the storyline and actions
of other people change, but a significant change in the gameplay will also be
felt. Youâll be able to progress through the main story, or set off to explore
the huge province of Morrowind and the many interesting people and exotic
locations it contains. The vast landscape is littered with quests and adventures
that open depending on who you are; the possibilities are endless however the
ability to carry on with the main storyline is always there.

This open-ended approach allows the quest to continue ever
onwards, to the extent that players can add their own areas to the game world
storing these as plug-ins, which can easily be shared with other players.
Players are given an extensive tool, which is being used to create the game.
Giving the player the ability to create the terrain, place buildings, items,
etc... right up to placing the textures and controlling the vertex colouring.
It\\\'s certainly a powerful tool and should ensure the game continues way past the
sell-date of most RPGâs.

Matching the gameplay scope are the fantastic visuals,
RPGâs have never looked so good. The vast diversity between areas is perfectly
recreated, whilst towns are sprawling with NPCâs, lovingly created with rich
detail and great diversity. With the insanely detailed textures, high polygon
counts, real-time shadows, vast landscapes, skeletal based animation, and a
complete weather system, Bethesda Studios have done a marvellous job in creating
a living, breathing fantasy world that drags you in and refuses to let go.

Behind all the gloss and novel ideas is at heart a true
RPG, players can mould their character from the staple ingredients such as 25
different skills, including traits such as personality, luck, and thievery,
equip their characters with armour, weapons and items. You\\\'ll have to interact
with thousands of NPCâs, which unlike most RPGâs will actually influence
your game. At heart lies the traditional RPG storyline -

âYou are the chosen one, foretold by the
prophets as a stranger who would come to save the land. Your main quest is to rid the land of a plague, called the Blight, which afflicts the province of Morrowindâ

The combat method is inspired, based upon a set of
statistics that influence how your adversary will react. Thankfully these stats
doesnât mean a clunky interface, combat is akin to a console adventure title.
Your character has at least three different types of attacks that are mapped to
buttons on the pad or controller, opening up the possibility for easier controls
during heated confrontation.