Developer: Bethesda Softworks | Publisher: UBI Software | ETA: Late Spring

Games Fusion takes a closer look at Bethesda Softworks forthcoming RPG title for the PC in this hands-on preview of Morrowind, the third instalment from The Elder Scrolls series. At first I was slightly sceptical when I got given the opportunity to do this preview as I had not previous enjoyed RPG�s of this nature. I was worried that I wasn�t going to give this title the mention that it deserved but I was determined to not let my biased side get the better of me. It soon came clear that this RPG was like none other that we had experienced before!

So what is the game about?
In the words of the people at Bethesda, �The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind is an epic, open-ended single-player game where you create and play any kind of character you can imagine�. And they are right the vast amount of characters you can create is unbelievable. It will take you ages just to scroll through them. You can be a thief, a malevolent sorcerer, a noble hero, a reverent healer or a warrior. The possibilities are endless! The idea and best feature about the game is the amount of freedom you get which gives a completely non-linear gaming experience. You can either follow the chosen storyline or embark on your own adventure, exploring the Morrowind world and visiting the vast amount of villages and cities that the world contains. In fact you don�t even need to touch the storyline at all, you can choose to undertake many different tasks from the hundreds of quests and adventures that await you as you interact with characters and learn more. Of course you don�t have to always take this route. You can rejoin the storyline at any point in the game.

Is this the Intro? OH shit!
Hah nah I didn�t quite say that but it soon becomes clear when you enter the game that this RPG is possibly the best looking RPG ever� If not the best looking game! Bethesda have done an excellent job with the graphics, Morrowind is completely compatible with NVIDIA�s latest Geforce 4 Ti chipset and makes full use of its pixel shading technology which makes things such as wave and ripple effects appear more realistic than ever before! If your not the kind of rich barstard to own a Geforce 4 Ti 4600 like myself :P Then Morrowind still provides breathtaking, mind-blowing graphics for everyone else with it�s real-time weather system, which dishes out moving cloud effects and sandstorms. You also get a full day and night cycle complete with sunsets and sunrises which are appearing in games more and more now days. How nice! I tried this game out with the Geforce 4 MX440 priced at around �100 and let me tell you it performs and looks just as good as it does on the Ti4600... well almost! The only difference I could see was the water effects, they are stunning I admit but most of you will be able to do without them.

It�s BIG� It�s REALY BIG
It was reported that Bethesda Softworks Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall, which was released in 1996, contained 750,000 characters and provided more than 200 hours of gameplay. It was found that it took two full weeks to walk from one side of the world to the other. And that�s just stupidly BIG! Elder Scrolls III has been in the works for little more than three years now and this game is every much as big as the last title and is said to provide over a 100 hours of gameplay in the main story.

Morrowind is very much set out like a film and funnily enough reminds me of �The Lord of the Rings� in the sense of style and environment, although some may disagree. The start of the game is quite cleverly set out and takes you through the stages of choosing your character. It also helps you to get to grips with the game and the controls which is excellent for both people familiar and non familiar with these types of games. The main user interface is equally easy to use with the ability to customize, manipulate, move and resize, much to that of your OS interface. The interface can be used to manage your class, including your weapons, equipment, belongings and spells with its unique spell system that allows you to combine any spell effects you've learned and fine tune their power, range, effect, and more, to allow for an infinite number of spells. The interface is also used for interacting with characters in the world such as finding out information and accepting different tasks.

Apart from the graphics the other thing which hits you is the sound and music. The music almost seems perfectly choreographed with the storyline and present situation in the game. This is when the movie similarities really start to kick in. In the first village that you are introduced to you can go around and talk to some of the locals, this can be done my pressing your action button. A menu will pop up which will enable you to talk on different subjects and gather information, you can also choose to accept tasks in return for rewards and other such things. You can either choose to accept tasks or follow the set storyline. If you prefer not to do either of those you can always just wonder around and basically do what you want.

On your journey�s you will find exotic locations and breathtaking scenery. You will often come across remote villages, towns and cities located around deserts and green land. You will find Hundreds of locations to explore in the wilderness, including caves, ruins, dungeons, and more. Attention to detail in the Morrowind world is amazing with marshland, whiled mushrooms, realistic trees and funny little creatures which live close to the sea shore. The cultures and characters that you will encounter are equally detailed and each has a different story to tell. You will be amazed by the vast depths and attention to detail which have been achieved in this game.

Morrowind is set to be a huge success when it is released later this spring but in the mean time feast your eyes on these snap shots: