I remember playing Morrowind as a teenager. I played an "unofficial" version that was just available in English (which is not my first language and in which I wasn't proficient at that age). I wasn't reading internet guides. I remember aimlessly wandering around this foreign world for hours, barely understanding what was going on and impressed by the alien look of environment and characters. I cherish this memory. Now playing Fromsoftware games for the first time generates a similar experience.
"Imagine you've just arrived at an island. The locals don't want you here, the cuisine is awful, and the wildlife all seems to want to kill you... What I'm describing might sound like Australia, but this is actually the start of Morrowind" _lmaooooo_
o bagulho é aprender giria e palavrão parça, depois ce começa a pegar sotaques e piadas especificas. uma vez que vc pega as nuancesde um idioma ja era, dai pra frente é só video de 2-10 horas de Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, The Witcher... são tão divertido que vc aprende o idioma e nem sente.
One thing that helped me was watching some of my favorite movies in different languages with subtitles. Not a replacement for learning a new language but it helps.
"The thing Is , if you wanna know how a relationship failed. You can't just look at the bad. You have to understand why you fell in love in the first place ".... wow just wow
41:45 - It goes even deeper than that though. It's the least "purposely designed around the player's wants and needs" game. What makes Daggerfall special is that, out of all the Elder Scrolls games, it's the most interested in "true" simulation/immersion: -If you committed a crime, you would go to court. -While in court, you could use your diplomatic skills(or lying or bribing) to escape punishment. -If imprisoned, your skills(and reputation) would diminish over time. -Gold actually had weight, so you needed to go to banks and exchange it for credit notes. -You could take out a loan from a bank to allow you to afford a house or ship. -After buying a home, you'd have to buy all the furniture yourself. -When going dungeon crawling, you'd bring a horse and carriage with you to carry all the loot since you had a limited carrying capacity. -There was a complete calendar, NPCs would celebrate certain holidays throughout the years and seasons. -Daedric Princes only allowed you to summon them on certain days/occasions. -When you "fast-traveled", it would cost gold factored by the distance of the trip, if you decided to stay at inns or camp out, if you're a vampire, etc... -Time was valuable, quests had deadlines and they would fail if you took too long to complete them(even the main quest!) -If you wanted to travel more efficiently and save time, you'd have to buy a ship to cross the bay. -You had to pass language skill checks in order not to be instantly attacked by certain races or creatures. -Your character didn't automatically know what every item was, so you'd have to visit skilled mages to appraise the value of your magical loot. Daggerfall is literally 2 steps away from having you pay property taxes or needing a hunting license so you don't go to jail for poaching...in a sprawling, epic fantasy world where cursed dungeons, magic, orcs, vampires and dragons exist. It was definitely an interesting concept, like how would the actual systems of a "real" fantasy world function for a common adventurer? I don't think I could put in a better way myself, so I'll leave the best quote I've found on Daggerfall here: "It's hard to quantify it, but if pressed, I'd say that it is an almost comical devotion to immersion. You could (and had to!) use banking services to get on in life, for heaven's sake. It's a rollicking epic fantasy adventure where the sentence "I had to sell away my house I got as a grant from my knightly order to the bank to pay back the loan I took out in order to be able to afford mithril gear I used to kill a mighty Daedra Lord." may be a reasonable description of your last four hours of gameplay. "
I also loved the idea that I could just walk out into the world and explore it - the whole world! Sure, I'd never get to the vast majority of it. And it was all too similar, anyway. But just the idea that I could do that - and I _did_ do that, sometimes - made it special. I get kind of the same thing from No Man's Sky. 18 quintillion worlds? Yeah, like I'm ever going to explore even a tiny fraction of them. But it _feels_ like a galaxy - like a universe, in fact (at least, in size). And just as in the Elder Scrolls games, I'm happy enough just putzing around, going places to see what's there. :) I agreed with this video about the world of Morrowind. And I loved that game, too. But typically, I couldn't care less about the main quest. I just want to explore. And as much as I enjoyed Morrowind, I was still very disappointed that they hadn't continued with procedural generation. Just think of what a modern Daggerfall could be like!
@@Dell-ol6hb and that also would be impossible to make without said world being extremely shallow, like Daggerfall was, for all its merits. Part of what made (much smaller) MW so magical was attention to detail, daggers under pillows, notes in the bottles and whatnot. Sometimes more is less.:)
My Morrowind was Oblivion.... 💚 Growing up I had a reading disability so I was afraid to pick up Morrowind because I heard there was no voice acting. But I do remember that magical feeling when you first get out of the prison and you look out into the horizon. You realize how much freedom you have. It's a wild feeling! 💚 Love these games so much.
Oblivion looks ugly to me, astetics are more important than graphics. I couldnt speak english when I started playing Morrowing so you can be sure I didnt actually finish any quests only doing stuff I decided to do and also seeing that I have a name in my journal and then going to find that name out in the world. Heroes of Might and Magic III is my favorite game of all time tho, there is a reason when I first decided to ad a prophile picture to steam it was the icon of Gelu. Skyrim is beautiful but not as ... as Morrowind and I think Oblivion is in the middle not having the best of either but having flaws of bough.
I don’t think I have any memories and gaining the top my memories of my first dive into the elder scrolls four oblivion??? Witcher three is a close runner up but I was younger when oblivion came out which made me more impressionable as a gamer to have a more memorable experience with a game such as oblivion? It’s one of my favorite games of all time and it’s only because of the Witcher three that it’s not “my favorite game of all time” But if we’re going in order, oblivion was the first game where I said “that is my favorite game of all time“!!”
@@turismofoegaming8806 I had a similar experience. When I was a teenager I had a regular OG Black box - Xbox that I loved (Especially Jetset radio Future, Fable, etc..) But, I wasn't playing alot of video games at the time. I was skateboarding, hanging out with friends, typical teenager stuff. Then my cousin showed me a trailer for the upcoming Xbox 360 and this game that was coming out called The Elder Scrolls Oblivion. I was basically obsessed with finding out everything I could at the time. It felt like an eternity but eventually The Game came out. It was truly mind blowing for me at the time. I spent literally hundreds of hours, just running around and exploring. I didn't know you had to sleep to level up, so I was basically 40 or 50 hours In by the time I figured that out. So much fun. I still go back and play it every once in a while for Nostalgia sake.
@@jamesdjl4359 Dude I can totally relate!!! Oblivion is the game that really taught me how to play games- Bolivian taught me how to keep track of all my stats, all my skills all my gear and everything and my first time going into oblivion I messed up and it wasn’t until about my third or fourth time going in I finally had it all down pat and manage to go in and just completely immerse myself in the world for days on end until I finally completed it!! Then after that years later I got another 360 and created a whole new profile where I did it all over again only this time I ran through it perfectly, or as close to perfect as you can get!! I.e. as soon as I got out the sewers I went and got into the arena and got a few levels under my belt there and then went out and started exploring and then made my way to the fighters guild and joined in there and did a few missions there and then from that point went to the mages guild and got a few missions there under my belt etc. and I would always save the dark brotherhood for last because it was my favorite guild to join, well it in the thieves Guild!!! To this day that is my favorite game of all time and I still have my safe file from 2009 where I created a Kajiit with his own unique backstory and everything!!! Named him Shao Linn Kahn kind of like a mix between a jungle book character and Mortal Kombat or something I don’t know but I thought it sounded bad ass at the time?! Either way I’m glad to hear that your experience was so closely similar to my own and I guarantee we would’ve been there playing the game together having a blast!!
Another great thing about Morrowind's world building is why the dark elves sound different in Vvarfenfell. It's because all the ash in the air is harsh on their throats and so they sound like a 50 year long smoker. I just think that's such a great touch, I love hearing them talk every time!
I didn't hate dungeons in Daggerfall, mainly because I was actually able to read the maps. They did get boring and repetitive after long enough, though.
@@Kaftan I agree. As the narrator said, what was cool about them was apprehension - the fear of what you would find. This is particularly true if you play Daggerfall as a no magic character.
I couldn't ever play a 100% no-magic character, even if I had to grind ranks to unlock enchanting I always had to have Recall. In Daggerfall Unity there's a mod that adds a faction that's like Cartographers or something, joining it gives you an Amulet of Recall. That's been my go-to for pure non-magic.
Funny enough, I've played about 30 hours of Morrowind and am somehow just now learning that I could have rested at any time. And you know what, whilst I would have preferred not to have needed to murder an Ashlander to sleep in his bed when I learned the settlement I'd spent an hour trekking to without enough potions or a recall spell didn't seem to offer me any other way to recharge, I have to say my gameplay experience is probably better for it. Morrowind is the first RPG I've played in which my potions aren't all stashed away "in case I need them later" but a worthwhile use of my gold and my currently rather limited carry weight
I played for easily the same amount of time before I realised that resting levelled my skills. Blew my mind. Easily my favourite game on the original xbox. I played it before the internet was a regular thing to use, so I saw everything for the first time, every discovery was my own. I'll never forget earning a daggy looking vest that added bonuses to a heap of my stats, and wearing it for the rest of the game, or my little home in Balmora that I took from a dead person. There's nothing quite like coming home after a big day of adventuring unload all my loot and prepare for the next day
I have a similar oblivion experience. I played that game for nearly two years as a kid before I realized if you click on the map icons, you can fast travel.
TES games are all better when you go in ignorant. You will eventually have a whole toolbelt of exploited game mechanics that diminish the majesty of the games.
@@kvltizt this is most games, really. Figuring it out is half the fun. The only thing I don't like going into blind is when your conversation choices have consequences, and it's not really clear what those consequences will be . Sometimes games be like "will you help me protect my farm?" A) Yes (farmers all die, farm is destroyed) B) No ( farmers will attack later in game) C) Can I buy your farm? (Mayor bans you from city for purchasing farm illegally) D) Ask what type of farm (you learn it's not their farm, they are body snatchers, who you then agree to hide their secret and replace the mayor with body snatcher)
Currently replaying Skyrim for the first time in forever, and I remember exactly why it's so successful. You just walk in a direction and find something fun to do.
Just started doing a new run on PC with mods (last time I played it was a few years ago and on console) where I've set a rule for myself. I'm not allowed to fast travel, the only "Fast travel" i'm allowing myself to use are the carriage drives that can take you from town to town. Otherwise it's on foot or on horseback.
@@TheotherTempestfox Doing the same restricted run but on a console and with no mods. It's honestly all it takes to revitalise my interest after over a thousand hours of play. Damn.
@@luriven4800 if you're playing the PS4 or Xbox one version I believe you can mod the game, though the PS version has a restriction on the types of mods and also limits to 2GB of mod size while xbox allows 4GB and has no restrictions on what kind of mods.
This happened for me when I played Oblivion. That moment when I was being careless as to where I slept and a vampire fed on me. At that point I didn't even know Vampires were a thing in Elder's Scrolls. I love the little unexpected mis-adventures that The Elder's Scrolls works into their games. "Expect the unexpected".
Doesnt really work like that, sry to burst your bubble, any time you get hit by a vampire there's a chance you'll contract vampirism. If you go to sleep without drinking a cure illness potion then you have that dream and wake up as a vampire. The feeling you get the first time around is of mystery tho and that's something great about it. I hold a lot of love for oblivion despite it's flaws.
@@juancarlosparrasanchez4913 No. Sleeping outdoors in certain places has a chance of resulting in vampire infection, regardless of whether you have fought vampires before. This is a completely separate thing from the dreams that occur when the disease progresses.
@@Bollibompa How? as far as I know Juan is correct. You get it by being struck by a vampire in combat (or by a dark brotherhood quest as the one exception)
@@wilhufftarkin8543 Skyrim took steps forward but also took steps back. The open world is phenomenal and the implementation of more perks is a plus, but quests being less memorable and removal of certain skills is taking a step in the wrong direction. I much more enjoyed the quest lines in oblivion than Skyrim, and most perks end up just being stat increases that could’ve been tied to leveling skills rather than purchasing it with perk points (like how it is in the earlier elder scrolls). What I’m really hoping is that now Skyrim has become such a success, Elder Scrolls 6 can implement these more complex systems from previous games along with the unique systems Skyrim has to offer. Bring back different skills for each weapon instead of simplifying it to one and two handed. Make gold a genuinely useful but scarce resource. Bring back the factions fighting against each other, or even simply bring back more than just a faction HQ with no other places associated with them. Bethesda has been going down the path of simplification but I feel like they’ll get their shit together when making a new game in their #1 series.
Honestly I feel exactly the same way but having finally managed to commit to a full playthrough of Morrowind after 13 years since my first attempt, I've gotta say that man I 100% see the frustrations that fans of morrowind had and continue to have with Oblivion. It's wonderful in its own way, but there is a certain magic to morrowind that was definitely lost in a number of ways with Oblivion, and there's almost no trace of it at all in Skyrim. Oblivion is fun to explore to see what new whacky situations you'll find yourself in--Morrowind is amazing to explore to find out more about this alien and convincing world and society, and your character's place in it. I'll always enjoy a replay of Oblivion to relive what was my most formative video game experience in its time, but I can't see myself replaying it again without being bothered by those incredible aspect of Morrowind that were decided against with Oblivion.
You've gained a subscriber for being the first content creator I've seen talk at length about how The Elder Scrolls franchise has no competition, imitation or spiritual successor. It boggles my mind that no other authors who make video essays around The Elder Scrolls games have produced at least one video about this topic. The truth is that these games are a monumental effort with a relatively strong creative direction. There aren't many, if any, studios that possess the capability to make such games.
Its really true. Bethesda games have their massive problems. But they have a really unique gamefeel that other things just can't get right if they try (outerworlds tried and failed heavy)
@@tripalink Outer Worlds was aiming more for Fallout NV but either way I agree it failed. (In fact, contrary to the usual Bethesda vs. Obsidian narrative, I think Fallout NV only succeeded _because_ of the Bethesda open world structure.)
@Nagger I don't know... New vegas focuses much more on the depth of it's role-playing and characters rather than exploring the world (in comparison to morrowind atleast) and visually the world is bland as fuck unlike morrowinds varied yet grounded environments. They're both games that share many superficial similarities but that are ultimately both very good at very different things, and I'm not sure a comparison does service to either of them
@@Spellweaver5 no, mage guild in Oblivion was honestly better. In fact all guilds were mostly better in Oblivion with only the companions being comparable. Skyrim true edge on Oblivion is that Skyrim does Dungeons and fetch quest better (and exploration in general.)
@@meneither3834 how can mages guild that doesn't even require you to know any spell be better? College at very least had the training sequence that was by itself pretty good. The quest line felt way too short, sure. But it had way more to do with actual magic at least, rather than just killing necromancers. It there were a dozen quests added to that line, of the same quality as the ones exisiting already, it would be a pretty good story. You can't say the same about Oblivion.
@@Spellweaver5 the recommendation quests made it better. They were pretty good. If you're only talking about the academy questlines then yeah, Oblivion was pretty bad.
It`s sad that not many people especially from USA recognize german series named GOTHIC. Im from Poland and that game was something different. Story, dialogue options and immersion in these games was sth different. First two games are from 2001 and 2002 so they are pretty old. These games got so much love in Poland, that 10 days ago a biggest fanmod (with full professional recored audio was recorded) was released. I recommend you check that title or any infovideo on YT about it.
Im german and grew up with gothic 1 being my fav game. I love that gothic gets so much love in poland. I recently played archolos and it rocked my world.
I immediately thought about Gothic when the video mentioned how there are no Morrowind like games, it might not be a perfect 1 on 1 comparison, but Gothic 1 and 2 is easily up there with Morrowind in a lot of ways. Too bad the franchise lost it's way with 3 and went seriously downhill afterwards.
@@goransekulic3671 I think Oblivion was closest. A little more care with the horrible leveling lists (every highwayman should not have daedric armour and you should still encounter some lesser creatures), having levitation (which enters the internal city cells) and fewer oblivion gates with more visual variety than red and black (they only needed the quest ones not random wilderness ones) obviously Cyrrodill as a province is a limited setting but it was still close enough as a feeling to be within the same series.
@@gm2407 Oblivion, for all its faults, wasn't far away. At least not at the Skyrim level, I as a Morrowind fan almost don't understand that game, seems so by the numbers, faux epic etc. Such a waste of such an interesting IP and province.
@@goransekulic3671 Todd was cutting content to keep it simple. So gone are spears, levitation, shortblade, throwing weapons, axe, teleportation (due to the map and fast travel returning). However also gone are hit chance, lock pick chance (now a mini game), persuasion (now a mini game), a journal that has no role playing element is also present. I suspect the addition of voice acting required more buy the numbers content. This works so we keep this. This doesnt work so we chuck this. We could have had more noble houses and political intrigue but that has to be written and would muddy the main quest so no great houses. The imperial cult is out (temple faction is morrowind only) and no return to individual cults (but they then made knights of the nine), no Legion faction (although a modder made a good mod for that), no east empire company faction, but we had more daedra. As much as I feel it is missing ingredients (in Oblivion) what was there did pull together well. But Skyrim took out more and went to far (crafting is not for me, neither are perks systems). ESVI will be like assassins creed last three games. It will not have propper role playing elements ane will lose whatever soul the franchise has left.
@@dallesamllhals9161 How? I was burned out on the game after 60 and added another 60 through mods that made the game almost nothing like the base and thanks to Enderal at the end completely replaced it with a superior product.
I could say a thousand different things about the last two hours of my life that I spent glued to your video but mostly I just wanted to thank you for putting all the time and effort you clearly spent creating this series. You’ve managed to articulate exactly what makes me hold the Elders Scrolls series in such high regard despite its obvious flaws. I’ve never been able to explain what I meant about the exploration being an integral part of what makes these games so unique and you’ve given me not only the words but a really enjoyable…haha…exploration into the series and games as a whole. Just wanted to say my thanks☺️🙏🏼 P.S. Why are the newer comments on this video so harsh and/or irrelevant to what the video discusses?! Not what I expected to see on such a quality video doc.
Why ? Cyberpunk is based over one city, as soon as you see that it becomes obvious that it's not it's goal. In a weird way Cyberpunk is halfway between a Deus ex and a Fallout (since you can create your character.) I made a similar mistake when I though RedDead2 might quench my Elder Scroll thirst but it didn't and obviously it lacked a player made character.
@Tronam interestingly, never knowsbest did it for me actually. You can go watch his video. But my take on it is that it has most aspect of an RPG In the gameplay first, you have : -Player-made character -Customizable gameplay and level up system (and a very good one might I add.) -Inventory system& Crafting system. Those are all base element of an RPG's gameplay, they were fairly new things when the tabletops started but now it's a stapple in most games. Now let's see about the elements you think are lacking (the story I suppose ?) You have : -Dynamic dialogue options -Lots and lots of quests (from the simplest "liquidate that building" to some branching quests with deep stories and characters.) -Relative freedom in your actions and freedom of movement. So yeah that sounds like an RPG to me. Not sure what games you could consider an RPG if you don't this one (Whatever your favorite RPG is I've probably played it so come at me.)
@@aeroga2383 it was the other way for me, played oblivion first then skyrim. I can easily say that oblivion has better story and quests but skyrim nails down everything else way better than oblivion does
I had the same experience with Morrowind that you described, back when I played it in 2003 in my 2nd year of high school. My mind imagined various possibilities such games like it could bring in the future. Alas, many open world games later -- I haven't experienced anything quite like it.
And so it was, that NeverKnows spoke thusly to his children: "Yea, that I will bless those who believe in me with the video essay you've always wanted on a day when you're having a really shitty day at work." And he granted it.
Well over 26 centuries ago, an epic poem was written about a great hero who went on a series of quests given to him by a king. All of the quests were "kill this" or "fetch that." It's good to keep the Labors of Heracles in mind when looking at quests in a modern adventure story or game. They don't make for interesting stories you want to tell your friends because the call to adventure was unique and engaging. The stories are good because of the challenges Heracles faced, and how he overcame them.
Some buildings DONT have interiors. I've heard of at least a couple that look like normal houses, but it's actually a large vent for a subway system, just meant to look like a house.
Thank you so much for this video. I remember how I was blown away by this game when it came out in 2002 - the openness of the world, how you could pick up almost any object etc. It wasn't until much later that I actually started paying attention to the lore and quests and played through the main story, and I came away even more impressed. You touch on how lore, world design, and the main quest are interwoven, and how much of the world's history is left ambiguous between the various traditions of the various groups which I absolutely loved and kept me hooked, trying to learn more. Another thing that Morrowind managed to do that the following games (and most RPGs) failed at was balancing the freedom to go anywhere and do anything with the main quest. In Oblivion and Skyrim the story creates a hurried sense of urgency that is in stark contrast with the freedom the games offer. In Morrowind, however, the main quests adds interruptions at various times to give players time to go and explore. Caius Cossades is the first character to do so, right after you hand him the letter. He tells you to maybe join a guild and start learning about your new home and to come back later when you're more familiar with things. This happens several times throughout the main story (including before the climactic confrontation with Dagoth-Ur) where players are pushed to go do something else for a bit, find gear and become more experienced, and come back later.
Your pov obviously is based on just the American market. In Europe, specifically in Germany, Poland and Russia, the Gothic RPG series, started in 2001, still has a lot of fans. Back then Gothic 2 (2002) was the hardest competitor to Morrowind and always started heated debates among the fans. It has remained so popular, that a remaster of Gothic 1 is in the pipeline.
Yeah, I was about to mention it. It was a direct competitor to Morrowind in Europe and usually fared better here. However, that might have been due to the excellent translations into Polish or Russian, while Morrowind was only available in English voice acting and with translated text. I love both games, though Gothic was more accesible to a young me than Morrowind was, even without the language barrier. But if I choose between the two to play today, I choose Morrowind most of the time. It has more replay value and more content, while being a bit less immersive.
I recently found Gothic for the first time as I completely missed it back in the day. I cannot believe how good it is. I'm more immersed in its world than I have been in any game for a very long time. Gothic is a true under appreciated gem. I sincerely hope we see more rpgs in the future which build upon the insane level of world immersion design choices Pirhana Bytes made.
I was also going to mention this. Although I would still add that it managed to do a lot of the things, that are said to have been done first by Morrowind in this video, earlier by Gothic including the 3D characters, regular NPCs being indistinguishable from the important ones and having daily routines. The main difference between the two games though was really the scale, Gothic had a small but full and contained world compared to the massive worlds of the Elder scrolls games.
@@meneither3834 It’s hard to track down sales numbers, but at least where I grew up, everyone knew Gothic and very few people knew Morrowind. You’re right about Oblivion, though. It was extremely well received and crushed the Gothic franchise. Piranha Bytes then tried to make Oblivion 2.0 with Gothic 3 and failed miserably. Gothic was never meant to be an MMO-like Open World game, which is what they tried to create. The result was that exploration was not rewarding like in the first games, while Oblivion managed to cater to casual and more hardcore audiences.
I'm 46 yrs old, my 22 yr old daughter called me to get a walk through on Skyrim thieves guild quest...... I was so proud that she picked her dad's favorite game of all time, and easily helped her possess the Crown of Barenziah. I wish Bethesda would return to single player massive world RPG , but we shall see.
10:17 that cut to leaving the Imperial City Sewers, while your talking about the Elder Scrolls innate ability to tap in to our natural childhood wonder. So nostalgic and so damn true, there is something special about them. Fucking chills man, I love it, absolutely top-tier video like always!
"It's not levels that the player lacks, it's knowledge." I think you unintentionally hit the nail on the head in terms of what makes the games appealing, or more specific the appeal of Exploration. People often have trouble defining Exploration because they don't understand what it is. Exploration is about discovery and the pursuit of the unknown. People may often hope for different results form their exploration, one seeks fame & fortune, one seeks ancient knowledge, another seeks adventure, and so on. But the drive that they might find what their looking for just over the next hill is the appeal of Exploration. Where as earlier in the video you mention that having every building be enter-able was not needed and neither was the level of simulation, though it being there does help the world feel like it doesn't revolve around the player. I'd have to disagree in that it being there is very much required or else the whole thing falls apart. You need to have mundane places to make the special ones stand out. This is something that seems to get lost a lot in modern design as everything has to be special which ends up making the special itself mundane and everything else even less than that. Just like not marking important NPCs over generic ones it adds to the sense of exploration as you need to go around discovering who is who and if they might have something that interest you rather than them turning into background noise you ignore. To help better illustrate what I'm talking about I'm going to make a comparison to a mechanic that I Loathe because it draws on the same psychological hook as exploration, the infamous Loot Boxes. While mechanically they are fairly different as in ES the rewards are pre-set in locations by the devs but from the player's perspective it's not yet know. Basically the player is given a bunch of doors/boxes to choose from and they don't know what's in any of them. Unlike loot boxes though the player pays with their time and while not always finding the reward they were hoping for sometimes they find something unexpected but often times the journey itself was rewarding. Where as loot boxes it's over in an instant and you usually are poorer and fell unsatisfied. But the thing that drives both is the same, that sort of risk and uncertainty just expressed in a different way. This is why I think no other games really have the same feel or appeal. They are gated theme parks with everything designed to service the player and the developer mindset of, if it isn't going to be used by the player than don't put it in. The result is a world where there is a reward for the player behind every door so opening them all seems like a requirement as there are big attention grabbing pointers for all the attractions. And at the end of the day you feel like you've rode all the rides and had a good time. There is rarely a lingering doubt of what might have been behind some unopened door or path not taken so you put it away and move on. But with ES games there is often that lingering what was over that hill I never check, or hearing tales from other players stories of places you never saw making you wonder what other mysteries still lay undiscovered, and so on which keep people coming back. Basically other games are places you visit for vacation but ES games are places you live in. As for why there have not been any spin off type games I don't think it's because of the difficulty in doing it as a big budget studio could if they really wanted to. I think it's a typical case of corporate suits meddling in the industry they don't understand. Curtain genres getting written off by the mainstream as too niche and unpopular so they don't get as wide spread support even when a breakout hit does really well. RTS games like SC2 made huge sales numbers but I don't really recall a bunch of new RTS games hitting the markets from AAA studios looking the cash in. And there are plenty of other examples of them not jumping on the bandwagon just as their are examples of when they did. Though I do think the difficulty is enough to keep smaller developers from trying, though in some cases it seems like why should they try to make a new game when they have skyrim mods? There are tons of content mods including total conversions into whole new worlds and settings to the point it might as well be a different game. So rather than waste years trying to make an engine these people are just using the mod system which in turn helps promote more sales for Skyrim. Even today on Steam the average player count for Skyrim is higher than a lot of newer and supposedly popular titles. I like the creator of the video grew up on these older games and seeing the worlds continue to expand and grow thought it was the future of games. While their have been some improvements over the years the recent tread down the micro-transaction and loot box path has shown that many studios only care about making a quick buck. Since it takes time and money to create a massive world like ES they aren't interested in trying. Instead they would rather just make something cheap and milk it for all they can. This lack of quality form the supposed AAA industry is in part what is allowing the indie market to flourish as they have little to no competition. Indies have always been around as I recall getting quite a few small studio games at my local EB Games, later known as gamestop. Now however with the creation of digital distribution it's even easier for these developers to reach their audience.
I really like your comparison of fleshed out houses and loot boxes. TES and also The Witcher 3 sometimes leave something to find in those unassuming houses you didn't expect you'd see there and you probably would have missed if not for your curiosity of entering a mundane house. You might only find something interesting in 1 out of 100 houses, but just like getting a rare pull from a loot box the possibility keeps you going. Edit: Spelling
exploration is all about creativity and surprise, it's like Kinder Surprise. You just don't know what you will find in the next ruin or behind the hill, but you constantly see entertaining, amazing shit going on in the game world: new animals and monsters, new locations, cities, traveling npc, whatever kind of entities, situations, ambients etc. You walk around and you constantly find out new stuff, for me even Fallout 3 felt like that, I still remember the first time I got out of the Vault, felt so excited exploring Springvale elementary school... you know what I'm talking about. And it had been SO AMAZING exploring the school to find out it was a raider's cove, complete with cages for prisoners (which btw gave out such a classic dungeon vibe to the thing), and then the computer upstairs which was hacked and linked to an explosive and whatnot... and then the best part, going downstairs to find out there were tunnels being bored by raiders under the school to storm in the vault, and they eventually dug up a radioactive-monstrosities ants nest, and they got devoured. There were just so much shit going on, and that's what we players expect when we explore a great world. You can easily see why 76 was such a flop, Bethesda expected players to make up for all this unique stuff by ourselves. Nah bro, that' s a nifty idea but it's a full time job, and it' s YOUR job, just like Netflix creatives constantly make up new stuff for spectators to hook up to.
@@PyroMancer2k lol at candy loot boxes, don't give them the idea or they'll monetize exploration too! Which in a sense they do already, since you can download new and different accessibile locations through DLC. There's also a related issue: in a marketing level they have to show as much as possible of the new locations you can buy, as to make you aware of what you're getting for your money... but that ruins the surprise and sense of random discovery. Even though I could admit that extra countent may legitimately cost extra money, as it takes a lot of work to make, the visual (and often not only visual) spoilers given away by ads totally ruin the novelty and any sense of "I ran into this stuff on my own". If I would trust big corporations I would say the best approach is to buy the basic game and whichever extra content they got, without even look at it and just experience everything all together as if it's one big-ass game. This is how I played Morrowind as soon as I bought the GOTY edition, I didn't even look at what the expansions added, not even knowing that Tribunal added Mournhold city and the other one added Solstheim. And it's not only marketing, I have a bad habit of checking out game guides before even started to play them, my FOMO makes me spoil a lot of interesting stuff I would better find out on my own (and now that I think about it I should radically change my approach on game guides). That said I agree with Jim Sterling that AAA games are delivering ever less content and making us pay ever more, and the fact itself they have to sell us their "new" content, thus spoiling our surprise by telling us too much, is part of the problem. Goddamn just make a lot of content, take all the years it's gonna take (and for Christ's sake stop that hideous crunch practice, stop exploiting developer's passion in game making) and churn out a good final product. That's why pretty much the only big game I had in awhile (I buy very few games as I'm sickened by the market tendencies) has been GTA V, it took a long-ass time for release and it was an amazing single player experience (not going to talk about multiplayer as I' m not into that), yes there was the usual trouble mentioned in this video that the map is just a collection of "activities" and that' s one of those bad tendencies, but at least in its own right the core game was mature, without major bugs and the usual beta crap so I had good fun for what I payed for. Oh, and I actually bought it at release, something which I never ever did before in my life, I' m the kind of player that waits until the waters set calm before buying, that's how I avoid major thrash like Cyberpunk 2077.... Speaking of which, my opinion is that market (not only players but especially investors) expectations ruined that game for good, they didn't gave it the time to develop properly, forcing CDPR to do the usual crunch shit and eventually pulling off the usual premature abortion this game market is making us used to. I' m so sick of this. I' m rather playing Deus Ex Human Revolution with the DLC (which again, the only thing I know about the DLC is that it shows what happened after Jensen embarked for Singapore) and I' content with it. It's an "old" game with a good replayability, I' m using different weapons, augmentations and tactics this time around, and I'm making my own fun, just as RPG games myst do.
dungeons scared tf out of me in Daggerfall as a kid. Especially the one you start in, because you can often hear higher level monsters making sounds down the *other* corridors which you're not required to go down in order to get out. I always knew that death was RIGHT around the corner, even from the getgo.
I just a want a Morrowind remake. Literally had so much more than Skyrim, the only thing holding it back are the graphics and potentially voice. Probably the biggest elder scrolls game in scope. I think its responsible for like 80-90% of the wiki lore found in books in the games. If only it released this year
Well games in the 90s is pretty much filled with lore driven games. Even Ultima starting to have a consistancy in lore and not just a weird game that have spaceships in medival country for some reason. But if they did remake Morrowing. MY GOD SOTHA SIL i hope for Skyrim or TES6 battle system. Cause battle syste, is a reason why i drop the game. It's really garbage even by 97's standarts.
Me, after watching 8 hour Morrowind analysis: "I guess that's the most in depth breakdown we can get as TES community." This video:"What a grand and intoxicating innocence!"
I also like the signposts. They're also a subtle reminder, through the origin of the names, that there are places for foreigners and places for natives.
I can't even describe how much I relate to how excited you were for the idea to be able to enter every single building in a game. When i dreamed of my perfect game as a kid this was always part of it. Today I feel this came from a place which didn't realy consider what actually makes an enjoyable gaming experience but it still holds some value - as you described it - in feeling that the world exists indepented from the player which promises a deeper immersion on some levels. A game, that exists without the player feels like more of a real, other world you visit than one that was designed for the player.
Every elder scrolls game has this tho. I played oblivion first and ngl I liked the quests and dialogue more even though all I played was the arena and the dark brotherhood. I also kinda liked the magic more because I could still use a shield with it and go full battlemage
I just discovered your channel, and I’m so glad I did. I love that you approach this analysis from an earnest point of view free from jaded cynicism. I’ve subscribed, and can’t wait to explore all your content. 👍
When Assassin's Creed eliminated the *lethal* assassination mechanic from the game, I wrote a post on Reddit mentioning: "Why don't you just name it Warrior's Creed and we can call it a day!" When standards fall down for business' sake, art is lost in the process; impacting the entire industry... But what do I know!
yeah i lost interest in the AC series after black flag (the best AC game, and the only one i will ever play again), what the fuck is up with this "removing assassination from the assassin game" nonsense i'm hearing about?
@@comyuse9103 Just wait to play Skull and Bones. 90% of the best gameplay in AC IV was being a pirate with ship combat. None of the on-land assassination stuff. If you have a craving for the land stuff then Freedom cry is good, otherwise it is pretty mediocre in comparison.
I will say though as someone who grew up at a very young age right at the birth of MMOs this was one hell of a trip down memory lane. Your narration was 11/10. Thank you.
The end of this one hit hard. "There was no other game I had looked forward to more than its sequel" "With this, the series would be changed forever..." It's with tears that I write this, because I was so excited for sequel to the one game that filled my childhood with so much fear, confusion, and wonder. I 100%'ed Oblivion but it never filled the hole left behind. I fear nothing ever will.
I know this is an old video; but I still have to complement you. You are one of the worlds few great storytellers. Listening to your content is an adventure among itself. In someways it's a similar or even rivaling experience to actually playing the game. Thank you, and your work is greatly appreciated❤
@@alkahol6289 Why do people hate it, do you think? A lot of different opinions flourish but jank and difficulty are most common. What the fuck about morrowind then? That's jank-city and %Hit has aged horribly.
@@blob22201 Yes, and so it also does in real life. I do understand your point but I know that each time I was outnumbered I really had to use my wits and positioning to force 1v1s. That also meant that I had to be really good to finish them fast before I was swarmed.
Oblivion and Skyrim will always be my top favorite RPGs. I love the expansive worlds and how you can basically create adventures for yourself however limited. It's also why Breath of the Wild is also so fun
In Oblivion when you finish the Shivering Isles, you can either send troops or go with the troops to handle crime, that gave me the best feeling of leadership in the ES games to date
Video game essay critiquers have brought me more joy. than I think video games themselves have. I think I'm more into the concept of a video game. then I am playing it. How mechanics work, how they interact with each other and so on I find so fascinating. It's just crazy cuz I'm literally played thousands upon thousands of hours of video games from various genres. Seen worlds, completed stories, loved and grieved over fictional characters. It amazes me that none of those things. Bring me nearly as much joy. as just talking about how these things work in concept.
For me, the problem with bethesda games is that they never really 'grew' over time. Witcher 1 is miles behind witcher 3, whereas the good aspects of skyrim/fallout 4 effectively go all the way back to morrowind. Like: hearing an NPC talk about the death of the emperor in shock horror, only to then ask about the local mudcrab population is funny, but if two games/8 years on you still hear it in the sequel, its just stupid.
I cannot disagree more. The game clearly evolve and grow overtime. 9 out of 10 things removed and 9 out of 10 thinds added between the sequels make the experience better and better.
@@BoroMirraCz Such as lesser roleplay, turning it into an effortless power fantasy Being a god at the start of the game Losing most sidequests Losing most guilds Losing interesting puzzles Losing interesting dungeons Losing housing Losing Magic depth Turning into an action RPG with most of the RP being removed Losing any acknowledgement of your actions Losing Actual level ups and builds Lobotomy markers...admit it that's all they are, you could at least improve them by marking a general area The sequels improve graphically and regress mechanically. They remove more then they add, yet when they finally add an old feature it's spun to be "REVOLUTIONARY, INNOVATIVE! UNIQUE! NEVER DONE BEFORE!" Almost as bad as TW still trying to figure out why old mechanics actually worked well or re-implementing them with a half assed simplified manner that destroys a large part of the strategic side of the game
@@BoroMirraCz i am surprise, on the previous video you said cyberpunk is not a rpg (which is highly debatable) and here you say they improve when I actually I never saw such a casualisation between the 4th and 5th. Skyrim was casual trash with dragons to please 12 yo kids. I think you need to review your definition of rpg.
I sort of disagree about no Morrowind-like games. Kingdom Come: Deliverance was my the most Morrowind-like experience since the Morrowind itself. The way the skills work. The way the exploration works. The way the world around you exists. The only non-Morrowind parts in it outside of the setting were how friendly the local population was and the lack of the gamebreaking craft freedom, but even then the Alchemy there was a pure joy. I still like Morrowind far more, but god bless you, Henri, for existing.
I think he meant there isn’t a lot of that alien feeling you get when exploring morrowind. Almost nothing in morrowind felt normal and everything was alien to you in someway. Kingdom come deliverance does have that morrowind influence feel but the world in the end is still grounded in medieval europe. Almost everything you see happening is very recognizable and understandable by our knowledge of history and culture which is not present in morrowind’s setting
i had a really bad eye injury today and im lying down and trying to rest my face after getting home from the ER, and youtube recommended me this from the algorithm. thank you so much for making these videos, ur calm and intelligent commentary is genuinely making me feel better despite how sore and tired i am.
Have been an Elder scrolls fan for as long as I can remember, but I never noticed the fact that all objects actually have a physical appearance. I thought about it and there's actually no other game I can think where everything has a physical shape. Great detail to point out, and another reason why Bethesda games are truly unique.
Yh only game that to me has come close to TES even though admittedly its probably more like the witcher 3 on the surface level of being a more narrative driven rpg but the world just has so much depth and feels so real. Also nails progression so well, 3 bandits surrounding you early game is actually terrifying even by the end of the game yh its easier but still not god level easy.
Finally a legitimate analysis. Thank you, this video was very well done with proper critique and praise. Most other “analysis” videos should be more properly labeled as “quest summaries with no added commentary”
Dude yes. Most analyses just explain step by step, the game itself. “Then go to to this town and speak to this person who tells you to go here. The quest will reward you with” etc etc etc. that’s just a let’s play
I 100% agree with everything you've said, this is one of the best analysis' of the elder scrolls and the actual roots of peoples problems with it. 14:50 The ex lover idea and players falling in love with the idea of the games is so true. It's so easy to sink endless hours into modern Bethesda games but once you've seen everything, the games feel hollow but that's only because you've seen everything. Which is a flaw in their design, as opposed to games like New Vegas where replay ability is prioritised. You can still see everything in New Vegas but being able to re see it in a different light and see it in a different sequence of events helps makes the game feel fuller despite having less content. I still believe Bethesda makes the best open worlds in games but their not RPG's anymore. They've become primarily exploration games with rpg elements.
TES has almost 30 years of existence, the lore is gigantic. It's the most robust universe in the history of gaming. Not even Blizzard can compete with it.
Yeah but..and I say this as a long-time former "lore beard" ... over 80% of what online fans call lore is just fan fiction bullshit they pulled out their ass, or stuff that doesn't actually appear in-game and appeals to less than 2% of the people who have played them.
I like role playing games with a capitol R. I think it was Daggerfall that went one step too far, because you could just abandon the story and live as a citizen (I actually like that freedom, but I'm very aware I'm an outlier in this). Morrowind was the perfect balance. Oblivion was a step down in game, a step up in polish. Good game, yes, but everything that made Morrowind one if my favourite games to this day was watered down. I was sold on the idea that Bethesda had learned from their mistakes and made the next installment the best of all the previous titles rolled into one. Expectations for me were through the roof, I had faith. Because of this, I was disappointed with Skyrim. That doesn't mean I didn't like the game. It just wasn't what I was sold. Believe me, I played the hell out of Skyrim, and loved it... but every criticism I've heard so far stands.
When I played through cyberpunk I realised how much I love bethesda style rpgs, almost anything else feels restrictive. There are no other rpgs like it.
I liked in morrowind magic that you didn't have to hit something to raise destruction skills. it makes more logical sense. It's not about your "aim"(that could be another skill honestly), its about actually CASTING the spell, this does not require a target.
I absolutely loved Morrowind when it came out. It made me sad to realize when I tried playing it again, that I no longer had the time and patience for such a game. I simply can't afford to get lost in a world anymore. Still I hope there will be more games like it, for the teenagers of today and tomorrow.
Being an adult fucking sucks. You spend all your time stressing out about work and in the little free time you do have you can't even enjoy anything like you used to.
I agree on the point about how interesting fetch quests can be, possibly my favorite quest chain in any video game ever is in Planescape Torment where an old witch sends you to run a series of incredibly menial seeming errands while simultaneously using these tasks as teaching tools so that you learn about magic and the the nature of the plains, and your also getting the materials to make your spell-book. Basic fetch quests, with amazing writing.
Personally I'm fine with ditching fully voice acted NPCs if it means more attention can be given to the world. BOTW did it really well. It also adds to the roleplaying element as you can interpret the tone and personality of the character in your head, while sometimes bad voice actors can take away from immersion.
Botw did a great job The lack of voice acting was never a bother. It successfully added things from game like Skyrim but also added what made the original Zelda so great for its time as well. I’d love to see Bethesda give a crack at a Daggerfall/Morrowind style vs the oblivion/Skyrim style
If it means that they can release a game more often than once every 15 years then yes effing ditch voice acting and whatever else that’s holding them back
@@Drewe223 yeah he's got this really oldschool, "what you see is what you get" production vibe. Love his scripts tho! But yeah, JA is fantastic. There's one other guy named... Indigo Gaming or something like that who did a great Elder Scrolls video.
powerful stuff about the guilds, it feels a lot like "romantic relationships" in game that often abruptly end after having sex the first time, if feels like it is all leading up to the moment you become the guild leader or you get together with the character of your choice and then there is just nothing. Instead being a guild leader could be highly interesting but I also acknowledge would mean a whole lot of work for the devs
That was a very comprehensive and well thought out take on one of my favorite games. I still go back to ES3 just to “explore” and ask the question of why. Everything feels like it has a story in the game, from each common house is set up to each faction fighting one another. It never feels the same as with ES 4 and 5.
rewatching it again after the Skyrim video, i can genuinely say that yes, TES lost its soul after Morrowind. I would sneak into the secret library in Vivec city just to read the books there for hours. Never was so immersed in game lore, and i doubt i ever will be again. Also the sense of dread and foreboding the main story provided through the 6th house storyline is yet to be matched.
My first elderscrolls was skyrim on ps3. Loved it. Played thousands of hours in it. Eventually bought it for pc but I didn't realize I had bought the entire collection. It was just skyrim on the box but upon opening it. Everything from arena to skyrim was in there. All 5 games. ... But I only played skyrim. I had no interest in going to the others cause skyrim is what I was familiar with. But. Then I started seeing vids on what made them so great despite their jank. And I learned that skyrim though visually better and with a greater modding scene and a few other things. The other games were just better in the one aspect I most loved. Story telling. So I tried oblivion. It was dated and I refuse to play without mods but I loved it. Same story with morrowind but I feel im gonna like morrowind even more.
The thing with morrowind is that it's really hard for any dev or studio to create a spiritual successor or even a rip off to it. There are some games out there where the design decisions that have been taken are both really specific while also being very broad, making it hard to replicate. You can see how inXile struggled to capture that experiecne people got from planescape torment due to how difficult it is to describe and recapture the experience it initially provided. Its why in the current retro game revival craze, no one has tried to make a spiritual successor to half life, deus ex, or morrowind. These games created experiences that are very hard to recreate, even more so if you're trying to create something new and original. It's a very daunting task for any developer and most would rather put their time and effort into making something they have more faith in both their creativity and technicality instead. A dev can easily market their game as a spiritual successor to morrowind but then they have to actually fulfill that promise and then they're fucked. SureAI's enderal is basically it's own standalone game with skyrim's foundation and fallout new vegas is directly built off fallout 3. Yet both of them don't give you the same feeling you get from exploring a bethesda made world. New vegas is remembered more like the original fallout games where storytelling is prioritized over world design and Enderal feels a lot more like witcher 3 in it's open world than skyrim despite it's mod status. When a very respected studio consisting of the minds behind the original fallout games back in 2010 and a passionate indie team that dedicated 6 years to a single project couldn't nail that elder scroll's goldmine of world design, then it's not gonna be easier for any other studio if they try to tackle that TES nostalgia as well.
Amazing video. I fully agree. There is way too much to say here, but you truly put your heart and soul into both playing Morrowind (and the rest of The Elder Scrolls) like I have, as well as putting into words how great and unique this game truly was and is. Although every era has its own charm and meaning, there have been few games that withstood the test of time despite limitations developers had to deal with, which makes them truly legandary and memorable. These are times that will never return, and I'm happy I was lucky enough to have been part of it, as it seems you are as well. Thanks for making this video, this was well worth a watch.
Just an interesting thought: Isn't the real spiritual successor of ES games the Mount And Blade series? Fairly shallow in deep mechanics, but great freedom of player decision.
Every building being explorable was also what people told me about vice city. You are correct, this is a fantasy, that has not been achieved yet. I think this topic is also a strength, which we should pay atention to. The Division did two things very well. 1. The unique winter setting in a city. Every time I see snow in a city I think of Division, that's an achievement. 2. The amount of buildings you can enter. It wasn't every building, but the ability to enter so many, and discover the stories happening there was incredible. This is the only time I saw another game come closer to what makes Elder Scrolls so special. Fallout New Vegas was the better RPG, Fallout 3 had the better open world. I give credit to Bethesda to not dropping this major point of their formula. Yes they did simplify the RPG, which was good in some cases and bad in other. But their focus remains on exploration, that's why I still play those games.
This video essay itself is a wonderful exploration: an exploration into world-building, story-telling and game design. Your hard work is much appreciated.
Your comment on how Morrowind and the entire Elder Scrolls series tells its history through ambiguity and bias is what I've always loved about it. It's told like real history. After all, "History isn't what happened, it's what people say happened.".
I've been waiting for this. Now if youll allow me to rant for a little: Skyrim was the first 'real' game i ever played and owned second to GTAV and Minecraft (but that ones Basically a given) and i absolutely loved it. Its brilliant worldspace made my own young and very imaginative brain explode with immersion and enjoyment. It instantly became my favorite and still holds a spot in the top 5 to this day. A part of the reason Skyrim was so easy to get into was its 'accesability' and streamlining and though i now prefer more complicated and deeper experiences instead of the approach of 'accesability' bethesda is taking there is no denying its effectiveness. I mainly played and modded Skyrim for the rest whilst also trying out different games and rpg's. A true age of exploration for me where everything was new and exiting. Thing is that most of those games always held your hand, so when i bought and tried morrowind i quickly put it down being unable to get into it due to its less-handholding philosofy. Its only about a year/two back that i played it again and whilst it wasnt Skyrim for me, i still managed to spend a solid 70 hours on the game. It took a lot of time and Google searches to properly get used to it, but after the fact i finally began to appreciate those systems. Morrowind altough a very old game somehowe managed to beat Skyrim in terms of immersion. The lack of handholding, no fast-travel, story and world managed to make you feel like a part of the world as you are forced to mentally interact with it more. Also morrowind still had kirkbride which made discovering the weird and whacky lore a great deal of fun. While i still love Skyrim and think its a great game, morrowind did allow me to see its flaws and the flaws seen in many other modern games. Now allow me to go on a second smaller rant: thanks. I feel like in recent times i have forgotten what made me love the Elder Scrolls games in the first place and you managed to hit the nail right.
I had an extraordinarily similar experience with Skyrim. It was the first real game I played, was content-filled enough to keep you entertained for 100s of hours, and approachable enough even a child can play it. It's a fantastic starting place, but unfortunately lacks some depth. However, many other modern games have this issue as well, and some of them don't feel nearly as approachable or imaginative as Skyrim first did. I think my biggest complaint may be that Skyrim could still have that approachable feel, but could have done so much more. Even small touches like markers being close to, but not on top of, quest targets; more comprehensive journal entries; more dialogue reactivity, etc... but despite that it still remains a unique experience and one of my favorite games. To this day every time I hear that opening theme I get so excited and nostalgic.
Well, my experience is a bit different. Arena wasn't the first computer game I ever played, but I think it was the first 'real-time' game. And I loved it, because it was a game I _could_ play, even though I didn't grow up with video games. (I was 33 when Arena was released.) Also, the sound effects just blew me away. Really, that was more important to me than the graphics. Then along came Daggerfall, and my mind really _was_ blown. Just the idea that there was a whole world out there, waiting for me to explore it, was wonderful. Sure, I wouldn't see even a tiny part of it, but that's the same way with the real world, too. I was terrible at the combat, and I didn't follow the main quest very far, but I loved the game. Morrowind was actually a disappointment, at first. Oh, it's a wonderful game, and I loved playing it. It's almost certainly the best Elder Scrolls game, IMHO. But I was so disappointed in the direction of the Elder Scrolls games after Daggerfall. I wished they'd continued exploring procedural generation. So what about Skyrim? Well, for me, it was disappointing. We couldn't climb the wall or levitate over it - heck, you couldn't levitate _at all_ - in order to enter a town. And the towns were so tiny they just seemed ridiculous to me. We needed a cut-scene for _that?_ My first character was a mage, and it turned out that mages could only cast a small number of spells, and they cast the exact same damage spells throughout the game! There was absolutely no sense of progress. And the world seemed to be all bandits and no one else. It was just too silly for me to lose my suspension of disbelief. But hey, I still played it, and I still enjoyed it. Indeed, I don't usually play mods, but I enjoyed starting a new game with one of those random start mods that skips the beginning. After all, I'm not usually interested in the main quest in games like this, anyway. I just want to explore. I just want to see what's out there. (I'm currently playing No Man's Sky - again - and that's how I play that, too. I just putz around. Heh, heh.) So make no mistake, I enjoyed playing Skyrim. If my back holds out (I have trouble playing 'real-time' games these days), I might re-install it and play a bit, again. After all, I'm retired. I've done nothing but play computer games for the past 15 years. Heh, heh. But Skyrim was still disappointing to me. However, if that had been my _first_ game? Yes, I'm sure I would feel differently right now. And one thing I can say for _all_ of the Elder Scrolls games is that people like me can actually play them. I've bought many games which seem to think that all gamers are experts. Well, I'm not. (Indeed, I tried a controller for the first time in my life a couple of weeks ago. That did _not_ go well. Now, I've got an expensive paperweight. Heh, heh.)
Watching the Daggerfall section after playing Starfield is pretty crazy. Both games have the same issues with procedurally generated content, just 27 years apart.
In terms of the speed of sales yes, but Skyrim has still sold more copies and that will likely always be the case considering the 4 year head start and the 437 rereleases.
![YoungBoy Never Broke Again - Sneaking [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1ILUps2zDFU/mqdefault.jpg)
Two hours, you say?
Part one, you say?
Mmm. Yes please.
I can watch hours of this and not notice the time pass by. Both high quality and quantity
its a bit short sure, but eso is a rather meh game
I wish we had an alternative to youtube that had a minimum video requirement of at least 40 minutes
@@Ragatokk ..wouldn't know. MY TES is and will be single-wanker, only!
@@raioh4747 Curiosity Stream and some of those paid websites do have sections of high-quality only doc lengths.
After that 8 hour morrowind review I can watch anything
Just another sweet sweet chapter in the RPG analysis monolith
Again we were all sent down the same recommendation train
Bless that video
Check out the 5 hour oblivion one
@@arazos9394 link?
I remember playing Morrowind as a teenager. I played an "unofficial" version that was just available in English (which is not my first language and in which I wasn't proficient at that age). I wasn't reading internet guides.
I remember aimlessly wandering around this foreign world for hours, barely understanding what was going on and impressed by the alien look of environment and characters.
I cherish this memory. Now playing Fromsoftware games for the first time generates a similar experience.
"Imagine you've just arrived at an island. The locals don't want you here, the cuisine is awful, and the wildlife all seems to want to kill you... What I'm describing might sound like Australia, but this is actually the start of Morrowind"
_lmaooooo_
He ain't wrong
As an Aussie, I can say with utmost authority that the cuisine is awful, except the classic Bunnings snag.
@@frankiethetiger5748 The name of that sounds disgusting.
@@ShinFahima it's a sausage sizzle! Nothing gross about it. Bloody delicious, mate.
@@frankiethetiger5748 You Aussies aint got nothing on Dutch ''cuisine''
as a not native english speaker, i'm kinda happy that i saw a two hour documentary and understood most of it..
That's great! That's how you learn the most.
o bagulho é aprender giria e palavrão parça, depois ce começa a pegar sotaques e piadas especificas. uma vez que vc pega as nuancesde um idioma ja era, dai pra frente é só video de 2-10 horas de Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, The Witcher... são tão divertido que vc aprende o idioma e nem sente.
I also learned English this way. You're familiar with video game terminology so you count on that and advance.
One thing that helped me was watching some of my favorite movies in different languages with subtitles.
Not a replacement for learning a new language but it helps.
@@drewinsur7321
Parece que eu achei um irmão mamaco, como vais?
"The thing Is , if you wanna know how a relationship failed. You can't just look at the bad. You have to understand why you fell in love in the first place ".... wow just wow
41:45 - It goes even deeper than that though. It's the least "purposely designed around the player's wants and needs" game.
What makes Daggerfall special is that, out of all the Elder Scrolls games, it's the most interested in "true" simulation/immersion:
-If you committed a crime, you would go to court.
-While in court, you could use your diplomatic skills(or lying or bribing) to escape punishment.
-If imprisoned, your skills(and reputation) would diminish over time.
-Gold actually had weight, so you needed to go to banks and exchange it for credit notes.
-You could take out a loan from a bank to allow you to afford a house or ship.
-After buying a home, you'd have to buy all the furniture yourself.
-When going dungeon crawling, you'd bring a horse and carriage with you to carry all the loot since you had a limited carrying capacity.
-There was a complete calendar, NPCs would celebrate certain holidays throughout the years and seasons.
-Daedric Princes only allowed you to summon them on certain days/occasions.
-When you "fast-traveled", it would cost gold factored by the distance of the trip, if you decided to stay at inns or camp out, if you're a vampire, etc...
-Time was valuable, quests had deadlines and they would fail if you took too long to complete them(even the main quest!)
-If you wanted to travel more efficiently and save time, you'd have to buy a ship to cross the bay.
-You had to pass language skill checks in order not to be instantly attacked by certain races or creatures.
-Your character didn't automatically know what every item was, so you'd have to visit skilled mages to appraise the value of your magical loot.
Daggerfall is literally 2 steps away from having you pay property taxes or needing a hunting license so you don't go to jail for poaching...in a sprawling, epic fantasy world where cursed dungeons, magic, orcs, vampires and dragons exist. It was definitely an interesting concept, like how would the actual systems of a "real" fantasy world function for a common adventurer?
I don't think I could put in a better way myself, so I'll leave the best quote I've found on Daggerfall here:
"It's hard to quantify it, but if pressed, I'd say that it is an almost comical devotion to immersion. You could (and had to!) use banking services to get on in life, for heaven's sake. It's a rollicking epic fantasy adventure where the sentence "I had to sell away my house I got as a grant from my knightly order to the bank to pay back the loan I took out in order to be able to afford mithril gear I used to kill a mighty Daedra Lord." may be a reasonable description of your last four hours of gameplay. "
I also loved the idea that I could just walk out into the world and explore it - the whole world! Sure, I'd never get to the vast majority of it. And it was all too similar, anyway. But just the idea that I could do that - and I _did_ do that, sometimes - made it special.
I get kind of the same thing from No Man's Sky. 18 quintillion worlds? Yeah, like I'm ever going to explore even a tiny fraction of them. But it _feels_ like a galaxy - like a universe, in fact (at least, in size). And just as in the Elder Scrolls games, I'm happy enough just putzing around, going places to see what's there. :)
I agreed with this video about the world of Morrowind. And I loved that game, too. But typically, I couldn't care less about the main quest. I just want to explore. And as much as I enjoyed Morrowind, I was still very disappointed that they hadn't continued with procedural generation. Just think of what a modern Daggerfall could be like!
I also agree with you. Daggerfall had a level of complexity that really stimulated the imagination !
I wish they would go back to that as absurd and complicated that that sounds but like god damn that sounds so interesting and cool
@@Dell-ol6hb and that also would be impossible to make without said world being extremely shallow, like Daggerfall was, for all its merits. Part of what made (much smaller) MW so magical was attention to detail, daggers under pillows, notes in the bottles and whatnot.
Sometimes more is less.:)
I had no idea it was like that
What a grand and intoxicating subject for a video.
Welcome, moon and star
Sweet NeverKnowsBest
Ur grand and intoxicating ;)
And bring wraithguard I have need of it
no notification or intervention can work in this place, come lay down your browsing it is not too late to watch this video
My Morrowind was Oblivion.... 💚 Growing up I had a reading disability so I was afraid to pick up Morrowind because I heard there was no voice acting. But I do remember that magical feeling when you first get out of the prison and you look out into the horizon. You realize how much freedom you have. It's a wild feeling! 💚 Love these games so much.
Oblivion looks ugly to me, astetics are more important than graphics. I couldnt speak english when I started playing Morrowing so you can be sure I didnt actually finish any quests only doing stuff I decided to do and also seeing that I have a name in my journal and then going to find that name out in the world.
Heroes of Might and Magic III is my favorite game of all time tho, there is a reason when I first decided to ad a prophile picture to steam it was the icon of Gelu.
Skyrim is beautiful but not as ... as Morrowind and I think Oblivion is in the middle not having the best of either but having flaws of bough.
I don’t think I have any memories and gaining the top my memories of my first dive into the elder scrolls four oblivion???
Witcher three is a close runner up but I was younger when oblivion came out which made me more impressionable as a gamer to have a more memorable experience with a game such as oblivion?
It’s one of my favorite games of all time and it’s only because of the Witcher three that it’s not “my favorite game of all time”
But if we’re going in order, oblivion was the first game where I said “that is my favorite game of all time“!!”
@@turismofoegaming8806 I had a similar experience. When I was a teenager I had a regular OG Black box - Xbox that I loved (Especially Jetset radio Future, Fable, etc..) But, I wasn't playing alot of video games at the time. I was skateboarding, hanging out with friends, typical teenager stuff.
Then my cousin showed me a trailer for the upcoming Xbox 360 and this game that was coming out called The Elder Scrolls Oblivion. I was basically obsessed with finding out everything I could at the time. It felt like an eternity but eventually The Game came out.
It was truly mind blowing for me at the time. I spent literally hundreds of hours, just running around and exploring. I didn't know you had to sleep to level up, so I was basically 40 or 50 hours In by the time I figured that out. So much fun. I still go back and play it every once in a while for Nostalgia sake.
@@jamesdjl4359 Dude I can totally relate!!! Oblivion is the game that really taught me how to play games-
Bolivian taught me how to keep track of all my stats, all my skills all my gear and everything and my first time going into oblivion I messed up and it wasn’t until about my third or fourth time going in I finally had it all down pat and manage to go in and just completely immerse myself in the world for days on end until I finally completed it!!
Then after that years later I got another 360 and created a whole new profile where I did it all over again only this time I ran through it perfectly, or as close to perfect as you can get!! I.e. as soon as I got out the sewers I went and got into the arena and got a few levels under my belt there and then went out and started exploring and then made my way to the fighters guild and joined in there and did a few missions there and then from that point went to the mages guild and got a few missions there under my belt etc. and I would always save the dark brotherhood for last because it was my favorite guild to join, well it in the thieves Guild!!!
To this day that is my favorite game of all time and I still have my safe file from 2009 where I created a Kajiit with his own unique backstory and everything!!! Named him Shao Linn Kahn kind of like a mix between a jungle book character and Mortal Kombat or something I don’t know but I thought it sounded bad ass at the time?!
Either way I’m glad to hear that your experience was so closely similar to my own and I guarantee we would’ve been there playing the game together having a blast!!
same ...
Another great thing about Morrowind's world building is why the dark elves sound different in Vvarfenfell. It's because all the ash in the air is harsh on their throats and so they sound like a 50 year long smoker. I just think that's such a great touch, I love hearing them talk every time!
"It may seem like I hate the dungeons in this game ... because I do." every Daggerffall fan's lament.
I didn't hate dungeons in Daggerfall, mainly because I was actually able to read the maps.
They did get boring and repetitive after long enough, though.
@@Kaftan I agree. As the narrator said, what was cool about them was apprehension - the fear of what you would find. This is particularly true if you play Daggerfall as a no magic character.
I couldn't ever play a 100% no-magic character, even if I had to grind ranks to unlock enchanting I always had to have Recall.
In Daggerfall Unity there's a mod that adds a faction that's like Cartographers or something, joining it gives you an Amulet of Recall. That's been my go-to for pure non-magic.
Funny enough, I've played about 30 hours of Morrowind and am somehow just now learning that I could have rested at any time. And you know what, whilst I would have preferred not to have needed to murder an Ashlander to sleep in his bed when I learned the settlement I'd spent an hour trekking to without enough potions or a recall spell didn't seem to offer me any other way to recharge, I have to say my gameplay experience is probably better for it. Morrowind is the first RPG I've played in which my potions aren't all stashed away "in case I need them later" but a worthwhile use of my gold and my currently rather limited carry weight
I played for easily the same amount of time before I realised that resting levelled my skills. Blew my mind. Easily my favourite game on the original xbox. I played it before the internet was a regular thing to use, so I saw everything for the first time, every discovery was my own. I'll never forget earning a daggy looking vest that added bonuses to a heap of my stats, and wearing it for the rest of the game, or my little home in Balmora that I took from a dead person. There's nothing quite like coming home after a big day of adventuring unload all my loot and prepare for the next day
I have a similar oblivion experience. I played that game for nearly two years as a kid before I realized if you click on the map icons, you can fast travel.
TES games are all better when you go in ignorant. You will eventually have a whole toolbelt of exploited game mechanics that diminish the majesty of the games.
@@kvltizt this is most games, really. Figuring it out is half the fun. The only thing I don't like going into blind is when your conversation choices have consequences, and it's not really clear what those consequences will be .
Sometimes games be like "will you help me protect my farm?"
A) Yes (farmers all die, farm is destroyed)
B) No ( farmers will attack later in game)
C) Can I buy your farm? (Mayor bans you from city for purchasing farm illegally)
D) Ask what type of farm (you learn it's not their farm, they are body snatchers, who you then agree to hide their secret and replace the mayor with body snatcher)
That's not that bad when I first played Oblivion I had no idea fast travel was even a thing for weeks...
Currently replaying Skyrim for the first time in forever, and I remember exactly why it's so successful. You just walk in a direction and find something fun to do.
Just started doing a new run on PC with mods (last time I played it was a few years ago and on console) where I've set a rule for myself. I'm not allowed to fast travel, the only "Fast travel" i'm allowing myself to use are the carriage drives that can take you from town to town. Otherwise it's on foot or on horseback.
@@TheotherTempestfox Doing the same restricted run but on a console and with no mods. It's honestly all it takes to revitalise my interest after over a thousand hours of play. Damn.
@@luriven4800 if you're playing the PS4 or Xbox one version I believe you can mod the game, though the PS version has a restriction on the types of mods and also limits to 2GB of mod size while xbox allows 4GB and has no restrictions on what kind of mods.
That's exactly the opposite of my experience with the game haha vanilla Skyrim is boring af. Modding is where it's at.
I find skyrim very depressing in a bad way, it feels like the ultimate "consume" game, I hate it
This happened for me when I played Oblivion. That moment when I was being careless as to where I slept and a vampire fed on me. At that point I didn't even know Vampires were a thing in Elder's Scrolls. I love the little unexpected mis-adventures that The Elder's Scrolls works into their games. "Expect the unexpected".
Doesnt really work like that, sry to burst your bubble, any time you get hit by a vampire there's a chance you'll contract vampirism. If you go to sleep without drinking a cure illness potion then you have that dream and wake up as a vampire. The feeling you get the first time around is of mystery tho and that's something great about it. I hold a lot of love for oblivion despite it's flaws.
@@juancarlosparrasanchez4913 No. Sleeping outdoors in certain places has a chance of resulting in vampire infection, regardless of whether you have fought vampires before. This is a completely separate thing from the dreams that occur when the disease progresses.
@@Bicornis
You both are wrong.
@@Bollibompa How? as far as I know Juan is correct. You get it by being struck by a vampire in combat (or by a dark brotherhood quest as the one exception)
@@juancarlosparrasanchez4913 toe-mate-toe vs tah-mate tah
I love oblivion. The quests, the balloon like sword fighting, the 7 voice actors, all of it. The negatives of the game mean nothing to me
Same. Imho, Oblivion is the best because it's less clunky than Morrowind and not as shallow as Skyrim. Also, I just love Cyrodiil.
@@wilhufftarkin8543 Skyrim took steps forward but also took steps back. The open world is phenomenal and the implementation of more perks is a plus, but quests being less memorable and removal of certain skills is taking a step in the wrong direction. I much more enjoyed the quest lines in oblivion than Skyrim, and most perks end up just being stat increases that could’ve been tied to leveling skills rather than purchasing it with perk points (like how it is in the earlier elder scrolls).
What I’m really hoping is that now Skyrim has become such a success, Elder Scrolls 6 can implement these more complex systems from previous games along with the unique systems Skyrim has to offer. Bring back different skills for each weapon instead of simplifying it to one and two handed. Make gold a genuinely useful but scarce resource. Bring back the factions fighting against each other, or even simply bring back more than just a faction HQ with no other places associated with them. Bethesda has been going down the path of simplification but I feel like they’ll get their shit together when making a new game in their #1 series.
Honestly I feel exactly the same way but having finally managed to commit to a full playthrough of Morrowind after 13 years since my first attempt, I've gotta say that man I 100% see the frustrations that fans of morrowind had and continue to have with Oblivion. It's wonderful in its own way, but there is a certain magic to morrowind that was definitely lost in a number of ways with Oblivion, and there's almost no trace of it at all in Skyrim. Oblivion is fun to explore to see what new whacky situations you'll find yourself in--Morrowind is amazing to explore to find out more about this alien and convincing world and society, and your character's place in it.
I'll always enjoy a replay of Oblivion to relive what was my most formative video game experience in its time, but I can't see myself replaying it again without being bothered by those incredible aspect of Morrowind that were decided against with Oblivion.
@@baconaterlover5399 I've said it before and I'll say it again. The best Elder Scrolls game is a mishmash of all three of the later games.
The leveling is the only game breaking problem for me. Everything else could be chalked up to an older charm
It's been far too long since I last watched a several-hours-long TES retrospective mainly focused on Morrowind.
At _least_ 2-3 weeks since I last watched that 4-hour Oblivion retrospective from Will - so up for this series!
@@quinn9598 I had completely forgotten about that video... Time for a revisit
Patrician would like to know your location.
I think some dude did an 8 hour morrowind analysis
@@UndeadTurning that would be Patrician lol
This man's voice is a medium for peace to enter the world.
I use it as a sleep medication after the fact
No joke, I don't even know if I will agree with him or not, but the voice just made me want to subscribe because it's so nice to listen to
Fell asleep listening, woke up an hour later and he was repeating the same ideas using the same wordy phrases.
@@anypercentdeathless am I the only person who thinks this guy is a terrible speaker? I have never heard someone talk so much and yet say so little...
@@George-um2vc probably bro
You've gained a subscriber for being the first content creator I've seen talk at length about how The Elder Scrolls franchise has no competition, imitation or spiritual successor. It boggles my mind that no other authors who make video essays around The Elder Scrolls games have produced at least one video about this topic. The truth is that these games are a monumental effort with a relatively strong creative direction. There aren't many, if any, studios that possess the capability to make such games.
Its really true. Bethesda games have their massive problems. But they have a really unique gamefeel that other things just can't get right if they try (outerworlds tried and failed heavy)
@@tripalink Outer Worlds was aiming more for Fallout NV but either way I agree it failed. (In fact, contrary to the usual Bethesda vs. Obsidian narrative, I think Fallout NV only succeeded _because_ of the Bethesda open world structure.)
Morrowind was sooooo good. I'm afraid we'll never have a game quite like it again
@@vrapbrap
You're getting old man.
The Tamriel Rebuilt mod gave me that same type of first-time MW experience again
@Nagger I don't know... New vegas focuses much more on the depth of it's role-playing and characters rather than exploring the world (in comparison to morrowind atleast) and visually the world is bland as fuck unlike morrowinds varied yet grounded environments. They're both games that share many superficial similarities but that are ultimately both very good at very different things, and I'm not sure a comparison does service to either of them
Keeping an eye out for avowed and wayward realms to capture the old school vibes
@@MatthewTraceur Wayward Realms is Julian LeFay's project, right?
College of Winterhold questline: I fetch a necklace for my teacher, I am now the headmaster.
Yeah, that one was... lacking. Severely.
@@Just_Call_Me_Tim hey, it's still way better that mages guild of Oblivion.
@@Spellweaver5 no, mage guild in Oblivion was honestly better.
In fact all guilds were mostly better in Oblivion with only the companions being comparable.
Skyrim true edge on Oblivion is that Skyrim does Dungeons and fetch quest better (and exploration in general.)
@@meneither3834 how can mages guild that doesn't even require you to know any spell be better? College at very least had the training sequence that was by itself pretty good.
The quest line felt way too short, sure. But it had way more to do with actual magic at least, rather than just killing necromancers. It there were a dozen quests added to that line, of the same quality as the ones exisiting already, it would be a pretty good story. You can't say the same about Oblivion.
@@Spellweaver5 the recommendation quests made it better. They were pretty good. If you're only talking about the academy questlines then yeah, Oblivion was pretty bad.
It`s sad that not many people especially from USA recognize german series named GOTHIC. Im from Poland and that game was something different. Story, dialogue options and immersion in these games was sth different. First two games are from 2001 and 2002 so they are pretty old. These games got so much love in Poland, that 10 days ago a biggest fanmod (with full professional recored audio was recorded) was released. I recommend you check that title or any infovideo on YT about it.
yess gothic. it was popular for a time here in the US. it's just not very popular amongst mainstream. RPG fans know of it tho
Im german and grew up with gothic 1 being my fav game. I love that gothic gets so much love in poland. I recently played archolos and it rocked my world.
The americans forcus too much on Japan.
I immediately thought about Gothic when the video mentioned how there are no Morrowind like games, it might not be a perfect 1 on 1 comparison, but Gothic 1 and 2 is easily up there with Morrowind in a lot of ways. Too bad the franchise lost it's way with 3 and went seriously downhill afterwards.
@@meddle333 so my stereotype is still correct?
I, too, thought: I can't wait for more games like Morrowind to be made!
And then even the Elder Scrolls sequels weren't anything like Morrowind :(
Morrowind is amazing.
You can't repeat Morrowind, no way. It's like WoW or such things, a lightning in a bottle.
@@goransekulic3671 I think Oblivion was closest. A little more care with the horrible leveling lists (every highwayman should not have daedric armour and you should still encounter some lesser creatures), having levitation (which enters the internal city cells) and fewer oblivion gates with more visual variety than red and black (they only needed the quest ones not random wilderness ones) obviously Cyrrodill as a province is a limited setting but it was still close enough as a feeling to be within the same series.
@@gm2407 Oblivion, for all its faults, wasn't far away. At least not at the Skyrim level, I as a Morrowind fan almost don't understand that game, seems so by the numbers, faux epic etc. Such a waste of such an interesting IP and province.
@@goransekulic3671 Todd was cutting content to keep it simple. So gone are spears, levitation, shortblade, throwing weapons, axe, teleportation (due to the map and fast travel returning). However also gone are hit chance, lock pick chance (now a mini game), persuasion (now a mini game), a journal that has no role playing element is also present. I suspect the addition of voice acting required more buy the numbers content. This works so we keep this. This doesnt work so we chuck this.
We could have had more noble houses and political intrigue but that has to be written and would muddy the main quest so no great houses. The imperial cult is out (temple faction is morrowind only) and no return to individual cults (but they then made knights of the nine), no Legion faction (although a modder made a good mod for that), no east empire company faction, but we had more daedra.
As much as I feel it is missing ingredients (in Oblivion) what was there did pull together well. But Skyrim took out more and went to far (crafting is not for me, neither are perks systems). ESVI will be like assassins creed last three games. It will not have propper role playing elements ane will lose whatever soul the franchise has left.
Everybody: completes Skyrim in 100 hours
NeverKnowsBest: completes a 100 hour video about completing Skyrim
2x500 hours in TES:V...Well, I DO HATE the remaster ;-D
The Dark Brotherhood was the only main questline I even got halfway through. Definitely not going to reach that 100 hour mark at any point in my life.
100? I'm over 250, and not quite done yet...
@@dallesamllhals9161 How? I was burned out on the game after 60 and added another 60 through mods that made the game almost nothing like the base and thanks to Enderal at the end completely replaced it with a superior product.
@@JPG.01 Good for you...
I could say a thousand different things about the last two hours of my life that I spent glued to your video but mostly I just wanted to thank you for putting all the time and effort you clearly spent creating this series. You’ve managed to articulate exactly what makes me hold the Elders Scrolls series in such high regard despite its obvious flaws. I’ve never been able to explain what I meant about the exploration being an integral part of what makes these games so unique and you’ve given me not only the words but a really enjoyable…haha…exploration into the series and games as a whole. Just wanted to say my thanks☺️🙏🏼
P.S. Why are the newer comments on this video so harsh and/or irrelevant to what the video discusses?! Not what I expected to see on such a quality video doc.
I really wanted Cyberpunk to be an RPG that competed with Bethesda.
Why ? Cyberpunk is based over one city, as soon as you see that it becomes obvious that it's not it's goal.
In a weird way Cyberpunk is halfway between a Deus ex and a Fallout (since you can create your character.)
I made a similar mistake when I though RedDead2 might quench my Elder Scroll thirst but it didn't and obviously it lacked a player made character.
@@meneither3834 because they claimed it would be an RPG pre release
@@frankiesfairyboytwinkclub It is an RPG.
@Tronam I'm not sure if that even warrants an answer when you don't know what an RPG is.
@Tronam interestingly, never knowsbest did it for me actually. You can go watch his video.
But my take on it is that it has most aspect of an RPG
In the gameplay first, you have :
-Player-made character
-Customizable gameplay and level up system (and a very good one might I add.)
-Inventory system& Crafting system.
Those are all base element of an RPG's gameplay, they were fairly new things when the tabletops started but now it's a stapple in most games.
Now let's see about the elements you think are lacking (the story I suppose ?)
You have :
-Dynamic dialogue options
-Lots and lots of quests (from the simplest "liquidate that building" to some branching quests with deep stories and characters.)
-Relative freedom in your actions and freedom of movement.
So yeah that sounds like an RPG to me. Not sure what games you could consider an RPG if you don't this one (Whatever your favorite RPG is I've probably played it so come at me.)
2:47 "10 games like Skyrim that'll satisfy your need for adventure. #1 TES IV: Oblivion" lmao
That's actually why I started playing Oblivion... lol
@@aeroga2383 how do you like it?
@@StoicDivinity I didn't like it as much. The level scaling was too annoying and the whole map looked the same with just grass and trees
I find Oblivion better. Skyrim was beautiful, but it felt kinda sterile.
@@aeroga2383 it was the other way for me, played oblivion first then skyrim. I can easily say that oblivion has better story and quests but skyrim nails down everything else way better than oblivion does
I had the same experience with Morrowind that you described, back when I played it in 2003 in my 2nd year of high school. My mind imagined various possibilities such games like it could bring in the future. Alas, many open world games later -- I haven't experienced anything quite like it.
Pp
"no more relationship comparissons"
24:26 "its not just the size, it how you use that size"
:D
And so it was, that NeverKnows spoke thusly to his children: "Yea, that I will bless those who believe in me with the video essay you've always wanted on a day when you're having a really shitty day at work." And he granted it.
@schmuel I always pronounced it like "yay"
Yee is in the building
@schmuel it is always always pronounced “yay”
hahaha!
Oh shit Espresso Stalinist, I love your blog man. I've found lots of great ML info there
Well over 26 centuries ago, an epic poem was written about a great hero who went on a series of quests given to him by a king. All of the quests were "kill this" or "fetch that." It's good to keep the Labors of Heracles in mind when looking at quests in a modern adventure story or game. They don't make for interesting stories you want to tell your friends because the call to adventure was unique and engaging. The stories are good because of the challenges Heracles faced, and how he overcame them.
duuude youre so right storytelling peaked 26 centuries ago
And they were called labours for a reason. Being a hero shouldn’t be easy
"afterall in the real world, buildings have interiors." well how do we know? what if some buildings *DON'T* have interiors?
Gotta check 'em all!
Some buildings DONT have interiors. I've heard of at least a couple that look like normal houses, but it's actually a large vent for a subway system, just meant to look like a house.
that's just called a full warehouse
Case in point - Movie sets!
Checkmate atheists
I can verify that I have been in a building that did not have an interior. It was deeply uncomfortable.
2 hours neverknowsbest? Yes, straight into my veins please.
Thank you so much for this video. I remember how I was blown away by this game when it came out in 2002 - the openness of the world, how you could pick up almost any object etc.
It wasn't until much later that I actually started paying attention to the lore and quests and played through the main story, and I came away even more impressed. You touch on how lore, world design, and the main quest are interwoven, and how much of the world's history is left ambiguous between the various traditions of the various groups which I absolutely loved and kept me hooked, trying to learn more.
Another thing that Morrowind managed to do that the following games (and most RPGs) failed at was balancing the freedom to go anywhere and do anything with the main quest. In Oblivion and Skyrim the story creates a hurried sense of urgency that is in stark contrast with the freedom the games offer.
In Morrowind, however, the main quests adds interruptions at various times to give players time to go and explore. Caius Cossades is the first character to do so, right after you hand him the letter. He tells you to maybe join a guild and start learning about your new home and to come back later when you're more familiar with things. This happens several times throughout the main story (including before the climactic confrontation with Dagoth-Ur) where players are pushed to go do something else for a bit, find gear and become more experienced, and come back later.
Your pov obviously is based on just the American market. In Europe, specifically in Germany, Poland and Russia, the Gothic RPG series, started in 2001, still has a lot of fans. Back then Gothic 2 (2002) was the hardest competitor to Morrowind and always started heated debates among the fans. It has remained so popular, that a remaster of Gothic 1 is in the pipeline.
Yeah, I was about to mention it. It was a direct competitor to Morrowind in Europe and usually fared better here. However, that might have been due to the excellent translations into Polish or Russian, while Morrowind was only available in English voice acting and with translated text.
I love both games, though Gothic was more accesible to a young me than Morrowind was, even without the language barrier.
But if I choose between the two to play today, I choose Morrowind most of the time. It has more replay value and more content, while being a bit less immersive.
I recently found Gothic for the first time as I completely missed it back in the day. I cannot believe how good it is. I'm more immersed in its world than I have been in any game for a very long time. Gothic is a true under appreciated gem. I sincerely hope we see more rpgs in the future which build upon the insane level of world immersion design choices Pirhana Bytes made.
I was also going to mention this. Although I would still add that it managed to do a lot of the things, that are said to have been done first by Morrowind in this video, earlier by Gothic including the 3D characters, regular NPCs being indistinguishable from the important ones and having daily routines. The main difference between the two games though was really the scale, Gothic had a small but full and contained world compared to the massive worlds of the Elder scrolls games.
In what world did Gothic fared better than the Elder Scrolls in Europe ? As soon as Oblivion came out Gothic became unknown.
@@meneither3834 It’s hard to track down sales numbers, but at least where I grew up, everyone knew Gothic and very few people knew Morrowind.
You’re right about Oblivion, though. It was extremely well received and crushed the Gothic franchise. Piranha Bytes then tried to make Oblivion 2.0 with Gothic 3 and failed miserably. Gothic was never meant to be an MMO-like Open World game, which is what they tried to create. The result was that exploration was not rewarding like in the first games, while Oblivion managed to cater to casual and more hardcore audiences.
"Skyrim was the highest selling RPG of all time"
So Bethesda decided not to release another game for 15-20 years...
@Guruthos_Amarthruin Better to quit while you're ahead rather than ruin it all with a bad sequel like Last of Us 2.
@@Edax_Royeaux Last of Us 2 was fine. Neither the 10/10 that some people claim, nor the 0/10 that others claim. A solid 6 or 7.
@@grizzlyhamster And tLoU2 retconning The Last of Us 1, ruined it. Which is my point.
@Jibo Da Grey You need to try playing some ACTUALLY bad games for a sense of perspective.
@@grizzlyhamster fanboy alert
I'm 46 yrs old, my 22 yr old daughter called me to get a walk through on Skyrim thieves guild quest...... I was so proud that she picked her dad's favorite game of all time, and easily helped her possess the Crown of Barenziah. I wish Bethesda would return to single player massive world RPG , but we shall see.
They will but they will be made dumbed down
@@RedWolfensteinif you’ve watched anything about starfield that is very obviously not the case lol
A guide? Dreadful parenting
10:17 that cut to leaving the Imperial City Sewers, while your talking about the Elder Scrolls innate ability to tap in to our natural childhood wonder. So nostalgic and so damn true, there is something special about them. Fucking chills man, I love it, absolutely top-tier video like always!
"It's not levels that the player lacks, it's knowledge."
I think you unintentionally hit the nail on the head in terms of what makes the games appealing, or more specific the appeal of Exploration. People often have trouble defining Exploration because they don't understand what it is. Exploration is about discovery and the pursuit of the unknown. People may often hope for different results form their exploration, one seeks fame & fortune, one seeks ancient knowledge, another seeks adventure, and so on. But the drive that they might find what their looking for just over the next hill is the appeal of Exploration.
Where as earlier in the video you mention that having every building be enter-able was not needed and neither was the level of simulation, though it being there does help the world feel like it doesn't revolve around the player. I'd have to disagree in that it being there is very much required or else the whole thing falls apart. You need to have mundane places to make the special ones stand out. This is something that seems to get lost a lot in modern design as everything has to be special which ends up making the special itself mundane and everything else even less than that. Just like not marking important NPCs over generic ones it adds to the sense of exploration as you need to go around discovering who is who and if they might have something that interest you rather than them turning into background noise you ignore.
To help better illustrate what I'm talking about I'm going to make a comparison to a mechanic that I Loathe because it draws on the same psychological hook as exploration, the infamous Loot Boxes. While mechanically they are fairly different as in ES the rewards are pre-set in locations by the devs but from the player's perspective it's not yet know. Basically the player is given a bunch of doors/boxes to choose from and they don't know what's in any of them. Unlike loot boxes though the player pays with their time and while not always finding the reward they were hoping for sometimes they find something unexpected but often times the journey itself was rewarding. Where as loot boxes it's over in an instant and you usually are poorer and fell unsatisfied. But the thing that drives both is the same, that sort of risk and uncertainty just expressed in a different way.
This is why I think no other games really have the same feel or appeal. They are gated theme parks with everything designed to service the player and the developer mindset of, if it isn't going to be used by the player than don't put it in. The result is a world where there is a reward for the player behind every door so opening them all seems like a requirement as there are big attention grabbing pointers for all the attractions. And at the end of the day you feel like you've rode all the rides and had a good time. There is rarely a lingering doubt of what might have been behind some unopened door or path not taken so you put it away and move on. But with ES games there is often that lingering what was over that hill I never check, or hearing tales from other players stories of places you never saw making you wonder what other mysteries still lay undiscovered, and so on which keep people coming back. Basically other games are places you visit for vacation but ES games are places you live in.
As for why there have not been any spin off type games I don't think it's because of the difficulty in doing it as a big budget studio could if they really wanted to. I think it's a typical case of corporate suits meddling in the industry they don't understand. Curtain genres getting written off by the mainstream as too niche and unpopular so they don't get as wide spread support even when a breakout hit does really well. RTS games like SC2 made huge sales numbers but I don't really recall a bunch of new RTS games hitting the markets from AAA studios looking the cash in. And there are plenty of other examples of them not jumping on the bandwagon just as their are examples of when they did.
Though I do think the difficulty is enough to keep smaller developers from trying, though in some cases it seems like why should they try to make a new game when they have skyrim mods? There are tons of content mods including total conversions into whole new worlds and settings to the point it might as well be a different game. So rather than waste years trying to make an engine these people are just using the mod system which in turn helps promote more sales for Skyrim. Even today on Steam the average player count for Skyrim is higher than a lot of newer and supposedly popular titles.
I like the creator of the video grew up on these older games and seeing the worlds continue to expand and grow thought it was the future of games. While their have been some improvements over the years the recent tread down the micro-transaction and loot box path has shown that many studios only care about making a quick buck. Since it takes time and money to create a massive world like ES they aren't interested in trying. Instead they would rather just make something cheap and milk it for all they can.
This lack of quality form the supposed AAA industry is in part what is allowing the indie market to flourish as they have little to no competition. Indies have always been around as I recall getting quite a few small studio games at my local EB Games, later known as gamestop. Now however with the creation of digital distribution it's even easier for these developers to reach their audience.
I really like your comparison of fleshed out houses and loot boxes. TES and also The Witcher 3 sometimes leave something to find in those unassuming houses you didn't expect you'd see there and you probably would have missed if not for your curiosity of entering a mundane house. You might only find something interesting in 1 out of 100 houses, but just like getting a rare pull from a loot box the possibility keeps you going.
Edit: Spelling
exploration is all about creativity and surprise, it's like Kinder Surprise. You just don't know what you will find in the next ruin or behind the hill, but you constantly see entertaining, amazing shit going on in the game world: new animals and monsters, new locations, cities, traveling npc, whatever kind of entities, situations, ambients etc. You walk around and you constantly find out new stuff, for me even Fallout 3 felt like that, I still remember the first time I got out of the Vault, felt so excited exploring Springvale elementary school... you know what I'm talking about. And it had been SO AMAZING exploring the school to find out it was a raider's cove, complete with cages for prisoners (which btw gave out such a classic dungeon vibe to the thing), and then the computer upstairs which was hacked and linked to an explosive and whatnot... and then the best part, going downstairs to find out there were tunnels being bored by raiders under the school to storm in the vault, and they eventually dug up a radioactive-monstrosities ants nest, and they got devoured. There were just so much shit going on, and that's what we players expect when we explore a great world. You can easily see why 76 was such a flop, Bethesda expected players to make up for all this unique stuff by ourselves. Nah bro, that' s a nifty idea but it's a full time job, and it' s YOUR job, just like Netflix creatives constantly make up new stuff for spectators to hook up to.
@@ArtSio443 Kinder Surprises are basically Candy Loot boxes which is why I compared exploration to loot boxes in my OP.
@@PyroMancer2k lol at candy loot boxes, don't give them the idea or they'll monetize exploration too! Which in a sense they do already, since you can download new and different accessibile locations through DLC.
There's also a related issue: in a marketing level they have to show as much as possible of the new locations you can buy, as to make you aware of what you're getting for your money... but that ruins the surprise and sense of random discovery.
Even though I could admit that extra countent may legitimately cost extra money, as it takes a lot of work to make, the visual (and often not only visual) spoilers given away by ads totally ruin the novelty and any sense of "I ran into this stuff on my own". If I would trust big corporations I would say the best approach is to buy the basic game and whichever extra content they got, without even look at it and just experience everything all together as if it's one big-ass game. This is how I played Morrowind as soon as I bought the GOTY edition, I didn't even look at what the expansions added, not even knowing that Tribunal added Mournhold city and the other one added Solstheim.
And it's not only marketing, I have a bad habit of checking out game guides before even started to play them, my FOMO makes me spoil a lot of interesting stuff I would better find out on my own (and now that I think about it I should radically change my approach on game guides).
That said I agree with Jim Sterling that AAA games are delivering ever less content and making us pay ever more, and the fact itself they have to sell us their "new" content, thus spoiling our surprise by telling us too much, is part of the problem. Goddamn just make a lot of content, take all the years it's gonna take (and for Christ's sake stop that hideous crunch practice, stop exploiting developer's passion in game making) and churn out a good final product. That's why pretty much the only big game I had in awhile (I buy very few games as I'm sickened by the market tendencies) has been GTA V, it took a long-ass time for release and it was an amazing single player experience (not going to talk about multiplayer as I' m not into that), yes there was the usual trouble mentioned in this video that the map is just a collection of "activities" and that' s one of those bad tendencies, but at least in its own right the core game was mature, without major bugs and the usual beta crap so I had good fun for what I payed for. Oh, and I actually bought it at release, something which I never ever did before in my life, I' m the kind of player that waits until the waters set calm before buying, that's how I avoid major thrash like Cyberpunk 2077....
Speaking of which, my opinion is that market (not only players but especially investors) expectations ruined that game for good, they didn't gave it the time to develop properly, forcing CDPR to do the usual crunch shit and eventually pulling off the usual premature abortion this game market is making us used to. I' m so sick of this. I' m rather playing Deus Ex Human Revolution with the DLC (which again, the only thing I know about the DLC is that it shows what happened after Jensen embarked for Singapore) and I' content with it. It's an "old" game with a good replayability, I' m using different weapons, augmentations and tactics this time around, and I'm making my own fun, just as RPG games myst do.
Wonderfully put!
dungeons scared tf out of me in Daggerfall as a kid. Especially the one you start in, because you can often hear higher level monsters making sounds down the *other* corridors which you're not required to go down in order to get out. I always knew that death was RIGHT around the corner, even from the getgo.
I just a want a Morrowind remake. Literally had so much more than Skyrim, the only thing holding it back are the graphics and potentially voice. Probably the biggest elder scrolls game in scope. I think its responsible for like 80-90% of the wiki lore found in books in the games. If only it released this year
Obviously the gameplay also holds it back.
@@otrikas yea your slow as fuck and combat feels like I'm a drunken bat. But it's got a good story 9/10 would get paralysed again
Well games in the 90s is pretty much filled with lore driven games. Even Ultima starting to have a consistancy in lore and not just a weird game that have spaceships in medival country for some reason.
But if they did remake Morrowing. MY GOD SOTHA SIL i hope for Skyrim or TES6 battle system. Cause battle syste, is a reason why i drop the game. It's really garbage even by 97's standarts.
@@otrikas the combat controls on Xbox One are horrid.
Hopefully something comes out of Skywind project.
Me, after watching 8 hour Morrowind analysis: "I guess that's the most in depth breakdown we can get as TES community."
This video:"What a grand and intoxicating innocence!"
I also like the signposts. They're also a subtle reminder, through the origin of the names, that there are places for foreigners and places for natives.
I can't even describe how much I relate to how excited you were for the idea to be able to enter every single building in a game. When i dreamed of my perfect game as a kid this was always part of it. Today I feel this came from a place which didn't realy consider what actually makes an enjoyable gaming experience but it still holds some value - as you described it - in feeling that the world exists indepented from the player which promises a deeper immersion on some levels. A game, that exists without the player feels like more of a real, other world you visit than one that was designed for the player.
Every elder scrolls game has this tho. I played oblivion first and ngl I liked the quests and dialogue more even though all I played was the arena and the dark brotherhood. I also kinda liked the magic more because I could still use a shield with it and go full battlemage
Yeah it is amazing kingdom come deliverance is another good game for this!
exactly! You're visiting another world, rather than "playing a game"
Seeing all these elder scrolls videos pop up really inspires me to make my own.
Go for it bro. You got it.
This is also my dream
I just discovered your channel, and I’m so glad I did. I love that you approach this analysis from an earnest point of view free from jaded cynicism. I’ve subscribed, and can’t wait to explore all your content. 👍
Daggerfall is one of my all time favorite games. I still play it (via Daggerfall Unity these days) and LOVE it.
When Assassin's Creed eliminated the *lethal* assassination mechanic from the game, I wrote a post on Reddit mentioning: "Why don't you just name it Warrior's Creed and we can call it a day!"
When standards fall down for business' sake, art is lost in the process; impacting the entire industry... But what do I know!
yeah i lost interest in the AC series after black flag (the best AC game, and the only one i will ever play again), what the fuck is up with this "removing assassination from the assassin game" nonsense i'm hearing about?
@@comyuse9103 Oh, the PIRATE game?
@@comyuse9103 Just wait to play Skull and Bones. 90% of the best gameplay in AC IV was being a pirate with ship combat. None of the on-land assassination stuff.
If you have a craving for the land stuff then Freedom cry is good, otherwise it is pretty mediocre in comparison.
@@comyuse9103 black flag was mediocre at best the older parts were better even if nothing special themselves
@@comyuse9103 unity was pretty good
I will say though as someone who grew up at a very young age right at the birth of MMOs this was one hell of a trip down memory lane. Your narration was 11/10. Thank you.
The end of this one hit hard.
"There was no other game I had looked forward to more than its sequel"
"With this, the series would be changed forever..."
It's with tears that I write this, because I was so excited for sequel to the one game that filled my childhood with so much fear, confusion, and wonder. I 100%'ed Oblivion but it never filled the hole left behind. I fear nothing ever will.
My feels
To this day I still suffer PTSD from those friggin Cliff Racers....
why couldn't jiub kill them earlier :/
tbh I've played Morrowind so much that I do not feel guilty using the nocliffracers mod in every playthrough nowadays.
I know this is an old video; but I still have to complement you. You are one of the worlds few great storytellers.
Listening to your content is an adventure among itself. In someways it's a similar or even rivaling experience to actually playing the game.
Thank you, and your work is greatly appreciated❤
For all the people mentioning it, NeverKnowsBest did a review of Kingdom Come: Deliverance a year ago
KCD is the only game I've played that feels similar to Morrowind.
@@alkahol6289
Why do people hate it, do you think? A lot of different opinions flourish but jank and difficulty are most common. What the fuck about morrowind then? That's jank-city and %Hit has aged horribly.
@@Bollibompa tbf Kingdom Come's combat falls apart when there's more than 2 or 3 opponents.
@@blob22201
Yes, and so it also does in real life. I do understand your point but I know that each time I was outnumbered I really had to use my wits and positioning to force 1v1s. That also meant that I had to be really good to finish them fast before I was swarmed.
"this may sound like Australia" that's gonna be a like from me
RUclips's algorithm has gone from 10+ minutes to 100+ minutes. I'm not mad.
Oblivion and Skyrim will always be my top favorite RPGs. I love the expansive worlds and how you can basically create adventures for yourself however limited. It's also why Breath of the Wild is also so fun
Both are worse in every way compared to morrowind.
@@tomasistok7229morrowind fans try not to be insufferable challenge
@@tomasistok722910 bucks says you never played botw
In Oblivion when you finish the Shivering Isles, you can either send troops or go with the troops to handle crime, that gave me the best feeling of leadership in the ES games to date
Yes! Instead of being the 'one man war machine!!' Like all other games it felt real
Video game essay critiquers have brought me more joy. than I think video games themselves have. I think I'm more into the concept of a video game. then I am playing it. How mechanics work, how they interact with each other and so on I find so fascinating. It's just crazy cuz I'm literally played thousands upon thousands of hours of video games from various genres. Seen worlds, completed stories, loved and grieved over fictional characters. It amazes me that none of those things. Bring me nearly as much joy. as just talking about how these things work in concept.
Any video about Morrowind is never long enough, great video!
For me, the problem with bethesda games is that they never really 'grew' over time. Witcher 1 is miles behind witcher 3, whereas the good aspects of skyrim/fallout 4 effectively go all the way back to morrowind.
Like: hearing an NPC talk about the death of the emperor in shock horror, only to then ask about the local mudcrab population is funny, but if two games/8 years on you still hear it in the sequel, its just stupid.
The Bethesda way:
"Remove more content"
Can't agree more with that. It is even worst: They retrograded
I cannot disagree more. The game clearly evolve and grow overtime. 9 out of 10 things removed and 9 out of 10 thinds added between the sequels make the experience better and better.
@@BoroMirraCz
Such as lesser roleplay, turning it into an effortless power fantasy
Being a god at the start of the game
Losing most sidequests
Losing most guilds
Losing interesting puzzles
Losing interesting dungeons
Losing housing
Losing Magic depth
Turning into an action RPG with most of the RP being removed
Losing any acknowledgement of your actions
Losing Actual level ups and builds
Lobotomy markers...admit it that's all they are, you could at least improve them by marking a general area
The sequels improve graphically and regress mechanically.
They remove more then they add, yet when they finally add an old feature it's spun to be "REVOLUTIONARY, INNOVATIVE! UNIQUE! NEVER DONE BEFORE!"
Almost as bad as TW still trying to figure out why old mechanics actually worked well or re-implementing them with a half assed simplified manner that destroys a large part of the strategic side of the game
@@BoroMirraCz i am surprise, on the previous video you said cyberpunk is not a rpg (which is highly debatable) and here you say they improve when I actually I never saw such a casualisation between the 4th and 5th. Skyrim was casual trash with dragons to please 12 yo kids.
I think you need to review your definition of rpg.
best Elder Scrolls game
I sort of disagree about no Morrowind-like games. Kingdom Come: Deliverance was my the most Morrowind-like experience since the Morrowind itself. The way the skills work. The way the exploration works. The way the world around you exists. The only non-Morrowind parts in it outside of the setting were how friendly the local population was and the lack of the gamebreaking craft freedom, but even then the Alchemy there was a pure joy.
I still like Morrowind far more, but god bless you, Henri, for existing.
I think he meant there isn’t a lot of that alien feeling you get when exploring morrowind. Almost nothing in morrowind felt normal and everything was alien to you in someway. Kingdom come deliverance does have that morrowind influence feel but the world in the end is still grounded in medieval europe. Almost everything you see happening is very recognizable and understandable by our knowledge of history and culture which is not present in morrowind’s setting
Arx Fatalis and S.T.A.L.K.E.R are brought up a lot too.
Gothic 1 & 2 gave this feeling and are, in my opinion, much better games than Morrowind. Or rather: much less flawed ones.
Yeah Kingdome Come has the most TES Feeling
NOT that free is it! ..HENRY?
I had to stop the video to laugh at calling genshin impact "Anime gambling Breath of the Wild"
I'm so glad I quit genshin before I fall in too deep
Should be change to Anime Gacha
i had a really bad eye injury today and im lying down and trying to rest my face after getting home from the ER, and youtube recommended me this from the algorithm. thank you so much for making these videos, ur calm and intelligent commentary is genuinely making me feel better despite how sore and tired i am.
Have been an Elder scrolls fan for as long as I can remember, but I never noticed the fact that all objects actually have a physical appearance. I thought about it and there's actually no other game I can think where everything has a physical shape. Great detail to point out, and another reason why Bethesda games are truly unique.
I found some solace in Kingdom Come: Deliverance and Kingdoms of Amalur.
Yh only game that to me has come close to TES even though admittedly its probably more like the witcher 3 on the surface level of being a more narrative driven rpg but the world just has so much depth and feels so real. Also nails progression so well, 3 bandits surrounding you early game is actually terrifying even by the end of the game yh its easier but still not god level easy.
Finally a legitimate analysis. Thank you, this video was very well done with proper critique and praise. Most other “analysis” videos should be more properly labeled as “quest summaries with no added commentary”
Dude yes. Most analyses just explain step by step, the game itself. “Then go to to this town and speak to this person who tells you to go here. The quest will reward you with” etc etc etc. that’s just a let’s play
I 100% agree with everything you've said, this is one of the best analysis' of the elder scrolls and the actual roots of peoples problems with it.
14:50 The ex lover idea and players falling in love with the idea of the games is so true. It's so easy to sink endless hours into modern Bethesda games but once you've seen everything, the games feel hollow but that's only because you've seen everything. Which is a flaw in their design, as opposed to games like New Vegas where replay ability is prioritised. You can still see everything in New Vegas but being able to re see it in a different light and see it in a different sequence of events helps makes the game feel fuller despite having less content.
I still believe Bethesda makes the best open worlds in games but their not RPG's anymore. They've become primarily exploration games with rpg elements.
TES has almost 30 years of existence, the lore is gigantic. It's the most robust universe in the history of gaming. Not even Blizzard can compete with it.
No one can compete against C H I M
Yeah but..and I say this as a long-time former "lore beard" ... over 80% of what online fans call lore is just fan fiction bullshit they pulled out their ass, or stuff that doesn't actually appear in-game and appeals to less than 2% of the people who have played them.
C0DA makes it canon
Warcrafts lore does rival TES' but the problem with warcraft's lore is it is constantly reconned and reiterated.
What about Warhammer?
I like role playing games with a capitol R. I think it was Daggerfall that went one step too far, because you could just abandon the story and live as a citizen (I actually like that freedom, but I'm very aware I'm an outlier in this).
Morrowind was the perfect balance.
Oblivion was a step down in game, a step up in polish. Good game, yes, but everything that made Morrowind one if my favourite games to this day was watered down.
I was sold on the idea that Bethesda had learned from their mistakes and made the next installment the best of all the previous titles rolled into one. Expectations for me were through the roof, I had faith. Because of this, I was disappointed with Skyrim.
That doesn't mean I didn't like the game. It just wasn't what I was sold. Believe me, I played the hell out of Skyrim, and loved it... but every criticism I've heard so far stands.
When I played through cyberpunk I realised how much I love bethesda style rpgs, almost anything else feels restrictive. There are no other rpgs like it.
Including other Bethesda rpgs *looks at fallout 4*
@@Sumoniggro cyperpunk is fallout 4
I'm going to pretend you're talking about Fallout New Vegas (which wasn't made by them) and TES from Morrowind backwards
I'm going to be lollygaggin’ here for a while
I need you to stop all that... Shouting. It's making people nervous
I liked in morrowind magic that you didn't have to hit something to raise destruction skills. it makes more logical sense. It's not about your "aim"(that could be another skill honestly), its about actually CASTING the spell, this does not require a target.
Multiple hour long Elder Scrolls reviews are my favorite genre of youtube video
I absolutely loved Morrowind when it came out. It made me sad to realize when I tried playing it again, that I no longer had the time and patience for such a game. I simply can't afford to get lost in a world anymore. Still I hope there will be more games like it, for the teenagers of today and tomorrow.
100% same. The sheer amount of time I spent (wasted?) in that world! I never even caught on to the main quest!
Sounds like you need to quit your job to replay Morrowind
Lovely comment.
@@liamconverse8950 😂😂
Being an adult fucking sucks. You spend all your time stressing out about work and in the little free time you do have you can't even enjoy anything like you used to.
I found you some days ago and i can't stop watching your excellent videos!
I can already tell this is going to be my favourite RUclips series of all time. I *live* for these videos.
"dragon age will be the longest video I make"
right...
You can always go longer
@@kurtzman1883 Thats what you wish she said
I agree on the point about how interesting fetch quests can be, possibly my favorite quest chain in any video game ever is in Planescape Torment where an old witch sends you to run a series of incredibly menial seeming errands while simultaneously using these tasks as teaching tools so that you learn about magic and the the nature of the plains, and your also getting the materials to make your spell-book. Basic fetch quests, with amazing writing.
I've absorbed so many video essays on games that two hours passes like nothing.
Finally, my request came true
Personally I'm fine with ditching fully voice acted NPCs if it means more attention can be given to the world. BOTW did it really well.
It also adds to the roleplaying element as you can interpret the tone and personality of the character in your head, while sometimes bad voice actors can take away from immersion.
Botw did a great job The lack of voice acting was never a bother. It successfully added things from game like Skyrim but also added what made the original Zelda so great for its time as well. I’d love to see Bethesda give a crack at a Daggerfall/Morrowind style vs the oblivion/Skyrim style
If it means that they can release a game more often than once every 15 years then yes effing ditch voice acting and whatever else that’s holding them back
What is botw
@@kusipaa8683 zelda breath of the wild
You and Joseph Anderson are the two best long form video game analysts on the internet in my opinion. Keep doing this.
check out Noah Caldwell-Gervais
@@butHomeisNowhere___ I have, he's great, although I like his style slightly less than JA or NKB.
@@Drewe223 yeah he's got this really oldschool, "what you see is what you get" production vibe. Love his scripts tho! But yeah, JA is fantastic. There's one other guy named... Indigo Gaming or something like that who did a great Elder Scrolls video.
powerful stuff about the guilds, it feels a lot like "romantic relationships" in game that often abruptly end after having sex the first time, if feels like it is all leading up to the moment you become the guild leader or you get together with the character of your choice and then there is just nothing. Instead being a guild leader could be highly interesting but I also acknowledge would mean a whole lot of work for the devs
That was a very comprehensive and well thought out take on one of my favorite games. I still go back to ES3 just to “explore” and ask the question of why.
Everything feels like it has a story in the game, from each common house is set up to each faction fighting one another. It never feels the same as with ES 4 and 5.
rewatching it again after the Skyrim video, i can genuinely say that yes, TES lost its soul after Morrowind. I would sneak into the secret library in Vivec city just to read the books there for hours. Never was so immersed in game lore, and i doubt i ever will be again. Also the sense of dread and foreboding the main story provided through the 6th house storyline is yet to be matched.
I always underestimate how crazy massive Nintendo’s first party IPs are.
My first elderscrolls was skyrim on ps3. Loved it. Played thousands of hours in it. Eventually bought it for pc but I didn't realize I had bought the entire collection. It was just skyrim on the box but upon opening it. Everything from arena to skyrim was in there. All 5 games. ... But I only played skyrim. I had no interest in going to the others cause skyrim is what I was familiar with. But. Then I started seeing vids on what made them so great despite their jank. And I learned that skyrim though visually better and with a greater modding scene and a few other things. The other games were just better in the one aspect I most loved. Story telling. So I tried oblivion. It was dated and I refuse to play without mods but I loved it. Same story with morrowind but I feel im gonna like morrowind even more.
Clicked on Episode Three and was told that I didn't deserve to begin at Episode Three, so here I am at Episode One :)
The thing with morrowind is that it's really hard for any dev or studio to create a spiritual successor or even a rip off to it. There are some games out there where the design decisions that have been taken are both really specific while also being very broad, making it hard to replicate. You can see how inXile struggled to capture that experiecne people got from planescape torment due to how difficult it is to describe and recapture the experience it initially provided. Its why in the current retro game revival craze, no one has tried to make a spiritual successor to half life, deus ex, or morrowind. These games created experiences that are very hard to recreate, even more so if you're trying to create something new and original. It's a very daunting task for any developer and most would rather put their time and effort into making something they have more faith in both their creativity and technicality instead. A dev can easily market their game as a spiritual successor to morrowind but then they have to actually fulfill that promise and then they're fucked.
SureAI's enderal is basically it's own standalone game with skyrim's foundation and fallout new vegas is directly built off fallout 3. Yet both of them don't give you the same feeling you get from exploring a bethesda made world. New vegas is remembered more like the original fallout games where storytelling is prioritized over world design and Enderal feels a lot more like witcher 3 in it's open world than skyrim despite it's mod status. When a very respected studio consisting of the minds behind the original fallout games back in 2010 and a passionate indie team that dedicated 6 years to a single project couldn't nail that elder scroll's goldmine of world design, then it's not gonna be easier for any other studio if they try to tackle that TES nostalgia as well.
Amazing video. I fully agree. There is way too much to say here, but you truly put your heart and soul into both playing Morrowind (and the rest of The Elder Scrolls) like I have, as well as putting into words how great and unique this game truly was and is. Although every era has its own charm and meaning, there have been few games that withstood the test of time despite limitations developers had to deal with, which makes them truly legandary and memorable. These are times that will never return, and I'm happy I was lucky enough to have been part of it, as it seems you are as well. Thanks for making this video, this was well worth a watch.
Cheers to the mad lad who walked across Daggerfall for 69 and a half hours
Just an interesting thought:
Isn't the real spiritual successor of ES games the Mount And Blade series? Fairly shallow in deep mechanics, but great freedom of player decision.
Imo it doesn't feel a lot about the world and its' lore and the roleplaying aspect. It's much more of "a game," as weird as it sounds.
The mechanics are quite a bit deeper than they might at first appear, but I don't play it for the same reasons I play an Elder Scrolls game.
"A bitter after taste of disappointment for being the fool that was so easily tricked"
It's like he KNOWS me.
Every building being explorable was also what people told me about vice city. You are correct, this is a fantasy, that has not been achieved yet. I think this topic is also a strength, which we should pay atention to. The Division did two things very well. 1. The unique winter setting in a city. Every time I see snow in a city I think of Division, that's an achievement. 2. The amount of buildings you can enter. It wasn't every building, but the ability to enter so many, and discover the stories happening there was incredible. This is the only time I saw another game come closer to what makes Elder Scrolls so special. Fallout New Vegas was the better RPG, Fallout 3 had the better open world. I give credit to Bethesda to not dropping this major point of their formula. Yes they did simplify the RPG, which was good in some cases and bad in other. But their focus remains on exploration, that's why I still play those games.
This video essay itself is a wonderful exploration: an exploration into world-building, story-telling and game design. Your hard work is much appreciated.
Your comment on how Morrowind and the entire Elder Scrolls series tells its history through ambiguity and bias is what I've always loved about it. It's told like real history. After all, "History isn't what happened, it's what people say happened.".
I've been waiting for this.
Now if youll allow me to rant for a little: Skyrim was the first 'real' game i ever played and owned second to GTAV and Minecraft (but that ones Basically a given) and i absolutely loved it. Its brilliant worldspace made my own young and very imaginative brain explode with immersion and enjoyment. It instantly became my favorite and still holds a spot in the top 5 to this day. A part of the reason Skyrim was so easy to get into was its 'accesability' and streamlining and though i now prefer more complicated and deeper experiences instead of the approach of 'accesability' bethesda is taking there is no denying its effectiveness.
I mainly played and modded Skyrim for the rest whilst also trying out different games and rpg's. A true age of exploration for me where everything was new and exiting. Thing is that most of those games always held your hand, so when i bought and tried morrowind i quickly put it down being unable to get into it due to its less-handholding philosofy. Its only about a year/two back that i played it again and whilst it wasnt Skyrim for me, i still managed to spend a solid 70 hours on the game.
It took a lot of time and Google searches to properly get used to it, but after the fact i finally began to appreciate those systems.
Morrowind altough a very old game somehowe managed to beat Skyrim in terms of immersion. The lack of handholding, no fast-travel, story and world managed to make you feel like a part of the world as you are forced to mentally interact with it more. Also morrowind still had kirkbride which made discovering the weird and whacky lore a great deal of fun.
While i still love Skyrim and think its a great game, morrowind did allow me to see its flaws and the flaws seen in many other modern games.
Now allow me to go on a second smaller rant: thanks. I feel like in recent times i have forgotten what made me love the Elder Scrolls games in the first place and you managed to hit the nail right.
I had an extraordinarily similar experience with Skyrim. It was the first real game I played, was content-filled enough to keep you entertained for 100s of hours, and approachable enough even a child can play it. It's a fantastic starting place, but unfortunately lacks some depth. However, many other modern games have this issue as well, and some of them don't feel nearly as approachable or imaginative as Skyrim first did.
I think my biggest complaint may be that Skyrim could still have that approachable feel, but could have done so much more. Even small touches like markers being close to, but not on top of, quest targets; more comprehensive journal entries; more dialogue reactivity, etc... but despite that it still remains a unique experience and one of my favorite games. To this day every time I hear that opening theme I get so excited and nostalgic.
Well, my experience is a bit different. Arena wasn't the first computer game I ever played, but I think it was the first 'real-time' game. And I loved it, because it was a game I _could_ play, even though I didn't grow up with video games. (I was 33 when Arena was released.) Also, the sound effects just blew me away. Really, that was more important to me than the graphics.
Then along came Daggerfall, and my mind really _was_ blown. Just the idea that there was a whole world out there, waiting for me to explore it, was wonderful. Sure, I wouldn't see even a tiny part of it, but that's the same way with the real world, too. I was terrible at the combat, and I didn't follow the main quest very far, but I loved the game.
Morrowind was actually a disappointment, at first. Oh, it's a wonderful game, and I loved playing it. It's almost certainly the best Elder Scrolls game, IMHO. But I was so disappointed in the direction of the Elder Scrolls games after Daggerfall. I wished they'd continued exploring procedural generation.
So what about Skyrim? Well, for me, it was disappointing. We couldn't climb the wall or levitate over it - heck, you couldn't levitate _at all_ - in order to enter a town. And the towns were so tiny they just seemed ridiculous to me. We needed a cut-scene for _that?_
My first character was a mage, and it turned out that mages could only cast a small number of spells, and they cast the exact same damage spells throughout the game! There was absolutely no sense of progress. And the world seemed to be all bandits and no one else. It was just too silly for me to lose my suspension of disbelief.
But hey, I still played it, and I still enjoyed it. Indeed, I don't usually play mods, but I enjoyed starting a new game with one of those random start mods that skips the beginning. After all, I'm not usually interested in the main quest in games like this, anyway. I just want to explore. I just want to see what's out there. (I'm currently playing No Man's Sky - again - and that's how I play that, too. I just putz around. Heh, heh.)
So make no mistake, I enjoyed playing Skyrim. If my back holds out (I have trouble playing 'real-time' games these days), I might re-install it and play a bit, again. After all, I'm retired. I've done nothing but play computer games for the past 15 years. Heh, heh. But Skyrim was still disappointing to me.
However, if that had been my _first_ game? Yes, I'm sure I would feel differently right now. And one thing I can say for _all_ of the Elder Scrolls games is that people like me can actually play them. I've bought many games which seem to think that all gamers are experts. Well, I'm not. (Indeed, I tried a controller for the first time in my life a couple of weeks ago. That did _not_ go well. Now, I've got an expensive paperweight. Heh, heh.)
Watching the Daggerfall section after playing Starfield is pretty crazy. Both games have the same issues with procedurally generated content, just 27 years apart.
What a fantastic channel, I'm super impressed with the quality and presentation of your work.
Fallout 4 is actually Bethesda’s best selling game of all time. Pete Hines said this a few years back.
In terms of the speed of sales yes, but Skyrim has still sold more copies and that will likely always be the case considering the 4 year head start and the 437 rereleases.