Introduction
Let me point out one thing with this review I’m about to write: I never review a game without finishing it first, however, considering how huge this game is, and the fact that there really is no clear "ending," I must make an exception. However, I did play the game for a long time, and I think this review is fair and accurate. That being said, on with the review.
Well, the first Xbox RPG has finally arrived, and if you haven’t played it on the PC yet, it’s probably nothing like what you expected. If you’re looking for the Xbox’s answer to Tidus and friends, sorry, but you are out of luck. This game feels more like a digitized version of pen and paper RPG’s like Dungeons and Dragons than anything else. That’s not necissarily a bad thing, however, as it leads to a truly engrossing (not to mention addicting) experience. Just don’t expect huge plotlines and random battles.
You should also set aside all other activities for awhile, such as work, food, bladder functions, and your whole social life (assuming you have one, hehe), because this game is L-O-N-G LONG. It is an aquired taste, but if you do like it, consider your fifty bucks very well spent.
Presentation
Humongus would be an understatement when describing Morrowmind. It’s an entire world inside a disk, with millions of people to interact with as they do their day-to-day activities. Morrowmind does do a great job of sucking you into this huge fantasy-based world. When you chat with local’s, don’t expect the usual shoot-the-crap dialouge in most RPG’s. Everyone has an opinion of you, and will tell you different things, depending on what you ask. These characters, along with books you can read if you desire, have lots of backround information on everything you could ask for.
The only thing is, it’s sometimes too much, I ended up skipping over tons of dialouge and books that just didn’t interest me, and sometimes you wont want to talk to anyone, asking them millions of questions only to find out a new useless tidbit. This game was truly made for the hardcore gamer in mind.
Also, when playing in third-person view, you sometimes get the feeling that you are playing a third-rate Tomb Raider instead of a massive RPG. It just doesn’t feel right.
Graphics & Sound
The graphics are pretty much a mixed bag. The character designs are nice, but most of them are generic, so don’t expect to see that many different-looking people in Morrowmind. There is also a serious lack of animations, with enemys that look like theyre just randomnly flinging their weapon around while running in circles. However, you have to cut the developers some slack, seeing as the game is just so huge, and you can go anywhere you want at anytime, they had to sacrifice some graphics. Games like this weren’t even possible on consoles until the XBox’s hardware came along.The sound is nothing special. Some decent voice acting, but not much of it (spoken greetings, but text conversations). The usual grunting and slashing of blades are present, as well as a little bit of music. The sound itself isnt bad, it’s just that there isnt much of it.
Gameplay
You start the game off as a prisoner who has reached Morrowmind, after being escorted off the ship you are being held captive, you choose from one of 10 races, each with it’s own abilities and powers, as well as strenghts and weaknesses. The Argonians, for example, are a lizard-beast species that are immune to poison, can breathe underwater, and are skilled with a spear and medium-strength armor. This is just one example, I didn’t even go into detail about other strenghts and weaknesses, picking your race is the most important of Morrowmind.After you chose your race, what they look like, and name the mighty warrorior (Lord Lizzy McLizard III, for example), you choose your class. Everything from sneaky theives to powerful mages are available, and if none of them interest you, make your own custom class.
When your done with all that crap I just said that you no doubt are already confused about, you can start your quest. The game takes place in a first or third person point of view. Now, Morrowmind is sort of the Grand Theft Auto 3 of RPG’s, as it is totally non-linear. Join any guilds or factions you want, obey the law or steal, take any jobs you want to do, etc. It’s totally open ended and up to you. That being said, there is obviously countless ways to go about the game, which adds to the replay value, and definitaley makes the game a time killer if you just want to plow into town mowing down innocent civilians with your new enchanted axe.
Talking with characters is a bit unique. You ask them questions pertaining to topics you can choose from on the right side of the screen that you want to know more about, if they give you another topic, you can ask more about that. Some of the dialouge is very long, however, so be prepared for a lot of reading. Also, depending on how the person youre talking to thinks about you, they might tell you more than you want to know, or nothing at all. Some of the Dark Elves don’t like foriegners, and wont talk to you unless you persuade them. Persuasion comes in a few forms, admiration, taunting, intimidating, and bribing. Depending on how your character’s personality level is, and who your talking to, you might get more out of them, or they’ll just tell you to get lost.
Now, the cornerstone of any RPG is it’s battles. Unfortuneately, this is where Morrowmind falls short. There’s no real strategy to it, what it all comes down to are these three things: how good your weapon is, how weak your enemy is, and how fast you can press the right trigger button. It’s a shame really, real-time battles are so good when done right, but these are just frustrating and bland.
Lasting Appeal
Simply put, if you like this game, you’ll probably be popping it in your Xbox in a couple years. It has the same "never gets old" quality much like GTA3, and there’s so much to explore, it would take awhile to see it all. Not to mention all the different ways you can go about playing the game, with 10 different races and tons of jobs and classes to join, this game will last you a long time.Only problem is, it might be just too huge for some gamers to get into. There’s a lot of dialouge to go through again and again, and finding your way around might be a hassle if you don’t have much pateince.
My suggestion is this: if you own an Xbox, rent it without delay, and if you like it, buy it as soon as you can.
Conclusion
All that being said, I can honestly say I had a great time with Morrowmind, and a lot more fun to come. You might be overwhelmed at first, and the battles, well...suck, for lack of a better word, but if you really get into it, it’s becomes crack (not that I would know anything about that...). Like I said, it’s not perfect, but give it a whirl and you might end up putting down "Level 20 theif" on your next resmue.
-Robbie "Oddball" Mackenrodt
