Morrowind: The Elder Scrolls III (Xbox)

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind is a sprawling, first-person, open-ended fantasy role playing game. It's a direct port of the PC version and truly shows off the power of the Xbox. You can do virtually anything you want: there is a main quest but also hundreds of side quests (over 350 of them) and the game is completely non-linear. You can be a hero, a villain, a pilgrim, a saint or even a vampire. You name it, and chances are you can be it. There are also no geographical constraints; you can wander where you want, when you want.

The amount of control you have in Morrowind is stunning. When you create a character, you can either choose pre-made classes, have one assigned to you depending on how you answer a questionnaire or create your own class.

Morrowind's magic system is great--not only do you have seven schools of magic (Conjuration, Illusion, Destruction, Restoration, Mysticism, Alternation, Enchant), but you also have an Alchemy system, from which you can create potions from ingredients you can either buy or find in the wild. In addition, you can even trap the souls of enemies you kill and bind them into items to create a magic artefact. Another boon to this game is the thieving system. You can pick locks, disarm traps, pick pockets, learn acrobatics, taunt, insult or intimidate others, or haggle for better deals in the market.

The game itself is gorgeous. The graphics, sounds, frame-rate: all smooth as silk. You can spend hours just looking at all the outlandish scenery, picking the flowers (literally). The musical score is rousing and never gets tired. All the different creatures and people have their own voices and sounds. This is a game that makes anything but high-end computers cry and it works on the Xbox without a hitch.

Morrowind is a PC-style RPG for a PC-style console. This game is reason enough to buy an Xbox, and will have hard-core RPG fans singing its praises for years to come. --Bryan Karsh Amazon.com