Morrowind - Retrospective @ Edge Online

[RPGWatch]

Edge Online looks back at Morrowind in their latest Time Extend feature:

Morrowind, however, remains the least constrained of the two. Plot-dependent characters can't be killed in Oblivion; in Morrowind, the quest line can be broken - a small text box alerts you to the fact - and you're still free to remain an adventurer. Towns aren't separated from the outside world by a loading screen. Aspects that could never be held up as sleek game design are nonetheless powerful: character dialogue - apart from passer-by soundbites - is never spoken, instead metered out via rich clumps of text, and conversation strands are far more profuse than those of Oblivion. Walking is the only way to conserve fatigue, forcing you to stroll the land; fast travel isn't available, but silt strider creatures, boat rides and Mages' Guilds offer a shortcut between major settlements. Such aspects may be dissuasive to the received gaming mentality but, while it's likely that the average Oblivion player spends more time in the game before walking away, it's just as likely that those who managed to submerge themselves in Morrowind felt connected and invested all the deeper.