I've been waiting for this game for a month now. The PC version didn't run well on my computer at all and so my hope lied in this Xbox version. I heard many complaints (come to find out from lying fanboys) that the xbox version suffered from long load times, weak graphics and glitches. None of these are true. Morrowind for Xbox is one of the most impressive games released on a console in years.

Gameplay:
This game is perfect essentially because you make it what it is. The game begins with a scripted event of you walking off a boat. As you walk to town you choose your name, your race, your class and your birth sign. These combinations give an almost infinite number number of character types, and again, YOU choose. Once everything is chosen, the scripted events are done and the game is yours. Folks, this is NOT Final Fantasy. You are not trapped into a linear storyline EVER.

You start off in a town with the task of eventually going to Balmora and finding some guy. You can talk to anyone to get an idea of what is going on around you. Some will offer you side quests that you can choose to do or ignore. You can explore this little town inside and out. You can pick flowers, pick pockets, anything. If you want you can pull out your knife and try to kill a guard. That wouldn't be wise, but you could. The point is you can do anything you want. If you decide you want to go to Balmora you can choose to walk there or take a transport. Again, up to you.

Ok, so you get the idea that you can do whatever you want however you want? Good, now I can explain the inner workings of the game.

The controls are excellent and suffer only from a lack of hotkeys. It is not easy to switch weapons or spells on the fly. You must pull up the menu first which isn't really a problem since time stops when the menu is up. Then you can change them and you're ready to go. Otherwise the controls works great. One trigger jumps, one trigger attacks. Various buttons do various things. Its all easy to learn.

The battle system is pretty simple and is a problem for some people since they are impatient. Most people try to buy the most powerful weapon and just run into a fight slashing away. Weapons in the game are class based largely. If you're a thief you won't be using an axe or a giant hammer. If you do, you'll miss constantly. You must use a weapon you are skilled with. In the case of a thief this usually means a dagger or shortsword. You can power up your skills in other weapons by training but early in the game you'll need to go with what you're given. Battles take place in real time and play somewhat like an FPS. Its not like Halo where you aim and shoot. This game is an RPG, remember, so hits are more random. Think of each attack as a roll of the dice, some hit, some miss. Still, you can move in real time to get out of range and such.

There is also a deep magic system. There are defensive, offensive, summoning, enchanting, etc types of spells. If you don't like the spells in the game, you can make your own. I haven't tried this yet but there's instructions on how in the manual. Offensive spells make the game more like Halo as you can hit at long range. Summoning spells are really fun to use as well. Like spells you can create potions using alchemy and such.

There is so much more to this game that I'm not going to explain. There are merchant skills, thievery, archery, assassinations, you name it, its here. You can basically play your character however you want. You'll get a different experience each time through the game as well. This time through I'm using a thief so most of my actions involve avoiding confrontation. Next time maybe I'll be a viking and play it rough? Who knows.

With all that said I must admit that some people will absolutely hate this game. Console gamers often like to be told exactly what to do all the time. (See Final Fantasy series for reference) This game does not do that. Some will get frustrated because they will rush head first into battle with a wizard. It takes some patience to enjoy this game but once you figure out what you're doing this is one the best gaming experiences out there period.

Graphics:
Much was said about the PCs version's problems with framerates. Well, I don't know how but Bethesda solved the problem because the Xbox version runs remarkably smooth. You can quickly scan the huge 3d landscape and not notice a single hitch in the framerate. It will drop at times but for the most part this is a really solid play. The textures are solid and the environments are stunning.

Additionally, the load times are absolutely minimal. Bethesda took a cue from Halo and front-loads every major area. Where you first load your game it takes about 40 seconds (like Halo) but after that you won't see a load time of more than 5 seconds. This is a truly spectacular feat. On my PC the load times were absolutely horrid, on the xbox they are hardly noticable. One note, if you die you will have to go through the 45 second front-loading, so try not to die ok?

Sound:
Voices are pretty well done but many sound the same. The background music is really good but can get repetitive. All the clinks and clanks sound just about perfect. Certainly no complaints here except that I would have liked some more variety in the background music.

Longevity:
If I could give an 11 I would. I've logged about 10 hours already and I've covered MAYBE 10% of the entire map. I've done 5 of at least 100 quests. It has been said this game can take up to 300 hours to complete. While I don't believe that I do believe this will prove to be one of the longest games ever. Keep in mind, this is with just one character. I'm already looking forward to playing again with a solider or magician.

Round Up:
True gamers will want to buy this game without a doubt. Casual gamers may want to try it first to see if they have the patience. I pity anyone who ignores this game because it has a steep learning curve or because they are anti-xbox fanboys. This game is truly an experience that should not be missed.