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Honestly, I attribute at least 45% of the Xbox's early success to the popularity of this 2003 JRPG. One of the few series to jump ship from PlayStation, it paved the way for both the genre, and more importantly- LORE, to come to the best console of a generation.
Though many games have emulated or tried to copy it since (Final Fantasy 12, Sea of Thieves, Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag) - none have been able to come close in terms of the immaculately fashioned experience of TideWater.
The Pirate class was a strong step forward in not just the design of JRPGs, or even RPGs- but gaming as a whole. You can see the impact that it had on the scene with the release of "Sid Meier's Pirates!" the very next year- western developers were eager to try to ride on the coattails of this massive success, but forgot the most important aspect that tied all of Pacts together - the LORE.
It's much more than just a game - it's a revelation.
Related Recs
2002-2004 was a JRPG golden era for the PS2. Dark Cloud 2, Unlimited Saga, Final Fantasy XI (online), .hack vol. 1-4, and Xenosaga Episode 1 all released in that timeline. All these games have fantastic art style, Star Ocean: Till the End of Time is no different.
Gameplay is dated by having to explore maps without a waypoint, and having to mash the X button through dialogue scenes can be annoying, but the characters are well-written and designed. The battle system also holds up as something unique.. but dying from losing all your MP is frustrating (yet all JRPGs kind of are). Looks great upscaled on PCSX2. One day I’m hoping some of those games listed above are remade/remastered bc they started a wave.
Feb 15, 2024
I wasn't allowed to play video games for a lot of growing up, but i got this game for free when my childhood church cleared out the video game cabinet in the youth group area. ended up playing it on the big clunky TV in my attic for hours at a time, consulting the map and the wiki the whole time since the game does very little hand holding and directing and relies on in-game dialogue and the interaction journal to guide the player along the story progression. this game is probably the single reason why i enjoy mostly RPGs now, especially stuff like Elden Ring. I'd say Morrowind in its own way was the Elden Ring of its time.
first, the environment and lore are so rich and unique. while a lot of fantasy games feel like medieval europe but with magic (later Elder Scrolls games especially), the Morrowind world feels totally alien. it feels closer to the goofier parts of early DnD and tabletop games, totally unrestrained by later fantasy genre tropes and conventions. honestly i would just explore the map and follow my curiosity most of the time, letting my gameplay happen naturally rather than following a set progression that most games have now. the map is filled with neat things to do if you just stay curious. the music is also amazing, I could spend hours just vibin in the open world to the dinky MIDI orchestra dungeon bardcore type beats
this all being said, this game is over 20 years old now. is the gameplay dated and clunky? absolutely. are the graphics ass? yeah but in an endearing way. are a lot of elements in the game broken and buggy as hell? frustratingly so. is finding ways to work around this and being rewarded for your stubbornness and cleverness still a rewarding gameplay experience? you bet. i'd recommend everyone with a still working OG Xbox or 360 to find a copy of the GOTY edition and go wild with it (or just get it on steam, but don't use mods, play it as is)
Oct 14, 2024
got a free copy of the game of the year edition from my church growing up for whatever reason, ended up playing hours of it alone in my attic. loved how little direction it gave you, and much of the time I spent playing this game was just walking around referencing the physical map that came with the game and exploring whatever places I came across. usually this meant encountering areas that were waaay too high level for me, but finding ways to be creative and get around enemies was a reward in itself. I also loved the lore, and would often have the game’s wiki pulled up to reference while playing.
this game sparked my love of RPGs and open world games, as well as my love for lore and world building. i enjoy games like elden ring, tears of the kingdom, baldurs gate, demon souls, etc because of how they remind me of my first experiences with morrowind. it took me years to play to the end as the main quest was often not my priority as much as the journey itself. skyrim came out like 2 years later and blew my mind, but morrowind still has a special place in my heart. plus the rest of the elder scrolls series feels too generic medieval fantasy at times, morrowind truly felt like a unique fantasy world. got the map framed in my living room rn, got another copy to have a pristine map tho haha
Mar 17, 2024
Top Recs from @alice
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Slept on in the grand scheme of things
Jan 13, 2024
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dire warnings, portents of doom, others of that ilk
Dec 29, 2023
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Not the book or anything, just that classic thesis antithesis into SYNTHESIS
Dec 29, 2023