This is a wild choice for the crowd, but my father is a HUGE fantasy fan and I was raised with loads of fantasy/sci-fi media.
I was in the 5th grade when the Xbox 360 was released and at the time this RPG was an exclusive for it. I remember this was the first video game I really got into. My brother and I put hours and years into this game… exploring and finding all the little secrets, creating outrageous characters, and messing with radiant AI system to push the boundaries. I loved how the general graphics and lighting of the in-game world were so dream-like - made it feel so much more fantastical. I have sweet nostalgia for this game and the world of Cyrodiil.
Jan 18, 2025
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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
God I love this game. I grew up more with skyrim but I played this game for the first time and I fell in love with it. The atmosphere is so great, the story is amazing and the voice acting is terrible and incredible at the same time.
Mar 4, 2025
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
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Over the last few years, I’ve started to purchase DVDs at the thrift store whenever I find a favorite or one I’ve been meaning to watch. They’re always super duper cheap (I’m talking a buck a pop) and it’s easy to check they’re in good condition.
Now I can always have my fave movies and shows on deck because eff’ these greeding streaming services 🖕🏽
Feb 10, 2025
My eldest kitty Moose was rescued through a foster network I was volunteering with, he is a very good goofy boy and I love his little “antlers” on his forehead!
My youngest kitty Lady Bug (the space between “Lady” and “Bug” is important as her noble title should always be addressed), is only a few months old but so brave and cuddly! Her little grinch hairs behind her ears are my fave.
Jan 18, 2025
In 2024, I experienced grief in all of its stages. Fundamentally it changed me - for better or worse? I’m working on that with my therapist.
I found myself listening to this song *a lot* throughout the year. Maybe it was the vulnerable and relatable lyrics mashed up with a uplifting melody, but something about the final lines…
*“It's that little souvenir of a colorful year
Which makes me smile inside”*
… always got to me. Hopeful, might be the feeling. Especially since it’s the only point in the song that she doesn’t reference it as a terrible year. To me it felt like she wanted autonomy over how she wanted her song, her story on the year to end. She defines it, rather than it defines her.
You can’t control when grief happens to you, but you can control how you decide to navigate through it. Maybe, just maybe, I could look back at my grief and let it go.
Jan 22, 2025