If RPG's were monkeys, Morrowind would be King Kong. Actually, Ultima would probably be King Kong, but Morrowind would be King Kong's younger, more attractive brother who nobody really noticed until now.

As you've probably guessed, Morrowind is a monster of a game. It will snatch over 100 hours from your life, and what beautiful hours they will be. The visuals (viewed from a first-person perspective) are the best seen in an RPG so far and the scenery will leave you gawping at the monitor. The island of Vvardenfell is huge (10 square miles) and will take literally hours to explore, from the placid lakes and swamps in the south to the violent, stormy precipices of the northern mountains. Night and day pass so you can watch the sun rise over a shimmering lake or battle a foe with a peacefully setting sun in the background. Looking up into the night sky, you'll notice the two moons. These moons go through phases and pass through the night sky, it might not mean much but it's little graphical details like this that make Morrowind stand out.

As well as night and day, Bethesda have developed advanced weather technology so you can battle with the forces of nature as well as the local wildlife. And those of you lucky enough to have a GeForce 4 inside your box of tricks will benefit from some of the best water effects in a game ever. When you eventually regain control of your besieged eyeballs you'll notice the wide range of beautifully rendered NPCs that inhabit the world around you, from the strange lizard-like Argonians, to the tall, blue-skinned Dark Elves (naturally, they have pointy ears). Of the ten different races, there are a number of different faces and hairstyles to choose from, resulting in a large variety of character customisation.

Beautifully rendered NPCs are all well and good, but what we really want to see are beautifully rendered NPCs being eaten by beautifully rendered monsters. And Morrowind does not disappoint. Although the creatures that you encounter on your journeys are poorly animated (with a few exceptions), you'll appreciate their detailed textures as they attempt to rip off body part A, and insert it into body part B. David Attenborough is advised to keep his distance. There are some creatures that are docile - until you start attempting to club them, in which case they retaliate aggressively. All in all, Morrowind is one pretty monkey.

Just like in an extremely concise dictionary, gameplay comes before graphics. The words "free" and "roaming" are relatively fresh words on the ever-growing list of computer game terminology and never has there been a better time to use those words than on a game like Morrowind. Put simply, in Morrowind you can roam freely across the length of the map and back, doubtlessly completing several quests along the way. Of course, there are the central plot quests that drive the twisting and compelling storyline, but it is entirely up to the player to choose when and how to do these quests.

The quests themselves range from the generic "Kill the rats", to the more exciting assassination missions; there are also seemingly random quests and incidents. Unfortunately, Morrowind, like many first-person RPGs, has a less than perfect combat system. It works in theory, but admittedly is nothing more than pointing at an enemy and clicking until one of you dies. The real combat challenges are all about strategy; using a Magical Water Sword against the Big Fiery Demon enhances damage, basic stuff for an RPG player. There is a huge array of weapons, spells, scrolls, potions and other RPG clichés for you to buy, sell and steal. Almost everything can be picked up, from a simple spoon to expensive alchemy tools.

The method in which your character learns abilities works brilliantly - all characters start with major, minor and miscellaneous skills that can be enhanced simply by training in that skill. Major skills develop more rapidly than minor skills, which in turn develop quicker than the remaining skills. For example, if you wish to become an expert in the longsword skill, try to use longswords as much as possible. If you wish to be more athletic, run everywhere and swim whenever you can. This makes character development very natural and your character will soon reflect your personality. Gameplay-wise, this game feels like an isometric RPG, all wrapped up in three glorious dimensions.

The atmospheric music compliments the overall mood of the game superbly and although it is still a basic medieval RPG score, it wouldn't seem out of place in a movie. Most of the in-game text remains unspoken, but the main quests contain excellent voice acting. NPCs have a number of greetings that are welcoming or disdainful, depending on how much they like you. The sound effects are excellent; an experienced player could identify a creature before he sees it according to the sounds it makes, but combat sounds can become repetitive with generic slashing noises and disappointing "squelches" (the noise that's made when you hit a soft monster with a large mace).

So you've eventually become bored of the game? No? Didn't think you would, but let's just imagine you did. Those generous guys at Bethesda have thrown in a Construction Set (which is unfortunately not made of Lego, I was disappointed to discover). This bonus CD allows you to create plug-ins for Morrowind, furthering the lifespan of what is already a massive game. With the right tools and the technical know how, you could create plug-ins to rival the original game itself. There's already a huge fan base and hundreds of plug-ins to download and install, which all adds up to a game with the longevity of the new uranium Duracell Bunny.

So, how does it compare to the King Kong of RPGs? It lacks a multiplayer option, which will seriously hamper its appeal to fans of the MMORPG. Its combat system could be improved. Put these minor faults aside, and Morrowind excels as the prime example of a classic RPG. Expansive gameplay, total freedom, generally excellent graphics and sound; this could (and should) be the game to overshadow Ultima.

Reviewed by AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).