Morrowind goes free today to celebrate The Elder Scrolls turning 25
Khajiit has wares, free one day only!
To celebrate a quarter-century of Elves, Daedra and cat-people with bafflingly complex lore, Bethesda are giving away The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind today (March 25th) only, so snap it up quickly here. You'll need a Bethesda.net account and their launcher to grab the game, too. A bit of a hassle, but you're getting a sprawling adventure through a deeply alien corner of Tamriel, filled with giant insects, inscrutable demigods and enough Cliff Racers to drive any adventurer to distraction. If you've never played what many consider the best Elder Scrolls game, now's the time.
Alec waxed nostalgic on Morrowind last week, also calling it the best Elder Scrolls game. Personally, I bounced off the series until the more polished and solid-feeling Skyrim, but that wasn't for want of trying. I remember playing a demo of the original The Elder Scrolls: Arena, released on this day, 25 years ago. I also remember finding it nigh incomprehensible. Later I did a bit better with Daggerfall, but tapped out of that due to its legendary density of bugs. Key quest items in rooms unattached to the dungeon, or staircases which double as lethal portals to the void? Fun!
Morrowind was the game that started to pull it all together. While still notoriously bugged at launch (and not just with Silt Striders), for many it offered just the right blend of creative world-building and freeform adventuring. There was a story to follow as you wound your way through its tight volcanic valleys, but it was all too easy to get distracted by the weird houses carved out of mushrooms, and go exploring every cave. The spell-crafting and alchemy systems are also great fun, allowing for some very expressive play, or just breaking the game over your knee.
Bethesda will be running a few days of Elder Scrolls themed promotions, but today's Morrowind giveaway ends tomorrow, so make sure you pick it up here. Also available today is the prologue chapter for The Elder Scrolls Online's next expansion, Elsweyr. TESO will also be free to try from March 28th through April 3rd. The Elder Scrolls Legends is giving away a few limited edition card backs (and some boosters) too, and Skyrim: Special Edition is serving up a set of free Nordic jewelry. There's also a sale on all things Elder Scrolls over on Bethesda's store here.