The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind is a masterpiece that all gamers should play.

Its only flaw is the bugs. Even if you are a purist like I am, please use at least a basic bug fix mod. This game, even with all the patches Bethesda released throughout 2002-2003, does not function correctly. For example, the entire pickpocketing mechanic does not work and will basically always fail even if you max out the stats for it, and this is clearly not intentional.

If you are playing this game for the first time, I would recommend that you disable the two expansion packs, Tribunal and Bloodmoon, in the launcher before you start. Then, once you feel like you've got the swing of things, enable them. The expansions were clearly designed assuming that most players would have a lot of time in the game before installing them and as such they confused me as a newcomer since they didn't add any sort of level or story progress requirement to access expansion content. By enabling the expansions later in your file once you understand the game, you can prevent the expansion content from disrupting the onboarding of the game.

These are really the only two things I recommend new players learn about this game before going into it. I genuinely believe it's a masterpiece despite all of the asterisks to have the most smooth experience. This game will require patience, it has a lot of friction, but it wouldn't be a masterpiece without that friction, and I think it's a required experience for anyone who wants to know what a pure role-playing game is like, and how to let the player have freedom without trivializing the world and without insulting the player's intelligence. Now buy the game and go have fun.

Come Nerevar, friend or traitor, come. Come and look upon the Heart and Akulakahn, and bring Wraithguard, I have need of it. Come to the Heart chamber, I wait for you there, where we last met, countless ages ago. Come to me through fire and war, I welcome you! Welcome Moon-and-Star, I have prepared a place for you! Come, bring Wraithguard to the Heart chamber, together, let us free the cursed false gods! Welcome Nerevar, together we shall speak for the law and the land and drive the mongrel dogs of the Empire from Morrowind! Is this how you honor the 6th house and the tribe unmourned? Come to me openly, and not by stealth. Dagoth Ur welcomes you Nerevar, my old friend... but to this place where destiny is made, why have you come unprepared? Welcome, Moon-and-Star, to this place where YOUR destiny is made. What a fool you are, I'm a god! How can you kill a god? What a grand and intoxicating innocence! How could you be so naive? There is no escape, no recall or intervention can work in this place! Come! Lay down your weapons! It is not too late for my mercy...

This is in fact the best game of all time.
Yep, you can become a demigod if you like and you can use the engine and some programming issues to powercreep your char. But hey - if it is fun to you - why not?

Morrowind has the best atmosphere of all Elder Scrolls game. By far.
Morrowind has a lot of interesting side quests - even if these are not the storylines of Oblivion. They are still enjoyable.
With Tamriel Rebuilt Morrowind has the best, lorefriendly game expanding modding project.
Morrowinds main quest is also the most interesting of all Elder Scrolls games. You will never get so deep lore again. You should try it out.

Well - the combat is a little bit antique. Everything is calculated by dice roll mechanics and maybe you should spend a minute in understanding old school pen and paper RPGs. But once you figured this out - it is even more fun than Skyrim.

This is the best piece of art what Bethesda has ever given to us. Thank you, Jeremy Soule. Thank you, Kurt Kuhlman and Michael Kirkbride. And thank you, Todd!