Tribunal: A Review

Ah, Morrowind. Pure, sweet gaming goodness. The sort of RPG you wish would never end - and, I suppose, in a sense it never does. What does end, sadly, is the Quest of the Nerevarine (like the capitals?) and, with it, the whole point in playing the game. (Well, maybe not the whole point, but one of the big ones.) But fear not! Bethesda Softworks, in all their benevolent glory, has blessed us with their first Morrowind add-on, the aptly-name Tribunal.

We all know what Morrowind is by now (and shame on you if you don't), so I won't get into the specifics of the game mechanics, the graphics, sound, that sort of thing. In terms of gameplay, Tribunal doesn't bring anything to the table that wasn't there when Morrowind sat down, so let that be the first statement: when you play Tribunal, you're playing Morrowind. Which of course isn't a bad thing, unless you happen to be one of the seven idiots in the western hemisphere who actually didn't like Morrowind.

There are a few minor enhancements to the basic game. The most obvious change takes place in the journal, somehow managing to be the most useful and yet most disappointing modification in Tribunal. The journal will now list quests you've undertaken, either completed or ongoing, giving you a list of all the dialogue you've received relative to that quest. One downfall to this system is that if you don't complete a quest in just the way the game wants you to - or if it's a quest you simply cannot complete, such as certain internicine Fighter's Guild jobs - that quest is stuck in your to-do list forever. For instance, at one point I was asked to grease another member of the Fighter's Guild, except that I'd already dealt with that individual in a non-fatal manner, and she'd left town. Can't complete the quest (and don't need to, since the guy who wanted me to do it ended up on a slab himself) - can't get it off the list. It is an improvement, but unfortunately, the rest of the journal system remains untouched. So, if you've got a 600-page journal like mine, and you need to find something around page 200, prepare to spend a good portion of your night clicking the "previous page" button. How hard would it have been to add a "go to page" option? But, it wasn't done, and the journal ends up going from "totally shitty" to "not quite as shitty as it was."

There's a new type of armor in town as well, made from the reknowned Adamantium. Those of you familiar with the X-Men will know that adamantium is utterly indestructible; this, then, is apparently a different kind of adamantium. It's tough - good stuff if you're a medium-armor specialist - but it's not going to turn you into an unstoppable killing machine, unless you happen to be one before you put the stuff on. There's also a new armorer in the game who will build custom suits for you, a cool idea that's undone somewhat by the fact that by the time you reach Mournhold (the setting for Tribunal, by the way) odds are you're already packing a full suit of uber-armor anyway.

But enough nit-picking. Let's get down to the meat of the matter.

Tribunal begins as you lay down for a snooze during your adventures in Vvardenfell. Your slumber is interrupted by a Dark Brotherhood hit squad out to do you ill; their trail leads you eventually to Ebonheart, and from there, on to the city of Mournhold. You'll quickly run into a remarkable cast of underhanded types, including kings, gods, goons, and the occasional straight-up wacko. You'll explore the relatively small city of Mournhold - quite a bit smaller than Vivec, actually - a Dwemer ruin, a Daedric shrine to beat all Daedric shrines, and a few other exotic locales. You'll lay the Nerevar smackdown on a goodly number of assholes, and you'll eventually come to realize that while you may be the Nerevarine, you're still just a guy - and sometimes, even the Nerevarine has to accept that that's just how it is.

This is a quality add-on. Although a bit on the short side - you'll be lucky to stretch it to 30 hours - it's absolutely a worthy addition to the original game. It's more Morrowind, but as mentioned earlier, that's not a bad thing, and it brings enough new story, depth, and gameplay to be more than worth the price of admission.

The basic design of Tribunal is considerably different from Morrowind in that it's far more linear than the original title. Whereas Morrowind turned you loose in Vvardenfell with a license to kick ass and chew bubblegum, Tribunal is far more focused. You're given a reason to go to Mournhold, and then a reason to stay; there are independent side-quests to be undertaken, but the bulk of your time in the City of Light will be spent following the main storyline. In fact, virtually every location outside of the main city grounds are linked somehow to the overall plot; you're not going to be crashing through any random, and ultimately pointless, crypts or mines here.

This may sound like a bit of a step backwards, especially to gamers who are big fans of the open-ended nature of Morrowind, but it works. The actual amount of real estate in Tribunal is relatively tiny when compared to the vast expanse of Morrowind, so the original's "do what you want" style just wouldn't work here. By keeping the focus tight, and making every step of exploration vital in some way to the continuing story, Bethesda has managed to keep a tight reign on the direction and pace of the game's progress, without fucking up the fundamental qualities that made the game such a success.

The increase in plot-pushing was made necessary not only by the smaller scope of Tribunal, but also by the very nature of Mournhold itself. Tribunal is a very political game, dropping you in the middle of a scrambled mess of gods, kings, corruption, greed, and all sorts of other things that make life worth living. Mournhold is packed full with sleazebags, assholes, and all manner of unsavoury douchewads; if you're going to succeed here, you'll eventually have to take your place among the best of them. The Nerevarine may be the Hero of Vvardenfell, but that doesn't mean he's above a little lying, cheating, and backstabbing when it becomes necessary. And just when you think you've chosen a side - or when you think a side has chosen you - the situation changes, and it's time again to fuck somebody over. The game paces the intrigue to perfection, and the intensity is well-maintained as a result. A purely open-ended style of gameplay just wouldn't allow for that sort of directed story-telling.

Players can access the city of Mournhold at any time - it's possible to head on over there almost from the moment you step off the boat at Seyda Neen - but the add-on is designed for high-level characters, ideally those who've finished the main quest. For one thing, it just makes more sense to the plot; your purpose for going to Mournhold is directly linked to your being the Nerevarine, and if you ain't the Nerevarine yet, the events that lead you to Mournhold don't really make a hell of a lot of sense. In terms of gameplay, the reasoning is even simpler: this add-on is tough. Honestly, it probably won't be too much of a challenge for your typical Morrowind-obsessive Super-Nerevarines (like me), but it's going to be awfully hard going for anyone under, say, level 30. I'm of the opinion that to be fully enjoyed, players shouldn't even think about installing Tribunal until they've finished Morrowind.

There's a great variety of things to do in Mournhold, especially when one considers it's relatively small size. Most of the side quests are short, trivial, and not the sort of thing you'd expect; following a cheating husband, for example, or acting in a play. Some of it has an almost experimental feel to it, but it all works, and they're fun diversions from the main quest. There are also a couple of areas that aren't related to any quest in the game - it's not even necessary to enter them at all - but that should be checked out nonetheless, simply for their sheer atmosphere and eye-candy appeal. The Wailingdelve, for one, should be on every tourist's list - it's a fantastic piece of architecture, and a sight-seeing high point for both Morrowind and Tribunal. (You'll find out how it got named once you get there.)

Tribunal's conclusion is a worthy pay-off. I'm not going to say too much about it here, because it's one of those things - like the Crying Game - that people deserve to experience unspoiled. Suffice it to say that I knew there was trouble brewing in Mournhold, and the ending still managed to knock me on my ass. For that alone, Tribunal is worth playing.

Morrowind was a brilliant RPG, and Tribunal manages to change the tone a bit while still maintaining that brilliance. Anyone who's played and enjoyed Morrowind needs to get out there and pick up Tribunal. It's an engrossing, deeply-satisfying continuation of the Elder Scrolls series, and it deserves a spot on every RPG fan's shelf.

On an unrelated note: Greg M., if you're reading this - keep your bitch and her fat warpig friend away from me. You may be willing to put up with that shit, but I'm not. Next time, somebody's getting a punch in the mouth.

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