A Review of Machinima

Post date: 01-Sep-2015 03:50:57

You know, for an engine and editor combo as robust as Morrowind has, I've always been shocked by the lack of machinima content produced with the game. I realize, though, that I was late to the party and latched onto Morrowind when Oblivion was the new hotness, but I'm kinda glad I did it that way. Morrowind has a charm about it that no other Elder Scrolls game has. Hell, no other game shares its unique visual presentation, and one can do things in Morrowind that are sadly impossible in later Elder Scrolls games. It is one of the most inventive and perfect playgrounds I've ever known, and I'm glad I attached my wacky narrative to its assets. So, in anticipation of 4 brand new RTA episodes, I want to do a review of Morrowind Machinima. These videos were found by Googling "Morrowind Machinima" so I thought that'd be a good a criterion as any. Without further ado, here's the 5 videos I found:

1. 3 Little Pigs (Machinima.com)

Ok, so it turns out the first result is one of mine, which I'm pretty proud of actually. I worked on the lyrics to this song for a few months before finally deciding to make it a thing. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out overall, but of course I could have been better on audio production (always a goal of mine). Anyway, this is the first and last time I appear on this list. Onward and forward and toward and Edward!

2. Hung-Over in Vvardenfell {Part I}: Morrowind Machinima Short

It's the Sanguine Rose quest before Skyrim ever happened, sort of. Well written jokes abide here, well except for the plethora of rape jokes, but hey some people like that kind of humor. Anyway, the whole deal feels very off the cuff and improvised, which is a territory I dare not enter most of the time because it's simply too difficult to be consistently funny that way. And the voice turns into a dick part of the way through. Hey, it's what ya get when ya search. For posterity.

3. When Gods Clash: A Morrowind Machinima

This one is pretty intense right off the bat, and combined with some backstory text a la Star Wars. It promises a big battle, and it delivers. There is more melodic death metal, action, and spectacle in this one video than in every episode of RTA combined.

4. Why Necromancy Sucks in Morrowind ( MORROWIND MACHINIMA )

This one is short and sweet and a little hard to follow, to be honest. The voice acting is pretty good and the visual elements are quite unique. But aside from that, the plot is anyone's guess. Still, on visual/audio contribution alone it's worth some attention.

5. Two Worlds Episode 1: The Morrowind Machinima/Anime

This one is a classic, and probably one of the most impressive feats of multi-modal media in the machinima world. I can't imagine the amount of work it took to sync up machinima and what I assume to be flash animation (traditional animation anyway), but it syncs up quite well. The soundtrack is unique and enjoyable (Louis Armstrong and Michael Jackson). The script is a very respectable effort on the part of a young (at the time) writer and filmmaker. Everything comes together in a cohesive, yet completely different whole that was and is right up my alley. Enjoy it, folks.

RTA Season 3 resumes very soon...