Skyrim design lead Bruce Nesmith says playing Morrowind today will 'cringe'

Skyrim's design lead Bruce Nesmith told Press Box PR that if you go back and play Morrowind today "you will cringe," arguing fan demand for a remake is driven more by nostalgia than the reality of replaying the old game.

PC Gamer notes that its original review of Morrowind scored the game an 83 in 2002, the lowest score a mainline Elder Scrolls title has received from the UK mag to date, a detail the outlet says may rile some longtime fans.

Nesmith added that even Oblivion contains "cringe moments" and said he worked on Oblivion as a senior designer, claiming responsibility for some of those elements. He warned that "the further back you go, the more that's going to be an issue."

Speaking to nostalgia, Nesmith said many players hold "fond memories of things that were pivotal moments in our gaming fantasy histories," but that revisiting a "20 year old game" often fails to match those memories.

He concluded that "the reality of playing Morrowind would not stand the test of time, in my opinion." Nesmith did not outline any plans for a remake in the interview, and what, if anything, will change around calls for one remains unclear.

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