Morrowind getting an engine overhaul through OpenMW

A new game engine could mean an even longer life for The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind .

. The engine-replacement project—known as OpenMW—isn't complete yet, but the group of developers working to modernize the now-classic 2002 RPG is nearing the finish line, according to a newfrom the team.

There's been a lot of interest in recent years in the idea of a better-looking, smoother-runningMorrowind, and numerous groups of interested developers have banded together to make their own particular vision a reality. For OpenMW, the main goal appears to be getting a more moddable edition of the game into the hands of players, while also making Morrowind more compatible with advances in computer hardware that have taken place since 2002. And for the relentless tinkerers, OpenMW also comes pairedwith its own editing tool called OpenCS.

And to be clear, OpenMW isn't itself a mod, but rather a new piece of software that makes use of Morrowind's original art assets and game data, according to information on OpenMW's official website. You need to have purchased and installed the game already to make use of the new game engine, which currently exists as version 0.30.0. Downloads for the six-year-old, open-source project are available here, and you can check out the new video below with news on the development team's progress and its plans for the future.