Oblivion vs. Skyrim Screenshot Comparison (Lens of Truth)

Lens of Truth writes - "Welcome back for another exciting Head2Head! Today we take a look at the graphical advancements The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, over its predecessor, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Just how much of a graphical improvement does Skyrim offer?"

[Shogun Master]

Wow, what a difference 5 years makes. Skyrim looks amazing.

[kcuthbertson]

I know right?

I love how some people were saying that Oblivion looked just as good lol.

[Tired]

Playing it I kept saying I would have thought there would have been more of a graphical leap since the last one.

I guess nostalgia has hazed my memories somewhat...as it's quite clearly leaps and bounds better.

I sit humbled and corrected.

[poindat]

To be fair, if you're playing Oblivion on a PC with HD texture mods and environment mods (as it should be played, you're missing out on a good chunk of the Oblivion experience otherwise IMO), it looks a hell of a lot closer to Skyrim than these shots do. But of course if you're comparing vanilla graphics, especially on consoles, Oblivion is going to look like garbage compared to Skyrim.

[Coffin87]

@hawkboi
Couldn't agree more.
I mean, I did play it highly modded .. more loaded environment cells, high range detailed trees/bushes, high-res textures for the distant ground ... but still.
Skyrim really seems like it's hand-crafted inch by inch. It is just amazing. Still loving it 100%. ^^

[frostyhat123]

I wouldn't say amazing...

[Joe Bomb]

Skyrim looks great, look at those textures on the rock, holy $hit!

[Jake_Butler]

Yeah what a great looking game. I can't wait to but this one I hear it's one of the best games ever.

[Pikajew]

Oblivion aged badly

[SilentNegotiator]

Indeed. I played through it recently. Pop-in and loading times are probably the biggest issue, though, aside from just not looking very good these days.

[hotskys]

It was the best looking of it's time.

You should never look back on games that were the best of their time and call them bad.

Your standards are just getting higher.

[MoreRPG]

i remember the awesome view when you get out the sewers for the first time in Oblivion

[SilentNegotiator]

And again when they did it in Fallout 3....

[Simco876]

Oblivion by a landslide here....

Why even make this article? lol

[MizTv]

it doesnt matter what they look like 4 is the better game

[the_fox00]

Now way dude!!! I mean that's your opinion but there is just so much more to do in Skyrim, I'm actually overwhelmed playing it. It's insane! Oblivion's story is a little nuts when you look back at it. Still awesome though.

[NnT3291]

Skyrim has the deepest gameplay Ive ever seen in an Rpg game.

[mynameisEvil]

Deepest gameplay in an RPG? You mean in terms of "alchemy, smithing, etc." or "Complex RPG elements"?

Becuase, as much as I LOVE Skyrim, Bethesda has never been one for the deepest of RPG elements. As a very good example, compare the main story-lines of Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas. MUCH more choices to make in NV. When it comes to questing, Bethesda typically puts more into character development and less of plot choices, when they should be focusing on both.

But, still, Skyrim is an incredible game. Been putting so many hours in this awesomeness. Gotta love the Skyrim Nexus, too.

[MysticStrummer]

Welcome to an even bigger waste of time than usual.

[soundslike]

Actually its less of a waste of time because they aren't trying to settle e-peen debates, just showing how much better skyrim looks than oblivion

[Shogun Master]

I didn't think the leap was that big. It really is amazing what developers can do on the same console when they're given some time.

Maybe Activision could learn a thing or two from Bethesda.

Edit: why is my reply all the way down here? Stupid mobile phones!

[blackhammer]

Activision has too large of an ego to take lessons from other developers, but I'm sure they don't mind taking material from them.

[RudeSole Devil]

Awesome comparison, Skyrim has really set the bar so high..

[Hazmat13]

cant wait for the next fallout! long live skyrim!

[MitchellK]

Oblivion and Skyrim look about the same on my pc, but my oblivion also has about 20gigs of mods for textures, and other things. Forgot how ugly vanilla oblivion was. lol. damn those are some ugly mountains.

[MizTv]

there is alot to do in skyrim it real good but i played so much 4 that it will never take its place.just cant get into it at all

[TopDudeMan]

I was going to co pare skyrim and oblivion, but then I took an arrow in the knee.

Sorry. I just can't stop making that joke... I've used it like 5 times today.

[kevnb]

I hate lens of truth. They always show fps comparisons from sections of games where the fps will never dip on 360. Anyway, 5 years ago the game could barely even run on console. It looked much better on pc. I remember my 360 giving me like 10 fps with oblivion, switched to pc soon after. http://rippingozziereads.fi... http://i77.photobucket.com/... and just to show skyrim http://img140.imageshack.us... http://cloud.steampowered.c...

[P_Bomb]

A new leaf for LOT? Personally I prefer some of these new editorials that examinine the evolution or devolution of games in a single series as opposed to the consoleVSconsole comparisons that usually end in controversy or start flamewars. Some games for example screen tear less with each iteration, some more. Sometimes not who you'd expect.

[memots]

How long until this thread become a xbox vs ps3 vs pc again.

The game looks damn great.

[birdykilla]

How can anybody sit there and say oblivion looks better or is the better game? They are apart of the same series and made by the same people. Skyrim's graphics are way better than Oblivion's and the overall game mechanics, balance are better too. Also they got rid of the stupid Oblivion gates that would popup everywhere and were the same levels over and over again. I know they were apart of the storyline, but how lame is that your main part of the game is all the same shit! Skyrim FTW!

[MitchellK]

I actually enjoyed oblivion more. I'm not saying its better than skyrim, because mechanics and graphics wise skyrim is better. i just had more fun playing oblivion. and about the oblivion gates thing, you only had to go in 3 of them to beat the main story, then they closed once the main quest was over. Why are the gates any different then getting attacked by dragons in skyrim? o0nce u get attacked a few times its always the same over and over just like the gates in oblivion no?
They are both great games. And equally as good imo based on when they were released.

[LightofDarkness]

Because Oblivion gates could take well over an hour to get through, whereas a dragon battle is generally less than 5 minutes. And you don't have to leave Nirn to get to them, with no option of running back to safety or getting more potions etc.

Plus, dragon battles occur in a wide range of nice open scenery, whereas every Oblivion Gate is basically the same, aesthetic-wise.

[spartan_dx]

I actually bought oblivion a couple days before skyrim came out and added a bunch mods. Skyrim looks like the better game but I'm holding off on it until the good mods get out.

[Tonester925]

I thought Oblivion was going to be as good as graphics could get. We are spoiled lol

[ForROME]

Skyrim = GOTY

[Rowland]

the surprising graphical leap isn't between Oblivion & Skyrim, it's the PC version over the Xbox 360 version. I'm shocked how much better it is on PC - even without the enhancement mods to come - it's big time awesome.

As someone who loved Oblivion on Xbox & will never forget the grand vista moment upon exiting the sewer for the first time, I'm deeply disappointed with Skyrims graphics in comparison.

I've played the first 5 hours or so on both systems and while my jaw is constantly dropping on PC, I've given up on the xbox 360 - feels like I'm in a Fable game in parts !

[Banok]

The difference is actually pretty tiny considering the time between them.

there was a bigger gap between skyrim and oblivion than oblivion and morrowind.

and the difference between oblivion and morrowind is like TEN times more than skyrim and oblivion

its mostly just better textures, but you can get even better ones in mods.

[e-p-ayeaH]

morrowind looks better in some things than oblivion in max settings.

[DrJones]

Well Morrowind was a last gen game, while Oblivion and Skyrim are both made with current gen technology.

[shikamaroooo]

I suddenly have the urge to play oblivion again

[Fil101]

AMAZING I cannot wait to play this the detail compared to oblivion is jaw dropping one of the best lens of truth comparisons i've seen in a long time.

[DrJones]

They are not really showing Oblivion from it's best side. This is pre patch images, before the improved draw distance was implemented.