Since the early days ofSkyrim’s release, the battle over the bestElder Scrollstitle has been waged between fans of the fifth installment and those of older titles in the series. WithThe Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, that argument has begun anew, and many newcomers to the franchise have been surprised by just how well the almost 20-year-old game holds up. However, what makesOblivion Remasteredshine can also make fans look atSkyrima little less favorably when they return to the cold northern province of Tamriel.
It’s worth emphasizing thatSkyrimis an excellent game with plenty of strengths, and it excels far more thanOblivionin many areas.Skyrimdoes some things so well that returning players may feeldisappointed with some of the bigger differencesbetween the two games. However, there are elements whereOblivion Remasteredcomes out on top, ruining the fun of replayingSkyrima little bit.
10No Athletes Or Acrobatics
No Leaping Up To Hit Dragons Mid-Flight
I’d forgotten how much I enjoyedOblivion’s Athletics and Acrobatics skillsuntil I dove back into the remaster. With exploration playing such a huge part in Bethesda’s RPGs, being able to open up more options for movement is vital. The Athletics and Acrobatics skills govern how fast you may move and how high you can jump, respectively, and maxing out these skills can lead to a lot of fun when running around Cyrodiil.
Acrobatics also determines how far you can fall without taking damage.
Going back toSkyrimfelt so slow by comparison, and at times,traveling from one place to another was like jogging through treacle. WhileSkyrimat least didn’t have to wait for a remaster to allow the Dragonborn to sprint, exploring the vast province feels very slow, especially at higher levels compared withOblivion. As someone who enjoys running around the map whenever possible rather than fast traveling, I definitely miss these two Speed-related skills.
9Weaker Spellcasting
Skyrim Lacks Oblivion’s Spell-Making Feature
There’s nothing I love more than dungeon delving inSkyrim, sword in one hand and spell ready in the other. Magic inSkyrimis a lot of fun, especially withthe ability to dual-wield spells, and it has a great enchanting system. However, it is severely lacking when compared toOblivion, and returning to myOblivion Walker buildDragonborn after roaming around Cyrodiil as a mage was a shock.
Magic inOblivionhas so many more options, both in terms of the spells on offer and the versatility they offer. Famously,Oblivionhas spellmaking, which allows you tocraft completely unique spells by combining already known spell effects. But one of my favorite features isOblivion’s enchanting, which doesn’t limit what enchantment can be placed on items, opening up some really interesting options for overpowered builds.
8The Thalmor Are Cartoonishly Evil
Reducing Them To Villainous Stereotypes Weakens Their Potential
The overall villains ofOblivionare the Mythic Dawn and Mankar Camoran, a devious cult that wants to weaken the barriers between Nirn and Oblivion, eventually merging the two planes. As villains, they have great motivations and goals, and feel like a real threat as Oblivion gate after Oblivion gate opens up all across Tamriel. Because they are fully fleshed out and well written,the Mythic Dawn and Mankar Camoran stand out; however, the same cannot be said forSkyrim’s villains.
Mankar Camoran is voiced by Terence Stamp, best known for playing General Zod inSuperman(1978) and Bernadette inPriscilla, Queen of the Desert(1994).
While the main villain ofSkyrimis Alduin, the World-Eater, he doesn’t appear in the main questline as much as another group who arguably could also be thought of asSkyrim’s primary antagonists. The Thalmor are a xenophobic group of elven supremacists who seek to destabilize Skyrim to further weaken the faltering Empire. While this sounds impressive and great motivation for villains,the way the Thalmor operate in-game is almost cartoonishly evil, lacking any nuance, which makes it difficult to take them seriously.
7Skyrim Doesn’t Embrace The Oddness Of The Elder Scrolls
Skyrim Lacks A Weirdness That Oblivion Does Well
Oblivionhas an oddness to it that, at times, has to be seen to be believed. This underlying level of weirdnessleans into the unique and wonderfully wacky lore of theElder Scrollsseries. The off-kilter sensibility can be seen in multipleside quests throughoutOblivion, which don’t shy away from showing the oddness in the world. A great example of this is the quest “Paranoia,” which sees the extremely paranoid Glarthir enlist your help when he thinks his neighbors are out to get him.
WhileSkyrimdoes have some amusing or odd quests, such as Sanguine or Sheogorath’s Daedric quests, the overall tone of the game is different. The general consensus is that in an attempt to appeal to a broader market,Skyrimtoned down a lot of the strangerElder Scrollslore. While this was certainly successful, it does leave Skyrim feeling at odds with the rest of the franchise.
6The End Of The Main Quest Feels Anticlimactic
Skyrim’s World Feels Unchanged
There’s no better feeling than completing the main quest of an RPG and feeling as though you made a difference in the world. This is certainly the case withOblivion, asCyrodiil definitely feels changed after the conclusion of the main quest. With the remnants of Oblivion gates scattered across the province, Martin’s new form dominating the Imperial City, and an acknowledgement of your deeds, you’re able to continue adventuring with the feeling of being a hero.
This doesn’t happen inSkyrim, with the climax of the main plot taking place in Sovngarde, as you battle Alduin. Returning to Skyrim, few NPCs will acknowledge your heroic efforts, and even when joining guilds or factions, willtreat you as though the Dragonborn were still a nobody. Dragons will still attack, bandits will still attempt to steal your gold, and overall, nothing feels any different from when you first wandered out of Helgen.
5Skyrim Has Too Many Radiant Quests
Entering the world ofObliviononce more after so long, I was blown away at just how enjoyable the quests were.Each one stands out in its own way, and even the frustrating ones, like thetime-consuming “Go Fish”, have their own identity. This is in no small part thanks to each one being written and crafted in a bespoke manner, with very few, if any, radiant quests inOblivion.
The same cannot be said forSkyrim, which heavily features radiant quests as part of all its factions, as well as various miscellaneous quests. While some are great ways to get some gold, such as the quests to chop wood or mine ore, othersfeel like lazy shortcuts to pad out the already lacking factions' storylines. This can also mean that you can be sent to some baffling places if theDragonbornDLC is installed, with Solstheim added to the list of locations available.
4Overall Weaker Faction Storylines
The College & Companions Questlines Are Far Too Short
Speaking ofSkyrim’s factions, playing throughOblivion Remastered’s faction questlines willhighlight just how poorly written theirSkyrimcounterparts are. BothSkyrimandOblivionfeature the Dark Brotherhood and the Thieves Guild, and although these are the two strongest faction questlines inSkyrim, they still aren’t as good asOblivion’s. Both inSkyrimcan be boiled down to rebuilding a dying guild, whileOblivion’s feature twists and turns throughout their plots.
However, the worst ofSkyrim’s factions' questlines has to be the College of Winterhold and the Companions, which replace the Mages Guild and Fighters Guild ofOblivion. Here, the rushed storylines and reliance on radiant quests result in the Dragonborn becoming little more than an errand runner beforebizarrely being named head of the faction. There is so little thought put into either guild that they are barely worth joining, other than to gain followers.
3Skyrim’s World Environment Looks Dull
Cyrodiil Has A Colorful, Magical Quality That Skyrim’s Snowy Regions Lack
Cyrodiil has never looked as beautiful as it does inOblivion Remastered, with every part of the province receiving a glow-up. Although I do miss the almost dream-like feel of the originalOblivion, the remaster makes Cyrodiil feel like a real, breathing place. From the swamp lands around Bravil and Leyawiin to the rugged mountains of northern Cyrodiil leading up to Bruma,there is a wonderful variety of environments to explore.
By contrast,Skyrimends up looking a little dull and repetitive. While the province does also feature different areas, such as the thick forests around Falkreath to the south and the frozen ice fields to the far north, the majority of Skyrim falls into the tundra biome. That’s not to say thatSkyrim’s environmental diversity isn’t good, but it does lack that magical feel Cyrodiil has.
2Skyrim’s Graphics Aren’t As Good Now
Even Skyrim Special Edition Doesn’t Hold Up To Oblivion Remastered
One of the biggest changes toOblivionfor its remaster was the game’s graphics.Oblivionwas a product of its time and restricted by the technology available to it. The result was potato-faced NPCs and a limitation of the environments it could include.The graphics overhaul forOblivion Remasteredis outstanding, even if some of the NPCs still end up looking a little ugly.
Unfortunately, that now results inSkyrimlooking incredibly dated, with character models not holding up compared toOblivion’s. Much like the originalOblivion,Skyrimis a product of its time, and at almost 14 years old, has held up pretty well until now. Luckily, there are plenty of mods available to suit any taste, which can giveSkyrimthat much-needed graphics overhaul.
1Skyrim’s Main Story Is Weaker
It’s Hard To Compare With Being The Champion of Cyrodiil
Finally, the one area whereSkyrimjust cannot compare toOblivionis its main story. I’ve touched on this briefly with villains and factions, butSkyrim’s main questline just doesn’t hold a candle toOblivion’s. The Oblivion Crisis feels like just that: an urgent crisis that needs you to drop everything and help with. As more gates open up across Cyrodiil,filling the role of the Hero of Kvatch feels importantand vital for the survival of all of Nirn.
InSkyrim, the threat of dragons doesn’t end even after Alduin is defeated, and for a great manySkyrimplayers,the main quest can be comfortably ignored and never engaged with. This is compounded by a civil war questline, slightly attached to the main quest, that also never feels as epic as it does on paper. Overall, the plot ofOblivion Remasteredis a more impactful experience, making a playthrough ofSkyrim’s main quest a bit of a letdown.
