Oblivion vs Skyrim (PC)

[PCgamer81]

I have owned Oblivion: Game of the Year Edition on PC for a while, now. I play it and will continue to play it.

I just recently purchased Skyrim tonight on steam and am about to really jump into the game for the first time.

Any thoughts on how the game compares to Oblivion?

Which one would you say is better, and why?

 

[johanvheerden]

Oblivion, the reason for this is entirely just my own preferance. Don't get me wrong i have been playing Skyrim since release and am still going strong but Oblivion had a better overall feel for me. When i finished the story in Oblivion i almost jizzed my pants, when i did with Skyrim i was like "meh". Morrowind was even better than Oblivion for me, i don't care about the graphics really, i care about gameplay and originality. So back to the point i really love Skyrim and think it's one of the top 5 games i've played this year but Oblivion was better for me.

 

[PCgamer81]

Oblivion, the reason for this is entirely just my own preferance. Don't get me wrong i have been playing Skyrim since release and am still going strong but Oblivion had a better overall feel for me. When i finished the story in Oblivion i almost jizzed my pants, when i did with Skyrim i was like "meh". Morrowind was even better than Oblivion for me, i don't care about the graphics really, i care about gameplay and originality. So back to the point i really love Skyrim and think it's one of the top 5 games i've played this year but Oblivion was better for me.

Very good reply.

Let me ask you this, and I want you to really think about this:

If Skyrim would have been released back in '05, and nobody had ever heard of Oblivion until now (Elder Scrolls 4: Skyrim - Elder Scrolls 5: Oblivion), would you still feel the same?

 

[Eldd]

It's all about the timeline in all of the games, and it's really good to see the story, places, people and developing situations going further in and expanding on all that happened. So it's really good to start with at least Morrowind and all its addons, it's really good for the general feel of this universe.

Right now I am enjoying the world of Skyrim, at least as much as Morrowind's and Oblivion's before this. I am not talking graphics-wise, I couldn't care less about that; it's just that when I was looking at Oblivion's or Morrowind's general maps, I was thinking "what could be in there, in those locked areas?" And now you have the answer, at least part of it.

There are a lot of characters, books, stories, organizations that carry over from previous installments, or you're reminded of, and it's nice to see it all take you even further into this amazing adventure.

One little piece of advice, at least the way I see it; don't rush in to end the game's main quest, or else you might feel just like previous poster mentioned, "meh." It just doesn't do justice to this game's real potential. A lot of background to be taken in, not just rushing to end the game in under 60 hours or less, that's not the point of it all. This kind of game is all but linear, so much to enjoy, and read and find out about, so take your sweet time with it and you won't regret it.

 

[PCgamer81]

It's all about the timeline in all of the games, and it's really good to see the story, places, people and developing situations going further in and expanding on all that happened. So it's really good to start with at least Morrowind and all its addons, it's really good for the general feel of this universe.

Right now I am enjoying the world of Skyrim, at least as much as Morrowind's and Oblivion's before this. I am not talking graphics-wise, I couldn't care less about that; it's just that when I was looking at Oblivion's or Morrowind's general maps, I was thinking "what could be in there, in those locked areas?" And now you have the answer, at least part of it.

There are a lot of characters, books, stories, organizations that carry over from previous installments, or you're reminded of, and it's nice to see it all take you even further into this amazing adventure.

One little piece of advice, at least the way I see it; don't rush in to end the game's main quest, or else you might feel just like previous poster mentioned, "meh." It just doesn't do justice to this game's real potential. A lot of background to be taken in, not just rushing to end the game in under 60 hours or less, that's not the point of it all. This kind of game is all but linear, so much to enjoy, and read and find out about, so take your sweet time with it and you won't regret it.

I played about an hour so far, I was impressed in the beginning with the guy getting his head chopped off - although I was surprised that they actually put that in the game, I would have liked to see more blood. The neck didn't bleed at all. No big deal, but I did notice that immediately. Of course, they don't want an A rated game, and with graphics like that, bleeding from the neck cavity after a decapitation and flopping around like a fish would have surely got the game tagged with the dreaded 'A' rating, so I understand.

I spent about a half hour choosing and customizing my race - I chose a Dark Elf. He is light skinned with red eyes and has a small war tattoo on each cheek. I would have liked some more options as far as facial structure is concerned - the possibilities pale in comparison to the tool set offered in Oblivion. But overall I am satisfied with the character creation. I do like how they skip the class and skills altogether in favor of a more hand's on approach later.

I really do like it so far. I was surprised at how quickly I got a decent suit of armor and a couple of decent weapons. In Oblivion, I had to suffer through the god-awful sewer scene, pick up loads of unwanted stuff to sell later in town for a very basic suit of armor and weapon. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised at how soon the player get's his/her hands on a decent suit of armor and decent dual weapons to swing. Speaking of which, the dual weapon/spell feature already seems that it is going to be one of the major improvements in Skyrim. Combat sometimes felt stale in Oblivion/Morrowind, and although I have yet to spend a lot of time with it, I can already tell that this is going to a very enjoyable battle system.

I will keep you posted.

 

[waspzz]

Oblivion really blew my mind when it was released. The graphics, the world and the possibilities. I played Morrowind before playing Oblivion and even though morrowind is an open world rpg like Oblivion, It didnt have the Oblivion feel to it. Morrowind is like a big play ground where the developers just threw random toys on it without thinking of how it will play out. Oblivion is a bit more solid, more polished. Im playing Skyrim right now and I can say thats its better that oblivion overall. Its more cinematic right now, I like cinematic games. The game make the players feel important and significant. Like your the mighty savior of all Tamriel. Also, adding the optional choises like picking a side - legion or the rebels is a nice touch..

 

[beastley]

In my opinion it goes:

Morrowind>Skyrim>Oblivion

Oblivion is a great game, but it does have its faults. I thought the main quest was too repetitive - for the most part it was just closing one oblivion gate after another. The landscape was a bit unvaried - just different looking trees.

Morrowind was just epic, even if the combat was a bit poor. The story and the overall feel of the game was just better than Oblivion or Skyrim. Also crossbows are awesome.

I never played Arena or Daggerfall, they were a bit before my time.

 

[PCgamer81]

Oblivion really blew my mind when it was released. The graphics, the world and the possibilities. I played Morrowind before playing Oblivion and even though morrowind is an open world rpg like Oblivion, It didnt have the Oblivion feel to it. Morrowind is like a big play ground where the developers just threw random toys on it without thinking of how it will play out. Oblivion is a bit more solid, more polished. Im playing Skyrim right now and I can say thats its better that oblivion overall. Its more cinematic right now, I like cinematic games. The game make the players feel important and significant. Like your the mighty savior of all Tamriel. Also, adding the optional choises like picking a side - legion or the rebels is a nice touch..

Well, the first time I played Oblivion it was early in '06, it was just released, and I got it on my brand new 360 because, well, at the time a gaming computer to play Oblivion was just not a possibility for me.

I was immediately blown away by it, as well. Just as I was blown away all over again when I finally did get it on PC ( the game of the year edition).

Oblivion is a masterpiece - a work of art in the gaming industry. It really put Bethesda's development team with Todd Howard and his staff on the map.

Todd Howard and development team had achieved some good things with Morrowind - it was really their first game to be a major commercial success, and coincidentally was the first ES game to cross the platform barrier, as it was released on the Xbox.

But it was Oblivion that propelled them to the forefront of the gaming world. With the breakout success of Oblivion, and of course Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, the expectations were really on the team at Bethesda to deliver something that no one had really seen before with Skyrim - I can imagine the pressure that Howard and his staff felt to follow up their previous successes with something totally new, while at the same time totally awesome - something that would really meet everyone's expectations.

I think that Howard and his staff rose to the plate, and knocked it out of the park. I may not have but a few hours invested in it, but I can tell you this:

Skyrim is the most amazing RPG since KOTOR, and the most amazing single player experience since Half Life 2.

 

[PCgamer81]

In my opinion it goes:

Morrowind>Skyrim>Oblivion

Oblivion is a great game, but it does have its faults. I thought the main quest was too repetitive - for the most part it was just closing one oblivion gate after another. The landscape was a bit unvaried - just different looking trees.

Morrowind was just epic, even if the combat was a bit poor. The story and the overall feel of the game was just better than Oblivion or Skyrim. Also crossbows are awesome.

I never played Arena or Daggerfall, they were a bit before my time.

I loved Morrowind - I have it on PC and am about to start getting back into the mods again. But first I believe I will spend a few hundred hours in Skyrim.

I played Arena and Daggerfall. Both are terribly dated, but if I had to choose one to play today, it would probably have to be Arena, believe it or not.

Daggerfall, I believe, was a little too far ahead of it's time. Granted, the game is massive. Far bigger game world than any of the other ES games put together, but when coupled with graphics that just don't cut it, and gameplay that is terribly dated, the game is just a whole lot of nothing.

 

[FunSurfer]

The game that I like the most is Skyrim. For me, Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim were all the best RPG game - each for its time of release, but overall best gaming experience is Skyrim because it has no loading-pauses. Simply as that. Morrowind had them every 10-20 seconds which is very annoying, I finished the game including the Solstheim addon but couldn't bring myself to explore every inch of the map even though I really wanted to do it- especially all the little islands scattered arround the map. The pauses times where improved in Oblivion to 30-60 seconds so I finished the game and explored every part of the map, but couldn't play it for the second time. There where no pauses in Fallout 3 so I played it twice including full map exploration in spite of the fact that it is a wasteland, only stopped the second playthrough because Skyrim was released.

 

[PCgamer81]

The game that I like the most is Skyrim. For me, Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim were all the best RPG game - each for its time of release, but overall best gaming experience is Skyrim because it has no loading-pauses. Simply as that. Morrowind had them every 10-20 seconds which is very annoying, I finished the game including the Solstheim addon but couldn't bring myself to explore every inch of the map even though I really wanted to do it- especially all the little islands scattered arround the map. The pauses times where improved in Oblivion to 30-60 seconds so I finished the game and explored every part of the map, but couldn't play it for the second time. There where no pauses in Fallout 3 so I played it twice including full map exploration in spite of the fact that it is a wasteland, only stopped the second playthrough because Skyrim was released.

Really good post.

Yes, the load times were bad for Morrowind - and were not too good for Oblivion, either.

I am yet to complete Fallout 3, but perhaps I will one of these days...

 

[bystander]

I was really disappointed with Oblivion after Morrowind. Skyrim was better than I expected and I'd have to go with Skyrim.

The big storyline may have been better with Oblivion, but Skyrim is better in every other way. I always disliked the way leveling worked in with Oblivion. Skyrims perk system is far better, and the stats system in Oblivion was retarded (I know, it was in Morrowind well, probably Dagger fall and Arena too, but I can't remember how the first 2 were). I also like the removal of custom spells, which could be abused too easily.

 

[PCgamer81]

I was really disappointed with Oblivion after Morrowind. Skyrim was better than I expected and I'd have to go with Skyrim.

The big storyline may have been better with Oblivion, but Skyrim is better in every other way. I always disliked the way leveling worked in with Oblivion. Skyrims perk system is far better, and the stats system in Oblivion was retarded (I know, it was in Morrowind well, probably Dagger fall and Arena too, but I can't remember how the first 2 were). I also like the removal of custom spells, which could be abused too easily.

I was crazy about Oblivion at one time - as well as Morrowind.

Skyrim is a whole 'nother animal. I was reluctant to purchase the game for obvious reasons - it didn't really seem like a step forward for the industry. But I will say this... In the little time I have spent with Skyrim, I can already tell you that it might be the best console port I have yet to play. I know that as an avid PC gamer, I hate to see consolized PC games by developers that use to be PC exclusive. This game is great.

The graphics are bad. I will say that - well, not so much the graphics...I mean, the overall scope and models are decent, enough. But the textures are terrible. I mean, just terrible. But, what can you really expect from a console first?

That is the only bad thing I can say about Skyrim at the moment. Oh, and the user interface is retarded. I think they tried too hard to over simplify it.

But in the scope of the game, these are very small complaints.

Skyrim is terrific.

 

[bystander]

I was crazy about Oblivion at one time - as well as Morrowind.

Skyrim is a whole 'nother animal. I was reluctant to purchase the game for obvious reasons - it didn't really seem like a step forward for the industry. But I will say this... In the little time I have spent with Skyrim, I can already tell you that it might be the best console port I have yet to play. I know that as an avid PC gamer, I hate to see consolized PC games by developers that use to be PC exclusive. This game is great.

The graphics are bad. I will say that - well, not so much the graphics...I mean, the overall scope and models are decent, enough. But the textures are terrible. I mean, just terrible. But, what can you really expect from a console first?

That is the only bad thing I can say about Skyrim at the moment. Oh, and the user interface is retarded. I think they tried too hard to over simplify it.

But in the scope of the game, these are very small complaints.

Skyrim is terrific.

I've been playing the game in 3D, so the graphics still look great. In a lot of ways, 3D hides some of the lowered detail level. I just wish 3D worked better with the water.

The UI is different, but I didn't like Oblivion's either and both are console ports, or at least, Oblivion's UI was definitely heavily influenced by their decision to make it for both consoles and PC's, so I am I not happy with either, but I think the Skyrim UI looks cleaner, even if it's still clunky. Oblivion's lettering was terrible and over-sized, which I found just annoying to look at.

What really impressed me is the look of the dungeons in Skyrim. They just feel a lot more impressive with water running through them and the creativity of their design. A lot of Oblivion's dungeons just felt small and reused.

 

[PCgamer81]

I've been playing the game in 3D, so the graphics still look great. In a lot of ways, 3D hides some of the lowered detail level. I just wish 3D worked better with the water.

The UI is different, but I didn't like Oblivion's either and both are console ports, or at least, Oblivion's UI was definitely heavily influenced by their decision to make it for both consoles and PC's, so I am I not happy with either, but I think the Skyrim UI looks cleaner, even if it's still clunky. Oblivion's lettering was terrible and over-sized, which I found just annoying to look at.

What really impressed me is the look of the dungeons in Skyrim. They just feel a lot more impressive with water running through them and the creativity of their design. A lot of Oblivion's dungeons just felt small and reused.

Cool, I did not even know that Skyrim had 3D support.

I am yet to really delve into the dungeons in Skyrim, and am really looking forward to it. I hope it's nothing like Oblivion which recycled way too much and the Oblivion gates were terrible to put up with after a hundred hours of playtime or so.

 

[bwrlane]

Skyrim in 3D is great, but can get a little tiring on the eyes for long sessions. Skyrim is definitely better technically, but given the time elapsed since Oblivion was released, so it should be.

There's one thing about Skyrim vs Oblivion that I just can't quite put my finger on. Oblivion has this real epic feel to it, as though you're actually taking part in a monumental event in history. It lives with you like a great book, stirs the soul and fires the imagination in a way that games very rarely do. How many games have achieved this feat? For me, only Deus Ex (the first), Mass Effect 2 and to some extent, Far Cry.

Skyrim just doesn't quite do that for me. As another poster said, the storyline just doesn't seem to suck you in as much and does have a bit of a meh aspect to it. What I don't know is if this is my subjective impression or whether it actually is so. Ie if I'd played Skyrim without playing Oblivion, would it have had the same impact - is it just as good but just feels a little stale because I've already played Oblivion?

There was something about Oblivion - for example the way the music stirs just as the landscape opens out to a glorious vista, that really gets you on the emotional level. It's a beautifully done piece of work. By comparison, Skyrim leaves the impression that the producers were a little bored at times. Perhaps they didn't quite ever move beyond the point of just making a great game, to making it the masterpiece of an epic adventure that Oblivion was.

In Oblivion, many of the side quests were almost epics in themselves, while in Skyrim some are plain tedious. Get object x, give it to person y and collect reward z. No point and no interest other than just ticking it off the list.

A couple of things I like about Skyrim. I really hated the ultra creepy bits of Oblivion that were designed to terrify, like the gates of Oblivion and some of the caves. They went a notch too far in this respect imho. Skyrim is better in that regard.

And then a couple of niggling things that are quite annoying in Skyrim. For example, you can increase your level really quickly by practising smithing, but alchemy is terribly slow, as is speechcraft. Seems a bit imbalanced.

Also, while I'm a 100 destruction character, I still find destruction far less effective than one handed, where I am about 90. Again, it seems quite unbalanced. Overall, I'm a level 58 character and still find some fights challenging (that's good and keeps the level of interest up), but in the end, the approach that usually works best is just to hack and slash em. That's bad. It would be better if it rewarded you a bit more for planning and thinking through your approach to a tough battle.

The dragons are really cool. More so when you're high enough a level to defeat the stronger ones without help. Before that, they're just annoying. Shouts are cool too but many of them seem quite pointless. And then the assassins. There's little more rewarding than looting the body of an assassin you've just dispatched to find a note with instructions to kill you, personalised with your name.

But dear oh dear those glitches. Thank goodness I have the PC version where I can use console commands to move a quest along when you find a contradiction in the logic of interlocking quests that prevents you progressing.

 

[bystander]

@bwrlane,

I'm not sure how long you've been playing games, but what you said is how I felt about Oblivion as far as the story goes. I have felt that way about many games over the last 5 years. I believe it has a lot to do with having played so many games over the years, that very few games ever give me that wonderous feeling I used to get. I wonder if a lot of the lost magic is due to us getting older.

As far as the imbalance of classes, that is a problem that as been a part of all the Elder scroll games. I think part of it is due to how they imagine you playing. If you just go through the wild and only craft as you pick up stuff in the wild, alchemy and smithing might level the same, but if you realize you can buy leather and leather strips at the smiths, then you'd level smithing crazy fast in comparison. That said, I have the same issue you do, but it's no different then the previous games.

As far as the quests go, I always found all side quests lame in all of the Elder scroll games, but what I liked the most about all the Elder scroll games were the guild quests. Those are impressive and what keep me playing.

The power difference in weapons is definitely present. I have found that playing a mage is more difficult than a sneak attacking thief, but you just have to play each session independently. Oblivion's imbalance with how weak archery was, really bugged me to no end, but you could always lower the difficulty level so it was able to do half way decent damage, that or you had to go around constantly recharging your bow with magic...or what I found fun was making poisons.

In the end, I lost the magic with Oblivion, where as Arena, Daggerfall and Morrowind all felt much more epic to me, but I believe it's because I'm older and it takes more to impress me. I see the same thing with movies. Movies I loved in the 80's seem to cheesy today, and movies today do not impress me much outside a few rare exceptions.

 

[PCgamer81]

...I'm not sure how long you've been playing games, but what you said is how I felt about Oblivion as far as the story goes. I have felt that way about many games over the last 5 years. I believe it has a lot to do with having played so many games over the years, that very few games ever give me that wonderous feeling I used to get. I wonder if a lot of the lost magic is due to us getting older...

What you just said struck a cord with me so deeply that I wanted to shut my eyes.

I know exactly what you mean by that.

I use to play games every second of every day when my time allowed me too. Now, I find myself sitting back and watching Netflix and eating take-out more and more often.

I am 30 years old, and games don't have the same effect on me that they used too - although there are exceptions.

I think the last game that really moved me was the original Halo - except for Half Life 2.

 

[bwrlane]

@bwrlane,

I'm not sure how long you've been playing games, but what you said is how I felt about Oblivion as far as the story goes. I have felt that way about many games over the last 5 years. I believe it has a lot to do with having played so many games over the years, that very few games ever give me that wonderous feeling I used to get. I wonder if a lot of the lost magic is due to us getting older.

Thanks for sharing your views on game playing in general and Skyrim imbalances in particular.

Alright, this is a bit OT but hopefully there's been enough on the original question. I absolutely echo the general trend that as you get older, some things that used to wow you just don't any more. It's frustrating because you go out seeking the same enjoyment you used to have but just don't get it. This applies particularly to computer games for older gamers such as me (I'm 42). After a lull in my early 30s, my interest in all things tech and gaming has been reawakened to some extent by my children 14 years (girl) and 11 (boy).

But all is not lost. I tend to find that one needs to let go of a hobby or pleasure from time to time if it's not grabbing you like it used to, and find a new one. No amount of "doing it more" will give you the same pleasure, so it's time to move on. This is probably different for different people, but I find that the older I get, the stronger and deeper my appreciation becomes for the pastimes that I used to despise when I was a young lad. Stuff like listening to classical music, going to a local production of a Shakespeare play, or reading poetry. There is a reason this kind of stuff has survived for centuries, and that's because it is very, very good, and was produced by some of the true giants of our culture. The great thing is that when you get lost in enjoyment in something new, you tend to find a bit of your old self again, which can reawaken some of the fun that you used to have doing your old hobbies when you go back to them. There's a lot of great fun stuff for kids these days. However, I guarantee that in 300 years time our descendants will not be playing Skyrim, watching the X-factor or reading Harry Potter, whilst the works of Beethoven and Shakespeare will remain as alive as they are today.

 

[casualcolors]

Thanks for sharing your views on game playing in general and Skyrim imbalances in particular.

Alright, this is a bit OT but hopefully there's been enough on the original question. I absolutely echo the general trend that as you get older, some things that used to wow you just don't any more. It's frustrating because you go out seeking the same enjoyment you used to have but just don't get it. This applies particularly to computer games for older gamers such as me (I'm 42). After a lull in my early 30s, my interest in all things tech and gaming has been reawakened to some extent by my children 14 years (girl) and 11 (boy).

But all is not lost. I tend to find that one needs to let go of a hobby or pleasure from time to time if it's not grabbing you like it used to, and find a new one. No amount of "doing it more" will give you the same pleasure, so it's time to move on. This is probably different for different people, but I find that the older I get, the stronger and deeper my appreciation becomes for the pastimes that I used to despise when I was a young lad. Stuff like listening to classical music, going to a local production of a Shakespeare play, or reading poetry. There is a reason this kind of stuff has survived for centuries, and that's because it is very, very good, and was produced by some of the true giants of our culture. The great thing is that when you get lost in enjoyment in something new, you tend to find a bit of your old self again, which can reawaken some of the fun that you used to have doing your old hobbies when you go back to them. There's a lot of great fun stuff for kids these days. However, I guarantee that in 300 years time our descendants will not be playing Skyrim, watching the X-factor or reading Harry Potter, whilst the works of Beethoven and Shakespeare will remain as alive as they are today.

I am also an older gamer, though not quite as older as some of us (such as yourself there old bones). I just wanted to really chime in and say that I agree with your post entirely, and I thought that it was well written and gives some important perspective that sometimes I think is lacking in the community of gamers.

I also gave gaming a good break in my early and mid 20's and when I eventually came back to it, things felt almost fresh again. For people suffering from that lingering feeling of having seen and done it all in games, the best thing they can really do is to seek out another hobby and expand themselves, as you've said.

Thanks for the great post. It's a good example of why tomshardware continues to be one of the few internet forums that I still visit, particularly in regard to gaming.

 

[PCgamer81]

Thanks for sharing your views on game playing in general and Skyrim imbalances in particular.

Alright, this is a bit OT but hopefully there's been enough on the original question. I absolutely echo the general trend that as you get older, some things that used to wow you just don't any more. It's frustrating because you go out seeking the same enjoyment you used to have but just don't get it. This applies particularly to computer games for older gamers such as me (I'm 42). After a lull in my early 30s, my interest in all things tech and gaming has been reawakened to some extent by my children 14 years (girl) and 11 (boy).

But all is not lost. I tend to find that one needs to let go of a hobby or pleasure from time to time if it's not grabbing you like it used to, and find a new one. No amount of "doing it more" will give you the same pleasure, so it's time to move on. This is probably different for different people, but I find that the older I get, the stronger and deeper my appreciation becomes for the pastimes that I used to despise when I was a young lad. Stuff like listening to classical music, going to a local production of a Shakespeare play, or reading poetry. There is a reason this kind of stuff has survived for centuries, and that's because it is very, very good, and was produced by some of the true giants of our culture. The great thing is that when you get lost in enjoyment in something new, you tend to find a bit of your old self again, which can reawaken some of the fun that you used to have doing your old hobbies when you go back to them. There's a lot of great fun stuff for kids these days. However, I guarantee that in 300 years time our descendants will not be playing Skyrim, watching the X-factor or reading Harry Potter, whilst the works of Beethoven and Shakespeare will remain as alive as they are today.

Great post.

I have discovered the joys of classical music, as well. Mozart's 25th in G minor is probably my favorite. I am also fond of his Flute Concerto No. 1 in G major (K.313). I also listen to a lot of Tchaikovsky, particularly around this time of the year.

10 or even 5 years ago I would have laughed at myself for liking that (I always liked heavy metal), but the older I get, the bigger the appreciation for things that I would have never imagined I would like.

 

[PCgamer81]

I am also an older gamer, though not quite as older as some of us (such as yourself there old bones). I just wanted to really chime in and say that I agree with your post entirely, and I thought that it was well written and gives some important perspective that sometimes I think is lacking in the community of gamers.

I also gave gaming a good break in my early and mid 20's and when I eventually came back to it, things felt almost fresh again. For people suffering from that lingering feeling of having seen and done it all in games, the best thing they can really do is to seek out another hobby and expand themselves, as you've said.

Thanks for the great post. It's a good example of why tomshardware continues to be one of the few internet forums that I still visit, particularly in regard to gaming.

For me, I find myseld putting the same amount of time into gaming as ever, but getting less and less out of it.

I have bought over 100 games, 50 through steam, in just the last few months. I am buying a game every other day, it seems. I don't even play the ones I have. I am always searching for that 1 game that will do what Half Life 2 did to me all those years ago, Metro 2033 came close - as did Crysis - but as of yet, I haven't found it.

Skyrim may be the one, I will see.

 

[casualcolors]

For me, I find myseld putting the same amount of time into gaming as ever, but getting less and less out of it.

I have bought over 100 games, 50 through steam, in just the last few months. I am buying a game every other day, it seems. I don't even play the ones I have. I am always searching for that 1 game that will do what Half Life 2 did to me all those years ago, Metro 2033 came close - as did Crysis - but as of yet, I haven't found it.

Skyrim may be the one, I will see.

Unfortunately I get the feeling that you're searching for a unicorn in a stable of old mares.

Everyone has that 1 game that really pushed all of their buttons, and unfortunately it's a pretty expensive journey to find the next one that will do the same as I've come to find out.

Do yourself a favor and play the games you have! Sometimes the biggest thing getting between yourself and having fun, is an attention span that has already written off the game you're trying.

 

[PCgamer81]

Unfortunately I get the feeling that you're searching for a unicorn in a stable of old mares.

Everyone has that 1 game that really pushed all of their buttons, and unfortunately it's a pretty expensive journey to find the next one that will do the same as I've come to find out.

Do yourself a favor and play the games you have! Sometimes the biggest thing getting between yourself and having fun, is an attention span that has already written off the game you're trying.

Thanks a lot.

You know, I have often thought that if I could just delete all of my games, and then re-download and really stick with just one game at a time, then maybe I will have more fun.

But when you have so many games, sometimes you just go back and forth and never really know where you should start. And yes, you're right, the attention span thing is a problem - which is compounded by all the games I have.

 

[Kef]

Morrowind
Pro's - amazing main quest story line, massive step forward from it's predecessors (ability to create constant effect levitation apparel was great for exploring at higher levels!)
Con's - horrible althletic/agility leveling (even the weapon skills are dreadful to begin with, getting killed by a worm after a coupleof hours play is quite distressing), very clunky combat

Oblivion
Pro's - brilliant guild quests (fighters/mages/thieves/darkbrotherhood) graphically another step forward, better starting skills making initial progress less frustrating
Con's - disappointing main storey line, repetitive oblivion levels

Skyrim
Pro's - massive brilliantly detailed playing world makes it utterly imersive, much more effective offensive magic (first time I've played a decent mage character) - I think the fortify destruction attributes have made it almost too easy
Con's - terrible console orientated interface (massively inaccurate mouse action in menus - I'm constantly getting the wrong text string, or sale item) guild quests seem much poorer (done mages/companions so far, started dark brotherhood), no longer able to create spells, also the loss of leveled enemies is taking a bit of getting used to , getting jumped by a pair of trolls on day one is a nightmare.

if it wasn't for the interface i'd say skyrim definitely, but morrowind was something special.