Why do this? Because the graphics are one of the only things we know about the game. As if that Battlefield 3 thread doesn't make Bethesda feel bad enough, here's some side http://ca.kotaku.com/5774861/epic-says-this-is-what-next+gen-should-look-like/gallery/

Anyway. What's really wrong with Skyrim's engine right now is two things.

A. Materials
Skin, metal, leaves, cloth, etc. These things move and reflect light differently. Modern games http://www.arena.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/MF_Lineup_Heavy.jpg, http://media.moddb.com/cache/images/engines/1/1/94/thumb_620x2000/Subsurface_Scattering.jpg, http://lostmoya.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/crysis-screenshot-3.jpg, http://unigine.com/devlog/080816-water.jpg, http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a131/aznpxdd/crysis642008-05-0114-48-55-14.jpg, and even http://vimeo.com/4304024 all look way better than what Skyrim has managed.

B. Lighting
Shadows woo! Except almost every major games since 2008 has had shadows. Since then games have added the ability to have http://vimeo.com/20088266, http://media.moddb.com/images/mods/1/18/17030/SSAO.jpg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqeXuO2AlEE, and much better http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/video/ati/5970/Shadows.jpg. None of which, again, Skyrim appears to match.

Gameplay is more important, no one has to point that out. But that doesn't mean you can't have nice graphics either, it's not a mutually exclusive thing here.

Just to be clear, I'm talking about the engine. Not the art. Is that clear enough? This has nothing to do with the art style, zero, nothing. The second you say anything about how you don't like how it looks, or that's not how Skyrim should look, or anything like that you have proven you didn't understand a thing I said.

Skyrim's graphic could be better, but for a world it's size it's difficult to have top of the lines textures/lighting/cloth physics ect.

I'd rather they focus on hand crafting all the landscapes we'll see then make it look like Crysis. The game looks great, and it's good enough for me. That's just me though.

Oh no not this again.

I think Skyrim looks great.

Um... You compare graphics of games that are pc exclusives and can't run at consoles because of hardware restrictions,to a game that will come out for consoles.


The game won't have Crysis graphics because then it wouldn't run on consoles.

Lol, it really is never enough.

How many modern games contain the general depth of TES? Not linear, single-player ones. Name a non-linear RPG that has better graphics than Skyrim at the moment. I'm genuinely curious.
Not to sound like a jerk or anything, but I just can't see why everyone is complaining about the graphics based off of a two-minute trailer.

the graphics are fine.

This. OP must not have seen the numerous graphics threads floating around.

they are more than good enough
and its xbox so it will be better for PC
and Skyrim needs to be optimized for a lot of people
also with a. if the materials use the same from fallout they would have normal map, specularity, environment, diffuse, and bump. A 3d modeler can use about half of those to make a realistic mesh

Oblivion had great depth, non-linear and had amazing graphics for its time.

From what is lacking on the trailer, Skyrim needs:
Tessellation/Better polygon models
High-resolution textures
Reflection on distant waters

Eight months before release. Knock it off.

you do realise there are still many months left to go right?

remember that time a game came out and the graphics weren't the best graphics ever and nobody really cared but like ten people INSISTED that the game was [censored] because of it?

fun times

ed i'm going to blow $6000 straight up on the BEST GAMING RIG EVER and then play the game at 640x480 with every graphics option on at the absolute minimum

Tessellation is really nothing but glorified LOD, also there is no way you could even tell that from the video, that has to do with preformance, not necessarily graphics
more than likely reflection will be in, it was in Fallout
higher resolution textures are in PC

As someone said earlier, name one game that has the amount of depth that TES has AND has great graphics.

I'm curious if someone can answer this.

Again with the Crysis comparison... god.

Not everything is trying to achieve Crysis's status, because not everybody has high-end PCs.

Leave outstanding graphics to FPS or Strategy games.In RPGs Graphics < Story < Gameplay IMO. :mohawk:

there is absolutely zero. none. at all.

Risen is not comparable. Gothic is not comparable. Two Worlds is not comparable. Red Dead Redemption is not comparable. everything else that anyone has ever mentioned is a corridor shooter.

The graphics are fine. I'm plenty happy with them. And that was a video that could have been made in the Alpha stages, there may be improvements. If you think about it Battlefield 3 don't have to design much in comparison, they just got to the middle east and take a few photos... with Elder scrolls each town seems to have an awful lot of time spent of the architecture. You cant expect a lot better from an open world RPG really... I see an awful lot of games being released with graphics a lot worse.

And you're his Mom? Boyfriend? Sister?

You said "if Skyrim is lacking good graphics" well it's not. If what you saw in the trailer isn't at least "good" then there is a problem.

Graphics are fine. Stop making these "make graphics better because I said so!" threads. it's pointless and bethesda knows what their doing. :banghead:

@MrMan
I know he isn't, but the amount of content in TES games is a testament to why it can't have Crysis-level graphics. Crysis is, without a doubt, a linear FPS. Since less time is devoted to the main story/gameplay (No need for 100+ side quests) they can work on graphics, and since the gameworld is so small, it can actually run without needing a MSSIAH-666 Model computer to play it.
So, graphics and game content go hand in hand. Crysis=Less content=Amazing Graphics. TES=Much, much more content=Average graphics

Hope that cleared it up.

Another thing to take note of:

You can't really have a graphics anolysis of a 1 minute gameplay trailer that was shot using the Xbox 360.

Just sayin.

You have two choices.
1: accept the graphics as they are across multi-platform ,huge open world,lots of objects clutter,story tracking,radiant AI,lots of text,voices....really...i could go on.....appreciate,what bethesda has done considering everything in the game. Thus..buy the game and get on with it.
2: If i doesn't meet your standards,find a game that does,and don't buy skyrim. :thumbsup:

This. Well said man.