I hate the lighting in this game. It svcks. All the dark areas are way too dark, almost black, and the bright areas are way too bright, which is hard on my eyes. This is way too much contrast. Are there any game settings I can change to fix this?

I think one can safely assume that you are on a console. So, I will extend the honor and not suggest any mods. However, other than the in-game settings, (Game Menu / System / Settings / Display) I am afraid that you will be limited to them and your TV.

I think the darkness is something you will be able to handle in-game with torches and magic. Therefore I would suggest just turning down the brightness and use in-game lighting (torches - spells) where applicable.

I use mods to make the interiors, dungeons and caves, as well a the night time pitch black. It actually forces me to use a torch. I enjoy the darker aspect of it.

I know this isn't much help, but I hope it gives you something to work from.

nvm beat me to it

If in-game settings (as suggested above) do not work, you can always adjust the brightness/contrast of your TV or monitor itself. Tone down the contrast, and either up or down the brightness to your heart's content.

I'm playing on a PC with a plasma HDTV. I'm not using any mods yet. I use the candlelight spell a lot.

Oh, well then...that is a different story completely. I too play with a PC and a HD Plasma TV. I would suggest these to aid you in your quest.

Realistic Lighting http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=7654
Imaginator http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=13049

These two work great together, without all that overrated ENB mess. That stuff hits your performance and these do not. (maybe one or two FPS) I use stacked combinations of "presets" in the Imaginator for brilliant colors and contrast. Read all the "readme" information.

I highly recommend these tut vids from Gopher. Unless you are familiar with mods. http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL20E326325BADAE44&feature=plcp

With the RL custom, you can tweak the ini file settings to truly customize the lighting settings.

I agree that the lighting in Skyrim svcks. Along with animation and a few other aspects, it seems to be something Bethesda just isn't very good at.

That said, without mods, I had no such problem in my game. It might be caused by your monitor or other computer settings.

Really? Because I had to download a more that makes dark areas more dark and bright areas more bright before I was happy.

That is where I was. It was no where close to being dark enough.

@OP : That RLC mod withe default settings WILL make your dungeons and nights very dark. But the instillation menu has a lot of options. This includes a Vanilla option, which basically gives you the Vanilla game and lets you utilize the ini tweak to customize it to what ever you want.

EDIT : As suggested from other posts, I think you just need to look at your TV settings a little closer. To start with.

I personally love the lighting in Skyrim. Dungeons especially- they're dark, aside from when you're beside a torch. I find myself using candlelight almost constantly!

It's your TV. I use a bunch of visual/lighting mods because I had the opposite problem (I generally play on a color calibrated monitor.) Every once in a while I hook up my computer to my plasma, and find things way too contrasty and dark. Plasma in general have really deep blacks. Drop the contrast on your display, and adjust the brightness up or down as needed.

The darks are too bright. You shouldn't be able to see so well when it's supposed to be pitch black.

I'm guessing its a display problem too, or that the game seems fine on monitors, then gets too dark on TV.

I play on a 24" monitor calibrated for film editing and colour correction, never once had a problem. But seeing the game on my gf's older TV, I wondered how she could see anything at all.

it was a choice based off of practicality.

having to explore the entire world with a torch in-hand every time it got dark would have become an unneeded nuisance.

edit: and if you're playing on PC, this just shouldn't be something you should be whining about about unless you are just complaining for the sack of complaining.

I feel just the opposite. I welcome the need for torches and / or the actual use of mage light.

???

right, YOU feel that way.

they aren't trying to cater to you, as you exist in the minority.

if this was a problem that was more prominently discussed, then it would have been addressed. I guarantee you didn't think of this issue until you first visited this message board, which means it wasn't a real issue to begin with. just senseless nit-picking.

I keybinded tourch to 8, very useful. Although I have only used a tourch say 3-4 times up to level 34 on this char, not once on my post 50 char. If I could give more advice to those suffering darkness, try Aura whisper shout, I think its called or the detect life spell, especially for stealth characters, can be priceless to plan your attack.

You are missing something here.
It is not a complaint issue. The OP is having technical problems. The rest of us are actually trying to help. As far as what I think? How do you know what that is? I adjusted my game to be darker long before this thread.

EDIT : I don't need anybody to cater to me. I adjust the game to my needs.

yes, technical problems from a member that's been here since November 13th, 2011. a full 6-7 months since the game's release.

how was this not an issue from the beginning that he addressed? oh wait, let me guess: he just bought the game?

Could be...or he just bought the PC version...or the PC...or the TV...or just never really played that much, until now. The possibilities are endless.

right, except for the fact that he posted yesterday and nowhere did he express problems with the lighting of the game. something that, if an issue, would have been immediately addressed.

which means he was looking for issues in the game and found one no one had *cough*complained*cough* about yet and decided to make his whining public.

edit: and the thing about a new TV is a poor argument. if he had gotten a new television he would have probably stated as such. all you've done is given the OP leeway to leave himself in the clear.

Dark too dark? I never once had to use a torch in Skyrim. Had to use them all the time in Oblivion.

Really? I'm the complete opposite! I play both and can safely say that, for me at least, Skyrim's dungeons are MUCH darker than Oblivion's.

Dark is supposed to be dark, that is why it is called Dark. The lightness issue though, to much bloom boucing off the rocks in sunlight? I know you said you have no mods but is that really the case?

For me the game was way too bright by default, so i have a mod that makes nights darker. Left dungeons alone though, since it was pretty unpractical always needing a torch. It works pretty good, on bright starry night i can see without torch or candlelight, on a dark rainy night i can't see anything beyond the area a light source lits up. Unless i'm playign a khajiit, it's a very good reason to spend the night at an inn