Fair enough that there might be only 3 tilesets, and that Skyrim has more varied dungeons, but hasn't anyone pointed out that the layout of the dungeons is anything but similar? So what's the basis that Oblivion's dungeons are boring and repetitive while Skyrim's are not?

I'm currently replaying Oblivion and I'm enjoying just as much as I did before. Even though I agree that Skyrim has made strides forward in some ways (character models, return of Dwenmer ruins, more intuitive leveling system, dragons...), Oblivion still did some things better, like spell-making for instance. Between the 2 star attractions of exploring the Oblivion realm and fighting dragons, I like both equally.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that some of the negative nostalgia glasses might have given Oblivion an unfair amount of criticism.

I think part of it is that Skyrim's dungeons have a lot more unique sights than Oblivion's.

If I remember correctly, much less people were creating Oblivion dungeons as did Skyrim's and I think that overall they did a good job. I agree that dungeons should be more varied and not all forts had to be ruined and occupied by enemies. However, Oblivion dungeons are more realistic in a way because most of them aren't magically lighted by eternal fire as are Skyrim's. It doesn't make any sense that every Draugr tomb is full of everlasting torches. And another thing they did better in Oblivion is that there's more than one path you can follow in a dungeon - Skyrim's dungeons are mostly linear, without any real "crossroads."

I don't think there's anything at all wrong with them.
It's purely a perceptual thing.

(If pushed I would suggest that they are rather more involved and less linear overall than the Northern Province's, for all the latter's embellishments. But I don't want to get into that).

But Skyrim's caves and mines are almost all the same in a sense. They may have more detail than Oblivion's, they may have more features, and they may have little stories and notes and stuff that dazzle the player. But they all the same in the sense that 95% of the time, they are one-way. In and out. It's literally impossible to get lost in most of Skyrim's dungeons. I find this hand-holdy and in a sense, somewhat boring. Whenever I find myself feeling even slightly confused by the layout of a Skyrim lair, seconds later I'll remember there is always an in door and an out door to most every room, and before I know it I'm cruising thru the rest of the dungeon, unchallenged unless there's a trap or puzzle which shows up.

At least in Oblivion, I am often challenged not just by various enemies, but the the dungeon itself. There's the possibility that I can make a wrong turn, and wind up going in circles. Assuming I don't cheat by looking at the map, I find that I really have to pay attention to the direction I'm going, to the slope of the hallways in certain dungeons, stuff like that. Oblivion's dungeons, as less-detailed as they are, at least take a certain amount of wits to figure out.


Fair enough. Good thing I just laid a bit of criticism the other way just now, huh?


Yes, this is true. I'm probably gonna get this wrong, but I seem to remember reading Oblivion's dungeons were mostly created up by one person? If it's more than one, it's nowhere near the team Skyrim's dungeons had.