I really think so. I'm playing TES since Morrowind days and I'm a hardcoe TES fan. I have to say that my fav TES is Skyrim and my least favourite one Oblivion. I mean, this is not because I prefer Oblivion. What I mean is that having watched the 3 alliance areas in beta, it seems the game looks more like Oblivion in general. I mean, the aesthetics, the artistical desing. I'm watching a lot of videos this days remembering my days in Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim and I really think the game looks more like Oblivion desing. I mean, more "precious" and not as realistic as Skyrim. I really like all TES games artistically and I'm fascinated with ESO world design, but this is just to point out my opinion and see what do you think about it.

I have to disagree a bit. What faction were you? I've only done AD and the zones didn't really look anything like Oblivion, except Sheogorath realm bits. The game uses a lot of Skyrim assets, I notice. The feel of the engine does remind me more of Oblivion somewhat, but graphically I think it's disparaging to say ESO looks more like Oblivion.

Oblivion's scenery was pretty monochromatic, it had a few nice vistas but for the most part it was just flat plains. ESO has a lot more varied environments that are also more impressive, at least in my eyes. Maybe it has something to do with texture quality, the palette of the zones you explored, or the fact that Cyrodiil is the game.

Well, Oblivion was my favorite elder scrolls. Mainly because Mysticism was bugged, so you could create 500 pt spells, throw a 80 pt mysticism spell like telekinesis on top, then if your spell absorption was high enough it would automatically refund a large portion of the mp used for the spell. At least on the console version.

I miss spell creation so much.

In some ways, but, thank god, they haven't revisited the bottom of uncanny valley with the characters.

I think I can see some of what you mean. Oblivion was the most mundane and colorful of the last three games in terms of art style, and ESO has that going on. Thank goodness it doesn't suffer the same overly generic, endlessly rolling pastoral scenes. The architecture's definitely been spiced up.

and the character models don't look like shaped, painted carboard

I think it looks very vibrant like Oblivion, but with more grittiness like Skyrim. The characters seem to have that same sort of detail and believability as Skyrim but with the stylization of Morrowind.

I do wish the shadows were more abundant.

But I don't mean to go into every aspect deeply. I mean the whole thing, as a whole...even being different of course (ESO looks way better) it's like that feeling...Of course in ESO we are gonna visit a lot of Tamriel zones so I suppose that when we get to see Skyrim, it will be more like Skyrim. But while playing for example around Stormhaven area (the last area I was in), to me, it "looked" like Oblivion. The same with Glenumbra. When I was playing AD areas, the same. EB area looks a lot like Skyrim (Bleackrock). But well, i mean when you see more open areas with rivers and flowers, look more like Oblivion style,

Seems to me that the color patterns, palettes, etc, etc are more Oblivionesque. Not meaning the whole scenary.

I agree, more or less what I wanted to say.

Maybe a little?

Then again, think of the color palettes you're comparing it with. Skyrim was specifically based in a cold, mountainous region full of taigas and tundras. Its coloring and styles were specifically based on those regions and the old Norse cultures that lived there, leading to lots of whites and grays speckled only lightly with what bright flowers and wildlife could survive there. Morrowind was based around a volcano and the connecting lands, so there was, again, lots of grays and browns with even less color for the wildlife that could live on that soil (though also limited by the technology of the time). The architecture styles were purposefully alien to contrast with the rest of Tamriel.

Oblivion was based in Cyrodiil, which is essentially the default of defaults of fantasy settings: pastoral and medieval European. That vibrant forest/grasslands environment is pretty much everywhere... Auridon in the Dominion, for example, is pretty much the exact same type of climate. They have more Ayleid architecture strewn about... but even that recalls Oblivion since Cyrodiil is where we saw most of those previously. The area around Daggerfall is also markedly foresty... though I did notice a marked palette difference between Daggerfall and Auridon.

Something to consider, I guess.

I'll admit, when you are in Cyrodiil the game has a bit of Oblivion flair, mood lighting and all. But then again thus far for me, Skyrim areas have felt like Skyrim areas and Morrowind areas have felt like Morrowind.

I would use the word playdoh. Or Gack. If anyone remembers that.

Character models remind me of a graphically upgraded Morrowind, tbh. Especially the elves.

This is a good thing.

It is all about perception it seems. More or less I agree with all the comments here. Really interesting points. I think it all ends up being a bit of this, and a bit of that

Actually some things do remind me of Oblivion like all the white ruins I've seen in the Daggerfall Covenant and Aldmeri Dominion areas and the short range of the bow. And the lock picking...I really preferred Skyrim's lock picking to Oblivion, I mean who can see inside locks unless they're Superman?

When explaining the game to my buddy I told him the art style was somewhere between Oblivion and Skyrim. So no, you are not the only one who thinks so.

I notice it most with the enemies. Bear and deer, for example. But also a bit in the architecture.

Thankfully character models are the exception and, overall, much better than both Oblivion and Skyrim.

Same only the Ayleid ruins reminded of me of Oblivion. still yet to find a paint brush in ESO so i can start making floating paint brush stairways

There's a feeling you get running a pick along the inside of a lock that isn't exactly translated in the 'hands of a clock' approach that Skyrim used.

I've cracked master chests in both games, I prefer it this way. Let's be honest, your first step in picking a lock in Skyrim was always just trial and error. Sometimes you would literally have to break a pick to even get an educated guess on where to place the next pick.

When I was in Cyrodiil, I got that awesome Oblivion feeling again, definitely reminded me of it.

I would say the art style is a little more like Oblivion, just a lot more detailed and gritty.