I ask this because I was having this discussion with some friends, and everyone had a different opinon. Personally, I liked Oblivion's Imperials the most, they seemed more powerful, not little skinny things. As for Nords, yeah, Skyrim all the way for me. As for the Bretons, they seemed to have little-to-no attention in Skyrim, but they seemed like the brains of the Empire in Oblivion to me.

As for the Argonians, well, I thought they were a daft gimmick in Oblivion, to be honest. Not sure why. But in Skyrim, while the few Argonians we see either live in the docks of one city and run an inn in the criminal hive of Riften, the new lore makes them more impressive, IMO. Tearing through Morrowind and exterminating the Ashlanders on the mainland is quite a feat. As for Khajiit, eh, I still cannot like them. I thought in Oblivion the more lion-like look, rather than the cattish faces of Skyrim, were better.

Dunmer in Skyrim got the short end of the stick, I think. Dragonborn gives me hope, though In Oblivion they seemed just as proud and strong as the Imperials, and obviously in Morrowind they're awesome.

In terms of looks, I liked Khajiit in Morrowind. For my money Khajiit lost their most distinctive feature when they lost their legs in Oblivion. I thought Skyrim did the best with all the other races, particularly Orcs. I didn't care for the looks of any of the races in Oblivion.

In terms of culture, I loved the Dunmer in Morrowind, especially Ashlander tribes. The political divisions between Dunmer were one of the most fascinating parts of Morrowind for me. I also liked the way Morrowind represented Khajiit and Argonians.

I liked the way Syrim portrayed all of the races. For Bretons, the Forsworn was a fascinating addition. I wish they'd done a little more with them though (perhaps in the next game). Orcs, I felt, really came into their own in Skyrim. The Orc settlements were really well done. I loved Khajiit caravans. The Thalmor were also a nice cultural touch that set Altmer apart. Thalmor could have been handled with a bit more depth but, as with Forsworn, I thought they were a step in the right direction.

Culturally, I didn't think any race was portrayed well in Oblivion. All races struck me as being too blandly similar, too homogenous. too motherly and solicitous and helpful. I realize Cyrodiil was a melting pot but, while it might have made some lore sense, it bored me to tears in terms of game atmosphere.

Looks: Skyrim > Morrowind > Oblivion.

Culture: Morrowind > Skyrim > Oblivion.

I would argue that the game I mentioned above did a superior job at portraying the Nords than Skyrim.

I think when it comes to the cultural display of races, I think it's a case-by-case basis depending on the game.

Obviously Skyrim did really well with Nords, Oblivion did really well with Imperials, and Morrowind with Dunmer.

I think Skyrim did a poor job with Khajiit, Altmer, and Argonian.

I think Oblivion did a poor job with Bosmer, Nord, and Argonian.

I think Skyrim did a great job with Orcs, and Oblivion did a good job with Altmer.