» Wed Apr 27, 2011 10:58 am
We have to keep in mind that Oblivion, and really any Elder Scrolls game, is much more ambitious in what it renders. Not to mention keeping tabs on all those NPCs, many of whom are capable of complex actions.
A little anecdote:
Yesterday I was playing Fallout 3 for 360. It's a couple years old now, and I hadn't played it in over a year. I decided to play it again, and I've been enjoying it immensely.
I was on my way to rivet city, when I encountered a raiders and super mutants battling it out. I killed the super mutants, and turned to the raiders. I killed one of them, but my leg was crippled, and the other one ran away before I could get to her. So I let her go.
I then limped my way over to where I had killed the super mutants, looking to loot the bodies...
...but the minigun was missing.
I looked all around and I couldn't find it. Then I heard the word, "Die!"
I turned around, and the raider I had let go and gotten to the minigun first, and she blew me away. I had to reload from my last save.
The point of this story?
Bethesedas game worlds are much more complex, and graphics are probably "confined" by the superior game world. They only have so much development time before they have to put out the game, and I would rather them create moments like this, then focus on graphics. Although the gameplay trailer for Skyrim looked fantastic, so I wouldn't worry too much anyways.