User blog comment:Draevan13/Thoughts on TES IV: Oblivion./@comment-5709731-20130306133233

In fact, I think Oblivion was FAR funnier than Skyrim. And Morrowind (Mara keep me safe against all the Morrowind-lovers who will now wish to send my soul to Sithis...). Morrowind was a great game, but I bought it after the other two, and it has never appealed to me as much as Oblivion and Skyrim  did. While Skyrim introduced me to the series, Oblivion was the first game I got, and I loved it. The thing I loved most from the very start was the arena. It was an amazing sort of questline; fighting increasinly tough opponents, rising through the ranks... Compared to Skyrim, the entire faction system was much better in Oblivion. You had a tab that showed you what factions you belonged to, and what rank you had, which made you feel like you actually belonged to that faction, rather than occasionally visiting them and doing quests for them like in Skyrim. Also, there were many more factions, the quests were longer, and you didn't rise to leadership after doing... Nothing. Seriously, in Skyrim you could become the head of a College by learning one spell, doing a few dungeons and finding two magical relics and defeating a Thalmor. The oblivion mages guild questline involved a damn long questline just for BECOMING a mage, and then an exciting storyline with a nercomantic plot by the King of Worms. The Thieves Guild questline was amazing in Skyrim, but just as good in Oblivion. Also, fences were hidden across Cyrodiil and the order was much more secretive. The Fighters Guild gave you contracts you had to complete to acess a higher rank. In Skyrim, you had only barely been named a full-fledged companion, then suddenly you become a member of the Circle. Believe it or not, Dustman's Cairn wasn't a testing to become a Circle Member, it was a testing to become a normal companion! One contract later and you are a part of the leadership! Something must be wrong there... The Fighters Guild storyline in Oblivion was much longer and funnier, and you had to work your way through the ranks, unlike in Skyrim. Same problem with the Dark Brotherhood. In Oblivion, you slaughtered, sneaked, stabbed and sniped your way through the ranks, until finally becoming Silencer. In Skyrim, you did one actual contract (Those petty Nazir things doesn't count in my mind) and then suddenly you were the damned Listener! I don't mind the storyline, but they could at least have made you complete two or three more primary contracts before doing the whole Listener and Emperor thing. Basically, the good thing about Oblivion was the large number of joinable factions and their amazing storylines. Skyrim had two pushover-factions (Companions and College) who were done in no time, two actual good factions (Thieves Guild and DB, even with the shortness of the latter), and then the Dawnguard questline, who, whichever side you chose, was all about running around with Serana (Who was the most boring character I have ever encountered in a TES game) and collecting Elder Scrolls. In Oblivion, you had the imperial guilds, who were amazing, the DB who was equally amazing, the court of madness which was incredibly epic, and the Knights of the Nine, which was a great, but a bit short, storyline. I could go on about Oblivion, but the great thing about it was definetely the factions. And the Daedric Quests. In my opinion, the variety of races living in the towns, the varying looks of the towns, and the greatness of the Imperial City makes Skyrim look generic.

Note that I have not critisized morrowind, and I will not do so, because that game is amazing. All my complains are at Skyrim, who in my opinion is the worst of the three (Even though it is still good!). I think Draevan is right. Because I didn't play Morrowind first, I didn't expect Morrowind. I expected Skyrim, and I got something even better. Finally, Arena is a proof that it is the Pocket Guide that is the Lore BREAKER (Refusing to use the other word), not Oblivion.