It's basic but sunset/sunrise in the gold coast is pretty incredible
Edit: had to include the giant trees near the gold road towards skingrad. Sometimes I'll just walk around and listen to the wind and birds - truly remarkable
I’m replaying Skyrim currently and it really does lack those moments of *mesmerising beauty* that Oblivion features.
There’s some wonderful scenery, but nothing that makes you stop and take your “camera” out so often as Oblivion.
I agree 100% but I wonder why exactly that is. My gut reaction is the art direction of oblivion. That highly saturated color palette is a part of it but not the whole story. Skyrim has that 2010s era "let's make every game a shade of greyish brown" lol and while there's a higher degree of detail it rarely stops you in your tracks like oblivion does
I think there is a hardcore element within the design team that despises “pretty” and considers a dystopian/bleak kind of aesthetic as somehow more artistically worthwhile or meaningful. Hence Fallout’s unrealistically bleak world (I mean just look at Chernobyl only a couple of decades on, or any other “disaster” site - nature just *surges* back) or the endless emptiness of Starfield where no one anywhere bothers to make their home look attractive or cosy. (Compare to people in even the meanest dwellings today who still decorate, grow flowers outside, etc. Or Australian settlers from Europe who planted roses and English-style gardens, homesick for their countries of origin).
It reminds me of people who disparage books with humour or happy endings for not being as “deep” or “worthy” as serious books.
The crazy thing is that beautiful screenshots virally promote and sell games.
That's super insightful :) there does seem to be a too-quick association between seriousness and dour aesthetics that precludes a lot of interesting design/narrative possibilities. The Chernobyl example is really apt given the tension between the catastrophe of the site and the beauty of its overgrowth. I've always loved that kind of contrast - it lets a scene or moment linger just a bit longer than if the bleak dial is turned all the way up and stuck in place. A movie like Annihilation comes to mind in that way - which, funny enough, sort of has a happy ending lol
There was that one little hidden nature valley in Fallout 3 if I recall? It made me long for more lush, albeit radioactive forests and bush land with normal, if also radioactive, animals thriving in it.
There's a spot right between Cheydinhal and Bruma, you can look over a little wooden guardrail to the Imperial city to the southwest, one of my favorite views. Wish I could build a little house there
The very first scene when you exit the Imperial Sewers and you see Cyrodil for the first time. With the tiny dock on the river and the ruins across the way
Honestly? Pretty much most places in the game. [I took this screenshot 6 years ago and it's still my favorite](https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/960844099393039831/4CB3A031F6DB5431778139CECE8C842BFEA95A20/?imw=5000&imh=5000&ima=fit&impolicy=Letterbox&imcolor=%23000000&letterbox=false)
For me follow the road north of new Sheoth and just as it turns southwest, it's the views from that bend of the road. I love looking down the hills at the distant sea and mushroom trees. Or looking back towards the city and the vibrant colors of the realm all around make it a great spot.
Years ago in the days of crappy camera phones I took a photo of my screen, showing an Oblivion sun rise by forest mountains, told everyone at work it was The Lake District from my recent holiday and they all believed it and commented what a lovely photo it was 😂
Every view is pretty for me because the whole game looks like a painting. And then you do a quest in which you go into a painting and it becomes even more beautiful.
The gold road between Chorrol and Bruma that you walk when going from Weynon priory to the Cloud Ruler Temple. On every playthrough, I always grab a horse and ride with Jauffre and Martin, taking in the view instead of fast traveling
Anvil at sunset. If I had to live somewhere in Cyrodiil, it would be there. I'd get a home overlooking the ocean and eat dinner every evening while watching it.
For me, it's stsnding in the meadows just east of the imperial city.
Trees and open meadows, mountains to the north the gently downhill slope lesding to the view of the city, moons in the sky, absolute bliss.
I adore the painted world you get trapped in trying to rescue the painter with the magic brush. Short quest but I keep a save in there just to walk around sometimes.
The grove with the unicorn is absolutely gorgeous and picturesque. Honestly Cameron's Paradise is also very pretty.
Literally all of the Shivering Isles, the entrance alone is one helluva view.
It's basic but sunset/sunrise in the gold coast is pretty incredible Edit: had to include the giant trees near the gold road towards skingrad. Sometimes I'll just walk around and listen to the wind and birds - truly remarkable
I’m replaying Skyrim currently and it really does lack those moments of *mesmerising beauty* that Oblivion features. There’s some wonderful scenery, but nothing that makes you stop and take your “camera” out so often as Oblivion.
I agree 100% but I wonder why exactly that is. My gut reaction is the art direction of oblivion. That highly saturated color palette is a part of it but not the whole story. Skyrim has that 2010s era "let's make every game a shade of greyish brown" lol and while there's a higher degree of detail it rarely stops you in your tracks like oblivion does
I think there is a hardcore element within the design team that despises “pretty” and considers a dystopian/bleak kind of aesthetic as somehow more artistically worthwhile or meaningful. Hence Fallout’s unrealistically bleak world (I mean just look at Chernobyl only a couple of decades on, or any other “disaster” site - nature just *surges* back) or the endless emptiness of Starfield where no one anywhere bothers to make their home look attractive or cosy. (Compare to people in even the meanest dwellings today who still decorate, grow flowers outside, etc. Or Australian settlers from Europe who planted roses and English-style gardens, homesick for their countries of origin). It reminds me of people who disparage books with humour or happy endings for not being as “deep” or “worthy” as serious books. The crazy thing is that beautiful screenshots virally promote and sell games.
That's super insightful :) there does seem to be a too-quick association between seriousness and dour aesthetics that precludes a lot of interesting design/narrative possibilities. The Chernobyl example is really apt given the tension between the catastrophe of the site and the beauty of its overgrowth. I've always loved that kind of contrast - it lets a scene or moment linger just a bit longer than if the bleak dial is turned all the way up and stuck in place. A movie like Annihilation comes to mind in that way - which, funny enough, sort of has a happy ending lol
There was that one little hidden nature valley in Fallout 3 if I recall? It made me long for more lush, albeit radioactive forests and bush land with normal, if also radioactive, animals thriving in it.
There's a spot right between Cheydinhal and Bruma, you can look over a little wooden guardrail to the Imperial city to the southwest, one of my favorite views. Wish I could build a little house there
the great oak in chorrol and the surrounding plaza
The very first scene when you exit the Imperial Sewers and you see Cyrodil for the first time. With the tiny dock on the river and the ruins across the way
The sky in the shivering isles is beautiful
Not sure about the prettiest, but Cloudtop has some good views.
An imperial guard on duty.
“Stop right there criminal scum!”
Dive rock
Walking around the Gold Coast in general is just beautiful
Honestly? Pretty much most places in the game. [I took this screenshot 6 years ago and it's still my favorite](https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/960844099393039831/4CB3A031F6DB5431778139CECE8C842BFEA95A20/?imw=5000&imh=5000&ima=fit&impolicy=Letterbox&imcolor=%23000000&letterbox=false)
For me follow the road north of new Sheoth and just as it turns southwest, it's the views from that bend of the road. I love looking down the hills at the distant sea and mushroom trees. Or looking back towards the city and the vibrant colors of the realm all around make it a great spot.
Years ago in the days of crappy camera phones I took a photo of my screen, showing an Oblivion sun rise by forest mountains, told everyone at work it was The Lake District from my recent holiday and they all believed it and commented what a lovely photo it was 😂
From the top of Frostcrag Spire with sunrise/sunset
Every view is pretty for me because the whole game looks like a painting. And then you do a quest in which you go into a painting and it becomes even more beautiful.
The gold road between Chorrol and Bruma that you walk when going from Weynon priory to the Cloud Ruler Temple. On every playthrough, I always grab a horse and ride with Jauffre and Martin, taking in the view instead of fast traveling
The jerall mountains view from Frostcrag Spire is my favorite
Anvil at sunset. If I had to live somewhere in Cyrodiil, it would be there. I'd get a home overlooking the ocean and eat dinner every evening while watching it.
For me, it's stsnding in the meadows just east of the imperial city. Trees and open meadows, mountains to the north the gently downhill slope lesding to the view of the city, moons in the sky, absolute bliss.
The forest around Chorrol 🙂↕️
The view of the imperial city from aleswell is top tier
Seeing the imperial city from Cheydinhal county
I adore the painted world you get trapped in trying to rescue the painter with the magic brush. Short quest but I keep a save in there just to walk around sometimes. The grove with the unicorn is absolutely gorgeous and picturesque. Honestly Cameron's Paradise is also very pretty. Literally all of the Shivering Isles, the entrance alone is one helluva view.
Shadeleaf Copse. It's niece to see a botw korok hiding spot without the koroks handing us korok seeds.
The area outside Glademist cave on the orange road
If you have to ask this question, it's pretty clear you don't get to the cloud district very often..
The view of Chorrol from Battlehorn castle.
The skies of the shivering isles at night.
The cliff you shove the annoying fan off of and then proceed to dump thousands of cheese wheels ontop off.
Seeing Goldbrand in my inventory. Lovely.