Previous Elder Scrolls games.

[an874]

So I've been loving Skyrim just as much as anyone else who has raved about it in the forums, but I've been wondering if I should give the previous games a chance. I ask because I keep hearing how Skyrim has managed to draw in many people who hated the previous games, and I've heard this often enough to be indecisive on this point. Do you think someone like me would enjoy previous games, which ones, and why? Thanks in advance for suggestions and sorry on the off chance that this thread has been done already.

 

[ChaosEternal]

I'd suggest trying out Arena and Daggerfall, which you can get for free on Bethesda's website. I really enjoyed Arena, it astounded me that something like that could have been made in... 1994 if I remember correctly.

 

[Joshimodo]

They're all good in their own ways. Oblivion is probably the weakest, as it suffers from less depth and immersion than those before it, and the flawed technical systems that were remedied in Skyrim.

As ChaosEternal said, pick up Arena and Daggerfall for free from Bethesda, and pick up Morrowind and download the overhaul mod to bring it visually up to date.

 

[WaywardHaymaker]

I like Daggerfall, and as soon as I can get Morrowind running on my computer with a graphics and combat mod, I'll get way the hell into that. Oblivion was alright, but I only have such a weak spot for it because it was where I picked the series up. I get why people don't much care for it.

 

[saintchristopher]

just understand, each successive game takes HUGE technical leaps forward. Oblivion was practically a 360 launch title. So it's NOT going to look as pretty. By a wide margin. And then going back to Morrowind, it's even more exponential.

that said, once you look past their age, and come to terms with each game's various peccadilloes, they are ludicrously immersive games that provide hundreds of hours of play.

 

[omicron1]

Also, do try the "Morrowind Graphics Extender". Unless you like your old games to look old.

 

[Neverhoodian]

My opinions on the previous Elder Scrolls game are as follows:

Arena: A fun little diversion, but not as engaging as most of the others. Entire continent is explorable, but it's lacking in detail. Best to stick to fast traveling between dungeons. Game is free to download, so give it a try (you'll need a DOS emulator like DOSBox to run it):
http://www.elderscrolls.com/arena/

Daggerfall: Very enjoyable once you've gotten past its many quirks. Another huge landmass (twice the size of Great Britain, in fact), but rather sparse in detail. Again, fast travel is strongly recommended...unless you want to spend literally days traversing between locations. Contains the most mature content of the series, with (pixelated) nudity cropping up from time to time and a book with a story that contains a graphic rape scene (fortunately you don't have to read it if you don't want to). Game is very buggy even by Bethesda standards, so the axiom "save early, save often" applies. Procedurally generated dungeons and side quests means potentially unlimited play time. Also free, so give it a go:
http://theelderscrolls.wiwiland.net/?title=Daggerfall_:_DaggerfallSetup_EN

Morrowind: One of my favorites. First game in the series to have an overworld worth exploring. Landscape is wonderfully alien, with truly imaginative scenery and creatures. Has clunky combat mechanics though (essentially rolls a virtual dice every swing against your skill with the weapon to see if you hit or not). Also has a huge collection of excellent mods to choose from if you're playing the PC version.

Oblivion: A resounding "meh." Landmass and game atmosphere feel very generic and lacks that Elder Scrolls "feel." NPCs are big "uncanny valley" candidates with their creepy stares. Level scaling robs you of any sense of progression or accomplishment as well as not making much sense lore-wise (why are common bandits wearing ebony/daedric armor?).

In short, I'd wholeheartedly recommend giving Morrowind and Daggerfall a try. Arena's worth looking into as well just to see how much the series has changed over time.

 

[dmase]

I've wanted to try arena and daggerfall but I get turned off by just how much i'm going to hate the visuals and the repetitiveness I know i'm going to feel. It doesn't take away anything from the game itself just purely my experience as someone who didn't get to play them the first go around.

Also I tried to get into morrowind but it's practically broken on new pc's so be careful if you do get it.

 

[Pearwood]

I've not tried Arena but it looks alright. Daggerfall is probably worth playing... if you can get it working! Morrowind is great