Elder Scrolls fans are divided over whether Oblivion or Skyrim is the better game. Some prefer TES5's more streamlined, accessible gameplay, while others prefer some of TES4's classic RPG features like its class system and spell-making. Some like scaling Skyrim's many mountains, others prefer exploring the alleyways of the Imperial City. Fortunately, fans are able to mod either game to fit their personal tastes. Both games' modding scenes continue to thrive years after their releases.

Plenty of Oblivion fans are still able to go back and enjoy the game as it was originally released. For fans who want to make their Oblivion experience more like The Elder Scrolls 5, however, the modding community provides plenty of solutions. Here are the five mods that make Oblivion much more like Skyrim.

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Oblivion Character Overhaul Version 2

Oblivion face mod graphics

Oblivion's character models left a lot to be desired, even in 2006. While Morrowind's visual design made the series' Elves more eerie and alien, the Orsimer fearsome, and the human races rugged, Oblivion's design went in a very different direction. Oblivion's character models can look strangely soft and shiny. The Elves' unique design was dropped for something more generic, the Orcs were bright green, and the humans often looked unfortunately uncanny.

Oblivion Character Overhaul Version 2 not only greatly improves the design of Oblivion's character models, but it does so in a way that is very consistent with the designs introduced in Morrowind and revived in Skyrim. Not only are these designs far better looking, but they retain enough of the originals for any Oblivion fan looking for that nostalgic kick. Like many of the mods on this list, Oblivion Character Overhaul Version 2 requires the Oblivion Script Extender. It also requires Blockhead, a plugin that enables other mods to override Oblivion's head models.

Realistic Player Dialogue Overhaul

Oblivion dialogue options mod

Oblivion's dialogue UI is often pretty simple. Instead of clicking on a piece of dialogue as in Skyrim, the player is often only presented with single-word options, resembling a contents page rather than a conversation. Instead of "have you heard any rumors lately?" the Hero of Kvatch's dialogue option just reads "rumors."

Skyrim made its dialogue options far more immersive, with fully-written sentences and more references to specific quest events. The mod Realistic Player Dialogue Overhaul may make a simple change, but its effects are far-reaching. It rewrites Oblivion's dialogue options to read far more realistically. The player character mentions the names of specific, quest-relevant NPCs far more frequently, making them feel far more grounded in the world.

In many cases, the new dialogue options are tailored to the NPC's original response. In Oblivion's retail release, Cheydinhal's Captain Ulrich will respond to the player picking the "follow me" dialogue option in the quest Corruption and Conscience with "So you say Llevana wishes to see me?" The mod changes the player's line to "Llevana wants to see you," making the whole interaction seem far more natural. It doesn't change all of the game's dialogue, but it immediately gives the Hero of Kvatch a great deal more personality.

Dynamic Oblivion Combat

Combat in Oblivion

Many Elder Scrolls combat mods aim to add far more complexity to the series' relatively simple combat system. It surprised many Oblivion fans when Skyrim seemed to make combat even more simple than it had been in the last game. Skyrim's combat, however, was also very intuitive and helped introduce many new fans to the genre.

Dynamic Oblivion Combat brings Oblivion's combat more in line with Skyrim's but doesn't go too far beyond the simplicity that The Elder Scrolls' combat, for better or worse, is known for. In Oblivion's retail release, players can only shield bash when they've reached level 75 in Block, and even then the bash is a totally random reaction. Dynamic Oblivion Combat lets players time their blocks to throw off attackers just like Skyrim does.

The mod makes enemy AI more responsive to the player, and enemies will change their tactics if a player repeats the same move too many times. Dynamic Oblivion Combat brings TES4's combat up to speed, and its physics makes a lot more sense. Enemies can pick up disarmed weapons, attacks from behind more easily knock characters down, and dodging is integrated into the game. A few slight adjustments to hitboxes also go a long way.

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NorthernUI

oblivion northernui ui mod skyrim

NorthernUI is an overhaul mod for Oblivion's user interface that will be instantly recognizable to Skyrim fans, especially Skyrim players who downloaded the extremely popular SkyUI mod. As well as changing the UI layout, the mod is great for players who prefer to use a controller, adding more controller options to the game's settings.

In a simple but effective change, the player's stamina, health, and magicka are now no longer stacked on top of each other in the bottom left of the screen but are instead spread out across the bottom of the UI in the same positions from Skyrim. The compass is also put at the top of the screen like Skyrim's compass, and the overall aesthetic is redesigned to resemble TES5's sleeker look.

Better Cities

oblivion better cities mod

There are plenty of ways that Oblivion's visuals can be updated. Oblivion Realm HD makes Mehrunes Dagon's realm feel truly hellish. Mesh Improvement Project and Oblivion Upscaled Textures both do wonders for the game's graphics.

Skyrim's cities each have their own extremely unique look. Solitude juts out over a natural rock formation, Whiterun looks like Edoras from Lord of the Rings, and Riften is made of rickety wood and has its own expansive sewer system. It's easy to tell all of Skyrim's cities apart at a glance. Aside from the Imperial City itself, Oblivion's cities risk feeling more generic.

Better Cities gives each city in Cyrodiil its own striking silhouette. It also adds more items and NPCs to city streets, making them feel more lived in. It works well with other mods which help give Oblivion's towns more personality. Compatible mods include ImpeREAL Empire - Unique Castles, Leyawiin Port, Anvil Bay Expansion, and more. Not only does it bring some of Oblivion's designs up to Skyrim's standard, but the mod's additions give Cyrodiil a totally unique look to call its own.

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion is available on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 and backward compatible on PS4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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