Ditto what's been said about art styles, Skyrim's suits Skyrim, DS's DS. On combat, you're talking about two completely different genres. Dark Souls is not, repeat not, an RPG, it's an action title with a medieval-type setting, not an RPG. Being an actioner, combat is one of the fundamentals. Not so in an RPG, not at all. And, in fact, you really play the games for two different reasons altogether.

I played DS but didn't finish. Why? Well, because MOST of its "difficulty" was in getting to the next save spot before life intervened. For me, there's absolutely nothing more annoying than a gam that doesn't let you save when and where you want or need to. This is not based on saving before every large battle (which I rarely do anyway), but being able to save immediately when life intervenes. Playing for only half an hour at a time sometimes, and being more methodical than a "CHARGE!" player, Dark Souls was impossible to play for me. Just a "for instance", the very first boss. Took me maybe 15-30 to get to him, I think, and then I had to leave. Came back the next day, yeah, same first 15-30 minutes, company arrives. Came back the next day (a Sunday), and beat the boss on the second try. Not for difficulty or lack of skill, but because I couldn't stop and save when I need to do so. After a few more levels, I gave up, it's WAY too annoying and not near as difficult as it professes to be. In fact, MOST of its "difficulty", for me, was in having to, yet again, run the same level I'd beaten umpteen times before. I USUALLY don't play games that don't allow save on demand. I made an exception and was sorry I did.

Details in the models, BTW, Dark Souls is a linear world, with closed levels, very few actual objects in those levels, and can therefore budget more for more detailed models. Simple as that.

They don't look realistic. Playing Darksouls reminded me of a darker version of Kingdom Hearts.

In Skyrim the dragons look like they could really exist, with their batlike wings/claws. I don't know what that six legged thing in dark souls is supposed to be but it doesn't look like it could really exist anywhere. Same for the other pictures in the OP.

You do know its fantasy right?

Also that six legged thing is a everlasting dragon who was so obsessed with his hunger, that eventually its organs, and such changed to become a giant mouth. By the time you meet it in game, its gone completely mad, because there was basically nothing else to eat where it was.

And speaking of things that couldn't exist anywhere..

The Dreughs say hi.

http://images.uesp.net/thumb/e/e6/MW-creature-Dreugh.jpg/180px-MW-creature-Dreugh.jpg

They are based on a completely different design philosophy. DS creatures are intentionally exotic, while SK creatures are intentionally pseudo-realistic. This doesn't make DS creatures any better that Skyrim's. Actually comparing the two doesn't make much sense to me.

Ditto what's been said about art styles, Skyrim's suits Skyrim, DS's DS. On combat, you're talking about two completely different genres. Dark Souls is not, repeat not, an RPG, it's an action title with a medieval-type setting, not an RPG. Being an actioner, combat is one of the fundamentals. Not so in an RPG, not at all. And, in fact, you really play the games for two different reasons altogether.

I played DS but didn't finish. Why? Well, because MOST of its "difficulty" was in getting to the next save spot before life intervened. For me, there's absolutely nothing more annoying than a gam that doesn't let you save when and where you want or need to. This is not based on saving before every large battle (which I rarely do anyway), but being able to save immediately when life intervenes. Playing for only half an hour at a time sometimes, and being more methodical than a "CHARGE!" player, Dark Souls was impossible to play for me. Just a "for instance", the very first boss. Took me maybe 15-30 to get to him, I think, and then I had to leave. Came back the next day, yeah, same first 15-30 minutes, company arrives. Came back the next day (a Sunday), and beat the boss on the second try. Not for difficulty or lack of skill, but because I couldn't stop and save when I need to do so. After a few more levels, I gave up, it's WAY too annoying and not near as difficult as it professes to be. In fact, MOST of its "difficulty", for me, was in having to, yet again, run the same level I'd beaten umpteen times before. I USUALLY don't play games that don't allow save on demand. I made an exception and was sorry I did.

Details in the models, BTW, Dark Souls is a linear world, with closed levels, very few actual objects in those levels, and can therefore budget more for more detailed models. Simple as that.

Um....have you played DS? Morrowind looks like kiddie land if it was trying to go for genius creativity.

But that's the thing though, it's fantasy after all. One could say that Skyrim's dragons "appear" more realistic, but in truth the concept of an actual dragon at all remains fantastical and unlikely no matter how you dress it up. Realism when applied in such a case can simply drag down the fantastic nature of the being by grounding it with the rules of reality.

That particular dragon form Dark Souls is a dragon that fled underground escaping the genocide of its race. After hundreds of years and the establishment of society, all the filth, and refuse of the society above drained down to where it lived. It feasted on rats, possibly sewage, and humans unlucky enough to wander there. Eventually over time, it began to starve and became warped by its hunger and corruption.

Right, but its got these silly little wings that are way too small for its body and legs that bend in weird places. The whole things looks like the kind of leggo toy I used to build as a kid, not something that would ever exist in biology. That's fine if that is the type of art you like -- I used to love leggos. Its just not for me.

I am not trying to downplay Dark Souls, it is a great example of creativity. But honestly, I think Morrowind is really far away from normal, more than DS.

PS. Morrowind is a big place, you have to look around a little then you will see http://i.imgur.com/wMSmx.png

Right, but its got these silly little wings that are way too small for its body and legs that bend in weird places. The whole things looks like the kind of leggo toy I used to build as a kid, not something that would ever exist in biology. That's fine if that is the type of art you like -- I used to love leggos. Its just not for me.

That's the entire point. It's a corrupted mutation, a shadow of its former self. Like how the Snow Elves were warped into becoming Falmer.

The only reason why Skyrim seems to be more realistic is because were in a human province. I'm sure once we go to Black Marsh or Summerset Isle it will get kind of crazy.

Dreughs.

Also its been stated that, that particular Dragon is a mutant freak.

But whatever.

The only reason why Skyrim seems to be more realistic is because were in a human province. I'm sure once we go to Black Marsh or Summerset Isle it will get kind of crazy.

But the falmer look more or less anatomically correct. I could believe such things exist somewhere, at least enough to get really immersed in fighting them. The creatures in DS never really did it for me, especially the boss monster. The first boss I fought really reminded me of the Land Armor from Kingdom Hearts, big round and lumbering with some kind of enormous hammer or something.

Ha you mean the stray demon? Yeah that is pretty silly looking. The thing I like about Dark Souls is that they like to mix up silly designs, with serious scary designs.

This is probably the scariest creature for me in Dark Souls.

http://darksoulswiki.wikispaces.com/file/view/Img0067.jpg/321034932/560x371/Img0067.jpg

Its just so damn weird, its made worse that it jumps all over the place, and that it can curse you.

I hate those things and their imminent curses!!

...Now i get that they are different games with different feels, but Dark souls could have gone for the normal over used dragon... but they thought of something different....

By the Nine, I hope not!

But the falmer look more or less anatomically correct. I could believe such things exist somewhere, at least enough to get really immersed in fighting them. The creatures in DS never really did it for me, especially the boss monster. The first boss I fought really reminded me of the Land Armor from Kingdom Hearts, big round and lumbering with some kind of enormous hammer or something.

By the Nine, I hope not!

Oh we will, and I can't wait. I hate the human provinces they're so generic, and lame. Morrowinds environment was awesome.

I actually like how The Elder Scrolls doesn't look like a complete fantasy land.

Has the Elder Scrolls never been a complete fantasy land? I heard Arena and daggerfall(though I have not played them) were on the high fantasy side. I heard battlespire was like that as well.