Again I didn't say all the dungeons were bad, just the majority of draugr dungeons, which seem to be the majority of dungeons.

In reference to Blackreach.

I find Skyrim's dungeons to be the best in the series, hands down, and I don't mean just Blackreach. I feel they really put some work into the layouts and such. Loot could be better, yes, but layout and designs are superb.

the dungeons are better detailed and a bit different from one another. ok. i'm tired of opening a barred/hidden door that puts me right back at the beginning of the dungeon. dungeons are very linear. no mystery, no intrigue.

but, the worst is that the loot is meaningless. the economy is broken. master chests with 20 gold.

i'd rather have better gameplay mechanics.

What? Skyrim's dungeons are one of the best things about the game. It's one of the things Skyrim does right.

it's about one of the ONLY things it does right. and, even these "best" things about skyrim have problems.

i'll take less dungeons. more generic dungeons. and, better gameplay.

From what people keep parroting it must be popular to spend all your time in Blackreach. Because you know, that one cavern makes up for an entire game of crappy dungeons.

Anyone who thinks Oblivion's dungeons are better than Skyrim's needs to be sent to an insane asylum.

I think Skyrim's dungeons are more stunningly beautiful, meticulously hand-crafted, creative and, inch for inch, display more love and attention to detail than dungeons in either Morrrowind or Oblivion. If there's one thing Bethesda did right in Skyrim, it's dungeons.

And I say that as someone who's not particularly fond of Blackreach.

IMO Skyrim's dungeons are better than Oblivion's, but the ridiculous overuse of Draugr does detract from the fun.

Also, I didn't find Blackreach particularly interesting. In fact, I found it somewhat underwhelming against all the praise my gaming buddies gave it. Really, what's down there that makes it so interesting besides the somewhat unique scenery?

Skyrim has the best dungeons.

Skyrim does many things right. The leveling system is better, the graphics are better, the game world is very detailed. Also, I like how I don't have to craft my character from the start, he can evolve.

The removal of unarmed made me mad though. The destruction magic is weak at later levels too.

The story is weak as well as most NPC's. Dialogue is weak as well.

good dungeons don't mean a thing vs weak gameplay.

While what you say is true about the dungeons being linear and lacking unique loot, the statement that the previous games dungeons were better is so [censored] up it negates everything you have said.

The thing is, no amount of modding can fix Morrowind or Oblivion's dungeons. A couple days work and Skyrims dungeons can be modded into near perfection by adding some hand placed unique loot or put some loot lists in the urns that have a slim chance of artifacts, etc... then replace a few draugrs with skeletons, zombies, wraiths, ghosts, spectral wolves etc and it would be way better. Go beyond that with some "dragon lairs" by using some of those huge interiors with open skies and smog like treasure piles and I'd be in heaven.

madmole-

i can't tell if that was directed at me or not.

but, i didn't say the previous games dungeons were better.

i said it's no big deal, since, the gameplay is so poor and skyrim's dungeons have their own problems.

The OP is wrong, there are many types of dungeons.

Draugr
Bandits
Bears
Trolls
Falmer
Dwemer Machine
Wolf
Vampire

and those are the ones I can remember with 15secs of thinking. The caves are very well done. I agree that they are linear but I don't see that as a problem and there is hand placed loot it is just useless in comparison to smithed items you can make at higher levels by making iron daggers.

Lol being non linear and having unique loot is why dungeons were better in Morrowind.

Then go play Morrowind.

Or make a mod.

Dungeons in Skyrim are beautiful and they're all different from one another, so I have no clue what you're talking about OP. Morrowind and Oblivion dungeons were literally all the same. Non-linearity isn't always a good thing. I have a bad sense of direction, true, but I know I'm not the only one who ran circles in some of Morrowind's dungeons just looking for the way out.

My only complaint about Skyrim dungeons are the "puzzles," they're so mind numbingly easy and stupid I wish they would have just left them out.

I do have to agree partly with the OP

-The dungeon art styles feel very repetitive, and its worse when the same enemies appear in each art style type (there are at least 50 draugr dungeons that look more or less the same.
-We need more enemy variety (bring back zombies, wraiths, other stuff)...other creepy stuff.


Pros:
-The dungeons do have bigger "set pieces" in side them--unique rooms, caverns, puzzles
-More overally cool locations underground

I can definitely see the OP point of view. The Barrows (draugr dungeons) are a bit bland to be sure. I do miss my ayelid (SP?) ruins. Not every dungeon need be as formulaic as they are - and that can certainly wear on you.

True- Skyrim does have the Dwarven stuff, and that is a nice change from the barrows/caves.

Blackreach? OK that is one big room with a couple of poorly done dwarven houses/buildings inside.
I say poorly done because they have just been populated with generic humans at infinitum, other than that inside those(houses) is just any other dwarven ruin. And when you get over the awe of the size of the room blackreach is in, and realize that it is indeed, just one room, my excitement dropped a bit.

I too was impressed with Blackreach when I first saw it, but that doesn't negate the OP's valid observation.

Agree, I can't speak to Morrowind, I've never played it, but Skyrim's dungeons are certainly quite a few steps above Oblivion's. Were some parts of SK's dungeons repetetive? Maybe a little, but certaianly nowhere near as cookie-cutter as Oblivion's. Overall ,Skyrim's dungeons are a huge improvement.

Oblivion did the Ayelid ruins right- applying the word "cookie cutter" to them is not the best way to put it. Unless you think they are all the same because the walls are all the same color, that was pretty boring, They had great geography/construction on the map, and were certainly certainly NOT cookie cutter. I believe the first one you do when you get out of prison had 4-5 levels down into it? Not identical to any others of course.
Oblivion had the problem with forts/caves being extra lackluster, and instead of Draugr boring us to death it was probably goblins.

Yea definitely think Skyrim's are superior. They're no more linear than Oblivion's (less so imo)
I actually enjoy fighting Draugr. But most of the time if you want to ignore them, just sneak up on them and use a bow. Works well even without a character proficient in sneak. Especially against the ones that are standing upright in coffins. (works for me, anyway)

Skyrim's dungeons are capable of making me compelled to search every crevice inside. I thoroughly enjoy Skyrim's dungeons personally

I agree with you. People say the game has one best designs in dungeons and caves, but i always knew they were wrong. Then when i tried the game on release day. First 3 caves i explored .. felt the same. Same loot same creatures. I mean all you find is either bandits or draugr. It's just so boring. And Mesh Textures in every cave are the same. I swear i read awhile back that caves etc would have their own set of unique textures. What a bunch of lies.

But the worst one of all i wont' forgive is Oblivion.. god that game ... made my eyes get red with veins popping out and sleepy seening the same pattern of textures.

I wouldn't call the annoying amount of Dragur dungeons a fault of the dungeon designers, it's creature placement that's the problem there. Varied enemies in general would have been nice. And loot placement is another thing apart from the actual dungeon design that could've gone better.

But the dungeons themselves are much better and are handcrafted this time around. The puzzles could be harder/more varied, bur they're all pretty fun.