So, I got the game over the holidays and I think it's quite good. I'm even getting to grips with the interface which I don't think is that bad. I do miss an actual inventory though. The thing that does disappoint me the most so far though are the horses. In Oblivion, it felt like the horses were characters and it was an elegant way to travel. In Skyrim, they've been reduced to being mere objects. I can't see any way of transferring items to the inventory and use the horse as a pack animal. And what's with only being able to ride horses in 3rd person?
The environment also seems much sparser than it was in Oblivion. I admit, I'm still quite early in the game, but it doesn't seem as much a living breathing world as it was in Oblivion, with seemingly less random encounters and less wildlife.
I did have a funny random encounter though. I was walking on my way to Valheim Keep when I encountered 3 characters who reluctantly introduced themselves as imperial officers and who requested 100 gold from me as a fine. I paid it and they were on their way. There were also 3 bodies on the ground which I inspected and they were 3 imperial officers stripped of everything.