
In Elder Scrolls Online, the lockpicking system bares the most resemblance to that of Oblivion. If the lockpick is not in the right position, it will break from excessive pressure applied by the tension wrench.

In Skyrim, the player had to feel for the right tumbler position with a lockpick whilst turning a tension wrench in the lock its self. The lockpicking system in Skyrim is mostly visual and quite different from Oblivion’s lockpicking mini game. Once you know which visuals/sounds to look out for, you can master the art of lockpicking. The player would have to “feel” the lock by watching the visual effects and listening to the sounds of pins or tumblers being forced up and falling down. Lockpicking in Oblivion is much more immersive and provided the player with a mini game. You equip a lockpick and click on a locked container until your lockpick runs out of uses or the lock decides it’s time to open. In Morrowind the lockpicking system is a bit uneventful and based on randomness.

Whether you wanted to break into someone’s house or open a treasure chest, often you’d bump into a lock which can either be opened with a key (if one exists), with alteration magic or by picking the lock with lockpicks. Lockpicking has always been a part of the Elder Scrolls games. Home » A Guide to Lockpicking in Elder Scrolls Online
