Skyrim may be 13 years old, but the game can easily be transformed into a modern Role Playing Game. How? Mods, of course!
Do you think you have to wait a long time for the release of GTA 6? Tell that to fans of The Elder Scrolls. The sixth installment in the series has been over 13 years in coming.
Then just another play of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. And how to make that 2011 game a bit modern again? We’ll tell you.
Skyrim is already great, but this makes it even better
Whereas it is clear that GTA 6 will be released this year, it is not at all clear yet when the newest installment in the Elder Scrolls series will be released. That means we’ll probably have to make do with Skyrim for a while yet.
(image: Bethesda)
Fortunately, Skyrim is one of the best fantasy RPGs ever made. A cold comfort perhaps for fans who want a sequel, but the game is still one of the best of its kind nearly 14 years after the fact. Over the years, contributions from the community have made the game even better.
This is done entirely through mods. Especially on PC, this community is very active and practically entire expansions for Skyrim have been created. It has also been possible to install mods on consoles for several years now, but only through a platform moderated by Bethesda.
These mods make Skyrim 2025-proof
Whether you want graphical improvement, extra spells or an all-new expansion, these mods are ones you definitely don’t want to miss.
Edge UI
As entertaining as Skyrim is, it’s pretty dated by now. You notice this not only in the graphics, but also in gameplay elements such as the inventory and other user interface. Edge UI gives this interface another makeover.
(Image: Edge Docs)
The creators took inspiration from modern games such as God of War and Elden Ring, which also makes Skyrim look like it was released in the past three years.
Ultimate Skyrim
Ultimate Skyrim is not one mod, but a collection of 16 mods that change the game in many ways. This is really something for gamers who think Skyrim is too easy, because Ultimate Skyrim makes the game really hardcore.
For example, not only have the weather systems been flipped, but temperature and hunger now affect your character. Running around the tundra in your shorts? The Dragonborn won’t be able to keep that up for long.
Community Shaders
Skyrim’s dated look certainly has its charm. But at a time when games are going out of their way to look hyper-realistic, one wonders if Skyrim can do the same. With Community Shaders, it can. The entire game gets a graphical makeover with this mod.
(Image: Reddit/skyrimmods)
Surprisingly, you don’t have to have a monstrous PC to run this mod. In terms of gameplay, by the way, it doesn’t add much, but wandering through the forests of Skyrim has never been so beautiful.
Security Overhaul
A common criticism of Skyrim is that the game invites far too much sneaky character play. With as many as two separate storylines (Thieves’ Guild, Dark Brotherhood), you’ll be crawling back through the shadows in nine out of ten cases anyway.
This includes breaking locks on doors and chests. Although the higher levels of this lock cracking can be a bit tricky, the trick is the same in all cases. The mod Security Overhaul adds eleven new lock types, allowing for some variety in breaking in.
Valhalla Combat
Combat systems in games have only improved in recent years. Brawling in Skyrim has always been a bit more dynamic than other fantasy rpgs, but now it feels a bit archaic. Valhalla Combat changes that.
(Image: Nexus Mods)
The combat system is much more similar to games like Assassin’s Creed and God of War with this mod, which adds a whole new dynamic to the game. You will have to guide yourself through battles much more deftly.
Voyage to the Dreamborne Isles
Then another mod for those who know the entire land of Skyrim like the back of their hand. This mod adds a totally new area, filled to the brim with new creatures, plants and puzzles. It is a mod that is actually more like an official expansion.
Should this mod be to your liking, there are plenty of similar “expansions. For example, Moonpath to Elsweyr – where you travel to the nearby province of Elsweyr – is also very popular among Skyrim fanatics. Moreover, this province was long thought to be the playing area of The Elder Scrolls 6.