Skyrim gets some hate these days, since it was first released in 2011 and although Bethesda is supposedly working on Elder Scrolls VI, we’ve seen practically nothing of the game. However, you have to admit that Skyrim is still around for a reason: it’s fun, especially if you mod it, and new mods get released all the time. Since Bethesda’s next big open world game, Starfield, won’t be released until September, I thought it’d be nice to share our favorite Skyrim mods to help deal with the wait.
I’ll start with some longtime staples of mine:
Skyrim Script Extender - A prerequisite for a ton of mods. Basically, it adds commands to the game’s scripting language, which allows modders to create scripts that support more situations and variables in the game, beyond what is normally possible.
SkyUI - An overhaul to the UI, which makes everything easier to navigate on PC. Also adds the Mod Configuration Menu (MCM), which is used by a ton of other mods. Todd Howard himself endorses this one.
Better Dialogue Controls - Maybe it’s just me, but I constantly had issues in vanilla Skyrim with the game picking the wrong dialogue option because of some weird glitch in the UI. So, here’s another UI tweak. Basic, but a real “quality of life” upgrade for me.
RaceMenu - Like SkyUI, overhauls the character creation menu and adds RGB sliders for skin color, hair color, war paint and makeup. When combined with body mesh replacing mods, such as Caliente’s Beautiful Bodies Edition (CBBE), you can also tweak specific body parts to do things like give female Nord and Orc warriors actual muscles. We start to cross into NSFW territory real fast with this one, though.
Apocalypse - Magic of Skyrim - Adds a few dozen spells to the game, greatly expanding the relatively limited amount of spells found in vanilla Skyrim. This is especially true for Master-level spells.
Naturally, there are mods that upgrade the textures to 2k or 4k, as well as ENB, which is a resource-heavy overhaul to the lighting in the game. I don’t currently have a favorite texture pack or ENB though, since new ones come out on a fairly regular basis and I like to experiment with new configurations.
Anyway, that’s enough from me. Looking forward to seeing other peoples’ favorites!
I recently discovered TK Dodge RE and True Directional Movement. They make close combat feel so much better that I finally want to play a melee character. (And they’re not too demanding for relatively low spec hardware.)
The SimonMagus616 mechanic overhauls, collectively known as Simonrim, have also caught my interest. They seem very focused on improving the vanilla experience without unbalancing the game. There are about a dozen mods in the series, covering things from perk trees to encounter zones. All of them are linked near the bottom of the Adamant page.
The EnaiSiaion mechanic overhauls, collectively known as Enairim, lie on the other end of the spectrum. It has been years since I used one, but as I recall, they prioritized spectacular power over balance. They’re all linked near the bottom of the Ordinator page.