Although it's not the largest video game ever in terms of map size (not even when compared to other Elder Scrolls titles), Skyrim still boasts a hefty amount of l?and to?? explore. Its vastness gives plenty to see while out and about on (mostly) fun quests, but there's no doubt that it could stand to be a bit bigger.

That's where Nexus Mods user Nevah comes onto the scene. As noted by DSO Gaming, we've got an opportunity to explore a brand-new island, thanks to "Nevah’s Isle Redux." Not only is there a??n island/world to explore, but the mod also contains a ghost village, complete with a home for the player.

The de?scription?? on Nexus says to get to the island, you'll need to head to the docks at Solitude. There's also a memorandum to the creator's father at the northwest point of the island, as well as "many secrets and hidden rooms."

To cleanse or not

Eagle-eyed r??eaders will have spotted the word "redux" in the mod's title. This is because it's a redo of a previous creation. While it's pretty much the same as the older ve??rsion, this time around, they've added an optional side quest that lets you restore the island/ghost village to its former glory.

Nevah strongly recommends going through with the quest, as the island is "far more beautiful that way" and, once re??stored, will have "no more cobw?ebs or decay or overgrowth." Of course, it's entirely up to you, so if you don't mind wandering around a new island that's home to ghost vendors, that's an option as well.

It's also recommended to install the mod manually, with the ESP ideally at the bottom of your Skyrim loadout list. It should also work alongside any other modifications you've got installed, but, as anyone will tel??l you, there's always a slight risk with these things. We like to live dangerously, yeah?

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Ah, Skyrim. If it weren't for the fact that you were a genuinely good (albeit buggy to hell) game that stays afloat thanks to the modding communit??y, you probably would have disappeared into obscurity long ago. Also, hey, here's something you never, ever hear in the game: "Oh no! Look out for that tank!"

Until now, that is. If your WW2 artillery needs are not being met by Skyrim, perhaps this mod will scratch that battle scar. As reported by DSO Gaming, Nexus Mods user MixedMartialArtist brings "World of Tanks" to The Elder Scrolls 5.

It is, as you can imagine (and as the above clip shows), a means of combining the fantasy world of Bethesda's creation with the ability to �?and I quote �?"partake in The Greatest Tank Battles in history." Did I mention the destructive tanks? I'm pretty sure?? I mentioned the destructive tanks. It sort of answers the question of what would happen if you mashed up fanciful role-playing elements with world war re-enactments.

"You're finally awake. Here's a Mauser."

To put it in the creator's own words:

Now Skyrim can be played as a War-Tank Battle Game with an endless amount of epic battles. Skyrim is now full of action and chaos as armies of both sides continue to press into enemy territory with their squads of infantry and armored vehicles. Take part in the war by joining the civil war, and destroy your enemies with the plethora of weapons at your disp??osal - guns, rockets, tanks, bombs, artillery, you name it. Build your army with new tr?oops and tanks at forts, or simply use your abilities to take control of nearby patrols to follow you. Shoot your machine gun from your commander's cupola, mowing down hordes of bunched up infantry, and fire your main gun to eliminate enemy armor.

I haven't had a chance to download and try "World of Tanks" myself yet, but the clips are putting me in mind of the old Medal of Honor games. Remember those? The idea that we can inhabit ??a fictional realm where World War 2 tanks and dragons can duke it out for moral su?premacy is the sole reason we keep on gaming, I feel.

That and The Elder Scrolls 6 still feels like a long way off from releasing. Yeah, yeah. I know. Change the record, already. Or change the Instagram Reel. I'm not sure how to modernize retro sayings. Anyway, what was I saying? Oh yes. Skyrim.

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We've known for some time now that The Elder Scrolls 6 would be built in Creation Engine 2, the very same game engine that powers Starfield. Whether that's a good thing, nobody can? currently tell, but a former Bethesda game designer has recently discussed this topic in an interview.

Speaking with VideoGamer, Bruce Nesmith, who worked as the lead designer of Skyrim and the systems designer for Starfield, explained a few things. Notably, his point is that Bethesda's Creation Engine has been specifically fine-tuned to deliver the kind of sandbox RPG that the company is known for. To that end, it doesn't seem like there are any plans to move on over to Unreal Engine 5. This should, hopefully, put such ?discussions to bed.

Bruce Nesmith explains why there's value in Bethesda's Creation Engine still

In his interview with VideoGamer, Nesmith said, "The game engine is not the point, the game engine is in service to the game itself. You and I could both identify a hundred lousy games that used Unreal. Is it Unreal’s fault? N?o, it’s not Unreal’s fault."

Even though Nesmith is no longer at Bethesda, his involvement in basically every major first-party sandbox RPG the company has put out means he's had ample insight into the inner workings of the company. When asked whether it would pay off for Bethesda to move to Unreal, he said that "it would be—I’m just going to say a number that’s certainly not the real number—a year or two of technical work just to move it over to the engine as is. And then more work beyond that to tune the engine, to tun??e the game, to work in it. That’s the penalty side. That’s the risk side."

Nesmith did say that moving to Unreal would nullify whatever tech debt Creation Engine might have accrue?d by now, but this wo?uld be far from trivial.

"The modding community also has a huge tech debt, Script Extender is probably the easiest one to talk about," he continued. "They’ve put in a tremendous amount o??f effort, the modders, into understanding the Creation Engine and understanding the Creation Tool Kit. If there is a cut over, all that is thrown out the window and it all has t??o start all over again."

There is, indeed, a legacy of modding tied up with Bethesda's work. Even though the modern Unreal Engine does ostensibly support mods, my experience with UE5 games hasn't been the greatest in that regard. Further, the fact of the matter is that there simply aren't any other companies making sandbox, ImSim-lite RPGs such as the ones put out by Bethesda. The games that come the closest are arguably the likes of The Outer Worlds, and even that's a far cry from even Fallout: New Vegas's mechanical complexity.

Never say never, I guess, especially now that it's clear that Bethesda has struggled with producing Starfield's first major expansion pack. Yet, I just don't think there's merit in moving every single project under the sun into Unreal Engine 5. Starfield's problems don't lie in the graphics or performance departments b??ut somewhere else entirely, and gameplay and im?mersion would've been problems no matter what engine the game is built on.

The post Bethesda’s not about to move to Unreal Engine anytime soon, says Skyrim’s Lead Designer appeared first on Destructoid.

According to scientific theories, such as those in Popular Mechanics, it's estimated that the last particle in the known universe will decay after 10²⁰⁰ years (a long time, basically). However, I reckon people will still be modding Skyrim.?? You just c?an't stop the unbridled tenacity of gamers.

Here's one more for all you hip cats to add to your TES5 loadout. Remember when ninjas were all the rage in pop culture? Well, Nexus Mods user Q10isarobot is bringing them to Skyrim. Replacing the rebellious Forsworn, these NPCs now know kung fu. Or something li?ke that.

This mod changes all the Forsworn outfits for the more traditional ninja getup. This also includes giving them weapons worthy of any stealth warrior. Check them out in the video above, although it's pretty clear the player is more than capable of dispatching them. Look at all that bloo??d!

Nin-ja or Nin-nein?

The reason why the Forsworn have been replaced with ninjas is, according to Q10isarobot, because they "fight kinda like ninjas and hang out in clans so I think it fits well in the game." Makes sense, though they do admit they're not a lore expert when it comes to Skyrim.

This also looks like a good mod for anyone who doesn't want to interrupt their current save file. The creator says it just replaces the mesh, so?? it's "safe to install or uninstall," and also doesn't require an ESP file for expanding scripting.

Right. Okay. We've played and modded The Elder Scrolls 5 for quite a long time now??. When's the sixth game coming out? No, I will not stop harpi?ng on about this.

The post This? Skyrim mod turns the Forsworn into ass-kicking ninj??as appeared first on Destructoid.

We've seen it all from the Skyrim community. We've had everything from new quests, better visuals, bug fixes, and that one mod that turns the Giant Spiders into a creepy looking Spider-Man, complete with gangly limbs. But maybe it's time we had something more scatological in our TES5 experience. Or so one person felt, at least.

In what can only be described as something of a head-scratching moment, Nexus Mods user nakano52 decided to replace Skyrim's vegetation with literal poo. Referred to as DIY (or Doo Ingredients Yuk), this mod is potentially suited for those who often f?ind themselves thinking, "there's not enough shit on my tr??avels" while adventuring across Tamriel.

Specifically, nakano52 says the mod replaces shrubs and plants "at a certain rate," whatever that means. However, it's not just for the aesthetic gro??ssness of it, though the modd??er admits they thought it would be fun to see vast piles of poop in the game.

Not quite healing powers

You see, Doo Ingredients Yuk does have something of a purpose. As noted in the name, the piles of plants-cum-feces can actually be harvested for those who consider themselves quite the buddin??g alchemist.

What can it be used for in this context? Why, nothing more than a simple poison, of course. According to the description page, poop has a gold? value of one, a weight capacity of 0.1, and has the fol??lowing effects:

• Ravage Health
• Lingering Damage Health
• Lingering Damage Magicka
• Lingering Damage Stamina

There are, however, a few additional mods you'll need to download and install before this one will work, such as SkyPatcher and Base Object Swapper. Other than that, you're good to go, because we've all run out of things to do in Skyrim, it seems. Not that I'm above a ?poop-based modification, you un?derstand.

The post Here’s a Skyrim mod that replaces vegetation with poop, because why not at this stage? appeared first on Destructoid.

One of the key things about Skyrim �?indeed, about thousands of games �?is getting to live out the life of a capable hero. All that questing sure goes a long way to maxing out your skills while you explore vast w??orlds. But what if �?hear me out �?someone else could do it for you?

Say hello to Skyrim Outbound Shipments by user Eudalus, a mod for TES5 that allows you to employ the help of a, shall we say, lesser person to carry out certain duties. Namely, by finishing quests for a smal??l fee. After all, the Dragonborn ha??s more important things to be getting on with. Romancing Lydia, for example.

??Why carry that important item all the way back to whoever sent you out for it when you can pay a courier to do it in your stead? What this mod does, essentially, is let you hire an NPC to "progress or complete quests by delivering quest items or messages for you."

You'll still reap the benefits

O?f course, you'll still get the rewards and possibly the kudos a??s well. According to the mod's description, any monetary remuneration you're owed for the quest will be delivered to you by the courier within six to 36 hours.

There are a couple of price tiers, though, depending on what you want the hired help to achieve. Eudalus says most jobs will fall under "normal delivery," which costs 10 gold coins by default. For more complex que?sts, you'll pay "hazard delivery," which is three times the normal rate, but does include hiring the courier to trek dangerous territory, such as Castle Volkihar.

The mod is still being ??worked on, so there may be a few issues with compatibility when it comes to others that you may have installed. Also, not all the quests are supported, such as ones that reward skill points, but it looks like Eudalus is going to keep working on it.

The post ?Tired of doing all the legwork in Skyrim? Get someone else t??o finish quests for you with this mod appeared first on Destructoid.

To quote the modern day poet that is one Marshall "Eminem" Mathers: Hi kids! Do you like violence? To add onto that, do you especially like Skyrim violence? While TES5 has its brutal moments, it evidently wasn??'t enough for one person who felt the aging RPG ??needed just a soupçon of additional gore.

Hacking and slashing is the name of the game with "Dismembering Framwork," created by Nexus Mods user Seb263. If you're tired of striking at foes with all your might only for?? them to just get knocked back and maybe bleed a little, this one's? for you.

You see, this m?od adds in "real time dismemberment," as well as "realistic blood splatters." It's even said to have "adaptive sound effects based on armor and weapon types" for when you really want to hear your sword connect with your opponent.

Become Skyrim's own freelance butcher

The above video is but a dangling hunk of tasty meat to really entice you in. Now, we all know the vanilla version of Skyrim already has a dec?apitation feature. However, it's reserved for a kind of finishing move, whereas ??with "Dismembering Framework," it all happens in real-time.

Note the abi?lity to remove limbs with a swing of a sharp weapon. Any Khajiits giving you tr?ouble? Simply lop off their tail and watch them dance around in agony, blood spewing from the wound. Dance. Dance in an aquifer of your enemy's ichor!

Got a bit carried away there. Anyway, yes. As I was saying: Skyrim needs more violence. I honestly never realized how much I wan?ted the ability to sever off limbs when out and about i??n Tamriel. You really get to find out about yourself when you play games, yeah?

The post Fulfil your Skyrim bloodlust with this di??smemberment mod appeared first on Destructoid.

Board games are a great social activity that brings people together by disconnecting everyone from their screens. But what if your favorite stories and worlds? from the screen could be a part of board game night too? With these ten great board games based on video games, it’s now possible to enjo??y your favorite digital titles in an exciting new tabletop setting.

1. Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim- The Adventure Game

The iconic adventures and exploration of Skyrim await you in the game’s excellent tabletop adaption. As opposed to the classic video game, Skyrim- The Adventure Game is a cooperative experience for up to four players, which affects both the combat and dungeon loot systems. Each player’s character is suitably unique, and the strategic decisions you make thr??oughout the game’s two campaigns can trigger exclusive story outcomes as well.

2. Fallout: The Board Game

The Fallout Board Game does just about everything right in adapting this classic video game franchise. An unknown post-apocalyptic world awaits you outside your vault, along with deadly enemies and warring factions. The art style is most faithful to the series�?more recent adaptions, and the storylines are appropriately thematic and recognizable to anyone who’s played Fallout before. Interactions between players are semi-cooperative; while everyone has their own objectives, they also need to work together to prevent any one of?? the non-player factions from taking over the wasteland.

3. Kingdom Rush: Rift in Time

Kingdom Rush is a classic tower defense game in which you place archers and other troops to defend against waves of oncoming enemies. Whereas the original video game is a fast-paced race, Rift in Time instead features more calculated, ??strategic gameplay. The game comes with a booklet of scenari?os that you can play against, which makes it easy to adjust the difficulty. In addition, the miniatures look great and are fun to paint.

4. Civilization: A New Dawn

Establish your kingdom, expand your territories, and build the great monuments of man in Civilization: A New Dawn, the most recent tabletop adaption of Sid Meier's Civilization. Though the original video game draws its roots back to a 1980s board game, the video games that followed have evolved significantly. A New Dawn utilizes many of the newer technology and city upgrade options from the most recent titles. Pl?aytime is thankfully shorter than the 2010 edition of the board game, and to top it all off, the game tiles are gorgeous.

5. Small World of Warcraft

Small World of Warcraft is a WoW-themed adaption of the popular board game Small World. Players take control of the major races in Azeroth, including everything from Orcs to Worgen, and attempt to conquer as much territory as possible on the game’s various islands. Once one of the races you control is overextended, you can take charge of another to contin?ue the conquest and hopefully have the most points by the end of the final round.

6. Slay the Spire: The Board Game

With its outstanding deck-building and strategy elements, Slay the Spire feels like the perfect video game to bring to the tabletop environment. C??onte?ntion Games has done just that via Kickstarter, with the recently released adaption gathering nearly four million dollars worth of pledges. All the best elements of the original title are here, including, of course, the absolutely iconic six-eyed whale Neow. The biggest change here is the cooperative multiplayer, but it's a welcome change that's more befitting a board game.

7. This War of Mine: The Board Game

Survival is the name of the game in This War of Mine: The Board Game, which does a fantastic job of bringing the war-torn surroundings and impactful storylines of the original video game to the table. During the day, you’ll build up your shelter and gather the resources yo??u need to scrape by. During the night, you’ll have to fight off bandits to protect what little you have. The mechanics of exploring new locations work really well, with risks and rewards to be found in every corner of the war-torn city.

8. Dead by Daylight: The Board Game

Dead by Daylight: The Board Game leans heavily on hidden movement mechanics to represent the Killer’s stalking presence and the four Survivor’s attempts to escape. All the basic elements of the video game work surprisingly well in the tabletop environment, and there are also plenty of props and other tools that the Survivors can use as they work to stay alive. Most?? importantly, the competitive thrill of the original remains.

9. Stardew Valley: The Board Game

The cozy confines of Stardew Valley come to the tabl??e with immersive, cooperative gameplay and faithful attention to detail, though the board game does have some key differences from its source material. The players have a set number of turns in which they can complete their goal cards and rebuild the community center, but if the season cards run out, the players lose. Thankfully there’s still lots of farming, fishing, and mining fun to be had, along with plenty of ?interaction with the Valley’s most recognizable inhabitants.

10. God of War: The Card Game

God of War’s most iconic characters come to the table in style in the God of War card game. You’ll need to complete a series of scenes and quest cards to survive Ragnarok and win. It’s primarily a deck-building game, though you’ll be up against a set of randomly selected monsters and bosses rather than the other players at the table. It’s a must-have collectible for fans of the God of War franchise. We're also looking forward to finding out if the upcoming God of War Gamefound project will be an even better tabletop adaption th??an this one. 

The post 10 Awesome Board Games Bas??ed On Vid??eo Games You Can Play Right Now appeared first on Destructoid.

The legacy of Skyrim is such that it feels as though there will never be a time when it's not in the gaming limelight. I'm partly to blame for that, given all the articles I do about fan-made mods. But what can I say? The community does a lot of work to keep TES5's he??ad above the water, improving on Bethesda's original release. Oh hell, let's talk about one more.

This one comes from Nexus Mods user Enneal (as spotted by DSO Gaming), and is for those who like a little sea travel with their (specifically Special Edition of) Skyrim. The "Functional Ships" download essentially adds poi?nt-to-point travel between the game's por?ts via the use of ships.

The video above gives a brief idea of what y?ou can expect, with the mod even allowing you to explore the inside of your vessel as it sails across the water. Enneal says it adds six new ships, though apparently not all of them include interiors.

Skyrim by sea..."Searim"

It seems as though "Functional Ships" is best paired with other custom additions to the game, so it's unlikely that it will work with the basic, vanilla version of the game. Still, if you've been playing The Elder Scrolls 5 for the last 12 years, chances are your version is modded to Oblivion (little TES humor there) already.

As for features, here's what Enneal's offering comes?? with:

• Point-to-point travel
• Ships reflect quest progress & world events
• Accessible interiors from moving ships
• Real-time(-ish) travel while inside ships
• Ships travel between all ports on the Sea of Ghosts, including Raven Rock

Maybe one day I'll stop talking about Skyrim mods. Today is clearly? not ??that day. Onwards we go!

The post Sa??il the Skyrim seas with this point-to-point ship mo?d appeared first on Destructoid.

Prior to the release of Skyrim (cast your minds waaaaay back), Todd Howard boasted about the scalability of some of the game's most impressive mountains. While ??this is largely true, some feel there was still some freedom of movement or exploration that could be uncovered.

Modder JaySerpa is back with another edition of "I Will Stop Tweaking Skyrim When You Pry It From My Cold Dead Hands." This time, they've looked very much at the verticality of TES5, with a mod called Ascend. Essentially, it ??allows the Dragonborn to climb their way up "10 hidden mountain peaks" dotted about?? the land.

The video above shows how it works. JaySerpa also says they haven't done anything with the "vanilla records," whic?h means it's pretty much compatible with any other downloads you use.

Skyrim + climbing = "Climbrim"?

Upon finding one of these peaks �?four in Solstheim, the rest in the base game �?you'll see little hints as to where you can scale the m??ountain. This could be bits of red cloth, gusts of wind, or subtle light indicators. These will help you stay on track, though the modder says they can sometimes lead you astray.

You'll also notice in the video that the player has the option to actually "climb" up the side of the wall. Vanilla Skyrim doesn't have this,? and I'm not sure if Ascend comes with the function built in. However, the mod description page does say this is compatible with something like Skyclimb, but it s??eems as though the paths laid out should be sufficient.

As for why you would do this: well, there are some hidden rewards and Easter eggs hidden about some of the nooks and crannies. You might even get a few perks. Of course, the real reward is getting to see this cold slice of Tamriel from heights (possibly) never experienced before. Imagine looking down at the Throat of the World.

JaySerpa is also running a small competition for anyone who wants to take pictures of the view from the very tops of these lofty mountains. The prize will be "any game of your choice from the Nexus Author rewards store" or $50 to a charity in your name. Just submit your screenshot on Nexus Mods.

Once again, we have to marvel at the dedication people have when it comes to modding Skyrim, as well as other games. The fact that The Elder Scrolls 5 is still the subject of discussion (case in point: this artic??le) kind of speaks volumes about the game's longevity, but it probably wouldn't be anything without all this fan?-made content.

The post Discover Skyrim’s hidden peaks with this mountaineering mod appeared first on Destructoid.

I cannot even tell you how many hours I've logged in Skyrim since the game came out in 2011. Across multiple platforms and versions, The Elder Scrolls 5 just doesn't seem to end, an?d that'?s just the vanilla experience. To say nothing of the countless mods you can get that extend playthroughs even more.

Take, for example, Lordbound (as spotted by PCGamesN). While it's still in development, this pretty ambitious project, being made by ModDB user Arkay, promises over 60 hours of brand-new content, which includes tons of quests, many-a-dungeon, fully voiced?? NPCs, and even a new region. Check out the announcement trailer below.

The fact that the modder is promising to deliver "the biggest main quest you've ever played in Skyrim" is quite the bold claim. But with all the above and more, it feels like there's just one more reason coming up as to why we can never stop playing TES5.

Skyrim is for life, not just for Christmas

Actually, let me break it down for you even more. This is what the mod description says you can expect in Lordbound (which is scheduled to be released i??n March of 2025):

• The land of Druadach, a dense new region larger than Solstheim, filled with quests, dungeons, events and activities, for you to enjoy.
• About 60+ hours worth of content through main questlines and side content.
• Over 40 quests, found through our many new settlements and exploring the world.
• Over 50 new dungeons, featuring the most epic spaces you've ever explored!
• The biggest main quest you've ever played in Skyrim, with choices and consequences that change the state of the valley.

  • Join Lord Haelan on a quest to uncover the truth behind his family’s past.
  • Assist the Imperial Legion in reclaiming the trade route to Jehanna.
  • Support the Orcs of Garshakur, as they defend their new home against the Legion.

• Loot that you’ll want to carry over to your future adventures. New weapons, armor, spells, and surprising consumables.
• Fully-voiced NPCs and an original soundtrack!

I've said this so many times in the past, but it's hard to wrap your head around just how much fan-made content there is for Skyrim. The game will be turning 13 at the end of this year. That's ov?er a decade of mods and community downloads that not only add to Bethesda's? original release, but actually improve it as well.

Why a??m I even telling you all this? There's no way anyone reading right now isn't aware of how long they can extend their t??ime in Tamriel thanks to modders. Modding the game is as natural as sunlight.

The post A new S?kyrim mod is going to add 60?+ hours to your gameplay appeared first on Destructoid.

Despite being a huge success, Oblivion has no doubt been overshadowed both by time and its loftier successor, Skyrim. Still, The Elder Scrolls 4 exists as a major player in the RPG genre, but that hasn't stopped someone from wanting to blend the two game?s toget?her. Sort of.

The "Skyrim Border" mod comes from the mind of Nexus Mods user JoopvanDie, and is essentially a way of bringing a bit of TES5 to Cyrdoiil, the province where Oblivion takes place. Anyone who knows the map of Tamriel is aware that the latter game borders the former, though players are unable to c??ross.

However, JoopvanDie invites us to step a little bit into Skyrim, giving us a sma??ll area to trek around in, perhaps breathe in a? bit of that cold, dragon-y air.

Just a quick pop by to say hello

As the name suggests, the mod by no means allows you to traverse the whole of Skyrim's landscape or cross over into any other part of Tamriel that's not officially part of the game. That would be far too ambitious. And, in fact, there is already a fan-made project that covers that idea.

What this does is bring just a little bit of the border within our grasp inside Oblivion. While there's not a huge amount ?there �?no new quests, for example �?there's enough that's worth a quick visit. This includes:

• an area for you to explore
• one small village with NPCs
• few small caves
• two ingredients
• one new creature (Frost troll)
• new armor and a medieval Scandinavian(ish) helmet
• treasure hunting

If you want to get to the area, the description says to go to the Echo Cave (shown just west of Bruma, which you c??an see in the image above) and follow the road to the northwest. Say hi to Paarthurnax for me if he's there.

The post This Oblivion mod lets you explore Skyrim, but only ?a tiny bit appeared first on Destructoid.

Can anyone even remember what vanilla Skyrim lo??oks like? I think we've all collectively decided that what Bethesda released all?? those years ago is a far cry from what many of us experience today, thanks to the near-endless array of mods we can install.

No one in the modding community seems more dedicated to improving The Elder Scrolls 5 than JaySerpa. Ever keen to inject a bit more immersion, this time they're bringin??g us an expansion of one of the more intere??sting side quests.

In the base game, "Destroy the Dark Brotherhood" does exactly what it says on the tin, in that it tasks you with killing the merry band of murderers that dwell within the assassins' Sanctuary. In this updated version from JaySerpa, however, a few additional things have been added, presumably to give the standard mission a bit of umph.

Improves the 'lackluster' original

As the description on Nexus Mods says:

This mod introduces new lore-friendly ways to get kidnapped by Astrid (allowing you to Destroy the Dark Brotherhood even after sparing Grelod) while also expanding the actual quest to destroy the DB with new dialogu?e, choices, more memorable fights and a more cohesive ques??t. Enjoy!

It essentially implements two things by giving you an alternative way to meet the Brotherhood without having to kill Grelod the Kind, while also making "Destroy..." itself a bit longer. It does this by not? giving you the password t??o the Sanctuary immediately, meaning you have to seek it out. The mod also comes with new voices, which have either been spliced from vanilla dialogue or has been recorded.

Basically, it's one more reason why people keep playing Skyrim. So long as there are mods out there that expand or improve upon the 2011 release, we're going to keep seeing TES5 in the gaming limelight. The Elder Scrolls 6 is seriously going to h??ave to do a lot of work to match this kind of legacy.

The post A new Skyrim mod expan??ds a pivotal Dark Brotherhood quest appeared first on Destructoid.

Even if you're a casual gamer, you've almost certainly at least heard of the Elder Scrolls series. A quick recap: it's a fantasy-based RPG franchise created by the Maryland studio Bethesda, beginning with Arena in 1994 and going all the way to the 2023 mobile game, The Elder Scrolls: Castles.

Over time, it's become one of the most successful role-playing series ever, turning its developer into an industry powerhouse. But say you've never played one before. Which Elder Scrolls game do you start with? There are five mainline entries so far, as well as an MMO set in the same universe, not to me?ntion all the expansions and spinoffs.

While it's important to understan?d that it doesn't technically matter which order you play them in �?as each installment has its own storyline �?I've got some advice on which ones to go with first, based on what it is you might want to experience.

As a note, I'm limiting this to mainline entries only and consider expansions part of their respective main game. With that, here's a guide on which Elder Scrolls game to start with if you've never played one.

Chronologically (release date): Arena

Perhaps this one will make the most sense to some of you. If you're going to play a series of significant role-playing games, there's a solid argument for going through them in the order in wh?ich they came out. After all, you'll get to see how Bethesda?? improved upon its original formula over the course of a few decades. That's got to count for something.

That being the case, you'll want to play The Elder Scrolls in this fashion:

• Arena (1994)
• Daggerfall (1996)
• Morrowind (2002)
• Oblivion (2006)
• Skyrim (2011)

The one thing that wi??ll become immediate is the visual quality as you make your way through each game. Given how old some of the past entries are, there's inevitably going to be a lot of noticeable aging in terms of how each one looks (and how they play).

If you've never played an old-school RPG before, then there's also the question of getting used to the mechanics. One thing that will become apparent is how much emphasis is put on the actual role-playing aspects in things like Arena and Daggerfall (the latter especially),? a??s well as how little the games will hold your hand.

Given this, a few of you may be immediately put off by some of the classic TES entries, but it will give you a so?und appreciation for just how far not only this series has come, but video game development on the whole.

I should hasten to add that both the first games are free on GOG. However, for Daggerfall, it is highly recommended to check out the Unity remake of it, which is also free. This will give you the most authentic experience of the original while addi??ng some modern tweaks and quality-of-life changes.

Chronologically (timeline): The Elder Scrolls Online

The history and world of The Elder Scrolls is pretty vast. There are countless resources online where you can trek back through the timeline, trawling through all the mos?t important events that happened, though they've yet to be actualized in a?ny of the games.

Spread out over the course of six eras (two prehistoric and four modern), the timeline of Bethesda's fantasy universe covers an enormous range. As an example: the events of TES Online occur around 1,000 years before Skyrim,?? the latter of which takes place in the fourth era.

What's interesting about this is none of the games are set in the first era or before, which means there are huge swathes of Elder Scrolls history that have not been explo?red in any installment s??o far.

Technically, if you want to play them in order of story timeline, it's the exact same list as above, starting from Arena and going through to Skyrim, especially? if it's the history you're interested in. There are tons of in-game books and documents you can read through at your lei?sure.

What I will say is, if you actually want to go as far back as you can across the timeline, it's best to start with The Elder Scrolls Online. It's not technically a mainline entry in the series, but it takes pla??ce in the second era, so it's the earliest in terms of historical significance.

More action than role-playing: Oblivion

The Elder Scrolls franchise is, at its heart, about role-playing. It always has been and it always will be (check back with this statement when TES6 comes out). But it also has action in droves. No matter which game you play, there's always a need to battle monsters, bandits, Daedric beings, dragons, and cliff racers (IhatethemihatethemIHATETHEM).

However, most who have played the games over the years will be aware that a shift has taken place. The first entries in the series had a much stronger emphasis on role-playing. Leveling up is more in-depth, with the older games very much taking cues from tabletop RPGs like Dungeons 'n' Dragons. It's noticeable in the likes of Daggerfall, for example, in which you literally "r?oll" th?e numbers to generate your character's stats.

Games 1-3 also have a greater lean towards encouraging exploration, with no quest markers or arrows pointing you to where you need to go. This can be troublesome for people? who ar??e used to games giving hints, so they may prefer the later installments.

As such, I would recommend Oblivion or Skyrim. It's honestly hard to decide between the two. Both games are accessible, especially for people ??who are relatively new to the RPG genre, but have dow??nplayed the actually role-playing aspects somewhat.

If I were to be pushed for a more certain suggestion, I would go with Oblivion first. It's technically a prequel to Skyrim, though not in any obvious way, and it's a good entry point into the series for anyone who prefe??rs their fantasy gaming with a bit more action.

Play the best one first: Morrowind

I really mean it when I say there's no correct order in which to play The Elder Scrolls in. You don't have to have played previous installments to enjoy any of them. They exist as separate stories, which is why I've split this article into different sections. But if you just want to start with what is arguably considered one of the best entries in the franchise, there really is only one answer: Morrowind.

Seriously. Look on just about any list that ranks the games in order of quality and, chances are, TES3 will be at the top. I'm not just following the crowd, either. I'm inclined to agree with them (though I might rank Daggerfall slightly higher for its greater sense of nostalgia and? the game's sheer scope).

What makes it so special? Everyone will have their own opinion, but for me, it represents an ideal blend of RPG aesthetics and action combined with a huge leap in visual quality. I will acknowledge that it's aged horribly as the years have gone by. No one can deny that. However, between Daggerfall and Morrowind �?about six years �? the difference in graphics is jaw-dropping. I mean, you look at this and then look at this; night and day, really.

In short: if you just want to experience what many consider the crème de la crème of The Elder Scrolls, this is the one to go for as your first game.

In order of review scores upon release: Skyrim

There's a point at which you have to consider what all the fuss is about. As a long-standing series, The Elder Scrolls has made a huge impact on the world of gaming. Maybe it wasn't the first of its kind (it took inspiration from the likes of Ultima, which technically began in 1979 an??d is considered one of the firs??t computer-based RPGs in history), but it's certainly one of the most famous, and it's still going strong to this day.

For that reason, it'd be interesting to play the games in order of their success, based purely on review scores. However, as some data is missing from Metacritic, I'm going to use the percentage (out of 100) scores from each entry's Wikipedia page, taking the highest number given at the time of each release. Str?ap in:

• Skyrim: 96/100
• Oblivion: 95/100
• Morrowind: 90/100
• Daggerfall: 90/100
• Arena (PC): 88/100

Well, wo?uld you look at that. It's exactly the same or??der as the years they were released in, and the respective timelines they take place in. It almost seems unanimous, really.

If you wanted to play them in a slightly different order, you could go off what the user scores on Metacritic say, but that would just swap Skyrim and Oblivion around. And there's little data for Arena. You know what, let's not get bogged down in the minutiae of how successful each game in the Elder Scrolls series has been.

If you want to keep it simple, it seems fairly clear that the best way to play them is basically in order of when they came out, which will also make sense chronologically (if you add in TES Online) as well as how well each one did. There. I'm glad I?? got out of bed this morning to tell you a??ll that.

The post Which mainline Elder Scrolls game should you start w??ith? appeared first on Destructoid.

Bethesda's Elder Scrolls series has been a staple of role-playing video games. In terms of mainline entries, we're five releases in, with a sixth one?? out there somewhere being worked on. But we're not here to talk about the future. We're going to be discus?sing just how successful each game in the franchise has been.

Make no mistake—as the years have gone by, The Elder Scrolls has only become more popular. But the series had to start somewhere, and I think it's interesting to compare the sales figures of each one? side-by-side to really hammer home this success story.

6. The Elder Scrolls: Arena - 3,000 copies

At the time of release, Arena sold around 3,000 copies, according to former lead designer Ted Peterson. While these numbers have probably gone up since then, there doesn't seem to be any indication of how many the first TES game has sold ??overall. Th?e fact that you can get it free these days makes it a moot point.

Cast your minds back three decades if you can. A small studio from Maryland, which had been developing sports games and a couple of Terminator adaptations, unleashed the first Elder Scrolls entry into the world. Called Arena, the crew had no idea just how big their fantasy universe was goi?ng to bec?ome.

Arena may represent the seeds of The Elder Scrolls as a franchise, but gaming wasn't the corporate-driven beast we know it as today, which is probably why the sales figures don't? look that imp?ressive.

Still, Arena ma?de an impression, setting into motion new ways of creating interactive stories with detailed role-playing elements. The fact that it had a procedurally generated world was ?also hugely impressive for the time.

5. The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall - 700,000+ copies

Selling 120,000 copies upon launch, Daggerfall easily surpassed Arena. By mid-2000, former Vice President of Bethesda Softworks Pete Hines said the game had sold over 700,000 copies, and that number would have gone up since.

Encompassing a world the size of Great Britain, The Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall improved on Arena in just about every way pos??sible. While it's perhaps not as big as its p??redecessor, it beefed up the role-playing aspects and made a huge splash in the genre.

That it won more awards than Arena shows that Bethesda was onto something. It had enormous scope and a world so huge that its in-game map had a search function! Daggerfall was the first Elder Scrolls game I played; its vastness was mind-blowing t?o me, and I st??ill go back to it sometimes.

If you want to experience Daggerfall today, you're best off playing the Unity version from GOG. It's a complete revamp of the game, keeping the visuals and clas?sic style of the original but giving it a few quality-of-life tweaks and?? allowing for mods. It's also free.

4. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind - 4 million copies

Now we're getting into the big figures. Morrowind was a hit when it was first released, and people are still buying it more than 20 years later. By the end of its launch year, the game had shifted around 200,000 copies. By mid-2005, that number had gone up to more than 4 million in sales.

The leap in visual quality between Daggerfall and Morrowind is utterly staggering. The Elder Scrolls 3 �?released at the start of the new millennium �?was a triumph in terms of immersion and advanced graphics. Sure, it's aged horribly now, but back then, just seeing the teaser screenshots prior to release was all the evidence I needed to know that the new TES game was going to be something special.

Morrowind is one of the smallest entries in terms of map size, but that didn't matter. It had ?a detailed world filled with a host of NPCs encased in a uniquely bu?ilt world that took things beyond the usual knights and gray castles we're used to seeing in fantasy.

Morrowind was also the first entry to get a console port. It was released on the original Xbox and PC and went down as one of the best-selling games on the system at the time, almost surpassing Halo. Look at most people's lists of favorite Elder Scrolls entries, and chances are high that Morrowind will be at the top.

3. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - 9.5 million copies

According to a 2015 report from Polygon, Oblivion sold around 9.5 million copies throughout its lifetime, turning the small, Ultima-inspired RPG series into a globally renowned video game franch??ise.

Oblivion was a phenomenal hit when it launched in 2006. Despite arriving just four years after Morrowind, it was yet another leap in just h?ow ad??vanced gaming visuals were becoming.

By now, The Elder Scrolls had a huge following, making Bethesda one of the biggest developers in the world. True, that Oblivion was when the series began to lean more towards act??ion rather than deep role-playing aspec?ts, but the sales numbers speak for themselves.

Oblivion has a Metacritic score of 94 on Xbox 360 and has gone down as one of the top 100 video game releases of all time. I mentioned how blown away I was by Morrowind, but Oblivion absolutely knocked it out of the park for me when I ??first saw it.

2. The Elder Scrolls Online - Over 15 million copies

The Elder Scrolls Online was one of the top-selling games in the UK when it was released in 2014, and it has sold millions since. According to Pete Hines, ESO sold more than 15 million units as of 2020.

There's an argument to be made that Elder Scrolls Online i??sn't part of the mainline series. However, I decided to include it becau?se the numbers are still impressive.

The fact that this is an MMO is what sets it apart from the other Elder Scrolls games. The series is noteworthy for its focus on a single-player narrative. ESO instills play??ers with a sense of powe??r and destiny fulfillment, though that does sort of fall by the wayside when thousands of people are playing as the story's hero.

While I did play the beta �?which was buggy �?I never gave much attention to Elder Scrolls ONline. It's definitely brought in a lot more players over the years, thanks to it ditching the subscription model required to play it. But it must be doing something right, as it's generated around $2 billion in revenue as of 2024.

1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - 60 million copies

There was never any doubt this was at the top, was there? The most recent figures show that Skyrim has sold over 60 million copies since 2011. That might not be enough to beat out the likes of Minecraft, Grand Theft Auto 5, or even Tetris, but what other game can bo?ast being one o?f the most successful releases ever?

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is considered by many to be not only the greatest RPG of all time but one of the best video games in history. At the time of writing, Skyrim is registering over 11,000 concurrent players, according to SteamDB. That's nearly four times the amount that bought the original Arena, let alone played it.

We can make a lot of arguments about how Oblivion is bu?ggy as hell and has taken up too much real estate in the?? gaming sphere, but that doesn't change the facts. The game was a surefire hit before it was even released almost 13 years ago.

Today, it continues to attract a steady stream of players and modders and boasts a total of 229 awards, according to IMDb. Yeah, gamers may be sick of seeing and talking about Skyrim, but it's definitely going down as one of gaming's biggest achievements--at least, until The Elder Scrolls 6 dethrones it.

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While we wait (and wait and wait and wait) for Bethesda to say literally anything about what's happening with The Elder Scrolls 6, let's talk about Skyrim. That should kill a bit more time. Specifically, let's talk about modding Skyrim.

Since time immemorial (well, 2011), TES5 fans have been modifying the game, improving it several folds, adding new content, fixing bugs...just generally getting as much life out of the ol' beast as they can. It's almost as if some people took one look at Skyrim in its vanilla form and went, "nah, mate."

Far be it from me to tell you there are countless ways to tinker with this agin?g epic RPG. But if you're new to playing, or you just want a quick rundown on some of the better mods out there, I've cobbled together a list of what I feel are some pretty essential ones. You may agree with this list. You may not. I will be answering no questions.

NOTE: I will attempt to provide links to mods that are for the Special Edition of Skyrim where possible.

Skyrim Script Extender

When I talk about "essential mods," you can probably interpret that as just meaning a "generally solid modification that many players highly recommend." A lot of it will come down to personal preference ??and how you want to alter the ?game.

However, with Skyrim Script Extender (SKSE for short), this one is pretty vital. If you ask people in the community �?especially the PC community �?what to install first when it comes to modding Skyrim, this will likely be your first port of call.

As the description itself says: this is a tool "used by many Skyrim mods that expands ?scripting capabilities and adds additional functionality to the game." You'd be pretty lost without it. The version linked here has already been downloaded over 1.4 million times, and it was only uploaded?? in 2019.

Unofficial Skyrim Patch

Bethesda games have bugs. The sun is a large ball of burning gas. Everyone knows the uncomfortable sensation of having one shoe tied slightly tighter than the other. Microsoft is pure evil. Oh?, sorry. I thought I was just listing things that can be filed under "the bleeding obvious."

Yes, Skyrim has?? been laden with glitches and issues since the day it landed in video game stores (remember them?) While over the years, the developer has attempted to quash some of the major ones, there are st??ill plenty of bugs that exist, even in the Anniversary Edition which came out some tens after the vanilla release.

That's where the Unofficial Skyrim Patch comes into play. It is, as the name suggests, an unofficial mod for the game with an eventual goal of fixing every single bug TES5 has, and we all know that is quite the mammoth task. The most recent ve??rsion was uploaded on April 18, which means the team is still hard at work. This is another must.

SkyUI

As gorgeous as Skyrim is (or was) when it first came out, there were some criticisms aimed at the game's standard user interface. While I personally didn't have much of a problem with it, I?? could see why it wasn't everyone's favorite.

If you've played the game, you'll surely have your own opinion about it. Which is why we have SkyUI. This is described as an "elegant, PC-friendly int??erface mod with many advanced features." Even from the single image above, you can see t??he differences between the vanilla version and the mod.

Is it fair to say it's more "intuitive?" I'm bold enough to go along with that. While there hasn't been an update for Sk?yUI since 2017, Nexus Mods registers over 4.8 million downloads, so they must be doing something right.

Open Cities

A game like Skyrim consistently delivers and entertains, largely because of its immersive quality. Fo??rget the fact that it's now an older game. When it dropped all those years ago, it was a triumph. It drew people in with its utter splendor, enormous world, and cast of characters that were believabl?e (well as believable as role-playing characters living in a fantasy world full of dragons can be).

However, some of that immersion does fall to the wayside slightly when you enter a new city, like Whiterun. Upon opening the main gate, you find yourself confronted with a black loading screen. It's un??derstandable. Bethesda couldn't have put all the interior aspects of a city within the main world.

However, someone did just that. From the same modder that brought us the Unofficial Patch, we have Open Cities Skyrim. This is a mod that fluidly blends the game's city limits to whatever's outside its walls. The loading screens are now gone, which keeps you immersed. Plus, it means you can now ride your horse straight into places like Riften. Tha??t can only be a plus.

Alternative Start

When I first got the game in 2011, I was enthralled by the opening. A few days later, a friend came round because they wanted to see it, so I booted the game up, loaded a new sav?e, and proceeded to go through the intro cut scene again. Then some time later, another friend wanted to see what all the fuss was about. By this ?point, my character's head had been cut off enough times to satisfy a revolution.

What I'm saying is, even before Skyrim had the long legacy it enjoys today, I had seen the opening section dozens of times. If you are a bit bored with that lengthy introduction, say hello to Alternative Start. Oh look, it's another mod by Arthmoor.

With this, you get to opt for a different beginning to your Skyrim playthrough. You can choose to be a hunter living in the woods, a vampire hiding in a cave, or maybe y?ou've been shipwrecked. The go??od thing about this mod is it doesn't just give you an alternative starting point, it changes things about your character and doesn't immediately put you on the main quest path.

Helgen Reborn

Speaking of that opening section, we don't get to experience Helgen much before it's terrorized by a dragon and left to burn in the ashes of its wake. It's there and then, in the blink of an eye, it's left in ruins as you run for your life and, presumably, bug??ger off to literally anywh??ere else.

With Helgen Reborn, the city gets a second chance. Modders Mike Hancho (aka Balok) didn't just turn the opening location on its head by rebuilding it. No, they went above and beyond, bringing something that is more than just a surfa?ce restructuring. The mod description tells it best:

Helgen Reborn is a fully voiced adventure with over 20 superb voice? actors. As you help rebuild the town you'll reunite two old friends, uncover an underground slavery ring, battle in an arena and many other adventures!

A Quality World Map

Skyrim's map ?is pretty good, says I. Not just a facsimile of the world you walk around. It's actually the real thing, just zoomed out immensely. It would have been easy for Bethesda to phone it in wi?th a standard scroll-like map or something more cartoon-y. Well done to them, I say.

However, it can always be better, and that's what IcePenguin's A Quality World Map does. With over three million downloads on Nexus Mods, it presents itself as the last word in Skyrim topography. Consisting of high-detailed t??extures, AQWM (as I'm ??taking to call it) is a tasty visual addition to your game. I'd say it pairs nicely with SkyUI as well.

Also, it doesn't just have this 3D map, either. It comes in a vivid style and even a paper version, if you want something that's perhaps a bit more Lord of the Rings-y.

Towns and Villages Enhanced

After a while, you start to see the same old Skyrim. It's pretty enough, even for a game that's 13 years old, but it would be nice to have something else to look at. If this is you, you may be interested in Aplestormy's Towns and Villages Enhanced mods.

The inter??est??ing thing about this project is that there isn't one single download that alters every location in the game. Instead, they come in separate files. There's one for Whiterun, Windhelm, Solitude, Riften, Riverwood, and some of the smaller villages.

As described, they basically "enhance" a lot of areas in Skyrim with tweaks and fresh design choices??. Here's ??what the Whiterun mod adds and/or alters.

• Trees (Including new GKB Models)
• New Design - Less Trees, more Detail
• Shrubs and other Foliage
• Rocks and small Details
• New Lighting
• Clutter
• Architecture
• Alchemist Plants
• Effects
• Chickens

Skyrim 202X

I've said it a few times already, but Skryim is a pretty old game at this point. As such, it's not as visually arresting as it once was. Back in 2011, though...wowee. There wasn't much like ?it. However, things have changed. We want our collective eyes melted out of our faces with graphical brilliance.

If you want nothing more than to make Skyrim look prettier, maybe even more modern, there are a wide range of options available in the modding community. Howver, one that comes highly recommended is Pfuscher's Skyrim 202X. This is a high-resolution overhaul ??of how the ga??me looks.

It boasts more than 2,000 files (which come in several parts) and is a visual feast. It's been worked on since 2016, with the latest version going live on April 15 this year. It has over 1.8 million unique downloads, and it's easy to see why. It's. Just. So. Pre??tty.

Immersive Interactions

Anyone who's seen me talk about Skyrim mods before may be familiar with the name JaySerpa. They are, by far, one of my favorite modders working on the game currently, and it's mainly because of how they ??change the ?game to be that extra bit immersive.

I'm choosing Immersive Interactions to put in this list, but really, I could have selected any one at random to showcase how simple tweaks can up the alluring quality of role-playing in Skyrim. This one in particular allows your character to perform "context-aware animations," which includes being able to gree??t NPCs and generally interact with the world.

JaySerpa has also gives us realistic reactions to invisibility spells, new spliced dialog during brawls, the ability to pet dogs, even a fix for the flute playing animation. There's a selection there that I personally recom??mend.

The post 10 essential Skyrim mods you need to install appeared first on Destructoid.

When last we checked in on the possible whereabouts of The Elder Scrolls 6, we were still nowhere near to knowing when it was likely to be released. At the end of August last year, Bethesda confirmed the Skyrim follow-up was in early development, and there was some info implying it would take until at least 2026. Maybe. Other than that, we're non-the-wiser.

So what can we say for certain when it comes to the next Elder Scrolls game? Honestly, other than it's currently in the works, there's li??t??tle to go on. Pretty much everything else has been a rumor or some wishful thinking.

Outside that, the only thing we've really been given is an official teaser trailer. However, as of next month, even this will be five years old, having been released in June 2018. And it didn't actually tell us much other than TES6 was happening, combined with a bird's-eye shot over a??n unnamed bit of Tamriel. It did, however, get people guessing where it's likely to be set (Hammerfell is the most popular theory).

Why is it taking so long?

Given the enormous legacy of Skyrim, the game that follows it is going to have to be pretty spectacular. That shit takes time, I'm sure we can all agree. However, TES5 came out towards the latter part of 2011??. That makes it more than 13 years old at this point. A lot's gone on in that time.

Since then, Bethesda has released two Fallout games (with a fifth entry now in development), The Elder Scrolls online, and Starfield. Within the past decade or so, fans have heard very little about TES6, aside from the aforementione??d teaser and det?ails mentioned above.

We know it's definitely part of Bethesda's focus. In March of this year, a post went out on the studio's Twitter/X account to celebrate 30 years of The Elder Scrolls. In it was a message that said the "next chapter" was still very ??much in development, and some of the team had been "playing early?? builds." That doesn't mean we're closer to a potential release date, but maybe we can take comfort in knowing that work is underway on the project.

Can it ever hope to live up to the hype?

Look, we've been here before. Duke Nukem Forever is the poster child of what can happen when development on a long-awaited sequel takes ?way longer than anticipated. ??It quickly became a scapegoat for terrible video game follow-ups that don't match the years they spent in development.

To be fair, though, Duke Nukem Forever had a number of factors w?orking against it. Switching studios in the middle of development surely didn't help. On top of that, by the time it was released in 2011 �?having spent 14 years in development �?some of the humor and references were massively outdated, turning what should have been a fun FPS into something that inspired eye rolls from players.

The Elder Scrolls 6 is at least being kept close to the chest of the series' o?riginal developer. Bethesda surely knows what it's doing with its intellectual property, but as the years go by, hype is only going to build, and it's ha??rd to stay excited for something for this long.

What we know so far

As of right now, here's a list of things we can at least be a bit confident about when it comes to Elder Scrolls 6:

• TITLE: The Elder Scrolls 6 (no subtitle yet)
• DEVELOPER: Bethesda
• SETTING: Unknown
• STORY: Unknown
• RELEASE DATE: Unknown
• PLATFORMS: PC and Xbox are pretty much guaranteed, but we could be looking at a newer console generation by the time TES6 hits digital storefronts.
• BEERS I'VE DRANK SINCE SKYRIM CAME OUT IN 2011: An unhealthy amount.

Also, here's an interesting fact that will blow your mind: it took 17 years to get from TES1: Arena (1994) to TES5: Skyrim (2011). This means in four years' time, TES6 will account for half the lifespan of the entire Elder Scrolls franchise. Boom.

The post The Elder Scrolls 6: What’s happening with the Skyrim follow-up? appeared first on Destructoid.

While we wait for further updates on the delayed Fallout: London, we can at least take a quick gander at another unofficial modification of a well-known Bethesda IP. The team behind the rather ambitious Skyblivion ??project has put out another dev diary, showing the work that's gone into the mod so far.

In the latest video, we get a glimpse into where things are currently standing, as the narrator takes us through some memorable locations from The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion that are in development. This includes the Great Forest, the Ayleid Ruins, as well as some of the denizens that haunt the location, and the ????????????????????????????city of Chorrol.

One of the more interesting features of the video is the discussion of the UI. Since being shown off last, a lot of changes have been made to the interface, showing a much more immersive character creation screen. We also get told about how Oblivion's tumbler-based lockpicking function is making a comeback for Skyblivion, completely abandoning the Skyrim mechanic, it seems.

Mod release when?

For those who don't know, Skyblivion is a complete remake of TES4 done in TES5's more advanced (though aging these days) engine. It's been in development since 2016 and is helmed by a team of volunteers. The narrator does say that additional help is always welcome, so if you are interested in helping out the project, you can fill out the volunteer application form.

As for a release date, there's nothing set in stone yet. Currently, Skyblivion is aiming for a 2025 launch, but as the new dev diary clearly states, there's still a l??ot of work to be done.

However, that work is coming along nicely. It's been a good few months since we last saw an update, but it's fair to say this is a modification with some impressive scope. It's g??oing to take a long time for a project like this to become finali?zed, especially as it's entirely fan-made and, as such, does not appear to have the backing of Bethesda.

It is, however, a pretty solid testament to the dedication of the modding community. The aforementioned Fallout: London is another example of the drive the community has to create something unique and/or exciting, especially when you take into account that these are volunteers working in an unofficial capacity. To see a complete remake of Oblivion done in Skyrim? is no small feat, so if it takes the team a couple more years to finish, I think it will be worth the wait in the end.

The post Latest Skyblivion dev diary sh??ows how far the Skyrim/Oblivion project has come appeared first on Destructoid.

The thrill of playing Skyrim is getting to roleplay as a mighty hero, battling acros?s a frosted nation to save the world from annihilation. Sure, the sight of a Frost Troll, Giant Spider, or that first Dragon encounter can be pretty intense, especially early on. I wouldn't say they were who??lly fear-inducing, though, but that's where one modder would disagree.

Back with another immersive way to play Skyrim, Nexus Mods user JaySerpa brings us "Stress and Fe??ar," a "dynamic sanity system" that actually gives your character a feeling of dread. As you wander this cold slice of Tamriel, enemy encounters can leave the Dragonborn feeling a little weakened from the stress of fighting and losing health.

Stress meters affect your stats, such as your Magicka, and you can even develop a fear of a particular enemy. Say you barely make it out alive after fighting a bandit, the next time you come across one, you will experience a kind of phobia. Defeating bandits will allow you to con?quer this new-found fear, though.

[Pet dog to recover]

Fortunately, you can rectify these stress-inducing debuffs. Eating comf??ort food, such as sweetrolls, is just one way to make yoursel??f feel better. As does drinking alcohol. In fact, according to the mod description, just four bottles of booze is enough to take you from 100 to 0 stress.

You can also take part in a relaxing activity, such a??s fishing, reading a book, or playing some music. And yes, in case you are wondering, petting a dog will also help reduce your fear and stress levels. Just like in real life.

JaySerpa's mod also introduces dynamic story-telling. In this case, as you conquer your phobias, you will become stronger. Of course, you have to actually overcome the Dragonborn's anxieties first.? Gee, I wonder if there's a mod that allows me to get over my fear of the London Undergro??und.

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Questing across Skyrim's vast and wintry landscape is tiring ??work for any adventurer. It's a good job the game lets your character take a sleep then. But what if �???horror of horrors �?there aren't any beds available, or you can't afford a night in a tavern? You guessed it. Modding comes to the rescue once more.

We return to veteran Nexus Mods user JaySerpa, who, this time, has given us a way for the Dragonborn to catch some much-needed Z's without the need for a bed. "Take a Nap" allows your character to get a little bit of sleep while sitting down, be it in a chair or on a b?ench.

The above video shows that it has more than just an extra sleep option. Animations show your character putting their head on the table, closing their eyes, and even waki??ng? up with back pain (resulting in reduced stamina for a bit).

"Look, pal, you can't stay here!"

Of course, what kind of immersive mod would this be if it di??d?n't have some reactions from nearby NPCs? According to JaySerpa, patrons who notice you taking a nap at a table may have something to say. While some don't seem to mind, others may take exception to you hogging up seating space with your snoring and drool.

Last week, the gaming world acknowledged 30 years of The Elder Scrolls series. Beginning li?fe in 1994, Bethesda's most prized IP has been a huge par?t of the fantasy RPG genre.

Skyrim is the latest in a growing list of TES installments. Unfortunately, it's been with us for a long time now (over 12 years), with no si?gn of the next entry. Some of us are beginning to grow a little impatient. Luckily, there's a dedicated modding community to keep us quiet for a bit longer.

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The Elder Scrolls has been a pretty big part of my gaming life for many years, and now the series has officially turned thirty years old. It's not only the biggest IP Bethesda has ever put out, but ?it's considered by many to be one of the best role-playing franchises of all time.

What will Todd Howard and the rest of the team be doing to celebrate this milestone? It's hard to say at this stage. Nothing's been said on social media at the time of writing, but with parts of the world still waking up, the Elder Scrolls developer will no doub?t be marking this?? pretty significant occasion.

Three decades is a long time for any series to maintain, but even more difficult in terms of remaining popular and lucrative. Of course, of those 30 years, more than Skyrim accounts for more than 12 of them.

Funnily enough, there is a short update on "the next chapter" of Elder Scrolls, which is the upcoming Elder Scrolls 6 (TES VI). The team notes how "?even now, returning to Tamriel an??d playing early builds has us filled with the same joy, excitement, and promise of adventure."

Can you choose a favorite Elder Scrolls game?

To get a little nostalgic here: I have fond memories of playing Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall after seeing my friend play it on his PC and deciding I wanted a piece of that action. While the series began with Arena on March 25, 1994, it was the follow-up two years later that put Bethesda o??n the RPG map.

Daggerfall was massive, encompassing an area roughly the size of Great Britain. That may pale in comparison to today's standards, but such a scale was almost unthinkable back then. Remember that PC gaming was still in its infancy (Doom had only come out the year before Arena).

Then Morrowind came along in 2002 and just absolutely blew everything else out of the water. Oh man, that game was a joy to walk around in, with its advanced graphics and near-perfect role-playing elements. Yeah, it's aged terribly over the years, but many still consider it the best Elder Scrolls game of all time.

Fast-forward to now and we're still wondering where the next installment is. If you're like me, you were probably banking on Bethesda saying a few words about TES6 not long after Starfield w??as released. The latter has only been out a few months, but I feel we're not far from some sort of update about t??he former. The legacy must continue!

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When the end of the world comes (and it will), I like to imagine that in the midst of all the rubble and chaos, people will still be playing Skyrim. There doesn't seem to be any way that people won't tinker with the game and in this instance, we get to see dead technology being revived in order to play TES5.

As spotted by PCGamesN, Reddit user nekomichi recently sh?owed that it's possible t??o run the game in a Steam Deck (so far so normal) using old iPods as controllers. The clip attached to the post shows it working as you would imagine.

Movement itself requires scrolling the click wheel of the one on the right, while the left ?iPod is being used for turning. While walking forward and fighting seem to work pretty well, turning left and right is a bit of a janky affair.

Not intended for speedruns

This idea is actually based on something nekomichi did in November 2022. A video on YouTube shows them setting up some iPods to control Skyrim via PC. Basic?ally, it involves the installation of RockBox, an open source piece of firmware which allows the iPods to be used as devices over a USB.

Once installed, it becomes a case of assigning each button and wheel to an action in-game. The method used in th?e video is almost certainly the same that's used in the Steam Deck version ?(what is a Steam Deck if not a portable PC, after all).

They've also tested this on Sleeping Dogs, also running on the Deck. However, they say it works much better with Skyrim. There's no reason why you can't try this yourself if you happen to have some old iPods flying around. But don't e??????????????????????????xpect to be speedrunning through the game.

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Even though many of us may see Skyrim as one of the greatest RPGs of all time, there's no denying that it's a painfully flawed game. We know th??is, and that's why modders are always working to make sure Bethesda's aging epic maintains some degree of relevancy.

This mod in particular is pretty simple, but quite effective. As spotted by PC Gamer, Nexus Mods user wSkeever recently uploaded "Simplicity of Stalking - Automatically Follow NPCs." As the name suggests, this gives you the ability to follow a character in Skyrim without ha??ving to do ?that awkward run/walk by their side in order to keep up.

We've all been there. We all know how irritating it is? that an NPC's amble is faster t??han our walk, but slower than our run. Well, wSkeever's mod fixes that.

Even if they don't want to be followed

As the video above shows, simply targeting a c??haracter and activating the "Follow" option will make it so you?? walk a few paces behind them. Instructions say that, to stop following, simply press "any movement or attack controls."

You'l?l also need to download a few other mods for your game before you can use this one. Outside that, you're good to go. In fact, not only can the Dragonborn now follow people at a comfortable pace, it also works through loading? screens as well.

Of course, while it's likely you'll use the mod mainly for following quest NPCs when they're escorting you somewhere, it can also be used on anyone, as far as I can tell. I'm not saying you should be stalking Skyrim residents. What I am saying is that it literally says the word "stalki??ng" in the mod title.

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If there's one thing many of us know about Skyrim, it's that the NPCs are not the brightest around. Enemy AI is usually pretty easy to mani?pulate, but this one modder decide?d that better NPC reactions make for a better experience.

Back once again with another of their trademark TES5 improvements, Nexus Mods user JaySerpa has made it so Skyrim enemies are a little bit sm?arter during fights. If you're the kind of Dragonborn that likes to cheese bandits and the like, you may have to rethink your approaches from now on.

Essentially, what "NPCs Take Cover" does is make it so enemies react quicker to being attacked. When you pull your bow out ??and aim, they will no longer just stand there while you ready your shot. They also run and hide. And properly hide, this time.

Some may call it "cowering"

The video above shows it in action. When you stand on top of somewhere enemie??s can't reach, the vanilla AI will have them just stand there while you unload arrows into them. With JaySerpa's mod, you're going to have to think of a better tactic. Or just face them hea?d-on.

The mod is specific to ??long-range attacks, so bows and projectile magic will be affected. There are also 200 lines of extra dialogue, in which enemies will taunt you if you try to pick them o??ff from a hard-to-reach place.

By seeking cover, shaming you for your cheese tactics, and h?aving quicker reactions to you taking aim at them, you can immerse you?rself in a world in which, quite frankly, you may no longer be the smartest one around.

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If you've never tried a Skyrim mod before �?either on PC or console �?you are truly missing out. The vanilla release just doesn't seem to cut it these days for a lot of fans, so the modding community has dedicated itself to making TES5 as brilliant, everlasting, and immersive a??s all get out.

With that in mind, Nexus Mods user JaySerpa is back once more with further Skyrim impro??vements. This time, they've made it so NPCs react to being attacked by one of thei??r friends. The video below shows it in action.

Essentially, when you use a Frenzy spell �?which temporarily turns enemies against each other �?there's no vocal reaction to what's happening. ??This mod, however, uses spliced and vanilla dialogue from the game to make NPCs ??actually care an ally has turned against them. You can download it here (as the creator says, it's a measly 7MB, so you may as well).

"No! We've been betrayed!"

Some of you who are very familiar with the Skyrim modding scene will likely know JaySerpa's work. Fresh off their recent Christmas mod, this latest effort is yet another way of injecting that extra bit of immersion into the agin??g RPG.

It's also one of the reasons TES5 is still going strong after all these years. It's highly unlikely the game would enjoy such longevit??y without the community tweaking the base release, keeping things fresh for who knows how long.

Whether The Elder Scrolls 6 will get the same modding treatment remains to be seen, but ?let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet. Bethesda still hasn't given us an update on its whereabouts or development stage.

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One tends not to associate the likes of Skyrim with Christmas. Which is surprising, really, given all that snow and burly men with big beards. But with the ho??liday season upon us, one modder decides to bring yuletide festivities to this cold slice of Tamriel.

Back with another addition to your vanilla Skyrim playthrough, veteran modder JaySerpa has just released "The Gift of Saturalia - A Quest for the Holidays." This mod encapsulates an Elder Scrolls type of winter celebration with a new quest to ho??pefully get yo??u in the Christmas spirit.

Featuring fully voiced acting and expansions to some NPC lore, you'll be given the chance to help others out, as a "bearded old?? trader" teaches you about the tradition of Saturalia. The quest itself is said to not be too long, but it's supposed to have "lasting effects, scenes and dialogue after its completion, altering some locations and the life of several NPCs."

Also, that trailer is pretty current

Here's everything that "The Gift of?? Sat??uralia" boasts:

• Fully voiced, with a mix of new characters (with new VA) and spliced vanilla lines.
• Expands the stories of several vanilla NPCs that don't usually get much love.
• Around 500 lines of dialogue. Quest duration is overall short, but it will take you all over Skyrim. Roughly 1 or 2 hours of playtime.
• Lore friendly and feasible: My goal is to make content that feels like it could've been in the vanilla game from the start.
• Dynamic changes: The attitudes, routines, relationships and basically the life of several NPCs will be altered by the end of the quest. Some of the NPCs involved might live in a new home or even a new city. All with voiced reactions, custom scenes and quest-awareness.
• Persuasion options take into account your "history" with the characters you're talking to as part of the quest. Meaning, if you've helped them in the past (or wronged them), the persuasion attempt is more or less likely to succeed.
• Quest is very speech-centric and suitable for all ages. A literal quest for the holidays.
• If you own the Anniversary Edition Upgrade (including the Saturalia official addon), this mod will improve on the CC Saturalia NPC by giving him a new voice and appropriate lines (He will talk about his reindeer, trying to sell it to you, etc.)
• Interesting rewards that encourage staying in the cold areas of Skyrim.

For those who aren't aware (I must admit, even as a lifelong Elder Scrolls player, I was a bit ignorant), Saturali??a is a Breton celebration that t??akes place on the 25th of Evening Star. It's a time for gift giving, get-togethers, and partying. Sound familiar?

Honestly, if this mod doesn't get you into the swing of the holiday season, then I don't kno?w what will. Probably something else, I imagine. Who am I to judge? Not Santa, that's who.

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Skyrim and the whole Elder Scrolls series provides a near-infinite potential for modding. Some fan projects �?such as Tamriel Rebuilt �?expand o?n the original games and lore, and one other monstrous endeavor has been making great progress.

In the most recent developer video diary, the Skyrim Rebuilt team has shown off the work that's so far been carried out in expanding Cyrodiil, the region where Oblivion takes place. Over the ??course of 35 minutes, we get to see exa?ctly what's been implemented and what's left to do.

For example: the city of? Skingrad has had nearly all 33 interiors fi??nalized and all 86 NPCs and 108 scenes have been completed, with focus now shifting to finishing quests. It's quite astounding the work that's been put in by the team, yet there's still lots to be done.

What is Skyrim Rebuilt?

It should be noted that this massive project is not a recreation of Oblivion inside Skyrim's engine. Instead, Skyrim Rebuilt will encompass a complete expansion of the continent of Tamriel which will allow you to travel to regions from the other TES games. Cyrodiil is just one of the ma??ny provinces that's being worked on.

This means that The Elder Scrolls 4's story will not be present as the region is part of Skyrim's lore and history (i.e. 200 years after Oblivion). This also means there are numerous changes, with the most notable one being the complete recreation of Kvatch, the settlement that's been destroyed in TES4.

As for when it will be released, the team is unable to give an answer. You can already download the city of Bruma if you want to get a taste of what's been worked on, but as you can imagine, a project like this is going to take a long time to complete. And it's been in development since 2012. The team is interested in volunteers if you have the skills to help out.

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Skyrim mods have always been a vital aspect in keeping the aging Elder Scrolls game alive and well. While the vast majority of them are free to download and install, Bethesd??a is once again interested in keeping some of the highe?r quality ones back for profit.

A recent update for Skyrim was sent out and with it, Bethesda announced Creations, ?a new way for "players to discover, download and play community-made content." In a nutshell, it means modders specially picked by the developer can earn a bit of ??money for their mods. That's right, you'll have to pay for these if you want to play them.

An FAQ explains those that have been vetted �?referred to as "Verified Creators" �?can set a price for mods "from a se??t selection of options." They will then receive royalties from their content. While anyone can apply to be entered into the "Verified Creator Program," it seems it's reserved mainly for those with experience and expertise, possibly bordering on professiona??l levels.

Because it was so popular last time...

As you can imagine, it isn't going down well with the Skyrim community at all. Recent reviews on Steam show many are angry about this new ??"evolution," as Bethesda is calling it. Not only does it reintroduce paid community content, but some have said the update has broken some mods.

Something similar was attempted back in 2015, when Bethesda teamed up with Valve to implement a way of getting players to pay for custom mods. That didn't go down well then, either, so it's interesting th?at it's being tried again.

Whether this is something that's being attempted to see if it'll work with Starfield is just speculation on my part. It should be noted that modders can choose to upload content to Skyrim for free. But in any case, the Elder Scrolls and Fallout studio is once again mak??ing itself unpopular among the community.

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No matter how old it gets, people still seem to flock to Skyrim and its chilly world of fantasy possibilities. The fact that there are so many interesting NPCs to interact with arguably makes it that extra bi??t appealing. But what happens when you grow tired of this slice of Tamriel being full of characters and wildlife?

Why, you go on a killing spree, of course. That's what Reddit user amelix34 did at least (thanks GamesRadar). A post on the Skyrim sub shows sheer dedicat??ion when it ??comes to attempting to kill every possible thing in the game.

According to the user, they've managed to kill 3,310 people, 693 animals, 401 creatures, 947 undead, 55 ?Deadra, and 98 Automatons (such as the Dwarven Spider?). That's over 5,500 characters, animals, and enemies killed, which may or may not be the maximum figure across the whole of the RPG.

Sounds tiring

Obviously, that's not counting characters that can't be killed, such as children or those pertinent to the main quest. However, this could well represent the maximum number of murders that can be done in The Elder Scrolls 5.

Another image shows that amelix34 has managed to amass a lifetim??e bounty of 267,140. But then again, if all the guards in the game have been killed, who exactly is going to retrieve that? Exactly.

Despite the attempt to pretty much wipe any sign of life off the face of Skyrim (non-killables notwithstanding, of course), the user did say they made an exception when it came to Pa?arthurnax and Shadowmere. Good to see they're not a total psychopath then.

All-in-all, it's just one of the many ways that TES5 remains in the gaming limelight more than 12 years after its release. Its legacy is hard to surpass, despite the issues it has (perhaps even because of them). Even Bethesda's own Starfield can't match such a legendary status.

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Given the hype surrounding it prior to release, pretty much everyone expected Starfield to be a rousing success. However, most probably expected (hoped, even) it would have ??a healthy amount of staying power. But as recent s??tats show, Bethesda's newest IP is experiencing a drop in popularity.

According to the data on SteamDB (as spotted by Rock Paper Shotgun), Starfield has fewer people playing the game right now than Skyrim. At the time of writing, the former is just shy of 14,000 concurrent ??pla??yers, while the latter has nearly 16,000 for the Special Edition alone.

Add onto that the 1,796 fans playing just regular Skyrim and we get a pi?cture of just how much more engaging ??Bethesda's 2011 epic RPG is.

It's a tall order to beat Skyrim

Of course, given TES5's legacy �?and having just celebrated 12 years �?it's a tough act to follow, even from the game's own developer. Starfield launched to significant feedback, most of which was pretty glowing, but in?terest is definitely waning now.

Maybe this is a question of overhype. Often, video games struggle to match the expectations that people have, and some of the time, it's the fault of the developer for pushing a product too hard (hello, No Man's Sky).

That's not to say Starfield is a bad game. It's been nominated for Best RPG at this year's The Game Awards, so it's not exactly without merit or kudos. There's just something about the fact that one of the most ant??icipated releases of this generation is seemingly losing its audience. And it's only been out a couple of months.

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