Skyrim: Special Edition is out, and there are already a ton of mods out for it. Which ones does a player download?
Chances are that you’ve played Skyrim before. If you’re on PC, you’ve probably downloaded a mod or two for it as well. If you have, then some of these mods will be familiar to you. If not, especially, then these will be some great starting points for the modder’s frenzy that overcome you! I do want to mention that a lot of Skyrim mods will NOT work with Skyrim: Special Edition. Bethesda was kind enough to let the modding community get their hands on the Creator’s Kit early, so there are a lot of classic mods that have been ported over and re-tuned. That said, let’s kick off this Fanatical Five with an old favorite.
“Alternate Start – Live Another Life” by Arthmoor
Live Another Life is one of those mods that just about every modder has. While the opening sequence of Skyrim is quite memorable, sometimes you just want to skip it. Then again, some players might want to have a different experience in the land of Skyrim. Want to be a bandit? Do you want to be a member of the Imperial Army? Want to wake up in a sunken boat? All of these and more await, but what will you choose?
“Stones of Barenziah Quest Markers” by toaDime
Remember those delightful little stones you could find and pick up for the “No Stone Unturned” quest? My guess is that you never actually finished that quest because you couldn’t figure out where the stones were without a guide. Well, here is your new guide! The mod does exactly what it says, adding quest markers for each of the 24 stones. They are hidden all over the place still, so the actual questing is still going to take a while. But at least now you’ll have some direction!
“YOT – Your Own Thoughts” by Tooplex
Here is an excellent example of how the modding community works. A while back, a user named VorpalBlades made a mod called “Think to Yourself Messages” that changed all the second-person (“You”) pop-up messages to first-person (“I”). It was a small change, to be sure, and the mod was sadly abandoned over a year ago. Some time later, another modder, Tooplex, decided to expand on the idea of TTYM with “Your Own Thoughts.” If you want a little more immersion, I suggest taking a look at this one.
“Ordinator – Perks of Skyrim” by Enai Siaion
I just checked, and this mod just went up at 6 AM today! Allow me to do my best to explain this one. “Ordinator” is one of many perk overhauls for Skyrim, but it is one of the first to be updated for Skyrim: SE. If you are a Skyrim veteran, then this mod is perfect for you. The mod replaces the standard perk system with over 400 new and interesting perks that are suited for any playthrough. Want to be a brawler who fights with their fists? Take the Hissing Dragon perk, which imbues your punches with the power of the elements. Looking for a fun time? Pick up the Partystarter perk and sneakily drop a molotov cocktail that explodes when you are found. These perks are positively delightful and imaginative, and there are multiple branches to choose from per tree. One-handed, for example, now has a side tree for dual-wielding! Do be sure to start a new game for this one, as it will overwrite your current perks…
“Aethernautics – A Space Travel Mod” by Trainwiz
Modders have a fun sense of humor. Take “Aethernautics” for example. It’s a quest mod that takes you to space with your own spaceship. It also gives you guns (called Harquebuses), a space suit, and an orbital laser cannon. Lore-friendly, this is not. But it is a ton of fun.
That’s it for this list. As one might expect, there are new mods being published for Skyrim: Special Edition every single day. I’d advise checking Nexus Mods and Bethesda.net often if you want some more. In the meantime, what are some of your favorite mods that you’d like to see come to Skyrim? Let us know in the comments below, and your choices might be found in the next Skyrim: Special Edition mods feature!
