No matter how much hype surrounds a game at initial launch and no matter who the maker is, even great games inevitably become stale and tiresome. Luckily, series that are backed by huge modding communities -- like the Elder Scrolls games or the Baldur's Gate community -- possess the astounding ability to imbue a fading game with invigorating content, potentially bringing a dying breed back to life.
This total Skyrim Overhaul includes the best Skyrim graphics mods, content mods, and mechanics changes to date. We'll briefly cover some of the worst Skyrim crashes and how to fix them, as well.
As with Oblivion and Morrowind before it, Skyrim's community sprung to life at the drop of the official modding kit, and although our previous graphics mod article was entirely comprised of core hacks, the ones below have had time to mature and grow on the fully-functional toolkit. Total conversion mods haven't yet begun to flourish, but we can combine multiple mods to achieve something close.
Let's dive into the graphics, content, and mechanical/functional mods that you should consider!
Note: Due to page load times and high server demand, we've split this article into three clean, easy sections: Graphics, Content, and Mechanics Fixes.
Skyrim Graphics Overhaul
Realistic Lighting Mod: Many of you disliked the high levels of bloom in our original mod round-up post, but now that mods have had time to fully develop and realize their potential, we're given the option of allowing players to fully customize the coloring, allowing for more idiosyncracies. The "Realistic Lighting Mod" by Sydney666 adds a more powerful sun, vibrant sunset and sunrise skies, better ambience in dark locales, and makes nights very, very dark. You can adjust all settings if there's something you're unhappy with, which is probably the best part of the mod.
Download: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=7654
Realistic Colors and Real Nights: Didn't like the previous one? This mod, shortened as RCRN, adds HDR, better FXAA antialiasing, darker nights, more a more believable color swathe, better weather and lighting (which are dynamically rendered), and overall a better, more gruesome atmosphere. Do you like dark RPGs? This should do the trick. RCRN comes with multiple presets for easy installation and effortless configuration, packaged with a dark version, light version, and balanced mix.
Download: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=1875
Static Mesh Improvement: Noticed all the ugly UV wrapping and jagged meshes in Skyrim? Well, we did - as did the modder behind Static Mesh Improvement. Installing Brumbek's mod will solve general ugliness in Skyrim and help to smooth out the game's meshes.
Download: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=8655
Quality World Map: Let's face it: Skyrim's world map left a lot to be desired. It's bland, gray, and has limited angular pivoting. This "Quality World Map" mod for TESV gives full control of swivel and rotation of the world map, but more importantly, it maps all the roads (aside from some minor ones) and gives the map a better, more pastel-like color scheme.
Download: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=4929
Lighted Spell Effects: Simply titled "Spells Give Off Light," this mod is perfect for our magicians out there -- when equipped, spells will now radiate with light surrounding the mage's hands. Fire will now give off a warm glow, even in the icy tundra of Windhelm. I've become very fond of this mod for my roleplayed mage -- it adds a level of immersion that was not previously present.
Download: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=8479
Shadow Striping Fix: Shadow striping was pretty bad in the vanilla version of Skyrim, but with the help of dWillb, we have a fix for that! This one's pretty simple -- it smooths shadows and fixes lighting in player homes (and elsewhere) throughout Skyrim.
Download: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=7481
Lush Trees & Lush Grass: In conjunction, these two mods fill-out the vegetation in Skyrim to be a bit more natural and overgrown. The "Lush" mods enhance exploration and sightseeing in Skyrim by leaps-and-bounds, and also add yet another layer to roleplaying and immersion - especially for woodsmen.
The first link is the Lush Trees mod, the second is for better grass.
Download: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=3385
Download: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=3288
Skyrim Flora Overhaul: If the above two didn't cut it for you, the Flora Overhaul retextures forests with anywhere from 512x512 all the way up to 4096x4096 textures. You get new groundcover, bark, coloring, type, and even a shrubbery upgrade. Now you're ready for the Knights.
Download: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=141
That's Ice: Morrowind's Bloodmoon subcontinent (island?) was outfitted properly to give off the feeling of a true, frozen, frontier, deadly wasteland. Skyrim should have felt the same - but something was just... off. That's Ice resolves some of these initial issues by something seemingly-simple: It overhauls the ice textures to look more like, well, actual ice.
Download: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=13636
Better Dynamic Snow: In tow with the That's Ice mod, "Better Dynamic Snow" details snow to have real textures, making it crisper and more, well, snow-like. This only applies to dynamic snow -- not all snow. For the unfamiliar, dynamic snow 'accumulates' in regions that have colder climates, generating a top layer (almost like a coat of paint) to the ground. Dynamic snow is randomly generated, so that means not all snowy regions will have it.
Download: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=10383
Skyrim HD: As we've noted a few times in previous posts, Skyrim HD remains one of the most-downloaded graphics mods to-date. Skyrim HD replaces 600 textures in the game with much larger, more detailed counterparts. According to the modder, the project is now over 200 hours of work.
Download: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=607
ApachiiSkyhair: The Elder Scrolls games have never quite delivered with hair -- certainly, they offer hair styles that are fitting of the age, but there simply aren't enough of them for everyone. We all have different ideas of what we think looks good and what looks like it was run through a cheese grater, and for those of us that just can't play without dressing up first, there's ApachiiSkyhair. Skyhair adds 21 new hairstyles for male and female characters.
Download: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=10168
No More Blocky Faces: This mod's been around since the early days of Skyrim, but it's still an important part: As the mesh improver does for objects, this mod smooths out faces and makes them a bit less clunky.
Download: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=30
Character Enhancer: Made by the very same modder that brought you the No More Blocky Faces upgrade, the Character Enhancer completely smooths out character models - from head to toe - and adds more detail overall to everything you see in both first- and third-person views.
Download: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=2356
Skyrim Content Overhaul
Moonpath to Elsweyr: This is one of my favorite mods for Skyrim -- its artistic direction is incredibly fitting to Lore, fitted with deserts, jungles, flowing rivers, hidden dungeons, and generally incredible detail. For any Khajiit, this mod is a must -- go visit your homeland, Dovahkhajiit!
The Moonpath to Elsweyr can be found in Falkreath Forest and has quests to go along with it (along with lots of custom enemies!).
Download: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=9782
Neiheleim - Floating Islands: As the title suggests, this mod adds true-to-mythology islands that float north of Riverwood, near the bridge. The mod is still a work in progress, but looks phenomenal so far. With waterfalls flowing into a deep, blue stream below, it's hard not to appreciate the beauty and level of fantasy that gets modded with Neiheleim.
Download: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=9944
Elvenwood: Adding a Kelethin-esque "city in the trees" gives our elf-loving players a new territory to explore and make home. A large, interwoven, complexly bridged city of tree houses is added between Falkreath and Helgen in this mod, and it even comes with backing lore and story! Really, though, the screenshots tell the story:
Download: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=14718
Wars in Skyrim: As one of the most heavily supported mods on the Skyrim Nexus, the 'Wars in Skyrim' mod has finally been revamped to be lore-friendly, add new and unique NPCs (ranging in personality from hero, to villain, to citizen), new enemies with unique textures and custom AI and spells, and generally showcases NPCs living more like the PC does. This means that NPCs may even settle their problems with a bout of fisticuffs! Or, better yet, swordicuffs!
Download: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=6176
Civil Unrest: Following close behind Wars in Skyrim, this Civil Unrest mod generates dynamic, massive battles, with the outcome changing based on your actions, spawning up to 2000 NPCs in 60 different warzones. I always found the 'war' storyline to be a bit, err, empty, since there was never an actual - you know - war. That's fixed.
Download: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=9494
Sounds of Skyrim: Dungeons: Dungeons not creepy enough for you? If you were one of the many that cursed those damned Dweomer ruins for their squeakiness in Morrowind, you know the level of courage it takes to dungeon crawl late in the night. That experience, whether you like it or not, can be brought back quite easily with the Sounds of Skyrim - Dungeons mod.
Combine this mod with the RCRN graphics mod (above) to achieve a truly dark and frightening dungeon layout. Here's a preview of what they sound like:
Download: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=8601
Sounds of Skyrim: Wilderness: More realistic sound packs don't have to be creepy, of course. Brought to us by the same creator as the Sounds of Skyrim - The Dungeons mod, the "Wilds" variant makes for a better outdoors atmosphere and is excellent for the hunters and rangers among us. Again, here's a video preview of the sounds.
Download: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=10886
Sounds of Skyrim: Civilization: And the last of our trilogy, civilization! At last! Feel more at home and embedded in the bustling streets of Skyrim with this city sound pack plugged in. Taverns have yelling, glasses shattering, and a constant hum of conversation in the background; cities have, well, sounds you'd expect in a city; and stores sound more like real stores. Just without the cash register. And intercom. And kids screaming... Well, you get the idea.
Damn kids.
The mod is still in progress, so there's no download link yet. Keep your eyes locked on Skyrim Nexus for the launch. Here's the video preview.
Dragon Bone Weapon Pack: Weapon packs 1 and 2 are both available, and both add some killer new dragon bone items to your arsenal. The weapons are craftable and have completely original models and textures, making Dragon Bone smithing actually worthwhile.
Weapon pack 1 is the first link, 2 is the second.
Download: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=8863
Download: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=11171
Midas Magic - Spells for Skyrim: Yeah, the spells were a bit unimaginative, that's for sure. I mean, seriously? They didn't even let me cast Magic Missile at the darkness! Midas Magic adds a whole freakin' library of new spells -- more than 60, apparently -- including beams, sprays, projectiles, and even summonable houses. Yeah. Summon. A. House.
Get a full list of the spells on his download page!
Download: http://www.skyrimnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=3413
Hellion Arrows: Teleporting arrows and holodeck-ian arrows were oddly missing from Skyrim; I know, I know - you almost didn't buy it simply due to the lack of such epicness. Well, someone let Barclay roam the halls freely, and thanks to Wweezzyy the modder, we can now obtain arrows with explosive, teleporting, electrical, and disruptive properties for our archers.
Download: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=13650
Cloaks of Skyrim: Another simplistic mod, this one does nothing more than add cloaks! They're applied visually and mechanically, so if you've wanted a cloak for your character, this is your stop.
Download: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=12092
Fall of the Space Core, Vol 1: How could we go an entire custom content section without including Valve and Bethesda's official mod? Fall of the Space Core adds a familiar, high-tech friend to Skyrim. It's not exactly canon and might not be best for roleplayers, but you do get a fully-voiced automaton that harkens back to Portal. Enjoy!
Download: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=7375
Skyrim Mechanics Overhaul
SkyUI: Adds a searchable, fast, tabbed interface that enables item sorting, organized by value and abilities. That's right - tabs and searching! Oh FSM, now I'll have as many tabs open in Skyrim as I do in my browser. Great - that's what I needed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne2f0rva4_A
Although it was made to allow better usability for the mouse and keyboard, it does feature full Xbox controller support. This mod requires Skyrim Script Extender (second download link) for searching features:
Download: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=3863
Download: http://skse.silverlock.org/
Skyrim Speeds & Better Horses: As with many of the Oblivion mods, we've always found that horses have needed saddles. You know, for science purposes. Also for storing lots of crap with optimized laziness.
The Skyrim Speeds mod adds saddles, a call horse whistle, teleporting horses, various degrees of roaming, horse cowardice to stop them from attacking giants, makes them faster overall and have a faster sprint, a trample attack, and some other cool features.
Skyrim Speed also allows tweaking of character speeds, so you can finally make NPCs and followers actually walk or run at your speed, rather than slightly slower or faster. The mod is entirely customizable. Want to be The Flash? Go for it.
Download: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=1603
Mark & Recall: Oh, man. Every TES release makes me miss mark & recall rings that much more. Personally, I'd get rid of fast travel and put mark and recall back in. Mods make that possible. As the name suggests, you can mark a location (a house, a deep dungeon level) and recall to it at a later point.
Download: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=8088
Craft Arrows, Damn It!: If you've been wondering why in the Nine Divine you can't craft arrows in Skyrim, or simply wondering "how do I craft arrows in Skyrim?!" then we've got a fix for you. This mod, simply called Arrowsmith, lets you, well, craft arrows. Easy.
Download: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=7417
Dynamic Merchants: Have you remained faithful to good ol' Belethor? Now, with the Dynamic Merchants mod, you can finally get something in return from that penny-pinching bastard. The amount of available purchasing gold a merchant is allowed will now vary based on how often you trade with them, making it easier to sell high-end items at a later date.
Download: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=8379
Killmove+: The Skyrim killcam has been disputed since its edition, and as with all official "fixes," it's removable. Killmove+ gives a slew of options for camera orientations and, as a bonus, adds new animations for slaying enemies epicly in combat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wR_u9jFxt6A&feature=player_embedded
Download: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=10227
Realistic Ragdolls and Force: Finally, for our last 'fix' mod, we can achieve proper (ahem, sort of) physics with those high-force impacts. Ragdoll'd enemies will no longer stiffen up like a plank when they're slammed by your force attacks, and better yet, they fall faster. That's always a good thing.
Download: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=7590
Tytanis - Crafting & Farming Mod: Make crafting interesting again by installing this mod. Tytanis gives the option to craft almost any item you want - more armor, weapons, spell tomes, arrows, and the like (for the same reason, this probably shouldn't be used in conjunction with the arrow smithing mod). Additionally, Tytanis adds fully-functional farming -- with pigs, and stuff -- as well as horse armor vendors. The modder must have known how disappointed we were when Bethesda didn't release a commemorative horse armor DLC.
Download: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=1601
Know of an awesome mod we missed? There are hundreds, for sure! We tried to keep this condensed to only the best of the best -- if you know one that fits in that category that we didn't include, leave it below in a comment!
Enjoy your new version of Skyrim! It's not even recognizable, at this point!
-Steve "Lelldorianx" Burke