Skyrim is considered by many to be one of the best RPGs of all time. The game has remained at the forefront of gamers' minds for almost 10 years, due in no small part to the constant rereleases the game has undergone. Now the gaming world finds itself in the midst of yet another rerelease of Skyrim, making it the most content-filled version of the game to date.
Skyrim Anniversary Edition boasts a number of upgrades that are sure to bring players both old and new into the mythical world of Tamriel, to experience the adventure that has captivated people for a decade, now better than ever. Here are a few additions players can expect to see.
Updated November 8, 2021 by Erik Petrovich: November 11, 2021 marks 10 years since the original release of the fifth Elder Scrolls game, and 10 years of one of the best RPGs of all time. It's been released countless times for different systems and in different versions, but the Anniversary edition promises to be the "Definitive Edition" of the complete Skyrim experience. Recently, Bethesda delved a little deeper into the new content of the Anniversary Edition, including two questlines related to Morrowind and Oblivion, hundreds of new equipment and abilities, and even the ability to farm, fish, and camp out in the wild.
7 Skyrim Gets A Next-Gen Upgrade
Skyrim was originally released during the seventh generation of consoles. Now that the world is entering the ninth generation of Xbox Series X/S and PS5, the Anniversary Edition has promised to utilize this major increase in power to make this version of Skyrim the most visually appealing version there is. Not to mention the increase in performance that the upgraded technology would entail.
One of the more unspoken benefits to this situation is that the game becomes playable on more consoles, making it more accessible to newer gamers who have yet to experience the game. The game will not launch for the Nintendo Switch, unfortunately, as the system is unable to handle the massive visual overhauls the Anniversary Edition brings.
6 Hundreds of New Armors, Weapons, Spells, And More
Skyrim Anniversary Edition boasts over 500 "gameplay elements" introduced through more than 70 Creation Club mods. The vast majority of these "gameplay elements" are weapons, armors, spells, cosmetics, and other equipment and abilities (including a variety of changes to the content in the base game).
Among all of this new equipment are Wraithguard and Sunder (which makes all of Kagrenac's Tools available), Stendarr's Hammer, the Grey Cowl, and dozens and dozens of new specialized armor sets. Additionally, the Anniversary Edition comes with the Arcane Accessories pack, which adds a bunch of new spells to the game.
5 Questlines Tied To TES III: Morrowind and TES IV:Oblivion
Alongside the huge variety of already-existing Creation Club content that will be included with Skyrim Anniversary Edition are no less than 26 completely original, never-before-seen addons. Among these are two new questlines that longtime fans of The Elder Scrolls franchise will surely appreciate.
Ghosts of the Tribunal is a new Morrowind-related questline that follows a group of Dark Elves who still worship the Dunmer Tribunal, even though Almalexia and Sotha Sil are dead and nobody knows what happened to Vivec. The Cause is the Oblivion-tied questline that pits the player against Mehrunes Dagon cult members who seek to re-open an Oblivion gate and restart the Oblivion crisis.
4 The Ability To Fish...
The mod that caught most people's attention during the reveal trailer was the inclusion of fishing in the game. While fish could always be caught in Skyrim, the only real method to do so was by swimming blindly into fish and spamming the pick-up button until the game says that a fish was caught.
The monotony involved in such a task forced players to only participate in the activity when desperately seeking ingredients for crafting. With the inclusion of this mod, fishing should become a much more enjoyable experience, or at least less tedious. The pure role players will no doubt enjoy the addition as a means to better immerse themselves in the world to just take in the stunning views. A quiet moment in a large game.
3 ...And The Ability To Farm
Fishing isn't the only new gathering profession to the game. A long-requested feature, Skyrim players are now able to have their very own farm to grow a huge variety of produce, including Alchemy ingredients. The farm appears to be located in Whiterun, and can be upgraded with dozens of features (and, of course, animals) over time.
Farming is one of the 26 completely new additions to the game, not a mod brought over from the Creation Club. As such, not much is known about how the system will work, but that hasn't stopped players from fantasizing about a Harvest Moon and Skyrim crossover.
2 Survival Mode
Bethesda games tend to be some of the largest and most immersive experiences on the market, but at the end of the day they are designed to be approachable to a big audience, forcing it to be more "video game-y". Those seeking the more immersive side of Bethesda games can now indulge themselves in a brand new survival mode.
Survival mode is a staple of Fallout, but Elder Scrolls games have lacked it, without mods. Food becomes important, sleep is a must, and in all likelihood, the temperature will need to be managed. It is the whole package. The game will finally have a reason for the player to carry 50 stolen cabbages in their inventory, not to mention the employment of stables to get around faster as fast travel would likely be disabled. Simply put, the more ignorable parts of the game suddenly gain purpose.
1 The Saints And Seducers Questline
The Saints and Seducers mod from the Skyrim Special Edition Creation Club is one of the most popular, perhaps thanks to the questline's ties to the Shivering Isles and Sheogorath. The most popular Daedric Prince has little to do with the events of the questline, unfortunately, though much of this mod's content is directly inspired by Oblivion aesthetics.
The Saints and Seducers mod also comes with the Rare Curios mod, which adds a huge variety of new stock for Khajiit merchants throughout Skyrim, including dozens of ingredients found in Morrowind, Oblivion, and the Shivering Isles DLC. Few know how the Khajiit acquired these new wares, which range from Ayleid artifacts to the iconic Poison Apple.
Skyrim Anniversary Edition releases on November 11, 2021 for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X|S