Over the years, The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim has developed one of the most passionate and frequently inventive modding communities in the entire gaming world. From flying 'Macho Man' Randy Savages taking over the role of the game's dragons to an in-development mod that sees the entirety of Oblivion recreated in Skyrim, the game is a treasure trove for insane community creations.
Few are as ambitious as a new mod by InpaSkyrim, however, with the community creation looking to replace Skyrim's combat with a new system inspired by Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Shown off fully in a video on the modder's channel, the mash-up is interesting, to say the least, seeing the Dragonborn battling foes in fast-paced, posture-focused battles similar to that of FromSoftware's punishing recent gem.
Notably, it seems a lot of Skyrim has been overhauled for the mod. For the most part, it plays faithfully to Sekiro, with the trailer showing the player quickly shifting between striking and blocking to build up their opponent's posture meter. Exceeding the bar leaves the foe stunned, allowing the player to land a satisfying final blow that finishes off an enemy for good. It seems the mod adds some new animations to replicate Sekiro's grisly death blows, with the trailer showing the player cleaving a spider, knocking a giant to its knee before impaling it through the head, and stabbing a gargoyle through the back.
That's not all to make the jump though. Enemies are capable of landing unblockable strikes which must be avoided, Wolf's Prostethetic Tools from the main game are usable, with the player stunning a troll with firecrackers, and Sekiro's insta-kill stealth blows show up too. There's also a hint that the game may include Sekiro's central death mechanic, allowing players to resurrect themselves after falling in battle and return to the fight.
That's without even mentioning the returning HUD and Sen currency, which make the mod that much more authentic. All in all, it looks as though InpaSkyrim has a very tangible fix to the recurring complaints that Skyrim's combat could use a modern touch up. That being said, the modder has been clear in the description of the video that the add-on is not for the faint of heart, and should be considered a souls-like experience for players who enjoy a challenge. Fans that want to give the mod a try can find it over on Nexus Mods.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is out now on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.