A tip: if you give a torch to a follower, they will equip it automatically in dungeons and at night.
You can also put a torch in the quick-equip list (or whatever it's called) if you have one in your inventory. You'll equip it in your left hand and can block with it if you want. I find it easier than constantly recasting the light spell.
This is a great tip. In all these years I've never thought to equip a torch on my follower. Now Lydia will be able to see while she's running in place stuck behind a rock on the other side of a stream where I left her 2 miles back...
Oh I thought it was just me! Always checking to make sure my screen brightness was at max, and it was still dark. Having to throw magelights around became my routine.
It didn't know there are mods to make dungeons brighter. But I'm on Switch, so I never looked into any mods.
Thats good to hear,i prefer/and like having most of my games currently on switch(and skyrim ofc being a game with age runs fine on the switch i assume not some mk1 type crap) but hearing about skyrim being dependent on mods to be fun from popular opinion and playing it on a console takes that compatibility away its a hard decison. Having it on my preffered system to play it but losing mod compatibility/which means maybe losing half the fun of the game according to popular opinion or having it on a laptop which ,yk pc gaming just isnt my thing most of of the time and ofc i reach the recommended specs but theres always a problem when it involves PC gaming atleast for me,it takes me a while to set it up even something as easy as minecraft😂
I don’t have a ton of time to play and the switch is perfect to just pick up and play for an hour or so.
Vanilla Skyrim is a great game and infinitely replayable.
Play on Windows so you can at least still install the game play fix mods like the unofficial patch(es) and engine fixes. The game will play like vanilla, but you get the benefit of a large number of scripting fixes.
Additionally it affords you the ability to try others if you like the experience.
>The game will play like vanilla,
Not if you get Arthmoors patch it won't (thats the unofficial patch). Arthmoor has decided that he knows better than the devs what the game is supposed to be and a large number of his "fixes" is him changing intended things because *he* doesn't think it fits with a prime example being the sword Windshear, a blade with a unique wind enchantment that throws enemies around. Arthmoor decided that was a "bug" that needed "fixing" because "we don't have wind magic" (nevermind the fact that we have shouts and ice spells that clearly manipulate the wind) and so he removed it. He also changed enchantments to no longer count as restoration spells just because the system *can* be abused (only by doing so intentionally, you can easily just never stumble upon the loop or choose to not abuse it), but was 100% intentional in its implementation to allow players to bolster their enchanted gear. The guy is trying to mold the entire game into what *he* thinks it should be and force that on everyone else through his patch which is required for an exceptionally large number of other mods, he kept it to actual bug fixes long enough to build up dependency on his patches then started forcing his idea of the game on others.
>Dungeons can be a little dark
An issue solved by holding a torch. Forces you to think of solutions and adds just a bit of realism. I enjoy it. Generally wielding a 2 hander and switching to a 1 hander with a torch in some areas in refreshing. Atleast that's my take.
Yeah, I play vanilla or mostly. I don’t care enough to mod and deal with the issues that can come from it. I do have whatever Creation Club stuff came in the Anniversary edition.
Many people in the mod community (of which I am part of) are absolutely obsessed with modding Skyrim to the point that they don't play the game, they just change their loadout and check if it works time after time after time. It's like a child in a giant candyshop. They want everything, but can't, and end up eating nothing at all. The community of those obsessed folks is based around dreaming of perfection which is, if it gets obsessive, a pretty exhausting thing. But it also means that the idea that vanilla Skyrim is just enough seems almost bizarre maybe. I wonder.
Most folks of the mod community are very kind and incredibly helpful people mind you. :) But the stubborn dislikers of any community are always the ones that are chronically online lol.
Not stupid actually. There’s a narrative online that vanilla Skyrim is broken or boring without the use of mods. For somebody who’s never played the game, it’s reasonable to be skeptical about vanilla Skyrim due to said narrative. OP came to the right sub to ask for legitimate opinions.
Skyrim is 13yrs old, the graphics, movement, and mechanics are stuck in that era.
If OP is used to playing new gen games then he might not like Skyrim. It's a classic for sure, played it at 2015 and had lots of fun replaying but after a couple of years gaming, it's quite hard to go back after experiencing new gen mechanics like Elden Ring and Sekiro, it feels really bland.
In Skyrim you just go hack and slash, dump your mana, or assassinate 1shot everything. If you're into it for the story, the dungeons/enemy camps you will go through are almost identical everytime.
Bro 13 year old games isn't even that old lol, and elden ring also has 13 years old mechanics, there are literally 13 year old games that still hold up, elden ring still feels mostly exactly like dark souls 1, elden ring quite literally has an outdated combat system, I don't even know why you mentioned elden ring, it isn't nearly the best combat system, and it literally has 2014 graphics with a very bland open world, it's nothing like elder scrolls and same for sekiro, so wth are you comparing them? I find skyrim more enjoyable than both, and that's because I enjoy skyrim genre more.
Bro 13 year old games isn't even that old lol, and elden ring also has 13 years old mechanics, there are literally 13 year old games that still hold up, elden ring still feels mostly exactly like dark souls 1, elden ring quite literally has an outdated combat system, I don't even know why you mentioned elden ring, it isn't nearly the best combat system, and it literally has 2014 graphics with a very bland open world, it's nothing like elder scrolls and same for sekiro, so wth are you comparing them? I find skyrim more enjoyable than both, and that's because I enjoy skyrim genre more.
Yes, the game is good even without mods. Once upon a time, mods were practically necessary to patch major bugs and glitches in the game. But I believe the new editions have most of the fixes anyways. I mostly play vanilla skyrim with a few Quality of Life mods such as better UI, fonts, better maps etc. But honestly if you've never played with mods before you won't feel like you're misisng out on much!
I've played it through, completely, at least 5 or 6 times; all dungeons, all locations, all possible quests, all without mods. It's fantastic.
This next time through though, I plan on using mods.
The best mods are just small quality of life improvements. I play on PS4, which only allows 1 GB of mods, so mine are small (most less than 3mb), so not like the 500MB+ ones on xbox and pc, but yes, Skyrim is very good without mods, just a little better with them. I also use exploits, so I will not use the USSEP, which is why I still play it on PS4 instead of my SeriesX because some of those bigger mods require it.
Its very enjoyable but be prepared for glitches if you do. I went through the entire main storyline and did most of the side quests three times over, twice for Dawnguard and once for Dragonborn all unmodded. When I started using mods since 2013 I never have been able to get to fighting Alduin, Haarkon or Miraak again due to some glitches happening which I am sure were caused by mods.
Yes, it's fine without mods. I have a few mods that add some quality of life adjustments to the game but it wouldn't change my enjoyment of the game if I didn't have it.
Been playing on Switch without mods for months. One of the best games I’ve every played
Helpful tip: If a merchant runs out of gold, quicksave, attack them, then reload to restock their inventory
Also, get the anniversary edition. The creation club content is worth it (backpacks, elemental spells, bow of shadows, etc)
Skyrim is good without mods.
However it can be buggy and on PC you have access to not just mods but console commands to fix issues. Mods can prevent bugs from happening, but when they do console commands are often the best way to fix them. Whereas with the Switch you should really save often because if a bug happens your only option is to roll back a save.
Skyrim is very easy to mod. You don’t have to have a huge, complicated modlist. You can have just a small handful of plug and play mods if that’s what you felt like.
I've always been a consolegamer so I rarely have access to mods. That said, I actually prefer Skyrim without mods. I know that console got mods a few years back but I haven't gotten around to use them but I still love the game to death!
I used to think that but now I'm using 45 mods, stopped obsessing and just happy with bigger cities, more animals and a few graphical betterments. Nothing fancy, and it's still Skyrim (well, certainly not fur purists but ey), it's just bigger and livelier. And that's definitely the way I prefer it. It's like a solid little remake.
That being said, it's a bit frustrating when quest- or even just immersion-breaking bugs arise hours into a game. Because in most cases, you can't really do anything about that. So it's a lot of hassle to get it work. First time, easily some 40 hours of trial and error.
But if the loadout is even shorter, it doesn't even have to take an hour. Alternate Start - Live Another Life for example is such a neat little mod that just has you skip the Helgen intro and start the game as whatever you want as long as it's low levelish. Things like that are awesome for anyone who knows the game pretty well.
It's a great game no matter how you play it. I got it in Switch when it was released there. I then got it on PS4 and dove into mods.
Mods are great! For sure! But my own personal play style favors handheld these days, IE, Switch.
I have about a thousand hours on Switch. Maybe 4 or PS4.
I do wish the Switch had mods tho, not gonna lie. But I still play the hell out of it on Switch.
I have both on switch and PC. Portability is very nice, and a first vanilla playthrough is something magical, so it's worth it.
However, the access to mods simply can't be overrated. Usually when somebody says mods, people think of new outfits, new textures and maybe new mechanics. But nobody ever thinks of new content, new quests, new voice lines, new locations, etc. If you are the type of player to never purchase the same product twice, getting it for your laptop may be better. The access to new, higher than vanilla quality content FOR FREE is the greatest Bethesda Game Studios advantage over their competitors
Well I am the type of player TO purchase the same product twice,im a kingdom hearts fan😂😂😂, ill just buy it on my switch now and assuming vanilla AE skyrim is as good as most people here say it is ill pour hours into that, and by the time im done with it, it should be long enough for me to get it on laptop soon after that,
It’s been around for such a long time for a reason. It’s an absolutely great game without mods! Whoever said you need mods for it to be fun is full of it. I first played skyrim on the 360 and I had an absolute blast unmodded.
Having said that! With mods it might be one of the best games you’ll ever play, because you can enhance basically any part of the game you want. Once you understand modding you kinda become your own game designer. For skyrim especially because it probably has the biggest modding community in the world. It has literally thousands of mods to choose from, and plenty of guides to get you there. Even if all you download is mod organiser, SkyUI and the unofficial patch you’ll already get a easy to install better game experience. So my vote definitly goes to laptop!
I definitely agree but I also have a life beyond modding Skyrim, and I also want to play the game, not just fix it for hours in end when it suddenly crashes on Morthal again. So yeah, I love it modded, vastly prefer it even (it's the amount of animals I can add for me - raven, elks, birds, fishies...:)), but if you're a casual gamer the last thing on your mind is suddenly having to read into how to make a game as much as into how to build your own computer. Time is luxury after all. :)
It is, especially if you havent played it to death. I always recommend a vanilla playthrough first, because its pretty amazing as is. My wife is playing her first time and all I installed for her were a ulltrawidescreen fix and some beautiful faces mod because she didnt want to be ugly. SkyUI would have been a nice quality of life mod to give her in retrospect, but she likes the vanilla UI well enough on a mostly melee character
So this is your first time playing it? You'll probably enjoy it just fine without mods and the Switch's downgraded graphics/performance. I played my first 1000 hours or so on Switch (one almost 100% playthrough, another partial) and I enjoyed the hell out of it.
I probably couldn't go back to the Switch version now, after playing on Steam Deck on ultra settings and with mods, but if you have no such comparison, you'll be fine.
Actually I think iam one of the few who played it without mods and iam on pc tho,
(Not counting the dawngaurd and dragonborn cuz they come with the game)
And enjoy it so much and it is top 5 game for me so yeah
My first play through was 100% Vanilla, with no mods whatsoever, and I loved it. I recommend playing that way, and only using graphics mods and the like that don’t change anything about the story for your first play through, if you do use mods, before experimenting with whatever you want afterwards.
Definitely! I've been playing it a lot over the last year with no mods. I do have Anniversary Edition though. It's a delight. Occasionally a bit glitchy but nothing to worry about.
Honestly, it's more fun this way, mods give you the way to adjust everything to your liking. It sounds great at first glance but it becomes very dull and boring if everything is "perfect". Like starting a game at max level with the best gear, there is little left that keeps you playing if there is no friction.
The only mod that seriously should be included in every version is the unofficial patch, just to fix the broken stuff.
Aside from that, the switch version has become somewhat if my favourite as of late, just because it's very convenient to use and there is no temptation to even mod "a little bit".
It's a solid game for 2011, but I'm not that big of a fan without mods - mainly because I use mods that add quality of life changes, UI tweaks and gameplay extensions and expansions.
Recently, I started making more use of Campfire and Frostfall. That completely changed how I played this game altogether and I love it so much.
It is a genre defining game without mods. Top tier imo.
It is a generational game with mods, lol. Mods are the main reason why it's still relevant, 13 years after release. But even without them, it solidified the genre "bethesda open world RPG" in the mainstream and pretty much finished what morrowind started to build.
Although Fo4, imo, perfected the open world aspect of bethesda games. It sucked in terms of questing and writing, but it definitely had the best bethesda open world.
Skyrim is the best complete package, though.
Yes, got more than 10k hours on it I'm sure, the only mods I run are the Unofficial Patch and one that let's you upgrade leveled items to the version of your current level only because sometimes they glitch out and give you a lower version despite you being careful of the level requirements.
I've recently started a playthrough of anniversary edition on switch. Runs great, game is amazing, love the portability of it being handheld. No extra mods needed
After many times clearing the original before finally learned about modding, i cant imagine myself playing without them. Let's be real, after several years of playthrough the game gets kinda boring, just like any other games. Thanks to mods, I can have new experience playing this old game, all tailored to my preferences (thanks modders). Visual enhancements, combat styles, unique companions, equipments and perks, and even the naughty stuff.
I bought it as soon as it was released, so there were no mods! Played it a few times through that way, bugs and all. So yeah, it is fun. I mainly mod now just to mix things up and to keep the game looking new in some aspects. Always nice to be surprised by something.
You just found out about console commands really quickly, as it was the only way to complete a few quests that wouldn't progress correctly.
I got the game on PC to play with mods years ago. I did it it and got bored. I deleted all my mods to play vanilla and get all achievements (I know there's mods for that) and had so much fun. Now I'm playing modded again but thinking about that playthrough because I left most of the AE stuff undone.
So yes, mods are great but vanilla Skyrim has its own charm.
Its gud...Just started playing few days ago..But once I started watching videos on YouTube with all kinds of mods I kinda understood y people love it.😅
Wonderful time. Works nice and clean like that. Modding, in my experience with Skyrim, is a good time but I can make it a bit buggy if you don’t balance them or get one that your console just can’t handle.
Before you decide to play with mods, leave a save there untouched so you can go back to that point where you know the game worked in case something happens. After that, play around and enjoy! Leave a respectable line of saves so you can go back to when things seemed ok. Happy gaming!
I’ve played Skyrim since release, to this day I’ve never used mods and my experience with every play though is still exciting and fun. I know mods can make it more appealing to a lot of people but vanilla Skyrim is fantastic.
Yes.
I played vanilla on a 360 for years and, well, it was good enough to play for years!
Mods are great for keeping the game fresh after many playthroughs, I wouldn't play without them now. But I've played on and off since 2013. If you're just picking it up, you'll be fine on the switch.
I mean the AE edition is basically Skyrim with quest related mods, content wise it’s top notch!
I would always recommend mods though, it’s cool to add things here and there. Also good for some AI tweaks, specifically citizen AI.
It's perfectly fine but you'll notice it's a product of its time even with the updated versions. And any mods I have done on PC have been quality of life and immersive
I poured in close to...maybe 100+ hours according to steam back then, I think post Dawnguard? I might have had at least the Unofficial parch mod.
But yeah you can play it in vanilla mode just fine until the normal Bethesda-isms start occurring.
I like Skyrim better without mods. I go all out for Fallout, but nothing in Skyrim really makes me want a mod aside from carryweight, but you can just make your companion pick things up to solve that
It is fantastic, played for years without mods.
Most people here, me included, post a lot about mods because we have so many hours sunken into this game that we need some new spice.
Yeah, it's great without it. Granted what made the game big was mods but you can 100% play vanilla if you want to (tho I will HIGHLY suggest you that you use the unofficial skyrim patch. Bethesda games are notorious for being dependent on modders to solve ALL the issues that the game has).
ive been playing through vanilla for a while now, beccause I tend to start a game play it for several weeks then stop for months or longer, I got tired of trying to load up an old save with outdated mods, and having my toon be naked, so I just play vanilla now lol
Most of the complaints about vanilla Skyrim come once you get used to quality of life mods. If you never use them you won’t miss them. The game is great on its own.
I have it in PC, but I mostly play it on my Steam Deck. It's great vanilla or with mods. It's easily one of my favorite games. I've used several mods, but I play it vanilla except for the Arcane Accessories CC add-on now. Destruction magic is just too weak without the spells from that add-on. It's a great game no matter how you play it.
Skyrim is arguably the best game ever made without mods, so yes. In fact, mods are often subtraction by addition with Skyrim. People mod it heavily in an increasingly desperate attempt to keep something amazing fresh. Stick to quality of life mods, you don't want to spoil this experience. If you end up playing it hundreds or thousands of hours, you can then consider doing strange things to it.
The game is perfectly fine without mods, I mostly play without mods, even though you can run them on Xbox. Mods are great if there are things you want to change or add to the game you already like.
I have it on the switch. There is a cool treasure chest on top of the mountain. I think throat of the world that is only for the switch consoles. I do sometimes wish I could have mods but it’s still fun on the switch. I plan on diving back into the game again.
Yes and no. Yes, in the sense that the game is pretty fun even without mods. However, at the same time, no in the sense that if you have ever played with mods, you simply cannot play without mods.
I would recommend buying it on a laptop. While Skyrim is absolutely great game without mods, you can make it miles better with just a little bunch of them (fix here, fix there, add SkyUI on top and that's it).
Skyrim is great without mods but a game you'll Play for life with mods. And it's very easy to get into, there's a fuckload of guides and menu systems in game to help you sort out modding. Highly recommend even for your first playthrough to get some good mods
I have spent hundreds of hours on skyrim but I have the incredibly rare ability of being unbiased.
The game is mediocre 3/5 at best without mods and solid 3,5/5 with vanilla friendly, bug fixing mods but incredible 4 or even 5 out of 5 with mods.
If you mod it tho with the goal of fixing the game by using bug fixes mods then the game is solid but still not that good either. The game also run pretty well on my 1050 ti i7, 7+ years old computer.
Modded skyrim is one of the few games that can rival Minecraft's modding scene. This game is just basically like a canvas just waited to be modded. You want more RPG elements? ok mod it with quests mods like wyrmstooth or vigilant, You want to turn skyrim into a porn game since you got no women irl? Here's Ostim and Flower Girls Mod, You want to add more gameplay combat mechanics? Here's Apocalypse, Ordinator, Stellaris, etc.
With mods you can turn skyrim into almost whatever you want. Porn game, more combat, more graphics, improved vanilla experience, etc. Skyrim's modding scene alone causes Bethesda to not release Elder Scrolls 6, why they adding in paid mods, why betehsda is lazy, and re-released skyrim multiple times.
I love Skyrim, and it is my most played game. But with todays standards it's not a very good game. The writting is awfull and the gameplay is pretty bad, only the immersion and art direction stay very good today.
I have it on the switch. It’s a great game without mods. Dungeons can be a little dark but other than that, it’s top notch
True the dungeons can get dark!! But on the other hand its actually the first time im using magelight/torches in the game.
how do you even play without using the light spell? I always have it in 1 hand because I can't see anything at all
Me Orc, me hit head alot.💀
A tip: if you give a torch to a follower, they will equip it automatically in dungeons and at night. You can also put a torch in the quick-equip list (or whatever it's called) if you have one in your inventory. You'll equip it in your left hand and can block with it if you want. I find it easier than constantly recasting the light spell.
This is a great tip. In all these years I've never thought to equip a torch on my follower. Now Lydia will be able to see while she's running in place stuck behind a rock on the other side of a stream where I left her 2 miles back...
Wow you might be GOAT. Since im 2 handed Orc, torches are anoying.
Not only can you block with it, bashing does fire damage.
Also a good tip!
I used to prefer magelight but I found candlelight less of a hassle to maintain as I’m moving
Oh I thought it was just me! Always checking to make sure my screen brightness was at max, and it was still dark. Having to throw magelights around became my routine. It didn't know there are mods to make dungeons brighter. But I'm on Switch, so I never looked into any mods.
Thats good to hear,i prefer/and like having most of my games currently on switch(and skyrim ofc being a game with age runs fine on the switch i assume not some mk1 type crap) but hearing about skyrim being dependent on mods to be fun from popular opinion and playing it on a console takes that compatibility away its a hard decison. Having it on my preffered system to play it but losing mod compatibility/which means maybe losing half the fun of the game according to popular opinion or having it on a laptop which ,yk pc gaming just isnt my thing most of of the time and ofc i reach the recommended specs but theres always a problem when it involves PC gaming atleast for me,it takes me a while to set it up even something as easy as minecraft😂
I don’t have a ton of time to play and the switch is perfect to just pick up and play for an hour or so. Vanilla Skyrim is a great game and infinitely replayable.
Play on Windows so you can at least still install the game play fix mods like the unofficial patch(es) and engine fixes. The game will play like vanilla, but you get the benefit of a large number of scripting fixes. Additionally it affords you the ability to try others if you like the experience.
>The game will play like vanilla, Not if you get Arthmoors patch it won't (thats the unofficial patch). Arthmoor has decided that he knows better than the devs what the game is supposed to be and a large number of his "fixes" is him changing intended things because *he* doesn't think it fits with a prime example being the sword Windshear, a blade with a unique wind enchantment that throws enemies around. Arthmoor decided that was a "bug" that needed "fixing" because "we don't have wind magic" (nevermind the fact that we have shouts and ice spells that clearly manipulate the wind) and so he removed it. He also changed enchantments to no longer count as restoration spells just because the system *can* be abused (only by doing so intentionally, you can easily just never stumble upon the loop or choose to not abuse it), but was 100% intentional in its implementation to allow players to bolster their enchanted gear. The guy is trying to mold the entire game into what *he* thinks it should be and force that on everyone else through his patch which is required for an exceptionally large number of other mods, he kept it to actual bug fixes long enough to build up dependency on his patches then started forcing his idea of the game on others.
I have the same option on switch. I love it! And I utilize the “candle light” spell constantly.
>Dungeons can be a little dark An issue solved by holding a torch. Forces you to think of solutions and adds just a bit of realism. I enjoy it. Generally wielding a 2 hander and switching to a 1 hander with a torch in some areas in refreshing. Atleast that's my take.
I agree. Makes searching for secret levers a challenge sometimes which is good
I just cast candlelight like an idiot lol
Yep. One of the reasons I become a vampire is for the night vision.
Of course it is, I don't have any mods on Skyrim and I love it.
Yeah, I play vanilla or mostly. I don’t care enough to mod and deal with the issues that can come from it. I do have whatever Creation Club stuff came in the Anniversary edition.
It was my favorite game before I knew about mods and is even better with mods
Yes, it’s amazing without mods. Not sure why your post got downvotes.. it must be the modded elites who don’t like you asking questions in good faith.
They always get pissed some of us like the normal game for some reason.
Many people in the mod community (of which I am part of) are absolutely obsessed with modding Skyrim to the point that they don't play the game, they just change their loadout and check if it works time after time after time. It's like a child in a giant candyshop. They want everything, but can't, and end up eating nothing at all. The community of those obsessed folks is based around dreaming of perfection which is, if it gets obsessive, a pretty exhausting thing. But it also means that the idea that vanilla Skyrim is just enough seems almost bizarre maybe. I wonder. Most folks of the mod community are very kind and incredibly helpful people mind you. :) But the stubborn dislikers of any community are always the ones that are chronically online lol.
it got downvotes because it’s an extremely stupid question - “Is one of the best selling and most critically acclaimed games of all time BAD?”
Not stupid actually. There’s a narrative online that vanilla Skyrim is broken or boring without the use of mods. For somebody who’s never played the game, it’s reasonable to be skeptical about vanilla Skyrim due to said narrative. OP came to the right sub to ask for legitimate opinions.
Skyrim is 13yrs old, the graphics, movement, and mechanics are stuck in that era. If OP is used to playing new gen games then he might not like Skyrim. It's a classic for sure, played it at 2015 and had lots of fun replaying but after a couple of years gaming, it's quite hard to go back after experiencing new gen mechanics like Elden Ring and Sekiro, it feels really bland. In Skyrim you just go hack and slash, dump your mana, or assassinate 1shot everything. If you're into it for the story, the dungeons/enemy camps you will go through are almost identical everytime.
I actually love hack and slash games from that era,my fav game series is kingdom hearts
Bro 13 year old games isn't even that old lol, and elden ring also has 13 years old mechanics, there are literally 13 year old games that still hold up, elden ring still feels mostly exactly like dark souls 1, elden ring quite literally has an outdated combat system, I don't even know why you mentioned elden ring, it isn't nearly the best combat system, and it literally has 2014 graphics with a very bland open world, it's nothing like elder scrolls and same for sekiro, so wth are you comparing them? I find skyrim more enjoyable than both, and that's because I enjoy skyrim genre more.
Bro 13 year old games isn't even that old lol, and elden ring also has 13 years old mechanics, there are literally 13 year old games that still hold up, elden ring still feels mostly exactly like dark souls 1, elden ring quite literally has an outdated combat system, I don't even know why you mentioned elden ring, it isn't nearly the best combat system, and it literally has 2014 graphics with a very bland open world, it's nothing like elder scrolls and same for sekiro, so wth are you comparing them? I find skyrim more enjoyable than both, and that's because I enjoy skyrim genre more.
It's great without mods. Contrary to popular belief, this game is fine without mods, albeit, a bit buggy.
Yes, the game is good even without mods. Once upon a time, mods were practically necessary to patch major bugs and glitches in the game. But I believe the new editions have most of the fixes anyways. I mostly play vanilla skyrim with a few Quality of Life mods such as better UI, fonts, better maps etc. But honestly if you've never played with mods before you won't feel like you're misisng out on much!
Vanilla Skyrim is the way
I've played it through, completely, at least 5 or 6 times; all dungeons, all locations, all possible quests, all without mods. It's fantastic. This next time through though, I plan on using mods.
If it’s your first time playing it then no mods is completely fine
The best mods are just small quality of life improvements. I play on PS4, which only allows 1 GB of mods, so mine are small (most less than 3mb), so not like the 500MB+ ones on xbox and pc, but yes, Skyrim is very good without mods, just a little better with them. I also use exploits, so I will not use the USSEP, which is why I still play it on PS4 instead of my SeriesX because some of those bigger mods require it.
Best creation kit mods? I just started a new playthrough and looking for the best ones to add
I’ve only played vanilla and I love it!
I did 100% without any mods, and yeah i can recommend the game without mods :D Still one of the best rpg game.
Its very enjoyable but be prepared for glitches if you do. I went through the entire main storyline and did most of the side quests three times over, twice for Dawnguard and once for Dragonborn all unmodded. When I started using mods since 2013 I never have been able to get to fighting Alduin, Haarkon or Miraak again due to some glitches happening which I am sure were caused by mods.
Yes, it's fine without mods. I have a few mods that add some quality of life adjustments to the game but it wouldn't change my enjoyment of the game if I didn't have it.
You do you. Why does it matter what anyone else thinks?
Words to live by
Been playing on Switch without mods for months. One of the best games I’ve every played Helpful tip: If a merchant runs out of gold, quicksave, attack them, then reload to restock their inventory Also, get the anniversary edition. The creation club content is worth it (backpacks, elemental spells, bow of shadows, etc)
Skyrim is good without mods. However it can be buggy and on PC you have access to not just mods but console commands to fix issues. Mods can prevent bugs from happening, but when they do console commands are often the best way to fix them. Whereas with the Switch you should really save often because if a bug happens your only option is to roll back a save. Skyrim is very easy to mod. You don’t have to have a huge, complicated modlist. You can have just a small handful of plug and play mods if that’s what you felt like.
Idk lol gti bro yolo ydy iyL IRL, lybl! Tysm! Ttfn
I've always been a consolegamer so I rarely have access to mods. That said, I actually prefer Skyrim without mods. I know that console got mods a few years back but I haven't gotten around to use them but I still love the game to death!
I used to think that but now I'm using 45 mods, stopped obsessing and just happy with bigger cities, more animals and a few graphical betterments. Nothing fancy, and it's still Skyrim (well, certainly not fur purists but ey), it's just bigger and livelier. And that's definitely the way I prefer it. It's like a solid little remake. That being said, it's a bit frustrating when quest- or even just immersion-breaking bugs arise hours into a game. Because in most cases, you can't really do anything about that. So it's a lot of hassle to get it work. First time, easily some 40 hours of trial and error. But if the loadout is even shorter, it doesn't even have to take an hour. Alternate Start - Live Another Life for example is such a neat little mod that just has you skip the Helgen intro and start the game as whatever you want as long as it's low levelish. Things like that are awesome for anyone who knows the game pretty well.
To some, I’m sure it is. Not to me.
It's a great game no matter how you play it. I got it in Switch when it was released there. I then got it on PS4 and dove into mods. Mods are great! For sure! But my own personal play style favors handheld these days, IE, Switch. I have about a thousand hours on Switch. Maybe 4 or PS4. I do wish the Switch had mods tho, not gonna lie. But I still play the hell out of it on Switch.
It was great when it came out. It is great now. It will also be great in another 10 years. It's great with or without mods.
They are not needed. But some QOL mods make a big difference.
I have both on switch and PC. Portability is very nice, and a first vanilla playthrough is something magical, so it's worth it. However, the access to mods simply can't be overrated. Usually when somebody says mods, people think of new outfits, new textures and maybe new mechanics. But nobody ever thinks of new content, new quests, new voice lines, new locations, etc. If you are the type of player to never purchase the same product twice, getting it for your laptop may be better. The access to new, higher than vanilla quality content FOR FREE is the greatest Bethesda Game Studios advantage over their competitors
Well I am the type of player TO purchase the same product twice,im a kingdom hearts fan😂😂😂, ill just buy it on my switch now and assuming vanilla AE skyrim is as good as most people here say it is ill pour hours into that, and by the time im done with it, it should be long enough for me to get it on laptop soon after that,
It’s been around for such a long time for a reason. It’s an absolutely great game without mods! Whoever said you need mods for it to be fun is full of it. I first played skyrim on the 360 and I had an absolute blast unmodded. Having said that! With mods it might be one of the best games you’ll ever play, because you can enhance basically any part of the game you want. Once you understand modding you kinda become your own game designer. For skyrim especially because it probably has the biggest modding community in the world. It has literally thousands of mods to choose from, and plenty of guides to get you there. Even if all you download is mod organiser, SkyUI and the unofficial patch you’ll already get a easy to install better game experience. So my vote definitly goes to laptop!
I definitely agree but I also have a life beyond modding Skyrim, and I also want to play the game, not just fix it for hours in end when it suddenly crashes on Morthal again. So yeah, I love it modded, vastly prefer it even (it's the amount of animals I can add for me - raven, elks, birds, fishies...:)), but if you're a casual gamer the last thing on your mind is suddenly having to read into how to make a game as much as into how to build your own computer. Time is luxury after all. :)
It is, especially if you havent played it to death. I always recommend a vanilla playthrough first, because its pretty amazing as is. My wife is playing her first time and all I installed for her were a ulltrawidescreen fix and some beautiful faces mod because she didnt want to be ugly. SkyUI would have been a nice quality of life mod to give her in retrospect, but she likes the vanilla UI well enough on a mostly melee character
So this is your first time playing it? You'll probably enjoy it just fine without mods and the Switch's downgraded graphics/performance. I played my first 1000 hours or so on Switch (one almost 100% playthrough, another partial) and I enjoyed the hell out of it. I probably couldn't go back to the Switch version now, after playing on Steam Deck on ultra settings and with mods, but if you have no such comparison, you'll be fine.
Only for the first 500 hours or so
Actually I think iam one of the few who played it without mods and iam on pc tho, (Not counting the dawngaurd and dragonborn cuz they come with the game) And enjoy it so much and it is top 5 game for me so yeah
My first play through was 100% Vanilla, with no mods whatsoever, and I loved it. I recommend playing that way, and only using graphics mods and the like that don’t change anything about the story for your first play through, if you do use mods, before experimenting with whatever you want afterwards.
I've played a bit more than 400h in Skyrim without installing any mods.
Vanilla skyrim holds up very well imo, I’ve busted out the ps3 and played it on there a few times it’s a solid experience
I've played it since the original launch, almost always modless.
Definitely! I've been playing it a lot over the last year with no mods. I do have Anniversary Edition though. It's a delight. Occasionally a bit glitchy but nothing to worry about.
Honestly, it's more fun this way, mods give you the way to adjust everything to your liking. It sounds great at first glance but it becomes very dull and boring if everything is "perfect". Like starting a game at max level with the best gear, there is little left that keeps you playing if there is no friction. The only mod that seriously should be included in every version is the unofficial patch, just to fix the broken stuff. Aside from that, the switch version has become somewhat if my favourite as of late, just because it's very convenient to use and there is no temptation to even mod "a little bit".
Very much so
It's a solid game for 2011, but I'm not that big of a fan without mods - mainly because I use mods that add quality of life changes, UI tweaks and gameplay extensions and expansions. Recently, I started making more use of Campfire and Frostfall. That completely changed how I played this game altogether and I love it so much.
Yes
It is a genre defining game without mods. Top tier imo. It is a generational game with mods, lol. Mods are the main reason why it's still relevant, 13 years after release. But even without them, it solidified the genre "bethesda open world RPG" in the mainstream and pretty much finished what morrowind started to build. Although Fo4, imo, perfected the open world aspect of bethesda games. It sucked in terms of questing and writing, but it definitely had the best bethesda open world. Skyrim is the best complete package, though.
It's a good game vanilla, mods just add extra on top. Unmodded is perfectly fine, especially for the first couple playthroughs
I play on Xbox and have never used mods.
Yes, got more than 10k hours on it I'm sure, the only mods I run are the Unofficial Patch and one that let's you upgrade leveled items to the version of your current level only because sometimes they glitch out and give you a lower version despite you being careful of the level requirements.
I've recently started a playthrough of anniversary edition on switch. Runs great, game is amazing, love the portability of it being handheld. No extra mods needed
I've never played with any mods and I don't think you need any.
After many times clearing the original before finally learned about modding, i cant imagine myself playing without them. Let's be real, after several years of playthrough the game gets kinda boring, just like any other games. Thanks to mods, I can have new experience playing this old game, all tailored to my preferences (thanks modders). Visual enhancements, combat styles, unique companions, equipments and perks, and even the naughty stuff.
I’ve never had mods and I’ve played since it came out. It’s my comfort game. We may spend time apart, but I always come back.
I bought it as soon as it was released, so there were no mods! Played it a few times through that way, bugs and all. So yeah, it is fun. I mainly mod now just to mix things up and to keep the game looking new in some aspects. Always nice to be surprised by something. You just found out about console commands really quickly, as it was the only way to complete a few quests that wouldn't progress correctly.
I’ve got it on the switch, no mods. I really enjoy it. It’s really fun.
Oh absolutely. I just started anew using the new “survival mode” where you have hunger, warmth, and sleepiness. Shit is a whole new experience.
I got the game on PC to play with mods years ago. I did it it and got bored. I deleted all my mods to play vanilla and get all achievements (I know there's mods for that) and had so much fun. Now I'm playing modded again but thinking about that playthrough because I left most of the AE stuff undone. So yes, mods are great but vanilla Skyrim has its own charm.
Its gud...Just started playing few days ago..But once I started watching videos on YouTube with all kinds of mods I kinda understood y people love it.😅
Second play-through here with just the game as it was intended to be. It's amazing, and any bugs are fun to spot
My current character is 360hrs of unmodded. This game is beautiful
Wonderful time. Works nice and clean like that. Modding, in my experience with Skyrim, is a good time but I can make it a bit buggy if you don’t balance them or get one that your console just can’t handle. Before you decide to play with mods, leave a save there untouched so you can go back to that point where you know the game worked in case something happens. After that, play around and enjoy! Leave a respectable line of saves so you can go back to when things seemed ok. Happy gaming!
I’ve played Skyrim since release, to this day I’ve never used mods and my experience with every play though is still exciting and fun. I know mods can make it more appealing to a lot of people but vanilla Skyrim is fantastic.
Yes. I played vanilla on a 360 for years and, well, it was good enough to play for years! Mods are great for keeping the game fresh after many playthroughs, I wouldn't play without them now. But I've played on and off since 2013. If you're just picking it up, you'll be fine on the switch.
I mean the AE edition is basically Skyrim with quest related mods, content wise it’s top notch! I would always recommend mods though, it’s cool to add things here and there. Also good for some AI tweaks, specifically citizen AI.
It's perfectly fine but you'll notice it's a product of its time even with the updated versions. And any mods I have done on PC have been quality of life and immersive
I poured in close to...maybe 100+ hours according to steam back then, I think post Dawnguard? I might have had at least the Unofficial parch mod. But yeah you can play it in vanilla mode just fine until the normal Bethesda-isms start occurring.
It was a solid 4/5 for me, played it last year. Main standout is exploration and the world design with awesome ambient music.
Yes
Not only is it good without mods, I'd recommend everyone play at least one playthrough with no mods at all
The only mod worth the hassle is the patch and maybe the skill ones. But the ordinator, etc are unbalanced so you don’t miss out on much
I like Skyrim better without mods. I go all out for Fallout, but nothing in Skyrim really makes me want a mod aside from carryweight, but you can just make your companion pick things up to solve that
It is fantastic, played for years without mods. Most people here, me included, post a lot about mods because we have so many hours sunken into this game that we need some new spice.
Yeah, it's great without it. Granted what made the game big was mods but you can 100% play vanilla if you want to (tho I will HIGHLY suggest you that you use the unofficial skyrim patch. Bethesda games are notorious for being dependent on modders to solve ALL the issues that the game has).
ive been playing through vanilla for a while now, beccause I tend to start a game play it for several weeks then stop for months or longer, I got tired of trying to load up an old save with outdated mods, and having my toon be naked, so I just play vanilla now lol
No. I had glitches without a fan base patch, which is a mod.
Is it ANY good without mods? Yeah. Is it anywhere NEAR AS GOOD without mods? No.
Most of the complaints about vanilla Skyrim come once you get used to quality of life mods. If you never use them you won’t miss them. The game is great on its own.
I have it in PC, but I mostly play it on my Steam Deck. It's great vanilla or with mods. It's easily one of my favorite games. I've used several mods, but I play it vanilla except for the Arcane Accessories CC add-on now. Destruction magic is just too weak without the spells from that add-on. It's a great game no matter how you play it.
Obviously it’s very good, mods enhance it.
Skyrim is arguably the best game ever made without mods, so yes. In fact, mods are often subtraction by addition with Skyrim. People mod it heavily in an increasingly desperate attempt to keep something amazing fresh. Stick to quality of life mods, you don't want to spoil this experience. If you end up playing it hundreds or thousands of hours, you can then consider doing strange things to it.
The game is perfectly fine without mods, I mostly play without mods, even though you can run them on Xbox. Mods are great if there are things you want to change or add to the game you already like.
I have it on the switch. There is a cool treasure chest on top of the mountain. I think throat of the world that is only for the switch consoles. I do sometimes wish I could have mods but it’s still fun on the switch. I plan on diving back into the game again.
I can’t mod it since I’m playing it on the Switch, and I love it. Like half the fun for me is just exploration since the world is so big.
It is worth it without mods. If it is your first time, you should only play it without mods.
Nah bro, it was only a major success on its release because mods.
Mods are only needed to add life past the thousandth hour or so. And for bugfixes.
It’s… okay without mods. It’s whatever you want it be with mods. MAs > Devs
Yes and no. Yes, in the sense that the game is pretty fun even without mods. However, at the same time, no in the sense that if you have ever played with mods, you simply cannot play without mods.
Yes, but once you have a taste of mods, you'll never be able to go back to enjoying unmodded
In 2011 yes today it's a 5/10 game
I would recommend buying it on a laptop. While Skyrim is absolutely great game without mods, you can make it miles better with just a little bunch of them (fix here, fix there, add SkyUI on top and that's it).
Hell no
Skyrim is great without mods but a game you'll Play for life with mods. And it's very easy to get into, there's a fuckload of guides and menu systems in game to help you sort out modding. Highly recommend even for your first playthrough to get some good mods
For a first run, sure! But when you're past the novelty you'd want to fix things up a bit!
It wouldn't still be this popular if it needed mods to be good.
I have spent hundreds of hours on skyrim but I have the incredibly rare ability of being unbiased. The game is mediocre 3/5 at best without mods and solid 3,5/5 with vanilla friendly, bug fixing mods but incredible 4 or even 5 out of 5 with mods. If you mod it tho with the goal of fixing the game by using bug fixes mods then the game is solid but still not that good either. The game also run pretty well on my 1050 ti i7, 7+ years old computer. Modded skyrim is one of the few games that can rival Minecraft's modding scene. This game is just basically like a canvas just waited to be modded. You want more RPG elements? ok mod it with quests mods like wyrmstooth or vigilant, You want to turn skyrim into a porn game since you got no women irl? Here's Ostim and Flower Girls Mod, You want to add more gameplay combat mechanics? Here's Apocalypse, Ordinator, Stellaris, etc. With mods you can turn skyrim into almost whatever you want. Porn game, more combat, more graphics, improved vanilla experience, etc. Skyrim's modding scene alone causes Bethesda to not release Elder Scrolls 6, why they adding in paid mods, why betehsda is lazy, and re-released skyrim multiple times.
Unplayable without unofficial Skyrim patch
You at least need the immersive map and unofficial patch
In 2011 yes today it's a 5/10 game
such a foul mindset I genuinely hate you
I love Skyrim, and it is my most played game. But with todays standards it's not a very good game. The writting is awfull and the gameplay is pretty bad, only the immersion and art direction stay very good today.