Skyrim is, in my opinion, one of the best video games ever made. The thrilling combination of open world gameplay and well-made story make for an experience that isn't to be missed. You can literally sink hundreds of hours into the game without even seeing everything.
If you've put in what you feel is enough to be done with Skyrim, but feel like a hole is missing in your life by not playing, you should really jump in and enjoy some mods. Of course, you have to play on PC to enjoy them, but let's be honest, PC is the best platform to play the game on anyway.
The range of mods available for Skyrim is truly impressive. You can change the existing game and even download entire new areas to play. If you've put Skyrim away, it just might be time to pull it out again and enjoy a fresh new experience thanks to its incredibly skilled modding community.
Falskaar
This is a fairly new mod for Skyrim with an incredibly interesting backstory. So, before we get to the mod itself, let me explain how it came into existence. A 19 year old named Alexander J. Velicky really, really wants a job at Bethesda, the makers of Skyrim. Instead of just sending in an application, he decided to craft an epic modification for the game. In the end, he spent 2,000 hours over the last year building Falskaar.
http://youtu.be/BxWpfz06sgw
The mod itself adds another island a third the size of the original Skyrim, over 25 hours of additional quest lines, new characters, and some new voice acting for all those people. Not only is the scope of the mod impressive, but the actual gameplay is quite good, especially when you consider that most of the world was crafter by one person.
Moonpath to Elsweyr
This is another mod that could easily be confused for an expansion pack done by Bethesda itself. It whisks the player off the homeland of the Khajiit (the cat-people), and it's a beautiful place indeed. Personally, my favorite thing about this mod is how different it is from the main game. Gone are the snowy landscapes we've all come to love, and in is a world of jungle and desert.
http://youtu.be/G97TwqKKlUk
This mod, in addition to the aforementioned new areas, also adds stories, enemies, and art. It's not open like Falskaar, but there is still a ton of content that will keep you coming back for hours on end, which is great considering it's a free mod that anyone who owns the PC version of Skyrim can play and enjoy.
Here be Monsters
Who doesn't love big, hulking, powerful monsters? Anyone who says they don't, is obviously lying to themselves. Well, this mod brings all the giant monsters you could ever want into the world of Skyrim. Sure, big dragons are cool, but wouldn't you prefer to fight giant crabs and other creatures? Of course you would.
Essentially, this mod adds a series of epic boss battles where you fight, you guessed it, giant monsters. It's a fun way to give some new life to the existing world. Because this is a mod, there is a chance some of the monsters could be a little buggy, but they are all able to put up a good fight, and are all awesome.
Helgen Reborn
Remember the awesome scene at the beginning of Skyrim where the city crumples to ashes around you? Well that city was called Helgen, and this mod is all about bringing it back to its former glory. It's a large quest mod, so there is plenty of content to be had for players. The gameplay is also slightly different from the original Skyrim since you are trying to rebuild a single place, instead of venturing out into the massive world.
http://youtu.be/fJ9ZZ8BjcxQ
This mod is fully voiced, so while playing, you might actually forget you are in a player-built mod at all. In addition to the massive story quest, it also comes with new armor, and caverns to explore. It's cool to revisit an important part of the game that you end up forgetting as you venture through the world. Seeing it come back to its former glory feels like a separate game on its own.
Conclusion
If you miss the days when Skyrim was new and exciting, these mods are exactly what you need. They offer some incredibly fun gameplay elements and different locations that really expand the world. Check them out, and you will get to relive some of the excitement you had when you first bought Skyrim.
What are your favorite Skyrim mods? Hit the comments section below and let us know!
Featured Image Based on: Aerial Attack Wallpaper Via Skyrim