Skyrim is a wonderful game. It's so good that Tom gave it 94% in our Skyrim review, but as good as Bethesda games are, they're always a little bit better once they're modded. Amazingly, despite the fact that the game has only been out for a few days, there are already over a hundred mods on Skyrim Nexus. We've rounded up the best of the first wave - they're not game-changers, but some of these are worth taking a look at.
We're planning to regularly update this page as more mods come out. New mods will be added and old ones will either be updated or fall by the wayside.
1. Detailed Faces and No More Blocky Faces
A pair of mods by Xenius that make small improvements to the faces of Skyrim's NPCs. No More Blocky Faces decompresses face textures to create smoother noses and chins for the previously slightly square character models, while Detailed Faces slightly improves the face textures for most races.
2. ENBSeries patch
The ENBSeries mods are famous for adding improved post processing and lighting effects to make games like GTA4 and Deus Ex: Human Revolution look amazing. Sadly this patch doesn't do that, but merely fixes some graphical artifacts. Don't worry though, ENB creator Boris Vorontsov is already working on a full graphical overhaul.
3. Large Address Aware patch
Like previous Bethesda games, Skyrim doesn't use more than 2gb of RAM, regardless of how much you actually have. Using a large address aware patch will fix that, allowing Skyrim to make full use of your system's abilities. Simply follow the tutorial here. It won't automatically make your screenshots look as good as Dead End Thrills, but it's a start.
4. Simple Borderless Window
Simple borderless window does what it says, it makes Skyrim run in a false fullscreen mode, allowing for the easy alt tabbing of windowed mode but while still keeping your screen full of wonderful landscapes.
5. Enhanced Night Sky
A nice little mod I enjoyed in Fallout. Enhanced Night Sky replaces the Skyrim stars with a high resolution texture taken from starfield photography. This version is so seamless it doesn't even effect the in game constellations.
6. No Spider Mod
Arachnophobes like PC Gamer contributor Richard Cobbett have a hard time with games like Skyrim. Which is why No Spiders patches are so useful. This first attempt at a spider free Skyrim is particularly hilarious, as it replaces the models of the spiders with hilariously out of place bears.
7. Interface Hard Coded key tweaks
Skyrim's interface can be really awkward, Hard Coded key tweaks aims to improve that. Now you can (for instance) turn lockpicks with whatever direction keys you chose, not just WASD, and many other simple improvements.
8. TESV savegame manager
An update of the popular Fallout 3 savegame manager, TESV savegame manager mod helps save and organise your games far more efficiently than the game does by default.
9. Vurt's Skyrim Flora Overhaul
This is going to be one to keep an eye on. Vurt's Skyrim flora overhaul is dedicated to improving the quality of the vegetation in Skyrim, starting with trees. It even offers several different colour schemes to let you tailor your foliage to your own desires.
10. Enhanced Blood Textures
Enhanced Blood Textures does exactly what it says, it improves the resolution of the blood textures in the game, but does it so well that it's one of the most noticeable improved texture mods available.
11. Map in Full 3D
Not so much a mod as a set of tweaks, Map in full 3D shows you how to modify the game's ini file to make it possible to zoom the in game map right down to the ground. The result is essentially a free camera mode that lets you roam anywhere in the world. It's like the google street view team was let loose in the frozen north.
Remember, we're going to keep updating this list with new and interesting mods, so if you know of any good ones we've missed please let us know in the comments.
