As of this year, the last major piece of DLC forThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrimis over eight years old, and is fast approaching nine. As such, fans of the franchise have fallen back into community-made mods to supplement theirElder Scrollsexperiences with new content since 2012.
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While a great many of these mods are quality-of-life based, or introduce new characters and quests, few are as fundamentally game-altering asthe Enderal Mods. Set in its own unique world apart from the Elder Scrolls universe, the Enderal Mods provide a completely original game world and dozens of questlines, with just enough ofSkyrimin the gameplay to feel familiar to veterans of the franchise.
The Enderal Mods can be downloaded in their entirety for free from both the Steam WorkshopandNexusMods. Additionally, the Steam Workshop page for the Enderal Mods includes three additional pieces of free content (Enderal: Shards of Order Soundtrack, Enderal: The Bard Songs, and Dreams of the Dying) to flesh out the game world. The only paid content is the Enderal: Forgotten Stories Soundtrack, which is available on Steam for $4.99.
6What Hardware Will I Need To Play It?
For players on PC, Steam recommends usingWindows 7,8, 0r 10to run the game, as well as at least 4GB of RAM and 16GB of storage space. While any modern graphics card should be able to handle the Enderal mods, Steam also recommends at least GeForce 9800 GTX (More hardware information can also be accessed fromdeveloper SureAI’s website).
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However, players hoping to experience the Enderal Mods on console will be sorely disappointed, as they are currently (as of April 28th, 2021) PC exclusives.
5What Software Will I Need To Play It?
Apart from a legally obtained copy ofThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, no further software is needed to run the mods. As it is a standalone project, the Enderal Mods will not interact with the main series game in any way, nor will it interact withthe three main series DLCs (Dawnguard, Hearthfire,andDragonborn). However, an important caveat is that the original mods available on Steam require a copy of theoriginalgame, andnotSkyrim: Special Edition. Players using theSpecial Editionwill need to download theSEversion to ensure compatibility. Both the Steam Workshop and NexusMods offer theSEversion as well.
4Will Downloading The Enderal Mods Interfere With Any Of My Other Mods?
For all intents and purposes, Steam will treat the Enderal Mods as if they were a separate, completely unrelated title, and will even be displayed in the Steam Library as such.
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Once the game has been downloaded, players won’t need to accessThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrimto begin using the Enderal Mods, nor will they even need to have the game downloaded. As a result, any mods downloaded forSkyrimwill not be impacted by downloading these mods.
3How Long Is The Main Storyline?
Withdozens upon dozens of unique locations spread out across the region, it’s fair to say that most players will spend as much time scouring the land of Enderal as they would walking the ash-dusted island of Solstheim from theDragonbornDLC. The developers themselves promise anywhere between 30 and 125 hours of included gameplay, but much of this is determined by how players choose to explore this vast new area.
2Will I Be Able To Use Shouts?
In the base game,shouts are an integral part of the Dragonborn’s journey to defeat Alduin and save all of Tamriel. With dozens of unique shots to choose from, players will have a solution to any problem that comes their way. However, as the Enderal Mods exist outside the regularElder Scrollsuniverse, the iconic shouts utilized by the Dragonborn inSkyrimwill not make an appearance.
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However, rather than ditch the concept of unique powers completely, developers SureAI instead replaced the in-game shouts with fully animated “talents,” which give players skills and abilities based on the class of their choosing. With a number of different classes to choose from, players can experiment with different playstyles and abilities, much like the base game itself.
1What New Gameplay Mechanics Are Included?
Along with a completely overhauled skill system, the Enderal Mods modifythe basic level-progression systemto include classes, survival mechanics, etc. The mods have also added two new classes centered around alchemy and enchanting skills, with an emphasis on combat. Additionally, the mods include a unique housing system, allowing players to design and build their own homes (not unlike theHearthfireDLC developed forSkyrim).
UnlikeHearthfirehowever, the level of customization goes far beyond a set house model that can be modified to a player’s tastes. Rather, the Enderal Mods allow players to add paintings, secret rooms, and impressive stonework, as well as a number of truly unique player homes scattered around the game world.
