An upcoming The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim mod looks like it could totally transform it into another popular fantasy game, as it’ll bring the iconic Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor Nemesis system into one of the best RPGs on PC – and seemingly expand upon it, too.
Nemesis, if you’re not aware, appeared in the two Middle-earth games by Monolith and is basically a system where specific enemies can improve or change based on their interactions with the player – so if a random grunt kills you, it’ll get a name and promotion and will recognise you when you turn up alive. Nemesis added real personality to the enemies and an element of randomness to the gameplay.
Now, modder Syclonix is creating a new Middle-earth-inspired mod called Shadow of Skyrim: Nemesis and Alternative Death System, or “SOSNADS” for short (yes, they know). In a post on Reddit, Syclonix offers details on what Shadow of Skyrim will add, including the ability for any enemy who defeats you to get “a unique name, increased stats, and special buff” – including dragons and NPCs. The mod’s settings will be customisable, too, and you can check out the menu here.
The player gets a random debuff that only goes away when their Nemesis is defeated, and some enemies can even steal your gear and use it against you. Much like in Shadow of Mordor, there is no actual death either, as the player respawns at a particular location. There will even be quests that allow the player to track down their nemeses, alongside “special flavour text” to flesh out interactions.
It’s important to note that, while Syclonix confirms their mod is “a nod to the Shadow of Mordor/War games”, they make it clear that it won’t exactly replicate those games – in fact, if anything, it seems to add to it, with special debuffs, a loot retrieval system, and the possibility for a Mudcrab nemesis.
While the mod isn’t available yet, Syclonix says they are currently working on “polishing the framework before I start fleshing out the content” and they hope “to release the mod sometime next month”. Nemesis is great in the Middle-earth games, and it certainly looks like it could be a lot of fun in Skyrim too. We’ll have to wait and see.
In the meantime check our guide to the best dragon games on PC.
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