Skyrim modder adds a Nemesis-style system to the game

Get your very own Skyrim foe

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim can be modded to the moon and back with new magic, models, and systems. But a new Skyrim mod adds the Nemesis system, for a little extra Shadow of Mordor in your Elder Scrolls.

Created by modder Syclonix, the “Shadow of Skyrim” mod adds a new Nemesis-style system to Skyrim. It essentially adds a new player death mechanic, making it so dying in Skyrim adds a bit more narrative flavor and mechanics.

When an enemy takes the player down, they gain a unique name, stats, and more. For example, they might become a shield-breaking vampire. Toggles can allow the enemy to also loot your stuff and use it against you, donning armor the player had been wearing.

Not only does this give you a new objective and quest, but it can turn into a boon, too. The player might gain a certain debuff upon dying, but be able to remove that and replace it with a new buff in its place once besting their rival.

Rivals of Skyrim

While the mod takes inspiration from the Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War games, the modder emphasizes that it’s not drawing on specific Mordor gameplay ideas. The concept might have arisen from having a named Nemesis, but its systems are notably different.

And while the important distinctions are one thing, I also like the twists Syclonix puts on this rival system. The flavor text is fun, and I like the idea of gaining rewards and having to recover your armor, almost in a Tarkov-style manner. It’s also designed to work with a number of other The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim mods. For full compatibility info, you’ll need to check out the mod page.

You can find the Shadow of Skyrim mod for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on NexusMods here.