While The Elder Scrolls 6 seems like a game that will never come to life, The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim feels like a game that will never die and has been doing some heavy lifting in carrying the franchise more than a decade later. The game was released in 2011, yet there are still modders out there actively working on projects for the game. This is even more impressive, considering that the TES6 trailer was released over six-and-a-half years ago, and is almost half as old as Skyrim itself, but practically no information has been provided on the project by Bethesda.

In the meantime, Bethesda has busied itself with the likes of Starfield, subjecting fans of The Elder Scrolls franchise to endless re-releases of the fifth title in the series, but there is weirdly a silver lining. Because of how old it is, fans have had years to work on mods for the game, to the point where an ultra-modded version of Skyrim probably looks better than TES6 would, and it isn't just the graphics that have seen massive overhauls. Everything from gameplay to quests has been added, and one questline is perfect for those waiting for TES6's release.

Skyrim Mod Vigilant Could Be The Cure For The TES6 Wait

It's Time To Install Skyrim Again

For those familiar with the Skyrim modding scene, Vigilant is a name that has likely been heard several times. It initially came out in 2017 and allows players to the Vigilants of Stendarr, but has enjoyed many updates and patches since then, allowing many other mods to be integrated with it. Although it begins similarly to Dawnguard, in which players are sent on errands from place to place across Skyrim, it eventually opens up to an area the size of Dragonborn's Solstheim. It is comparable to both the DLCs combined in size.

A large part of what makes the mod so special is its central antagonist, Molag Bal, the Daedric Prince of domination and enslavement of mortals. He gets a few mentions in Skyrim, whether through attaining the Mace of Molag Bal or through Serana's implied backstory during her conversations in Dawnguard. He is one of the most evil figures in Elder Scrolls lore and the victims of his many schemes provide an interesting story for the Dragonborn to uncover, the scale of which is comparable to a TES game's main story.

Molag Bal is known as the Father of Vampires, with Lamae Bal being the first Pureblood Vampire and Daughter of Coldharbour.

Molag Bal has been a villain in The Elder Scrolls games before, namely TES Online, but in Vigilant he receives quite a deep dive into who he is and who his victims were. The DLC-sized mod takes players through massive dungeons and adds a ludicrous number of weapons and armor, but one of the best parts of the mod is how respected it has become. Many others have worked on patches and additions to the mod, improving its lighting or integrating their custom followers into the main story, although Vigilant is probably best played alone.

Vigilant Respects Elder Scrolls Lore

It Dives Deep Into TES Lore In A Way That Bethesda Hasn't

Vigilant has been compared to the Soulsborne games thanks to its dark tone, setting, and somewhat hidden story telling, yet the game does have a distinct story to tell, split into four acts. The Dragonborn will meet many figures throughout Elder Scrolls lore, who haven't seen too much use in the games. It may be confusing to those who aren't familiar with the strangely rich lore of The Elder Scrolls' world of Nirn, but it does provide a better platform than base Skyrim for players to dive into that rabbit hole.

While Nirn is the world of The Elder Scrolls, the entire universe is called Mundas.

This is a refreshing change of pace, since Bethesda doesn't seem as willing to use Elder Scrolls lore as deeply in its games, keeping it all as references. At times, Skyrim feels more like an Elder Scrolls-themed amusement park, with Dawnguard probably being the part of the game that uses the franchise's lore best. Vigilant doesn't fear the lore of the world it is diving into, and while it is both dark and somewhat confusing, being a different tone to most of Skyrim, it is largely lore friendly and retells many events throughout Nirn's history.

Players won't have to read in-game books just to learn the history of the Elder Scrolls series and will see some major events play out before them. It may require some digging on the player's part to work out what is going on, similar to a Soulsborne game, but players don't have to do this and can just enjoy the combat and exploration side of the mod. It does explore some very dark themes that are in keeping with The Elder Scrolls' lore, however, and might not be the mod for those looking for a light and breezy experience.

Skyrim Mods Are Still Going Strong

Vigilant Is Just The Tip Of The Iceberg

Vigilant is one of the most impressive projects made by Skyrim modders, and provides a great platform for people new to the modding community to get into the quest mods. It helps show players what the modding community is capable of, and although it requires patches to add voice acting, it really is one of the best experiences out there. With how popular it has become, many are still integrating their work into Vigilant, with the developer of the Serana Dialogue Add-on mod currently working on a patch for Vigilant many years later.

Auri, Gore, and Khajit Will Follow are three follower mods that have Vigilant integration.

Although other mods like Clockwork and Sirenroot are brilliant, they aren't quite as big as something like Vigilant, and the size of this mod massively helps it alleviate the wait for The Elder Scrolls 6. It even acts as a gateway to other massive mods, specifically Glenmoril and Unslaad, which are also made by the Vigilant developer, Vicn. Together, they are practically the size of an Elder Scrolls game and, with enough graphics mods, players can pretend that the collective story is The Elder Scrolls 6, especially when Skryim is enhanced with a pre-made mod pack to make it look next-gen.

In a weird way, Skyrim still has that special something that no other game has been able to provide since, not even a title from the same studio. A pessimist would think that this will be the case for even The Elder Scrolls 6, and with how strong the modding community is, it will take something truly great to get people to move on. There's a reason why The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is practically immortal and the modding community is such a huge part of that. Vigilant is a shining example of what the community is capable of.

Source: Vigilant/Nexus Mods