If there’s any open-world gameplay feature that still feels exciting these days, it’s the nemesis system. Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor managed to bring something genuinely unique to the genre. Unfortunately, due to a patent, no other game can feature the nemesis system officially. Of course, we’ve seen interpretations of it in games, like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, but that’s as much as we’ll get. However, a new Skyrim mod brings the nemesis system to the game.
The mod itself is Shadow of Skyrim – Nemesis and Alternative Death System, by syclonix. What we’ve got here is a comprehensive mod that not only brings the nemesis system to Skyrim but also adds its own unique mechanics. Obviously, if you’ve played Shadow of Mordor, then you know what to expect. But even if you haven’t, this mod could seriously spice up that Skyrim replay.
Time to make a nemesis in Skyrim
The way the nemesis system works in this Skyrim mod is fairly simple to start with. If an enemy manages to take you down, you’re no longer forced to retry from a recent save. Instead, you simply fall unconscious and appear somewhere else. When this happens, a new quest will activate, guiding you towards your brand-new nemesis. This applies to any enemy that kills you, from a tiny mudcrab to the fiercest dragon. But that’s not all, as there are also a few extra twists.
When you respawn from death, your character will have a random debuff, which is removed once the nemesis is defeated. This debuff will change depending on various factors regarding your death., and your new target will gain a buff in return. These buffs depend on what the enemy is. For example, if you die against a Stormcloak, they could get a bear companion to help them in the rematch. The nemesis can also steal some of your gear and use it in the battle against you too. If that doesn’t incentivize you to go get some payback, not much will. All in all, this seems to be a very comprehensive nemesis system mod.
The Shadow of Skyrim nemesis system mod is much more comprehensive than it may first appear. It’s not simply a conversion of the core nemesis system, as it does plenty of unique things on its own. In a lot of ways, it feels like the perfect addition to a Skyrim replay, especially when combined with other mods that up the difficulty. Syclonix also plans to update the mod further with more mechanics in the future. So, if you want to forge some rivalries, be sure to check this mod out.
