In The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, it's entirely possible to simply get lost in the vast world that comprises populated forests, open fields, snow-covered mountains, and a number of peaceful settlements. It's not surprising that it's one of the best games to induce mindfulness in players, when fans aren't engaged in battle with city guards and dragons. With that in-mind, one person decided that what the world of Tamriel needed was a lot more nature to really breathe a bit of serenity into the Dragonborn's life.
According to a recent report from DSO Gaming, user L3st4t has created, and uploaded to Nexus Mods, "The Scandinavian Forests," a mod for Skyrim that adds more than 6,000 trees to the game, as well as replacing the vanilla ones with newer models. Some of the trees do come from other mods, but that's still a lot of trees. Images on the download page show the high quality of the new forestry, which features high-definition foliage, branches and trunks. There are also a couple of videos which show off some of the new assets in all their glorious and natural-looking detail.
In general, Skyrim is known for its combat, as well as its in-depth lore. But amidst all the storytelling, NPC interaction, and the warding off of enemy attackers, there's something to be said for simply taking one's avatar for a stroll throughout the land. What L3st4t's mod represents is nine months' worth of work that has resulted in an add-on which provides an even more lush aesthetic to the already pretty lush environment.
Of course, since the game is now more than a decade old at this point, the vanilla version has aged over the years, but this is where modders come to the rescue. With add-ons that really make Skyrim's natural landscape look gorgeous, it seems there is still enough care in the community for people to dedicate their time and skills into keeping it looking fresh and modern for years to come.
Some fans may be getting impatient waiting for news about Elder Scrolls 6, which is understandable given how long Skyrim came out. However, there is still plenty of life in the 2011 release it seems, and there seems to be no harm in modding the game to make it look more beautiful. In general, while waiting for the next game, it's not a bad idea to download L3st4t's mod and go for a nice stroll in the forest.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim - Anniversary Edition is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
Source: DSO Gaming, Nexus Mods
