Is the Skyrim Anniversary Edition Upgrade Worth It in 2024? A Passionate Gamer‘s In-Depth Insights
As a hardcore Skyrim fan who has poured over 600 hours into the game since its initial 2011 release, I‘ve been eagerly anticipating the 10 year Anniversary Edition upgrade. After extensive playtesting, I can conclusively say the upgrade is absolutely worth it for most Skyrim fans – with just a few caveats. Let‘s dive deep into everything the Anniversary Edition brings to the table for one of the greatest RPGs ever made.
A Definitive Yes for Console Players
For Skyrim adventurers on PlayStation or Xbox, the Anniversary Edition is essentially a must-buy. It provides what is essentially a giant expansion pack adding over 500 pieces of new Creation Club content for just $20. Considering some of Bethesda‘s paid DLCs like Dawnguard cost $20 on their own, this is an amazing value. Here‘s a taste of just some of the awesome new quests and features:
- Saints and Seducers – a lengthy new Daedric questline with tons of new enemies and loot
- Fishing – a fully fleshed out fishing system for a relaxing new activity
- Survival mode – eat, sleep and stay warm or suffer penalties
- The Cause – help rebels overthrow a city ruler in this cinematic quest
- New armor sets like Divine Crusader and Stalhrim Fur
- Dozens of new spells, Shouts and powerful items
I put the total value of Creation Club content included at over $100, making the Anniversary Edition a tremendous value. It essentially doubles the size of an already massive game. On consoles where mods are limited, this is the only way to get such a huge influx of content.
| Platform | Base Game | Anniversary Upgrade | Mod Support | Best Version? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PC | Original Skyrim | $20 upgrade | Nearly unlimited mods | Depends on preference |
| Xbox One | Skyrim Special Edition | $20 upgrade | 5GB limit | Yes |
| PS4 | Skyrim Special Edition | $20 upgrade | Limited asset support | Yes |
| Nintendo Switch | Skyrim | $50 upgrade | None | Yes |
The enhanced lighting and visual effects also make the Xbox and PlayStation versions look stunning. Seeing volumetric fog roll through the snowy pines of Falkreath never gets old. Given the low price of admission and massive amount of new content, every Skyrim fan on consoles owes it to themselves to upgrade and embark on a brand new adventure.
A Mixed Bag for PC Modders
For PC players who have access to unlimited mods, the recommendation becomes more complicated. The Skyrim mod scene has thrived for over a decade now. Many of the Creation Club elements like survival mode, new quests and expanded magic can already be added through free mods that go far deeper.
However, as someone who has modded the game extensively, I still found the Anniversary Edition on PC to be worthwhile overall. It provides a chance to experience a huge batch of new content that is seamlessly baked into the core game with Bethesda‘s trademark polish and quality. The expanded fishing system stands as one of the most immersive new features in the game. New quests like Forgotten Seasons are fully voiced and integrate naturally into the existing world in a way only Bethesda can pull off.
That said, upgrading does split the PC mod community between the original version and Anniversary Edition. And it does break just about every mod that relies on the Script Extender until the mod author updates with a compatibility patch. This will undoubtedly cause headaches for mod users who have carefully curated their setup. My advice is to only upgrade after giving mod authors some time to update their creations. And backup your original modded game just in case.
For Skyrim purists who want new adventures and treasures approved by Bethesda themselves, the Anniversary Edition content is a treasure trove, albeit a bit less essential thanks to the exemplary mod scene. I‘d advise PC players to wait for a deeper sale to grab the upgrade given the potential mod compatibility issues. But at $15 or under, it‘s an easy purchase for fans ready to play Skyrim again in a brand new way.
The Curated Experience vs. Endless Mods
As someone who has written 150+ Skyrim mod guides for my blog, I‘m incredibly impressed by the talent and passion of the modder community that has kept Skyrim vibrant for over 10 years now. We have mods that radically transform and expand every system in the game tenfold.
However, the Anniversary Edition shows there is absolutely still room in my load order for Bethesda approved lore-friendly content as well. The Creation Club model allows talented mod authors to get paid for their work while giving fans new ways to experience Tamriel crafted to fit seamlessly into the game they love. Rather than worrying about load orders and compatibility, everything just works right out of the box.
It will be fascinating to see how Bethesda balances its cultivated Creation Club ecosystem versus the wild west of free mods in the future. I selfishly want both – expanded official content paired with the limitless creativity of the mod scene. We may not know what the future holds for The Elder Scrolls 6. But the Anniversary Edition shows that the world of Skyrim still has plenty of life left for both new and returning heroes to find their destiny.
