Gamers have been excited about Skyrim: Anniversary Edition ever since it was announced. Created to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the legendary game first released on PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 before being ported to many other consoles and platforms over its auspicious ten-year run.
Skyrim Anniversary Edition improves and adds to the game in many ways. This includes improving the code to allow it to run better on modern and next-gen hardware. It will also come with Skyrim’s Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn expansion packs, all three of which are very popular with fans of the game.
Also included are 48 previously released and 26 brand-new items from the Creation Club. These items add a load of different weapons, outfits, and quests to the game. Fans have also been excited about the new game mechanics it includes, like the much-hyped fishing minigame.
One such addition is Survival Mode. This mode makes the game much harder than it was at release. Players who turn this mode on will find that the game has changed dramatically. On top of the usual mechanics, players will have to manage their hunger, fatigue, cold, and warmth meters as they navigate Skyrim, forcing players to plan their every action, lest they succumb to the harsh wilderness.
On top of this, Survival mode turns on several game modifiers. This includes turning off regenerating health, meaning that players can’t just hide and wait when things get tough, as if you want to heal, you must use an item or a magic spell, both of which are limited. On top of this, fast travel is turned off, meaning that players must hike, ride or find transport if they want to get from place to place, which will force you to plan ahead to avoid bad weather and starvation. Your player character will also have reduced carry weight, and many formally weightless items now have weight, which means you’ll have to pack smart to survive.
To activate this super hard mode, players must go into the game’s system menu and select settings. From there, go to the gameplay menu, and select Survival Mode. It should be noted that if you’re starting with a new character, this mode will not activate until you leave the tutorial area. If you activate it before that moment, it will remain deactivated until you leave the tutorial, at which point you will get a pop-up asking you to confirm that you wish to have Survival Mode on.
Skyrim: Anniversary Edition will likely see many fans return to the classic game after not touching it for many years. Those who attempt to play the game in Survival Mode will find that while it is still the game they love, things are now much harder, leading to a totally new gameplay experience.