New Skyrim Mod Finally Solves a 19-Year-Old Problem

A brand-new Skyrim mod is looking to give new voices to many of the NPCs found around the game. When completed, this will solve a prominent Skyrim problem that Bethesda games have suffered from for 19 years now.

Since The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion, Bethesda titles have used a small pool of voice actors to voice a majority of the characters in the game. There are some notable characters who receive unique voices, often from high-profile names such as Max von Sydow and Patrick Stewart, but, for the most part, the characters in these games sound very familiar. This is true of both The Elder Scrolls and Fallout. In The Elder Scrolls, most races use two voice actors: one male and one female. For example, André Sogliuzzo voices all male Khajiit in Skyrim, while Pam Cholet voices all females. And while these games still have great voice acting, the duplicate voices do stand out over the course of a playthrough.

New Skyrim Mod is Revoicing Most NPCs in the Game

The Skyrim Revoiced mod is now available over on Nexus Mods. The ambitious project has already introduced eight new voice types for 48 NPCs in Skyrim, which right now consists of over 5000 lines of dialogue. Interestingly, this also covers lines added by other popular Skyrim mods, so it’s not just the vanilla game that Skyrim Revoiced is improving. Notable compatible mods include the likes of Alternate Start, More To Say, and Relationship Dialogue Overhaul.

What really stands out here is the quality. The eight voice actors involved are not amateurs, but rather, paid professionals hired by Skyrim Revoiced creator spdude. And while the plan is to expand the mod and give every Skyrim race and gender more unique voices, as spdude points out, “hiring voice actors is costly.” Still, this is not just a project well worth using for a playthrough right now, but also one to keep an eye on in the future.

All Skyrim Revoiced Voice Actors and Their Characters (So Far)

• Thomas Barker – Beirand, Gorm, Jon Battleborn, Kjar, Kust, Hod
• Kurt Shipley – Hadring, Lodvar, Skulvar Sable-Hilt, Skaggi Scar-Face, Pactur, Oengul War-Anvil
• MeekVoice – Acolyte Jenssen, Alvor, Bolund, Brunwulf Free-Winter, Korir, Vipir the Fleet
• Marlon Dance-Hooi – Angvid, Gestur Rockbreaker, Leifur, Thonar Silver-Blood, Rorlund, Rune
• Ryan Haugen – Addvild, Brill, Bulfrek, Torsten Cruel-Sea, Jorgen, Lod
• Andrew Cretella – Harlaug, Giraud Gemane, Maramal, Pavo Attius, Ulundil, Vantus Loreius
• Thea Solone – Arcadia, Alessandra, Daighre, Michel Lylvieve, Nenya, Silana Petreia
• Selena Mikes – Ahlam, Faleen, Jayri, Jonna, Sayma, Seren

It’s mods like this that have really given Skyrim its longevity. The game arguably has the most active modding scene of any game right now, despite being over 14 years old. As the agonizing wait for The Elder Scrolls 6 goes on, the modding community has been essential in ensuring the series remains relevant in the modern day. Incredibly, it only seems as though the mods are getting more ambitious with time, so there’s still plenty for Skyrim players to look forward to in the future.

Released

November 11, 2011

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol

Developer(s)

Bethesda Game Studios

Publisher(s)

Bethesda Softworks