Skyrim On Switch Is The Worst Version Because It Can’t Run Survival Mode

The Elder ScrollsV: Skyrim port to the Nintendo Switch may very well be the worst version of the game because it axed the beloved Survival Mode. Bethesda has released many different versions of the fifth Elder Scrolls title since it first launched in 2011, with its most recent release being the Skyrim: Anniversary Edition, which repackaged the game to include all of its Creation Club mods. While these different versions have all seen some form of restoration or new features, Skyrim‘s port to the Switch is the only one to take away from the game.

Bethesda made the Skyrim port to the Switch in 2017, the same year that both Nintendo’s system launched and Survival Mode was released for Skyrim: Special Edition. While fans were excited that the Skyrim port came with Breath of the Wild gear and that they could play the game on the go, it was noticeably lacking when compared to previous versions. The graphics looked worse than they did on launch, and even some fan-favorite mods could not be used in the game like they could on PlayStation and Xbox consoles.

Perhaps the biggest disappointment about Skyrim for the Switch was the lack of Survival Mode, though. The Switch already lacks other Elder Scrolls ports, but the absence of Survival Mode in Skyrim has been particularly detrimental to the console. Survival Mode has provided a refreshing twist to gameplay for those who’ve accomplished everything with Skyrim, and who are now all too familiar with how to exploit the title’s mechanics. Considering that Survival Mode only came out two months before the port did, Skyrim for Switch launched feeling lackluster for players most familiar with the game.

Without Survival Mode, Skyrim On Switch Is Incomplete

One of Skyrim‘s biggest issues since it launched was the lack of a relationship between players and the environment. The ecosystems of Skyrim are so fascinating and diverse, ranging from the mountainous tundras of the northeast to the humid marshes of The Reach, complete with wildlife to interact with and even hunt. However, the ecosystems never impacted gameplay except for the types of animal that would spawn. Skyrim‘s Survival Mode finally created interesting dynamics for players to interact with when it came to their environments. Cold areas now reduce health and lock picking abilities, making the foes in snowy regions of the map even more fierce and interesting to fight. That players on Switch do not get to experience these new dynamics offered by Survival Mode makes the game much duller than other versions.

Additionally, Switch players miss out on the other features of the game that Survival Mode gave a purpose to. The biggest of these are food, cooking, sleeping, and fires. Survival Mode introduces Hunger and Fatigue effects that impact players’ stamina and magicka stats, respectively. In order to combat these status effects, travelers in the Nord homeland now have to find time to sleep and even cook because uncooked meats can result in diseases. This in turn lends more purpose to collecting wood and making fires, as they are needed to both cook food and warm players up in colder areas of the map. Survival Mode thus transforms Skyrim as a game, forcing players to focus on mechanics they never used before.

All in all, the Switch edition of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is missing out on a lot because it does not have Survival Mode. On top of not being able to use some of the more fun mods fans have made, this basic addition Bethesda introduced to the aged game has made it more fun to play. And while it makes sense that Bethesda needed to compress its title to work on the portable console, Switch fans truly deserved a better version.