EC Gameplay Preview: Bleak Falls Barrow

Skyrim: Extended Cut is an upcoming mod for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim that overhauls the game's main storyline, adding new quests, choices, challenges and characters. This preview (an extended version of footage shown at Creation Mod Con 2023) showcases a section of gameplay in the overhauled Bleak Falls Barrow, one of the main questline's first dungeons. Learn more:
Discord: / discord
Twitter: / skyrimec
Website: SkyrimEC.com

[@cheeseybox]

Actually makes sense to have a dragon priest guarding that map of dragon burial mounds

[@syafiqmasduki]

It felt odd that Krosis was somewhere else like Shearpoint as if he was thrown out or something.

[@MattRiley-un4nk]

During the gameplay showcase at E3 2011 (Iirc), it was a dragon priest at bleak falls.

[@syafiqmasduki]

@@MattRiley-un4nk Oh shit, yeah i forgot about that. I have to watch that E3 trailer again.

[@val1n]

Very interesting to see that you moved Krosis from Shearpoint to Bleak Falls Barrow. I always find it odd, that the dragon priest Krosis is sitting there in the open world. Like someone tossed his sarcophagus there, just because they had no place for him.

[@captainholliday3873]

I remember thinking that way a while ago and looked into the lore of him and I could be wrong but im pretty sure he did something like betray the dragon priests or something so they buried him outside of the world and away from everyone because he was unworthy of being in a crypt but I could be wrong

[@aperson1]

@@captainholliday3873 I think you're remembering Ahzidal, not Krosis.

[@captainholliday3873]

@@aperson1 oh then nevermind

[@smitefulaxe1344]

@@captainholliday3873 My undesrstanding is that Krosis was one of the few "good" dragon priests and asked to be entombed undr the sky, he didn't want to enslave his kin in death.

[@LordZharks]

@@smitefulaxe1344 nope

[@Rebelzize]

This is extremely cool, especially the race specific dialogue❤

[@roach9397]

Elder Scrolls gods really do be having like 4 or 5 names each

[@wulfloft5805]

when is it gonna realease though, AND SAME WITH YOU WHEN YOU GONNA RELEASE I CANT WAIT

[@alexis1156]

Looks interesting, this also makes mirmulnir appearance feel not so out of the blue.

[@Jonowono]

I like the idea that mirmulnir was just a carcass down in bleak falls until alduin showed up

[@alexis1156]

@@Jonowono The problem with that is, i think it's been stated that mirmulnir was alive all along.

[@456MrPeople]

Mirmulnir was last seen in the 2nd Era. It can be assumed that he was killed before Skyrim.

[@rezahydra]

@@456MrPeopleThis is very true, last we hear of him is the second era. And his dialogue implies he’s slumbered for a long time. Yet he never says he was revived or granted strength by Alduin, and we know some dragons did survive until Alduin returned. And this is one case where no burial mound for is known, if anything it’s odd that one appeared in Whiterun so soon considering that Alduin was specifically resurrecting those buried from the southeastern reaches of the rift until he reached the northwestern reaches. Something that actual in-game events show even. And with at least 9 dragons surviving to the modern era without Alduin’s resurrection, a 10th wouldn’t come as a shock.

[@VelociraptorsOfSkyrim]

​@@456MrPeopleHe was last _seen_ in the Second Era. The Dragonguard, and later the Blades, kept record of the kills they made. If Mirmulnir had been slain at any point between then and now, we would have known.

[@TheDeeboy717]

So I guess the dragon you encounter is also the same dragon that burns down the western watchtower. That would be a smooth tie in.

[@doublea125]

It... looks fluid. Like it was supposed to be there from the beginning. I was expecting all sorts of crazy high def add ons and texture overhauls with out-of-place voicover... but it's like it was supposed to be this way 11 years ago and just wasn't. It feels like the game, but with more.

[@trevor8726]

Its better that its vanilla so we can overhaul it ourselves

[@UltraVarietyChannel]

That's exactly what I want. It looks like they're using almost entirely vanilla assets which means that most mods will already be able to affect them. My texture mods will instantly work in that case. Beyond Skyrim has the same philosophy. They want it to feel like it could be part of the vanilla game for the sake of consistency, and let modders make their own submods to change things how they like. Of course I have tremendous respect for people who put insane detail into their mods, but it being fairly vanilla means that it's likely going to be easier for modders to overhaul it in the way they like. In the end, its the benefit of consistency, preventing things from clashing too much with vanilla levels, ease of modding, and compatibility.

[@Gyrfalcon312]

Perfectly worded.

[@david8157]

Very impressive world building and story telling... the lady voicing Alhana does an excellent job

[@CelestielleVA]

aw thank you :)

[@t.t6294]

yeah she does. usually the voiced characters in mods feel out of place but the VA here did a great job

[@Johnny-fv5wn]

@@t.t6294 Thats only cause vanilla skyrim has like 3 voice actors lmao

[@lewd2851]

@@t.t6294 Yeah its cuz skyrim had a grand total of 5 voice actors lol, so when you hear someone new it feels odd, i suggest mods like interesting npc's to fix that, if for nothing else than to just diversify the VA pool and make new additions feel more natural

[@syafiqmasduki]

Ahlana felt like a unique character for the main questline just as Serana for Dawnguard and Frea for Dragonborn.

[@VLarraechea]

Let’s goooo! One of the most highly anticipated mod projects to date in TESV. You guys, Beyond Skyrim, Apotheosis, and Skyblivion/Skywind are among the best in modding. You can do it!

[@VLarraechea]

P.S.: Having watched the video, love all the upgrades you have applied. Certainly adds more depth to the story. And the interactions with Alhana, along with the “She disliked that”, absolutely loving what you guys are doing thus far. Also, Krosis being in Bleak Falls Barrow? Adds a layer of difficulty. And it also makes sense as to why a Dragon Priest would be at the end of a temple as grand and large as Bleak Falls Barrow. Gotta adore the in-depth explanations of lore and involvement of characters in it all. Can’t wait to see and hear more of you all!

[@Johnny-fv5wn]

Apotheosis? people are actually still holding on to that mod that been supposed to be coming since oldrim days lmao

[@TheIronSnowMan8D]

Yes people typically get more hyped for something as it gets further into development.@@Johnny-fv5wn

[@shoegazelvr]

@@Johnny-fv5wn there was a trailer for it released recently, they say it's coming in 2025

[@JustMe_Inq]

​@@shoegazelvrwhether it will be ready by then or be delayed again I don't know, but that proyect could very well end up being one of, if not THE, best modding proyect for Skyrim

[@jonah8231]

woah! you mean to tell me that a vital item important to the main story isn't just in some rando draugrs inventory? this is how the game should have been all along. I can feel the love you all poured into it.

[@Kitsune44X]

Insane props for the comparative mythology lines. That attention to detail gives me a *lot* of interest in this mod, even if something like it never arises again. It shows a passion for the work.

[@JWalters388]

After playing both Oblvion and Enderal, I like to forget the actual main queslines of Skyrim. This is one of the most anticipated mod that I want.

[@reptarien]

God's, I know right? Enderal makes Skyrim's story feel like it was made by complete amateurs. Best game mod ever made IMO

[@jeck988]

​@@reptarienat this point I don't even consider Enderal a mod it's better then most games lmao

[@reptarien]

@@jeck988 totally fair, it has more in depth lore and quests than almost all AAA titles. I am comfortable comparing it to how good Baldurs Gate 3 is. It's still technically a mod just because it doesn't change the core gameplay of Skyrim much

[@vektile2717]

I was there in 2021 hyped as hell for this release and I'm still here in 2023 hyped as hell for this release!

[@valentinealkopone7395]

Wait ES6 and wait this hyped release

[@ramesses8887]

See you in 2025 and you better be still hyped.

[@ysmirwulfharth4012]

@@ramesses8887nah bro, these mods will be released after TES VI gets released…

[@PixelCatSheep]

@@ramesses8887nothing will stop the hype(:

[@kimhyunwoo8983]

⁠@@ysmirwulfharth4012ehh I’m expecting TES VI to be a 2027 or 2028 release due to “time delays”

[@Kempaaa_]

Different lines depending on which race you play as? You're spoiling us! :O

[@filipvadas7602]

1. I really like that Krosis was moved to be the guardian of the Dragonstone, rather than just being out in the world. Hope something similar happens for Volsung since he kind of feels similarly tossed in. 2. Mirmulnir being there, building up his boss fight later is actually a nice touch. 3. Overall, I like how natural this all feels. As if it was all supposed to be there from the beginning and we're just seeing it restored

[@nickcher7071]

The pace, dialogues and the reactions of the follower seem really inspired by the way Enderal done them. And this is not me complaining - exactly the opposite, it seems incredibly promising! Also the voice actress really nails it, very solid performance. Can't wait to play it, but take your time guys

[@VansLegacy]

Thought the same. Enderal vibes with the NPC dialogue.

[@theholypineapple3558]

A dragon? Wow! I can’t wait to tell my friend about this, he’s stationed in the Western Watchtower near Whiterun.

[@iso-didact789]

@theholypineapple3558 😂😂😂😂

[@HugoHavoc]

Man that door at the ending is so cool

[@CarlosHeds]

What an amazing job. I have only one thing to notice : 6:16 The dragon priest spawn time should wait a little bit, just like the draug in vanilla. This helps to build tension when we don't know what will happen next.

[@victorc1706]

I like the integration of the lore. And having a Dragon Priest is neat. Seems a little too much Alhana though. There's a lot of "hey! Listen!" in just this 10 minutes

[@torrent6181]

I love love love that this Alhana character is there to help introduce the lore and guide you through the barrow. The voice acting is stellar also.

[@dragonman7856]

Throwing a dragonpriest at the player this early? Intresting

[@obrgrs2547]

Yeah idk about that

[@quagmoe7879]

It doesn’t seem like a smart idea for balance. They should definitely make it a weakened version of a dragon priest. That would be more appropriate.

[@CaptainEffort]

Looks like the Dragon Priest is only casting novice spells like flames, so it's definitely weaker than normal. Plus, we have no idea how early this actually is. I think the fact that there's a whole new character here means that there's probably quite a bit more content to go through before Bleak Falls in Extended Cut.

[@quagmoe7879]

@@CaptainEffort Yeah I just noticed that upon rewatching the fight. I think that removing the fireball spell was definitely enough to turn this fight into a much easier one.

[@obrgrs2547]

@@CaptainEffort I mean, disregarding gameplay, from a lore perspective it's a little silly that this god-tier dragon lich-king is defeated by my little adventure in his very first dungeon.

[@Jordan-wv2xz]

So this project inspired me to write my own rewrite of the main quest (mainly as a writing exercise, because the chances of me making it a proper project are less than zero), and yet I actually had a similar scene to Alhana examining the wall murals BEFORE this came out (just with Lydia instead). I don't know if this means I'm on a similar page to the Extended Cut writers or I somehow did time-traveling plagiarism. Either way it's back to the drawing board.

[@chiffmonkey]

Great mindds think alike.

[@hunterfogleman7443]

I like the idea of Lydia giving insight into Nordic ruins. It gives Lydia more character and makes her seem smarter than she’s made out to be normally.

[@chiffmonkey]

@@hunterfogleman7443Yeah, actually upgrading the various vanilla followers like that would be a really cool idea for a mod. Like Erandur having insight into cults or Mjoll on corruption.

[@Jordan-wv2xz]

@@chiffmonkey Funnily enough, I *do* have Erandur as a major follower in my draft, and he's written as knowing a lot about Daedra and necromancy (while brushing off questions on WHY he knows these things until you learn his backstory).

[@captainholliday3873]

​@@Jordan-wv2xzfunny enough I also wrote my own character doing this story as an exercise and included followers like Inigo and Lucien and made my character a person fleeing some awful stuff in his homeland of Bruma through a portal that malfunctions and he finds himself in the care of Agis (i think is her name) the archer who lives in the cabin in the woods you learn archery from

[@antisocial5687]

2024 and still have high hopes for this mod

[@Mokuro]

So long since the last update guys! Glad to hear the work keeps moving on! This is looking excellent!

[@ziranmustard1262]

I had no idea Shor was Lorkahn. That clears so many things up. This mod looks so fucking good

[@77wolfblade]

It's also possible talos could also be Lorkahn, since it replace shor.

[@VelociraptorsOfSkyrim]

It's actually an incredible bit of lore that is part of Vanilla Elder Scrolls. All of the gods of the different Races (Minus the ones that specifically worship the Daedra) are aspects of each other. Aurel, Auri-El, Alkosh, Akatosh. They're all the same singular entity, just alternate interpretations of them.

[@de4dweight545]

OMG some actual lore telling! This deserves way more attention!

[@bramwhitlock5189]

Love to see it. Stay strong, take breaks if you need to. Don’t get burnt out my friend.

[@lewisphillips7223]

Voice acting is great and really nice touch to have her introduce some of the game's lore as she guides you through.

[@scalpingsnake]

The voice actor is perfect for this style of mod, their voice fits the base game really well.

[@deathwish_bigboss]

This is definitely going to be a must have mod, the main quest no longer stands up to other much better written DLC-sized mod quests

[@Galimeer5]

One scene, taking place in a god damn _hallway_ already shows more respect to the player's decisions and the existing lore than the entire dragon crisis quest line.

[@Barnyee]

HOLY MOLY. The voice acting is top notch and the theme is so fluid as if it was meant to be. I only just found out about this mod and I cannot wait for it!

[@xalibermods4363]

Excited with the mod, but some users in r/skyrimmods have brought some valid concerns... first regarding Krosis. Should a fight with dragon priest, the zealot dragon worshippers, be that easy? Some users have the idea to fake out Krosis' death, or have him resurrected at only 15% of his health for suspension of disbelief. Second, does the quest need a hand holder NPC to stop and explain murals and lore to the player? In Bethesda games, the narrative is always driven directly by your actions, and your knowledge of the world is kind of an extension of that. Just some stuff to consider. Please continue the great work!

[@TheDeafProphet]

Super cool preview! Hyped up for sure

[@Zulu-RideOrDie]

Love all of this and really like the fact a dragon priest is guarding the dragonstone. It makes sense to me such an important artifact would be be in possession of a dragon priest rather than a drugar boss. Very well done, can't wait for this to be released.

[@miaththered]

That is pretty cool. Thank y'all for all the work you're doing to revitalize the game.

[@brunominardi7398]

Insanely good storytelling here!

[@bromson4459]

Thank you this looks awesome. This mod will be the Basis for my next playthrough

[@bellagothz]

IM SO HYPED AAAAA this is wonderful!!!

[@ScrollsofZaymonte]

I can’t wait for this to come out! Please provide more updates for us when possible!

[@wyattwelton8599]

its been sooooo long, thank you for the update brother! looks great

[@dumbbest7328]

That was sick! So hyped for this

[@Awesomewithaz]

Amazing work as always

[@alexpeers9863]

Great work! Thanks

[@ayeitburns1]

Very impressive, not getting a walkthrough of the carvings in the vanilla game feels like a missed opportunity. One thing though: when she says that the dragon has flown away: - she doesn't need to describe what's happening, feels a little patronising. - she DIDN'T see it herself: she had her back to the dragon, and was behind a pillar.

[@thesimsfan12]

Technically she can hear it fly away. She'd hear it getting more and more away from herself and the player.

[@VelociraptorsOfSkyrim]

I mean.... you don't have to _see_ a dragon fly away when you can hear its wing beats as it takes off. Plus, the sound of those rocks falling down and crashing might have given her a clue as well.

[@MrFilbert28]

Glad to see this project is still very much in progress!

[@shipmcgree6367]

Looking forward to playing this excellent extended cut mod, with additional next gen mods, when it's released. Thank you for your creativity and hard work!

[@AzViking69]

Looks excellent looking forward to it

[@okNiko]

Incredible work. The hard part will be going through the dungeon I've played 1million times slowly to experience all this flavour text and added detail.

[@thesimsfan12]

They're going to be doing this to the whole main quest (probably) so it'll be worth playing the whole Quest Line! :)

[@VelociraptorsOfSkyrim]

Oh, but that's the thing! It is the same Dungeon, but revamped!

[@dragonborn7152]

So excited!!!! Cant wait!!! 😊

[@parkranga]

The writing and voice acting looks good so far, I hope it stays consistent. Skyrim mods don't really have a good track record when it comes to that. Except for enderal, that mod is a work of art.

[@Sam-ko8mt]

Beyond Skyrim Bruma was quite good too imo

[@stannisbaratheon6637]

@@Sam-ko8mtthat’s basically it too

[@matthewbraith0411]

Enderal is trash

[@Leonardo-gn9ci]

​@@Sam-ko8mtbs bruma could be an example though, we dont know how good the rest of beyond skyrim will be

[@SoldieredOut]

Cannot wait 🙌🏻

[@Tomas_Lupic_Mrdka]

So excited!

[@TheKewllewk]

Loving this. Looks and feels great and the dragon being perched and then flying off is a nice touch

[@Force_Of_Habit]

I CAN'T WAIT!

[@brandonminer26]

This looks amazing. I could see myself exploring all of Skyrim with Alhana as well.

[@OriGummie]

Can’t wait!

[@jonasruch2283]

This looks reallly good can't wait to play it🔥🔥

[@NedPhilanders493]

Looks awesome!

[@TheLaughingSimon]

I can't believe how unrecognizable Bleak Falls Barrow is. In a good way. A very, very good way.

[@imkurisuchan]

This looks phenomenal.

[@SubZer0891]

This feels like an epic adventure!!

[@nlm2nd]

Echoing others, I like the way our Dragon of Protagonist Confirmation is incorporated as well as a dragon priest whom otherwise is on a mountain we're not really obligated to go visit.

[@doge7513]

this is great. can't wait to play myself!

[@magickaddict]

Absolutely love that your team has focused on TES Lore in this quests! We hope there are more dialogue options with the focus on lore. Thank you for the effort!

[@CelestielleVA]

Alhana best girl, forever and always

[@abereid4315]

Karna best girl!

[@cryptc]

A big fan of the idea to deepen the story but I don't know how I feel about npc giving a huge amount of exposition in a dungeon that is pretty well detailed and designed in vanilla... but I assume you won't be forced to take her, and options are always good.

[@ThomasWarhammer]

This is awesome.

[@maddlarkin]

I am now getting odd looks from my partner and 3 cats after randomly yelling out "YES!" on seeing this update, having now watched the trailer I stand by my reaction, Awesome! 😁

[@johnmccall4528]

I'm really looking forward to this mod so much.

[@paulliston8561]

Epic! I really enjoy the greater focus on the lore.

[@JadziaDaxDS9]

I’m greatly looking forward to this mod to be complete. Looks very promising so far!

[@dogium3332]

This is so cool!

[@ramesses8887]

Looks Epic!

[@SpiderboyN2Jesus]

I LOVE this! I always wondered about the artwork in all those tombs. I knew there had to be some meaning behind them, but I had no clue what they mean, lol 😅. It just seems to obvious and perfect to have an NPC who's excited to explain them to you, like it should have been there all along! Amazing 🤩!

[@rabbiezekielgoldberg2497]

Imagine not having memorized the combination to Bleak Falls Barrow.

[@trainershade1937]

Interesting change for the climax of Bleak Fall's Barrow. I do wonder what else will be changed in the main storyline, namely: Will the Civil War be noticeably more important towards the main quest? I personally believe the Civil War questline should be put on a similar level of plot importance as the Dragon threat. Whereas normally the war doesn't become a notable issue for the player until you need to capture Odahviing in Dragonsreach (assuming you don't go out of your way to deal with it). Will Alduin have a more important role in the main quest? I think Alduin as a villain suffered from both lack of presence AND a mediocre boss battle (the latter, already being handled by many Dragon overhaul mods). It would be nice if we had a quest that led the player to realize that they cannot fight Alduin at all and have to flee from him once again, which would lead to the need of finding Alduin's wall / Dragonrend.

[@ToMtRoOpEr05]

On the website they say the civil war, dawnguard and all other guilds are unaffected by this story overhaul but they may overhaul them in future separate mods, this will overhaul the main story and also add the events of Dragonborn into the main story

[@trainershade1937]

@@ToMtRoOpEr05 I didn't really say I wanted the Civil War quest to be overhauled by the mod. I more so want the mod to have the main story itself acknowledge the Civil War more, along with your actions or inactions in it. For example, I feel like the Diplomatic Immunity quest (if they keep it of course), should probably change drastically based on what you've done in the Civil War questline. ESPECIALLY if you've already completed the Civil War questline.

[@ToMtRoOpEr05]

@@trainershade1937 oh right well I can only guess at what they will do but I’d probably say that in terms importance to the main plot they will only enhance diplomatic immunity and any civil war adjacent quests like that Thalmor party quest but that’s just my guess

[@pauljamilkowski3672]

This looks seriously impressive!

[@DARTHMASTERBANE]

Looked like the step through the claw door was a drop off too, so no jabaiting Krosis back thru the temple to the traps, or easy way to get out of follow range to pelt with arrows either. Can't wait for this to be available.

[@Blaise815]

Great job! Love the lore exposition. One thing I am curious about is, how will this feel on subsequent playthroughs? Do i have to stop and look at murals each time? Most vanilla content is either brief or can be skipped because it is obnoxiously long, like following Mirabelle on her college of winterhold tour.

[@AstralJustus]

I cant waitttt

[@boris-fv751]

Not sure if gameplay wise, makes sense to get a dragon priest mask so early in the game. However I do like the concept of extending or even making some areas a bit more interesting.

[@thesimsfan12]

It only fortifies Archery, Lockpicking and Alchemy by 20 points while wearing it. Not too bad if you're playing a thief/stealth character. But if you're playing any other type of character it'll just sit in you're collection gathering dust. Or if you're like me and will be playing it with Legacy of the Dragonborn. It'll go on display in the museum.

[@tj-co9go]

Looks cool. Maybe a bit dialogue heavy. I do like it that she gives an explanation for things, like the Old Man in Sky Haven Temple (in Reach), but it also clashes with the vanilla lone and solitary experience. Was one of the reasons didnt like Serana so much. But, I guess for the first draugr temple you go in, it is good to have her explain it out. I love it mostly, but maybe think what it is necessary to say and what not

[@ValiantSeeker]

Is the Alhana voice actor the same person who did the VA for Karna in the mod Mythos?

[@RedRabbit-ZA]

Another mod to look forward to. I have to say, I never expected something like this. I did download the Saints and Seducers mod but I haven't gotten a chance to play it yet.

[@tephra_]

Looks very promising 👌🏼

[@ikelevermann1491]

That is so much better!

[@aminemammasse9642]

it so good to see gameplay of this mod ! one of the best in my opinion

[@Despotic_Waffle]

I love when they directly reference the lore in quests. One example that got me really hyped was speaking to septimus and how he mentioned dagoth ur and the neravar. Although I've never played Morrowind myself, I've gotten immersed in the lore of the Elder Scrolls series. Heres hoping there will be some daggerfall or arena references in future elder scrolls eventually (that are tied to direct questlines)

[@darlaakers1679]

Oh this is sweet!

[@kingofbel6499]

Thats actually amazing. Unfortunately I guess its not ready before I start my playthrough but still impressive to see

[@TheSalts]

Alhana seems like an awesome character. Hopefully she'll accompany us further than Bleak Falls Barrow.

[@Baloo106]

-Follow me quietly -[Doctor Livesey walk]

[@sol8618]

This is just amazing! I hope they'll finish it some day...

[@Nivomandasrail]

I f**king love you guys!

[@Shoegazebasedgenre0.]

the first one just shows how much of you being so respectful to the OG lore. much more respectful than the devs themselves.

[@rob3617]

HELL YES!!

[@ChristianPierce]

i reallly wanted to keep watching, im so excited its gonna be like im 10 again in 2012

[@RJ-pu6kf]

This seems so natural. This team is doing a great job improving the games flow and storytelling

[@zacharymartin212]

Holy crap. What an amazing voice actress. Waaaaaay better than the Nord Female voices in ESO. Incredible!!!