With Skyrim's Playable Monster Mod you can, as the name suggests, play as a monster. Created by SirCumference64, this mod lets you transform into almost any creature, monster, or enemy in the game, including small critters like chickens and mudcrabs. I've recently written about playing Bethesda's RPG as a pure mage, an NPC, an illusionist, a pacifist, and an unarmed brawler, but playing as a lowly mudcrab, the most basic of low-level enemies, might be the toughest challenge I've taken on to date.
I'm going to experiment with some other creatures too. Install the mod and you can conjure up a treasure chest stuffed with spell books that let you morph into a vast array of creatures—and use all the attacks and abilities they have when you encounter them in the vanilla game too. I thought it would be interesting to start some fights while inhabiting these forms, to see how viable they might be to legitimately play the game. I've played a lot of Skyrim over the years, but never like this. Let's see what happens.
Mudcrab
Skyrim as a mudcrab is the hardest video game I've ever played. You move painfully slowly (because you're a crab), your claws barely do any damage, and you die in one hit. Whether it's a dragon, a random villager, or a low-level monster, your survivability is basically zero. I'd be amazed if anyone could make it more than a few steps through a dungeon as a mudcrab. It's a lot of fun playing as one, though—especially if you use the ToggleImmortalMode console command and go on a pincer rampage in a city.
Giant
If playing as a mudcrab is Skyrim nightmare mode, then playing as a giant is the complete opposite. Not only is lumbering around the world as one of these gentle-eyed behemoths hugely enjoyable, but their club attacks are devastating. You know those videos of them attacking people and sending them flying miles into the air? Now you can do that to enemies. I'd play the whole game as a giant if I could, but there's a pretty major catch: you're too big to fit through most doors or squeeze into dungeons.
Cow
If you play as a cow in Skyrim your attacks are limited to headbutting enemies with your horns. This makes it another challenging way to experience the game, but not as challenging as playing as a mudcrab. They move much faster than their crustacean counterparts, and can take a few more hits before dying. You'll still struggle to make any meaningful progress through the game, but also, you're a cow, so that's to be expected. I tried fighting a dragon, but as the screenshot above illustrates, it ended badly.
Skeleton
Good news for goths: you can play through Skyrim as a skeleton. They're conveniently human-sized, which means there's no issues with navigation, and they can use most weapons, including bows. The only issue is not being able to play in first-person mode, which is a limitation of the mod. Also, you might get sick of hearing the sound of their bones rattling and creaking as you play. Just make sure you use the Make Friendly power granted when you transform, otherwise guards and civilians will attack you.
Skeever
Skyrim's filthiest resident can last longer in a fight than a mudcrab, and when you attack it leaps into the air so it can take a good bite out of its victim's face. Horrible. While it's highly entertaining skittering around Skyrim and chewing people's faces off with a mouthful of sharp, disease-ridden teeth, you're gonna have a hard time actually playing the game—in much the same way as the other critters I've morphed into. Enjoy it for the sheer novelty, or role-play as a bumbling mage who accidentally turned himself into a rat.
Dwarven Sphere
The coolest of Skyrim's dwarven automata is also exceedingly satisfying to play as. You can transition in and out of its 'ball mode', rolling around Skyrim like an evil katamari—before clunkily transforming into a mechanical death bot with a sword for a hand and a crossbow. The only downside is that the controls feel pretty stiff and unresponsive, making fights with multiple enemies a bit too laborious. It can take a hell of a beating, though. Another one to do purely for the fun of it, rather than as a viable play style.
Slaughterfish
In the icy waters of Skyrim, the slaughterfish can be a formidable foe. On the land? Not so much. Not only do you look stupid 'swimming' across the ground, but its weak attacks are extremely ineffectual. You'll also encounter a lot of bugs, like when I tried to attack an enemy and was inexplicably flung high into the air until the game gave up and crashed. I tried to kill a dragon as a slaughterfish, because you miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take, but I just ended up getting barbecued. Tasty, but basically useless.
Chicken
Pointless. But funny.