Skyrim adds mounted combat

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has added mounted combat. An update on Bethesda's blog reveals this "highly requested" feature is now available for PC players who download the game's 1.6 update through Steam. Information concerning mounted combat for console versions of Skyrim will be announced at a later date.

Mounted combat in Skyrim allows players to deal melee and ranged damage while riding a horse. This feature came about via Bethesda's latest game jam, a weeklong period when staff are allowed to create whatever they want on company time. It was first teased in the game jam video Bethesda released in February.

On top of adding mounted combat support, Skyrim's 1.6 patch brings a number of bug fixes to the PC and console versions of the game. These include general stability and memory optimizations, save corruption fixes, and the elimination of issues related to kill cameras. For the full patch notes, check out this blog entry.

The first downloadable content for Skyrim--Dawnguard--is rumored to add another new feature to the game: crossbows. Reports suggest this content will introduce the ranged weapon as well as snow elves. This content will be released this summer exclusively for the Xbox 360, with subsequent releases following for other platforms. More details are expected in the coming weeks.

For more on Skyrim, check out GameSpot's review.