Dark Face Fix is a free visual effects mod for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition that fixes a glitch in the game where some NPC faces become dark or grey, or don’t appear correct in contrast to the rest of the body. It’s a common issue with the fantasy title, especially if you’re installed other mods that may have caused the problem. There’s a specific set of instructions you need to follow, and even the developer indicates it doesn’t always work.

There are four methods you can use to resolve the issue, which all revolve around different ways to use this mod. For a better alternative, you may want to try Mator Smash. If you want to look into other types of Skyrim mods, feel free to try Sword from The Mummy, MorrowLoot Ultimate, and Unique Uniques.

Fixing the dark faces bug

At some point in the life of Skyrim Special Edition, the dark face glitch appeared that gave a darker shade to some character faces or made it appear wrong. There are many texture packs you can add to the game to try and fix the problem, but Dark Face Fix attempts to act as a one-stop shop for the solution.

Different solution methods

Unfortunately, Dark Face Fix didn’t work as initially intended, and you can’t simply install the mod and expect the bug to disappear. The developer and some users have found four different ways to implement the mod in ways that work. These steps are listed on the mod page, but they don’t always work.

When all else fails

Even the developer of Dark Face Fix has indicated that the mod doesn’t work in all instances. As a recommendation, the mod Mator Smash appears to deal with these conflicts better, and you may have better success. However, it’s still worth giving this mod a chance if all else fails.

The shadowy face

Dark Face Fix might not be the ultimate solution to the glitch, but you may be able to resolve it with one of the developer’s methods in the instructions. At least there are no system requirements to run the mod.