Summary
- Mods can prolong game life, revive older games, and fix issues, enhancing visuals and gameplay.
- Game mods, like Sky Reclamation Project, MEA Fixpack, and Project Restoration, improve games significantly.
- Mods, such as ACM Overhaul and Restored Content Mod, revive games from disaster to greatness.
The talent that some fans have for creating mods for video games is incredibly impressive. They not only enhance games with improved visuals or additional content but, at times, they also revive a game that has seemingly become extinct—long after the official developers have ceased any form of support for it.
Games With The Best Mods Available
Mods in gaming can elongate certain games with countless amounts of extra hours of playtime or even revive some games from the dead.
Gamers and modders often unite to improve games that have lost their appeal over time or that initially flopped, for one reason or another. Some modifications might simply focus on fixing glitches and errors, while others can completely overhaul the game, transforming it into something that feels almost entirely new.
7 S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky - Sky Reclamation Project
The Original Version Was Unplayable Before It Was Modded
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky
- Released
- September 15, 2008
- Developer(s)
- GSC Game World
- Publisher(s)
- GSC Game World, Deep Silver
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Bad textures, animations, and even audio were the least of the problems in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky as a sequel, with save corruption and crashes being unacceptably common to the point that the game was considered unplayable. The creation of the Sky Reclamation Project fixed the majority of issues thanks to the mod's creator, Decane.
Even with the mod, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky may not be as good of a survival horror game as its predecessor (or its successor), but it is worth checking out to see the night and day differences. It's now a competent first-person shooter that mixes stealth, horror, and RPG elements, even if the sequels and prequels are far superior.
6 Mass Effect: Andromeda - MEA Fixpack
The MEA Fixpack Gets Rid Of The Many Glitches
Mass Effect: Andromeda
Aside from a drastic change in style, Mass Effect: Andromeda was controversial because of its glitches, especially the PC version. It wasn’t just a few texture pops or animation errors either; some glitches would keep the player from progressing, and the teams at EA and BioWare did nothing. The MEA Fixpack has since become the go-to mod for the game.
Most Replayable Mass Effect Games, Ranked
Mass Effect universe is perfect for multiple playthroughs, but some games in the series offer more replayability than others.
The MEA Fixpack keeps the game running smoothly, feeling more polished than ever. Mass Effect: Andromeda still may not be for everyone, but it no longer feels like it’s going to crash at any moment. As a bonus, the game is still a fun open-world adventure for exploring alien planets, and it becomes a more satisfying experience with the MEA Fixpack.
5 The Legend Of Zelda: Majora’s Mask - Project Restoration
Takes The Best Parts Of The Original And The Remake
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D
The Legend Of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D is mostly regarded as a poor remake for the Nintendo 3DS due to some of the changes it made to the original. Project Restoration is an attempt to take the remake and implement the superior mechanics of the original while keeping the enhanced visuals and a few improvements from the remake to create a perfect Majora's Mask hybrid.
Most of the nerfed elements from Majora’s Mask 3D are back to being challenging again with Project Restoration. There are even fixes that resolve issues fans have had with both the Nintendo 64 and 3DS versions, such as being able to map masks to the D-Pad. The result might just be the definitive version of the game.
4 Aliens: Colonial Marines - ACM Overhaul Mod
Fighting Xenomorphs Is Actually Fun Thanks To This Mod
Aliens: Colonial Marines
Of the many games set in the Aliens universe, one of the most notorious flops was Aliens: Colonial Marines. It turns out that a simple typo was the cause of a major issue with the Xenomorphs, causing them to barely move or function, hence the creation of the ACM Overhaul Mod. As a result, the Xenomorphs go from broken and easy to kill, to actually providing a challenge.
The mod doesn’t fix all the game's issues, such as the fact that promised content is still not present. However, the ACM Overhaul mod turns Aliens: Colonial Marines from a disappointing mess into a solid first-person shooter that is at least fun to play thanks to tweaked gameplay mechanics. The improved graphics and animations are the icing on the cake.
3 Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic 2 - The Sith Lords - Restored Content Mod
Improves The Sequel To Be On Par With The Original
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords
- Released
- December 6, 2004
- Developer(s)
- Obsidian Entertainment, Aspyr
- Publisher(s)
- LucasArts
- Genre(s)
- RPG
The first game is considered a classic RPG, while the sequel, Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic 2 - The Sith Lords, developed by Obsidian Entertainment, is infamous for being unfinished and glitchy, with a lot of content deleted. Thankfully, fans came together to create the Restored Content Mod in order to fix it and restore a truly great Star Wars game for all gamers.
The Restored Content Mod fulfills its name by not only restoring lost content but also enhancing the game's visuals and audio while fixing over five hundred glitches. It addresses issues like cutscenes that repeat or freeze the game, and it includes extended dialog scenes, alternate endings, longer subplots, and more. As a result, players can enjoy over two hours of additional content thanks to this mod.
2 Sonic The Hedgehog (2006) - Project ‘06
From A Total Disaster To A Definitive Sonic Adventure
Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)
- Released
- November 14, 2006
- Developer(s)
- Sonic Team
- Publisher(s)
- Sega
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Platformer
Questionable story choices and visuals aside, the 2006 reboot of Sonic The Hedgehog was a disaster on release due to its broken controls and physics. When someone’s first experience of the game is falling through the world, it is clearly an unfinished product. However, the mod known as Project '06 was made to help make the game at least playable.
The 26 Best Sonic Fan Games
While some companies don't enjoy fans making their own games out of a franchise, there are quite a few Sonic fan games out there.
On top of fixed gameplay mechanics for all playable characters, cutscenes and characters were given overhauls to look closer to what fans expected from a big-budget reboot. Thanks to ChaosX’s efforts, Sonic The Hedgehog plays more like beloved Sonic games such as Sonic Adventure and Sonic Generations, creating a better Sonic game than what fans initially got in 2006.
1 Marvel Vs. Capcom: Infinite - Marvel Vs. Capcom: Infinite & Beyond
Fans Worked Together To Create A Beautiful Remastered Version
Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite
Compared to previous titles, Marvel Vs. Capcom: Infinite was lacking both in terms of presentation and design. The gameplay was there, but the muted colors and flat character models made the game visually uninteresting. Thankfully, a team of dedicated fans and modders worked together to create the mod known as Marvel Vs. Capcom: Infinite & Beyond, spearheaded by YouTuber and fighting game connoisseur MaximilianDood.
On top of adding eye-catching cel-shaded visuals to the characters and venues, Marvel Vs. Capcom: Infinite & Beyond adds better sounds and music, as well as entirely new modes. The game also still has the story mode, so those wanting a straightforward Marvel Vs. Capcom experience will also enjoy this mod, turning it into one of the best games in the franchise.
Best Capcom Fighting Games, Ranked
Capcom have long been hailed as the king of fighting genre, but which of their many games is considered to be the very best among fans?