Game mods have been an integral part of gaming culture since the early 80s, and most of us will remember the sudden appearance of Machinima (machine + cinema) in the late 90s when we shared animated fan-made movies made entirely in a modified game engine.
Doom (1993) and Quake (1996) were very popular in this regard, not only for the addictive gameplay but gamers were able to modify it to their liking if they tinkered with the game files. Doom was one of the first games that had a thriving modding community, and many of the biggest mods made their way into the retail version of the game. In 1996, a clan called the Rangers produced a story-driven short called Diary of a Camper (check it out on YouTube) that was shared as a Quake demo file. These are two of the major events that led to the massive online communities driving game modifications today.
Today, modding has become consumer-friendly, with loads of tools on the market to make the job easier and many games supporting the modding communities with built-in functions and builders. Fortnite and Minecraft are just two examples where game mods and user-generated content are not only supported but have become a part of the game’s core features.
From old games to new games, game modding can breathe new life into any game and even make it better in some cases. You should remember Gary’s Mod, first released in 2004, this game was a mod based on Half-Life 2 for the Source game engine. Remarkably, this game is still available on Steam and still holds an overwhelmingly positive rating. Go check it out, again.
Here are a few more of our favourite game mods that are still as awesome today as the day they were first hacked.
Cyberpunk 2077: Virtual Atelier
Mod Type: Customisation Mod
Price: Free
Difficulty to install: Copy-pasting skills required, must know how to RTFM
Requirements: Copy of Cyberpunk 2077, redscript, RED4ext, Codeware, These are all found on NexusMods
You can’t make a game about modding your body full of cyberware and not expect gamers to want to mod the game further, I mean, it goes hand-in-hand. Virtual Atelier is a clever little piece of software for both players and modders of Cyberpunk 2077. Essentially, Virtual Atelier adds a virtual store front to the in-game PC. Modders have the ability to create stores that sell any item, piece of equipment, mod, scrap vehicle, clothing item, or anything you can think of that would fit into your inventory. Gamers then download these individual mod stores and then add them to their own Virtual Atelier folder. Once in the game, all you have to do is login to the in-game computer and access whichever store you’ve just downloaded. What makes this so cool is that modders have created stores that give players access to things they never had access to before. Clothing items that you’ve seen on other characters are now available for purchase. Iconic weapons that you might’ve missed during the story? Available for purchase. Even custom, modded vehicles, like a Cyberpunk Audi R8, or a Mustang RTR have been added to a vehicle store. Virtual Atelier is the beginning of your Cyberpunk journey into broke-dom.
Half-Life 2 VR Mod
Mod Type: Gameplay Alteration
Price: Free
Difficulty to install: N00b Approved, you literally just click install.
Requirements: Copy of Half-Life 2, SteamVR Compatible Headset
Half-Life 2 still manages to be one of the best games ever made 20 years after being released, and modding is the perfect excuse to dive back in. The Half-Life 2 VR Mod takes “diving back in“ to the next level by literally putting you in the shoes of Gordon Freeman himself. The mod gives players complete control of their viewing experience and adds in all the typical controls you’d expect from an FPS game. From reloading your clips with both hands to swinging the crowbar. Even the famous vehicle scenes remain in the game and are VR-compatible. If you’re looking to experience the game from a completely different level, give the VR mod a try. Just pray that you don’t get caught by a face hugger.
Minecraft – Pixelmon
Mod Type: Gameplay Alteration
Price: Free
Difficulty to install: You will need a guide for this journey. Google is a good start.
Requirements: Copy of Minecraft
Minecraft is the world’s best selling game by a mile or 1.6 kilometres if you prefer, and it is more than likely the almost limitless supply of game mods that are constantly coming out for the game. While some mods, like Optifine, turn the game into a visually stunning experience, many other mods create completely new kinds of gameplay compared to the survival sim crafting experience that vanilla Minecraft is. Pixelmon combines two of the world’s most popular franchises into one, Pokemon and Minecraft, and takes players on an exciting journey to be the very best, albeit a little more blocky than usual. The mod allows players to capture and battle Pokemon, both in the wild and against other players, and often, servers will host tournaments for trainers to show off their amazing power.
GTA: V – Natural Vision Evolved
Mod Type: Graphic Enhancement
Price: Free
Difficulty to install: Backup your files. Things could get bumpy.
Requirements: Copy of GTA V, Open IV Modding Software (Free to Download)
GTA: V has managed to remain on the top of players’ lists even though it’s just passed its ten-year anniversary. Of course, things have changed over the past ten years, one of the biggest being how good games look lately, but the modding community has got you covered. Natural Vision Evolved is a significant graphical improvement on the original GTA: V game that “blurs the lines between fantasy and reality”. The improvement offers more realistic visuals in terms of both lighting and shading, weather upgrades, building changes, vegetation updates and additional props that help refresh the game and give it new life in the year 2023. Even with the official announcement of GTA: VI from Rockstar Games, you can bet that the number of players that GTA: V has amassed will still be around for years to come, and a graphical update mod such as Natural Vision Evolved is a literal site for sore eyes.
First Published in NAG Magazine The Annual 2023
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