Summary
From small tweaks and changes to full game conversions,community-made modshave been around for pretty much as long as gaming itself at this point, and have only gotten more popular and ambitious as time has gone on.
No matter how difficult or restrictive it may be for certain games, a community dedicated enough will always be able to somehow modify something when it comes to their favorite titles. One thing is for sure: there is no shortage of different mods out there, with some of them being nearly as large and ambitious as the games they were made for.
(These mods were chosen for having the most ambition and the largest scope in their ideas, not simply due to file size or popularity.)
-Must require the base game or assets(No standalone games)
-One mod per franchise(Honorable mentions included)
7Project Reality (Battlefield 2)
A Realistic Overhaul For The 2005 FPS
Battlefield 2was the series' first foray into modern combat in 2005, coming after the success of bothBattlefield 1942andVietnam, as well as receiving the same critical acclaim for its gameplay, graphics, and overall realism at the time.
But with theProject Realitymod, the community somehow managed to push that realism even further, taking DICE’s hit shooter and reworking it into something that feels like a new game. The mod takes the now slightly dated 2005 FPS and makes it feel much more visceral, adding in a much larger focus on team mechanics, constructing logistics and defenses, even increasing the player limit to 100 for servers. Not to mention updates to its graphics and effects,Project Realityoffers an experience unlike any other for a now over 20-year-old FPS, and is still being actively developed today.
Honorable mention:Reality Mod(Battlefield 3)
6LSPDFR (Grand Theft Auto 5)
Being A Cop In A GTA Game?
Grand Theft Autopractically pioneered the concept ofopen-world crime gamesand has sat at the top of the genre’s leaderboards since its inception. But playing the usual criminal role in every single game can sometimes get a little dull, right?
Luckily, there’sLSPDFR, a huge mod forGrand Theft Auto 5that takes the criminal-focused gameplay and usual illegal activities ofGTAand instead allows players to switch sides and play as a police officer. Patrolling the streets of Los Santos, or the dirt roads of Blaine County, they will get nearby “callouts” on their radio, ranging from a simple public intoxication to a full-on shootout they need to deal with. Naturally, it’s a total 180 from the series' usual gameplay, and it’s a ton of fun, especially with all the other mods that can be combined with it to extend it even further. The developers of the mod have even gone on to createtheir own police-themed gamethat was released earlier in 2025.
The Classic ARMA 2 Mod That Paved The Way For The Standalone Game
Mod Page:Arma 2: DayZ Mod
WhileDayZhas since had itsfull standalone game releaseback in 2018, the originalArma 2: DayZ Modis where it got its start. Despite not being so popular anymore, it is certainly still worth mentioning for its impact alone.
TheDayZmod took the hyperrealistic military simulation ofArma 2and combined it with survival against both AI zombies and other survivors online. Dropping players into a gigantic map like Chernarus, usually with nothing but the clothes on their backs, having to make their way around various locations to scavenge for weapons, armor, and other loot. All the while having to avoid the dangers of the roaming undead, other players, and managing their characters' vitals.
The original mod established the core elements forDayZgoing forward, which has now expanded even more with its standalone version.
Making The Exclusion Zone Even More Unforgiving
Mod Page:S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Anomaly
DespiteSTALKER 2releasing in 2024, theoriginal trilogy of gamesis still very popular today, withSTALKER: Call of Pripyatbeing the most popular regarding its modding scene, with tons of options from small additions to full overhauls.
STALKER Anomalyisn’t just a single mod, but a near-total conversion of the original game, a giant package featuring an extensive list of different mods, all made to work together to provide a new experience, adding new weapons, armor, survival mechanics, and so much more to the exclusion zone. The mod has generated so much popularity that it can be downloaded with all the necessary files pre-packaged, meaning it no longer requires the original game, and is entirely free!
Giving Mount & Blade A Unique Fantasy Setting
Mod Page:Prophesy of Pendor
Being around since the first game in 2008, theMount & Bladeseries of action RPGs has often become known for its grand-scale battles, especially withits latest release in 2020. ButMount & Blade: Warbandwas where the series began to gain its large and dedicated fan base.
Along with this popularity came the mods, andProphesy of Pendorsits as not only one of the most popular but also one of the most creative on offer. Being a total conversion mod, it gives the game a whole new fantasy setting, featuring its own unique story, factions, characters, and tons of deep lore that are all original, being written and created by the team behind it.
Explaining whatProphesy of Pendordoesn’t change would be much quicker than explaining what it does. Suffice to say, it’s a fantastic and highly-regarded total-overhaul mod that is still popular among players today.
2Fallout London (Fallout 4)
Fallout Finally Crosses The Pond
Fallout 4has had quite a few mods that arepretty ambitious in their scope, many of which have spent years in development, or were sadly canceled before completion. But there have been cases where these massive mods end up coming to fruition after many years of hard work.
Fallout Londontakes players out of the usual retro-futuristic America to the titular city and the UK capital itself. This time, assuming the role of “The Wayfarer,” as they work to track down a mysterious man named “Mr. Smythe,” all the while being dropped right in the middle of a handful of different factions that don’t exactly see eye-to-eye. It’s a fresh take on the usualFallout, providing so many of its own unique and creative ideas, while also being careful to stick close to the universe’s lore, a balance that this mod does perfectly. What’s more is that it’s even available toFallout 4owners on GOG for free, making the installation easy as can be.
Honorable mention(s):Sim Settlements 2(Fallout 4)
1Project Tamriel (Morrowind)
Bringing The Entirety Of Tamriel To Morrowind
When it comes to a franchise likeThe Elder Scrolls, picking just one single mod is no easy task. But of all the different mods from all the games in the series, there is one that has long stood out for the sheer size of its scope.
Project Tamrielis a mod that aims to add various other landmasses fromThe Elder Scrollsworld of Tamriel as explorable areas withinThe Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind. The scope of the mod itself is so large that there are separate teams working on each area they aim to add. Most of the locations are still being developed, but have many areas still playable in a limited capacity, likeSkyrim: Home of the Nords,Province: Cyrodiil,Project: Hammerfell, etc., each adding their respective provinces seamlessly to the world ofMorrowind.
The project is a huge undertaking, and it still has a long way to go since being officially formed in 2012, but it is a true testament to the community’s love and dedication to the series at large.
