Summary
Mod support in gaming is becoming more and more prevalent as dedicated modders create content for their favorite games. Be it re-textures, graphical overhauls, new quests, orstrange joke additions. These mods can range from small fixes to enormous content releases that even rival official content.
One of the biggest areas of modded content is within the fantasy genre. A whole host of fantasy games have been modded extensively, with creators working tirelessly to add countless hours' worth of modded content. Be they survival, strategy, or RPGs, it is safe to say that fantasy games experience frequent modded content from their respective fan bases.
Total War: Warhammer 3is the third installment in theTotal War: Warhammerseries, itself a sub-series of the far largerTotal Warseries— a long-running real-time strategy series that balances tactics and a historical or fantastical setting (depending on the game).
EachTotal Wargame has extensive modding scenes, but the already fantastical setting ofTotal War: Warhammer 3, along with the dedicatedWarhammerfanbase, offers the most unique modding experience of the franchise. Players can utilize gunpowder units with the modGuns of the Empire by Snekor enhance the lighting of the game usingUltimate Lighting 2.0 by Mazisky. Other mods include re-textures, new models, improved AI, and balancing tweaks.
TheMount and Bladeseries combines strategy with action combat to form a fun andimmersive fantasy battle experience.Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlorddeveloped this formula and built upon its predecessor to modernize the franchise.
Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord, much like the firstMount and Bladegame, offers extensive modding support. These mods often enhance the mechanical depth of the game, likeDiplomacy by The Diplomacy Team, which offers an expanded diplomacy system. Some mods act as large-scale overhauls to the game, adding more content and factions, thus enriching the already acclaimed formula. One example of this isCalradia at War by Anopey, offering 21 new factions, new political systems, hundreds of new units, and much more.
Terrariacombines inspired and artistic 2D graphics with an incrediblyin-depth progression systemto create a game beloved by players.Terrariapresents players with a compelling fantasy world that, despite its simplicity on the surface, offers depth that very few games do.
TheTerrariamodding community is long-tenured and massive. The game even has its own mod loader,tModLoaderon the Steam store page.Terrariahas its fair share of quality-of-life mods centered around providing players with extra convenience that the base game lacks. An example of this isBoss Checklist by jopojelly, providing a checklist of what bosses are yet to be defeated. Convenience mods aside, it is unsurprising thatTerrariaalso has plenty of large-scale conversion or expansion mods. Mods likeCalamity by Fabsoloffer further depth to the already deep experience, boasting over 24 additional bosses and nearly 2000 additional items.
The Witcher 3is a critically acclaimed title that couples a compelling narrative with a grand fantasy setting. Its open world is adored by players for its depth and scale, and the world itself is packed withmemorable and layered charactersto fall in love with.
The modding community ofThe Witcher 3is another that continues to thrive, having done so steadily since the game’s launch in 2015. As expected witha game of this scale and magnitude, a lot of mods pertain to graphical fidelity. These may include enhanced lighting or higher-resolution textures, as seen inThe Witcher 3 HD Reworked Project by Halk Hogan PL— this mod in particular wholly enhances theWitcher 3experience, increasing immersion and extending its lifespan for modern audiences. Other mods include quality-of-life changes to smooth out the gameplay experience, such asAutoLoot by JupiterTheGod.
Few games have soared to the heights thatMinecrafthas in its lifespan. Gamers and non-gamers alike are familiar withMinecraft, and it continues to stand the test of time.
One secret to the longevity ofMinecraftis itsextensive modding scene, producing hundreds of modpacks that completely change the way the game is played. One such example isMC Eternal by Adam98991, which adds a series of hardcore survival mechanics and makes the game a lot more difficult (alongside including a number of hostile mobs and bosses). Modpacks such asIndustrial Village by dreams01allow for automation and technological advancement that fundamentally changes the coreMinecraftloop, allowing for infinite creative possibilities.
Baldur’s Gate 3is the long-awaited third entry in theBaldur’s Gateseries, taking the gaming landscape by storm following its full release. It combines strategic gameplay with a compellingopen-ended storyto create a popular and authenticDungeons and Dragonsgaming experience.
Baldur’s Gate 3may not have a huge library of mods, but the mods it does have serve to add an extra layer of convenience and immersion to an already lovingly crafted experience. For players that prefer a more standard movement system,WASD Character Movement by Ch4nKyyallows players to use the WASD keys to move rather than point and click. Mods such asEyes of the Beholder by labotorallow for an extra level of fantasy and immersion through more customization options.
Monster Hunter Worldis an entry in the popularMonster Hunterfranchise. It’s an expansive and mechanically complex game, featuring multi-tiered progression and killer boss fights.
Themod scene inMonster Hunter: Worldmostly focuses on improving the quality of life without compromising the depth and balance of the game.Souvenir’s Light Pillar by Eisus2589is a simple mod that changes souvenirs to appear as light beams, making them easier to see. A similar quality-of-life mod isSmartHunter-Overlay by r00telement, which adds an overlay that displays monster health, parts, status effects, and much more, providing a lot more information and transparency to the experience.
TheDragon Ageseries is popular forits immersive narrative and setting, presenting players with a deep fantasy world to get lost in.Dragon Age: Originsis no exception.
Mods forDragon Age: Originsreflect this, as they often focus on improving character designs and the overall immersive feel of the game. Examples of this includeDragon Age Redesigned by Dracomies, an overhaul of NPCs to make them more realistic. Another example isImproved Atmosphere by SpaceAlex, a mod that serves to enhance immersion by overhauling ambient NPC behavior and outfitting them with a far wider range of items and equipment.
Elden Ringis the most ambitious and deepFromSoftware game, touting the difficulty and complex bosses that players come to expect from the developer, alongside a rich open world with something to discover around every corner.
The difficulty and scaling in question is the main focus for a lot of theElden Ringmods.Elden Ring Reforged by Kirnifris a mod that tackles the balance ofElden Ringto offer new gameplay opportunities, delivering new modes, an overhaul to magic, and the ability to change difficulty, alongside a number of other features. Similarly,Seamless Co-op by LukeYuiprovides a new way to playElden Ring, adding fully functional and consistent co-op, along with scaling that reflects the increased player count.
TheElder Scrollsseries became a staple of the fantasy genre back when it made its debut in 1994. Subsequent entries did more of the same, constantly improving the formula. Despite this, no entry in the series reached the acclaim and fame ofSkyrim.
Skyrimhas managed to stay in the cultural zeitgeist since its release, due in part to the extensive and unparalleled mod support that allows players to craft their ownSkyrimexperience, be it UI overhauls likeSkyUI by SkyUI Teamor mega mods likeEnderal by SureAI, a mod so large and distinct it got its own Steam release as a separate game. Singular mods, however, are just the tip of the iceberg, as curators assemble expansive modlists in order to entirely overhaul Skyrim from the ground up. Modlists likeNolvus by Vektorcompile mods to drastically improve both the graphics and gameplay ofSkyrim.
