There are plenty of good games out there. Few hold the distinction of being truly exceptional. What do average and superb games both have in common? Mods. Thousands of them are scattered across the internet on sites like Nexus, Mod DB, and the Steam Workshop. Whether they're popular titles or not, there's probably a mod for it somewhere.
Obviously, not all mods are made equally. Like the games themselves, some mods stand out from the crowd for being positively excellent. These types of mods undoubtedly make already great games even better. The levels of detail and care put into these projects are amazing, and surely deserving of a proper look.
10 Imperial Civil War - Star Wars: Empire At War
The old Star Wars Expanded Universe was filled to the brim with amazing stories. A lot of the supplemental content revolved around the disintegration of the Empire after Return of the Jedi and the ascendance of the New Republic. A developmental team called Thrawn's Revenge aims to bring those stories to life with the Imperial Civil War mod for Empire at War.
The level of detail in this mod is stunning. Battles are bigger and more intense. Units are more varied. Factions, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, are abundant. Several different campaign bookmarks are available to play, each representing multiple eras throughout Star Wars history. Definitely a must-have for any fan of the franchise.
9 Age Of The Ring - LOTR: Battle For Middle-Earth II
The Lord of the Rings franchise was pretty underrepresented in the RTS genre. The Battle for Middle-Earth series changed that for the better. Both entries in the series are still massively popular despite their ages. Mods have come to the rescue, giving them a much-needed facelift for modern hardware. The Age of the Ring mod, however, does much more than just improve the graphics.
Currently, it includes a singleplayer campaign that recreates the events of the first movie. It's so meticulously crafted that it far surpasses the campaign offered in the first Battle for Middle-Earth. The mod also adds new factions, heroes, units, and structures that make it a genuinely unique experience and wholly different from that of the base game.
8 BlackICE - Hearts Of Iron IV
Presumably, there are some armchair generals out there who think that Hearts of Iron IV isn't challenging enough. The BlackICE mod fixes that problem in nearly every way possible. Its goal of trying to achieve almost complete historical immersion is admirable. Running a country in the mid-20th century wasn't easy and the mod aims to prove that fact.
Production is more important than ever in this mod. Everything needs to be accounted for down to the last uniform. The AI is much smarter and winning battles is never a foregone conclusion. The Focus and Technology trees are massive and tailored specifically for each country. New historical events are added as well. This mod is certainly not for the faint of heart.
7 LSPDFR - Grand Theft Auto V
Protagonists in the Grand Theft Auto franchise are always criminals. Sure, there's always the vigilante side missions, but that's not exactly legal. The LSPDFR mod aims to change that by giving the player the chance to become a cop.
The mod aims for realism, although the player still has a great degree of freedom in deciding how much of a "good" cop they want to be. Whether it's a simple traffic violation or a full-blown shootout with hardened bank robbers, all the unpredictability of being a police officer is showcased in this mod.
6 Game Of Thrones - Crusader Kings II
It would seem that a franchise filled with as much intrigue as Game of Thrones would be tailor-made for a game like Crusader Kings II. That's just what the folks behind the Game of Thrones mod for Crusader Kings II thought as well.
The mod takes the books as its source material rather than the HBO series. Major story beats from the novels are faithfully recreated in the game. Loads of new interactions are available for characters to scheme their way to the top. No other pairing of mod and game has fit so hand-in-glove with each other. Here's hoping Crusader Kings III gives it the same treatment.
5 Historical Immersion Project - Crusader Kings II
Fantasy, of course, may not be everyone's bag. Crusader Kings II has a massive amount of mods and the Historical Immersion Project deserves a spot on the list. Like the name suggests, the mod aims to immerse the player in the medieval world as much as possible.
The modules included with the main file add a whole host of minute detail to the experience. The map, for one, is more precise and conforms better with historical reality. Weather, terrain, morale, leadership, etc. all now play a much more vital role when planning a war. There are new criteria for succession and crown laws and a plethora of unique events thrown in as well.
4 The Third Age - Medieval II: Total War
The Third Age for Medieval II: Total War is perhaps one of the most popular mods of all time. Like other excellent pieces of content, it executes a great idea almost perfectly. It re-contextualizes Medieval II: Total War's game engine to fit the world of Middle-Earth.
Good or evil, each faction is given its own flavor that faithfully reflects the lore established by Tolkien. The campaign map, as well as the individual battle maps, are still easy to look at even though they're a far cry from modern graphics. The experience is so well-crafted that it's easy to forget that it's a mod and not a licensed Lord of the Rings game.
3 Enderal: Forgotten Stories - Skyrim
Games are sometimes given a "total conversion" thanks to a particular mod. Enderal: Forgotten Stories accomplishes this for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim in a truly impressive fashion. The universe that is created by this mod possesses its own living, breathing world with its unique history and lore.
Main quests and side quests alike are fully-voiced by a collection of professional actors. Combat difficulty is heightened considerably as dominating enemies is treated more as a steady progression. Familiar RPG elements, like experience points, are included. Thus, roleplaying has never been easier. Any fan of Skyrim really should give this mod some attention.
2 Medieval Kingdoms 1212 AD - Total War: Attila
Total War: Attila got some mixed reactions from fans when it was released. Mods, inevitably, came to the rescue. Medieval Kingdoms 1212 AD swaps out the Dark Ages for the Middle Ages. The mod plays and feels like a spiritual sequel to Medieval II: Total War, a game often considered one of the best in the franchise.
Recruitment has been tweaked so that population levels in a given region affect how many soldiers can be trained. Catholic rulers need to maintain a precarious balancing act with the Pope or else suffer the consequences. Also included is a very neat Holy Roman Empire system that adds some welcome complexity when playing as that faction.
1 Restored Content - Star Wars: KOTOR II
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords is a beloved RPG that still stands the test of time. It's also quite infamous for the amount of content that was cut from the final product due to time constraints. The game players got was very good, but the Restored Content mod makes it even better.
This is quite simply a monumental project. Myriad additions, both large and small, are too numerous to list in their entirety here. Dialogue, quests, cutscenes, items, and weapons are all lovingly restored to their intended state. All of it taken together makes the game a tighter experience and a worthy sequel to the critically-acclaimed first entry.