Top 7 Video Game Mods of All Time
Many developers frown on their games being modded (well, at least officially), but mods form a very important part of gaming history. Not only have many of the best mods ever made gone on to spawn entire gaming franchises, but many mods are crafted by upcoming game developers finding their feet.
Thus, the modding scene is an incredible hidden gem in the world of gaming. In tribute, here are seven of our favorite video game mods of all time.
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1. DayZ – in ARMA 2
Designed by Dean Hall, who would later go on to lead the creation of the standalone DayZ game, DayZ took the tactical gunplay of ARMA 2 and used it to create one of the best zombie mods of all time.
Placing players into the fictional post-soviet state of Chernarus, which is absolutely brimming with zombies caused by a mysterious plague, multiple players had to scavenge for limited resources in an effort to survive the zombie apocalypse.
Its realistic take on what a zombie apocalypse might be, mixed with the fact that DayZ retained ARMA’s multiplayer functionality, made it one of the most interesting mods ever made that you can play with your DayZ account.
2. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds – in ARMA 2
If you thought DayZ was the only full game to come out of an ARMA 2 mod, you’ll have to think again. The legendary battle royale PUBG also found its origins in ARMA 2. Even more strangely, instead of being just a mod of ARMA 2, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds began as a mod for the DayZ mod in ARMA 2, inspired by the 2000 Japanese film Battle Royale. So, it was a mod of a mod, inspired by a film!
Regardless of its origins, we perhaps have this mod to thank for the whole genre of Battle Royale taking the world by storm as it quickly attracted countless players in ARMA 2 and was soon turned into its very own game which is still going strong today.
3. Defense of the Ancients – in Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos
Back at the turn of the century, Warcraft was all the rage, and players loved it so much they modded the heck out of whatever they could.
Thus, Defense of the Ancients was born out of Warcraft III. A mod which added a whole host of RPG elements to the game’s already excellent RTS mechanics.
If you haven’t clocked on yet, this was the original Dota which evolved into Valve’s Dota 2.
DotA is also incredibly important to gaming history as it is widely cited as the first MOBA game!
4. Skywind – in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Long-term fans of The Elder Scrolls series will remember the third game—Morrowind—fondly. But if you played either Oblivion or Skyrim first, chances are you bounced off of Morrowind, hard.
But don’t fret! Skywind is a full remake of Morrowind in Skyrim: Special Edition’s engine. So it goes without saying, if you want to experience Morrowind without all the old-school quirks, this is the way to do it.
Interestingly, this is a direct reverse of many mods on this list—instead recreating an old game with modern hardware or you can simply dive into the online world with ESO account.
5. Counter-Strike – in Half-Life
Half-Life’s GoldSrc (or GoldSource) engine was a hotbed for inspired game developers in the late 90s and early 2000s. Within which Counter-Strike was created, quickly becoming one of the most high-profile mods to ever be created.
The mod features all the iconic gameplay and ideas, which remain largely unchanged—albeit heavily updated—to this day.
Soon after its creation in 2000, Valve acquired the mod from the developers and have continued to develop the series ever since.
6. Heroes of the Storm – in StarCraft II
DotA may have been created in a Blizzard game, but Blizzard modded their own game into StarCraft II before releasing it as a full standalone game. That’s right, Heroes of the Storm made its debut in Starcraft II way back in 2010 as a custom map called “Blizzard DOTA”. The game was then refined for a re-release the following year, by which point enough internet had been shown for Blizzard to turn it into a standalone experience.
Thus, Heroes of the Storm was born and finally released in 2015.
7. Cry of Fear – in Half-Life
Stepping away from multiplayer, Cry of Fear is one of the greatest standalone games created as a mod. Released in 2012, Cry of Fear was a mod for the, then, 14-year-old game Half-Life. But that didn’t stop its wonder from shining through, in fact it enhanced it.
As a psychological, survival horror game, Cry of Fear leans into the limitations of the GoldScr to drape the game in a twisted, old-school aesthetic that simply scares the crap out of modern gamers.
It is an incredibly dark game, but for those looking for something seriously bizarre, Team Psykskallar’s Cry of Fear may just be the mod for you—not to mention, it’s totally free on steam.
