Top Five Updated RPG Mods feature - Kralich/David

Hey again, modders! We’ve got another countdown for you today - the Top 5 RPG Mods on ModDB. RPGs are a genre loved for their depth of player agency, and are a prime candidate for overhaul mods that deepen the content available for adventurers and roleplayers. If you enjoy this countdown, make sure to keep your eyes peeled for more lists coming soon!

Morrowind is an all-time classic RPG - a clunky but immersive experience with an engaging and in-depth world to uncover. It can be challenging, however, to return to Morrowind after all these years, especially with Skyrim and its monolithic effect on the genre. Morrowind: Rebirth is a decade-long project aimed at leveraging the mysticism of the game’s world alongside overhauled mechanics, systems, and visuals to make returning to Morrowind a joy, rather than a hassle. Hundreds of new weapons, new enemy types, tons of new locations to explore, and overhauled cities make even the most commonly-visited locations feel fresh again. Meanwhile, a slew of new dungeons make delving for gear more varied than ever before. Special attention has been paid to world geometry and models to ensure the uplift in visual fidelity is as faithful to Morrowind’s original artistic intent as possible, and meanwhile, more consistency and detail in the way the landscape is organised mean the world is even more engaging to explore. Rebirth’s compatibility with many mods means it has a considerable offering besides the content revamp. With new content being released after years of support, Morrowind’s legacy is enhanced by the very existence of this incredible mod.

The Mount and Blade franchise is subject to some brilliantly engaging medieval simulators that still hold up today. Warband is amongst the most well-regarded of the games in the series, and mods like Perisno are a strong reason why. Converting the purely medieval setting of the original Warband into a light-fantasy world with elements of magic and darker powers at work, new kingdoms and races feature in a battle for the land of Perisno. Whilst the player doesn’t use magic themselves, they can obtain enchanted weapons like the fearsome Flamebringer, and work alongside mythical creatures like dwarves and giants. The pros and cons of factions have been accentuated much more in Perisno, with certain forces being specialists in one field and very weak in another, rewarding players tactical enough to cover all the bases. Minor groups and major kingdoms feature, but all can be allied with, supported, and provided the opportunity to claim total victory. Still updated to this day, Perisno’s world continues to flourish and is a highlight of the modded experiences available within Warband.

Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines is a cult-classic RPG which sees you assume the role of a vampire unwillingly brought into the World of Darkness. Whilst the game has a solid plot and serviceable gameplay, harsh deadlines and the buggy nature of the early Source Engine meant that, on release, VTMB was nearly unplayable. Very soon after, though, Wesp5 started up the Unofficial Patch mod - and has continued his work ever since! The base version of the mod fixes hundreds of bugs and issues, allowing for a far more stable and playable experience. As it turns out, the GOG version of VTMB even ships with the unofficial patch pre-installed! That’s not all, however - for the mod also comes with a “Plus” edition that restores cut content like weapons, levels, characters, and dialogue, and an Extras pack that features curated player-made materials, like walkthroughs, to bolster your experience. The Extra edition also comes with a fan-made SDK for developing your own mods within VTMB. With all of these installed, VTMB becomes a must-play experience for any fan of gothic material and solid RPGs. The World of Darkness, thanks to this mod, has never been so inviting.

Fallout: New Vegas is often regarded as the best of the Fallout games, and with mods like New California, it’s not hard to see why! Running as a separate experience to New Vegas, you start in the hidden Vault 18 in the Californian mountains, and play out a totally different start to your wasteland journey. Dozens of new characters and quests entice you into the new environment created by this mod, featuring professional-quality voice acting and solid new gear to chase after. New factions like the Survivalist Raiders threaten your very existence in the harsh Black Bear Mountain National Forest, but picking the right dialogue options might land you in some of their good graces. No stone has been left unturned - with a whole new intro video to sell the experience, on top of new radio stations with original, thematically-appropriate music, and a huge war between the wasteland’s dominant powers to get to grips with. The mod also features new companions to work alongside and seek aid from in combat. As of their Beta 231 release, the mod is considered complete, for the time being, and has mountains of new content to play as a great excuse to revisit New Vegas. These modders really have changed the game - but war never changes.

There’s so many great mods for Warband, it was difficult not to include a second mod for it on our list - but our last feature simply can’t be ignored. A World of Ice and Fire is a remarkable achievement of modding, overhauling the entire game into the fictional setting of the Game of Thrones books. Having been supported for over eight years, the mod has dozens of hours of new content, from a totally remade world map featuring new factions, environments, and level art, to revised interactions and political systems to better personify the cutthroat lands of Westeros and Essos. The magical elements of the franchise also play a significant role, with giants and even the nightmarish Night King appearing as foes within the mod. You’ll have the opportunity to build your own house and either forge alliances, or dominate all in your quest to claim the Iron Throne. The amount of content is simply astounding, with so many new options for customising your army, roleplaying your character, and exploring the cities that have been lovingly crafted by the team. Whilst Warband’s edition of the mod continues to receive updates and support, the team is also hard at work developing a similar mod for Warband’s sequel, Bannerlord, which also has some incredible work being displayed even in its early stages. There’s many thrilling ways to play Warband - but alongside Perisno, A World of Ice and Fire is a defining achievement in Mount and Blade modding.

Conclusion

That’s all the RPG mods we’ve got for you today! Links to all mod pages mentioned are in the article above. Make sure to comment down below what your favourite RPG mods on ModDB are!