While modding may ostensibly be the key feature of Bethesda Softworks RPGs, the fact of the matter is that it hasn’t yet fully made its way into Starfield. Thankfully, Fallout 4 mods are a known quantity by now, and we’re using the opportunity to look back at them.
Since Fallout 4 is no longer being actively maintained and updated by Bethesda itself, and it’s got all the modding tools out and about, it’s been delightfully easy for modders to add just about anything they wanted into the game. This includes simple things, such as new weapons and armor, but also some truly comprehensive upgrades that some might consider nothing short of a must-have.
It should come as no surprise, then, that this list aims to focus specifically on these must-have mods. Down below, you’ll find a shortlist of game-changing Fallout 4 mods that will, absolutely, make the game that much better.
Top 10 best Fallout 4 mods
#10: Homemaker – Expanded Settlements
For those who intend to lean into Fallout 4‘s settlement-building features, Homemaker is going to be a much-needed upgrade. This is, at its core, a mind-bogglingly massive expansion of the variety and scope of Fallout 4‘s settlements, adding over 1,000 all-new objects to place around your hideout. Not only are you getting heaps more rusty, downtrodden garbage to build with, but you’ll also get to choose from several sets of new, non-ruined furniture to boot.
#9: Armorsmith Extended
Armorsmith Extended is a comprehensive rework of Fallout 4‘s armor and outfit systems. “This mod does sixteen things,” says the author, Gambit77, and some of these things include a customization revamp, the ability to wear several disparate armor pieces at the same time, allowing you to craft most pieces of clothing, conceal specific pieces of armor, and lots more. It’s a must-have for those who aren’t happy with the game’s basic apparel systems, really.
#8: True Storms – Wasteland Edition
True Storms adds some of the most atmospheric virtual post-apocalyptic weather ever produced to Fallout 4, and this mod comes from fadingsignal, who was also responsible for the True Storms mod for Skyrim, to boot. What you’re getting here is a slew of unique new weather and storm types, a huge array of new sound and particle effects, and even special gameplay events, such as roaming ghoul hordes during radstorm instances.
#7: Another Life
A must-have mod if you intend to delve into repeat playthroughs of Fallout 4, Another Life allows you to tailor your early game experience with a whopping selection of 36 unique character occupations. Basically, Another Life pitches your character as a newborn synth, and the pre-war starting sequence as a memory simulation going through its paces. Once that’s all wrapped up, this mod will let you get on with your business however you see fit, making it a great choice for fans of role-playing, in particular.
#6: Extended Weapon Mods
Akanami’s Extended Weapon Mods mod for Fallout 4 can, certainly, allow for some truly cursed creations, but it is a joy to fiddle around with if you have even a passing interest in weapon customization. What this does is that it introduces a humongous array of new weapon mods, as shown with the pistol-to-carbine conversion featured in the image above. You also get Bren-style magazines, interoperable weapon mods, triple barrels for shotguns, and lots more. Best of all, very few of these cursed creations stand out compared to Bethesda’s own cursed in-game weaponry!
#5: Cross Jetpack
Starfield‘s Boost Pack functionality is great fun, no matter what sort of player you might be, but what if we told you that you could get something really close to it in Fallout 4, too? The Cross Jetpack mod from Niero does precisely just that, and it is remarkably customizable from the ground up. With a wealth of custom animations and functionality, Cross Jetpack adds a new layer of verticality to Fallout 4 combat, making it that much more enjoyable in the end.
#4: We Are The Minutemen
The base Fallout 4 game’s Minutemen faction is a tad toothless in the way it’s presented, and modder TheFirstEnD felt that Boston’s best chance at proliferation needed something a bit better, before everything was said and done. Enter the We Are The Minutemen mod, which entirely revamps the faction into a powerhouse it’s supposed to be, lore-wise. TheFirstEnD has revamped and upgraded huge batches of the core Minutemen questlines, as well as adding new weapons and other goodies into the faction’s roster of gear.
#3: Vivid Fallout – All In One
Hein84’s Vivid Fallout collection of mods is basically a huge compendium of new and improved textures, but what makes it really special is that, according to the author, the new textures are “less V-Ram heavy than the original ones.” All the textures featured in Vivid Fallout (which includes landscapes, trees, concrete, etc.) are upscaled and normal-mapped versions of the original ones, so Bethesda’s vision of Fallout 4 Boston hasn’t been infringed upon at all.
#2: High FPS Physics Fix
As Fallout 4 does still look somewhat contemporary, all things considered, it’s easy to forget that this game was released before Bethesda realized that PC players do enjoy playing at higher framerates than just 60 FPS, if possible. The game’s physics engine likes to massively bug out if you just unlock its framerate, then, and Antonix35’s High FPS Physics Fix resolves that issue, both unlocking your FPS and untethering Fallout 4‘s physics engine from it.
#1: Unofficial Fallout 4 Patch
It might seem strange that something as basic as a bundle of fixes would be at the top of this list, but the importance of the Unofficial Fallout 4 Patch cannot be understated. This is a truly massive, hugely comprehensive bugfixing project that aims to resolve every single problem with the base game all at once. In its attempt to do so, UF4P is hugely successful, to the point that it’s one of the most universally beloved and recommended mods this game has ever received. Indeed, if you’re only going to install one mod, make it this one, as you’ll get a far more ideal gaming experience than you otherwise would’ve had.
