Five top benefits of using game mods

Everyone loves playing video games, but every gamer knows that glitches are an unfortunate part of the experience. There are even plenty of high-profile games released with bugs or graphics worse than the trailers. Luckily, there are game mods made by fans that can help fix games or add brand new content. And if you’re still wondering if you should use the mods or not, here are several reasons to give them a try. 

Game mods can fix glitches the devs can’t

Fixing broken and or non-functioning gameplay is one of the most popular reasons for downloading game mods. A good example is EA’s The Sims 3, which was an ambitious project at release with additional neighborhoods for your sims to explore. But that ambition didn’t translate into functionality post-release. All the new systems were poorly optimized, leading to crashes on older computers. Fans quickly got to work resolving many of the issues. Now all users can download an abundance of Sims 3 mods to make their game run smoothly.

Game developers often skimp out on optimizing PC ports of console games, which leaves it to the community to come up with solutions. As technology changes, it often falls to modders to keep games playable decades after release. Particularly old games meant for different operating systems sometimes require mods to even run at all. If you find glitches and crashes all over an old favorite game, modding may be able to help.

Mods breathe new life into older games

There is a huge reason why Skyrim remains popular over a decade after its 2011 release. The modding community has poured hundreds of thousands of hours into polishing Bethesda’s open-world adventure. In Skyrim’s case, players can make the game look better than current big-budget releases. Clunky systems can be streamlined with modern UI, and convenience features like multiple companions and live map updates are just a few clicks away.

The same things are true for many older titles. Seasoned Stardew Valley fans know that the game can become boring fast. Luckily for them, there are over 40 Stardew Valley mods available to download and experiment with. With mods, gamers can breathe new life into their favorite game with better graphics, improved gameplay, and so much more.

Game modding can boost accessibility for more players

Gaming is an act of leisure for most players, but some persons with disabilities can have trouble enjoying the hobby. Sometimes, colors and fonts chosen for UI can make reading difficult for people who are visually impaired. Certain content may be particularly unappealing to certain players, turning them off the game entirely. When disabled players call for developers to improve accessibility, they are sometimes met with backlash from the community. 

Luckily, there are people creating mods with those impairments in mind. There are assistive mods that remove disturbing content or change UI elements to cuit different kinds of colorblindness. Some mods alter games’ control schemes or change entire gameplay elements to help ease the experience. These mods allow gamers to enjoy titles that they would otherwise have to skip.

Mods can refine gameplay and add new content

Another benefit to using game mods is getting access to new content made by fans. Skyrim is another perfect example of this. These are dozens of mods for that game that add entirely new storylines, factions, characters, bosses, regions, and more. Once you’re done completing the base game, you can jump right into mods and squeeze even more content from the game.

But this innovation doesn’t stop there. There are also mods that incorporate new gameplay difficulties or modes. Confident players can test their skills by modding the difficulty beyond its normal limits. Players who just want an interactive movie can mod invincibility, infinite ammo, and more to make it easy. Big modding scenes can churn out more content that a game itself includes.

Mods for Cosmetics and Aesthetics

For many gamers, playing video games is an act of self-expression. Players love picking their color in Street Fighter, or finding the perfect armor combination. However, the game devs can only add so many cosmetics. Modders, however, are unbound by a deadline and can create as many cosmetics as they wish. Graphical mods are a popular way for players to express themselves in gameplay without paying extra for downloadable content.

Mods can also change the tone of a game entirely just by changing some artwork. For example, one Starbound mod can add blood to your strikes against enemies, which makes the game feel more realistic and darker. By contrast, it’s possible to mod Left 4 Dead 2 so you play as a party of anime characters fighting off a horde of Among Us crewmates.

The video game industry is huge, and studios of all sizes work hard to produce the best games they can. However, there are times when games are not as perfect as we’d like them to be. With the power of mods, gamers can gaze at new graphics, experience new content, and appreciate fixed bugs all without leaving their favorite game.