Modding is awesome. Mods add content, add characters, add functionality, and generally make games even better than they were. Fallout 4 launches next week, but if you can’t wait to get your fix, there are mods for that, too. These eight mods for the PC version of Fallout 3 make it play (and look) a lot more like its soon-to-be-released brother.
Think we missed one? Tell us what it is in the comments!
New Animations
Mod: Fallout 3 Re-Animated (Get it at Nexus Mods)
As much as we love Fallout 3. it is dated. It launched in 2008, and its animations reflect that. Obviously Fallout 4 will greatly improve on this, but what if you want to fix the old animations? Enter the Fallout 3 Re-Animated mod. The updated animations include better standing animations where you aren’t constantly pointing a gun at whoever is across from you, better sneaking and crouching animations, and new distinct weapon animations. It’s a huge upgrade that brings the game animations much closer to the quality we expect today.
Lots of new perks
Mod: Ultimate Perk Pack (Get it at Nexus Mods)
One of the things everyone looks forward to in Fallout games is seeing all the new perks. Fallout 3 had 60 perks in the base game, and the DLC brought that number up to around 100. Fallout 4 will start with 70 perks. But you can explode the number of perks in Fallout 3 with the Ultimate Perk Pack mod. It adds 70 new perks, like “Evil Genius” which awards more experience when you have a sufficiently evil karma level. There are plenty of nice additions in here, so go check this one out.
Change up the colors
Mod: Fellout (Get it at Nexus Mods)
One of the design decisions that made the world of Fallout 3 so bleak was the color of the sky. That greenish tint gave everything a wasteland-like appearance, but the blue skies we’ve seen in the Fallout 4 trailers look much more inviting. Thankfully, modders agree, and you can easily get that effect in Fallout 3 by installing Fellout. It removes the greenish tint from both indoor and outdoor settings, and makes days brighter and nights darker. There’s also a Fallout Street Lights mo that adds illuminated signs and street lights across the map to lighten up those darker nights.
Customize your weapons
Mod: Weapon Mod Kits (Get it at Nexus Mods)
Another major addition to Fallout 4 is the option for customizing your weapons. Although previous games let you add silencers or scopes, the new system will let you do much more, including changing firing modes. To get this same functionality in Fallout 3, all you need is the Weapon Mod Kits mod. It adds options to the workbench for equipping and removing weapons mods, including auto-fire mechanisms, extended magazines, laser sights, and more. There’s even a chance to remove mods from weapons and re-use them.
A better best friend
Mod: Dread Dogmeat (Get it at Nexus Mods)
The most popular character from the Fallout just might be your canine companion, Dogmeat. The Fallout 3 version of Dogmeat felt a little underpowered, and while the Dread Dogmeat mod might not make him look like the Fallout 4 version, he’s definitely more useful. Not only does it improve his combat abilities, it also gives him the ability to search for weapons, armor, and ammo at the same time. It even adds new special items for Dogmeat to bring back to you throughout the Wasteland.
Improved graphics
Mod: Blackout ENB (Get it at Nexus Mods), NMC’s Texture Pack (Get it at Nexus Mods)
If you’re into PC mods, you know all about mods that upgrade textures and tweak processing effects. These two are exactly that. Blackout ENB will improve the post-processing effects, giving you better lighting, better shadows, depth of field, and a number of other effects. NMC’s Texture Pack will crank of the detail of pretty much every texture in the game, making everything in the world look better. Just make sure you have the PC horsepower to handle these two mods, as they’ll put some strain on your system.
Modular Armor
Mod: Tailor Maid (Get it at Nexus Mods)
In the past, Fallout games have had players wearing a single piece of armor, whether it’s a Vault suit or leather Raider armor. Fallout 4 is changing that, as it will let players pick and choose their gear, much like games in The Elder Scrolls series do. To get that functionality in Fallout 3, all you need is the Tailor Maid mod. Not only does it make armor modular, it adds over 300 pieces of armor to flesh out the system.
Build your own town
Mod: Real Time Settlement (Get it at Nexus Mods)
One of the biggest new additions to Fallout 4 is the ability to construct bases and defend them against assaults. With the Real Time Settlement mod, you can do the same thing in Fallout 3. Once you’ve got this mod, you can build your own town, populate it with NPCs from around the Wasteland, and gather materials. You can also look forward to raiders attacking your settlement, so be prepared to defend it!
