MC&MP's Favourite Mods

We've told you about some of our favourite maps, this time we're talking mods. Now if you're a PC gamer, you've likely used a mod on a game in some form or another. They're abundant on the internet and popular games have a mod for just about everything. Sometimes though, it can be hard to find that diamond in the rough. Here are a few of our favourites:

Russell - Project Nevada for Fallout: New Vegas

This mod is utterly extensive. It covers so many different facets of the game it's unbelievable, and on top of that it's entirely customisable too. If you only want to get it for a specific thing, then you're able to without doing anything overly technical. It has a number of core features which simply look to improve on the base game, such as by adding a quick grenade button. The mod also includes more advanced tinkering into things like the cybernetics system where they become more powerful and useful, but also that much more expensive and rare.

After installing this mod I found that my play-style changed quite a bit. I found I was less inclined to use V.A.T.S (the in-game targeting system) and just play the combat as it was. For me this was a more enjoyable experience, improving the feel of combat into a more fluid manner. The feedback now included from the game was also more helpful, I could sense when I was getting too low on health without having to glance down at all my HUD items.

Blood marks splatter the screen when injured and you can see the current hotkey grenade in the bottom right.

Outside of combat you're given more freedom in areas like picking locks. I found that it was always one of the things I'd level up first, no question. I hated possibly missing out on a great piece of loot just because I didn't have lock picking. Now, however, I could go into explosives and just blow the lock open. It was liberating, in a way. Hardcore mode became more immersive too, as well as more difficult. Just the way it should be.

I'd easily recommend this mod to anyone playing New Vegas. It contains so much extra content and fixes for things. The many options allow for a degree of customisation which means that anyone can tailor it to whatever they want to get from the game. A great piece of work.

Tom - Action Half Life 2 for Half-Life 2

A staple favourite for our regular LAN parties, this game is unbelievably good fun. Essentially it seeks to recreate the style of old action movies. That means lots of dual-wielding, diving through the air, smashing through windows, breaking legs, rolling under incoming fire and wall-jumping. On top of all this there's a fairly simple, yet effective, kung-fu system which allows you to disarm opponents with an accurate kick, creating scrappy, fast-paced, close-quarter fights.

The range of equipment available to use means that everyone will find their niche favourite weapons, whether it's the stylish akimbo Colt 1911s, or the difficult-to-use sniper rifle. Added on top of this are action movie staples, such as bandoliers of ammo, sneaky shoes, silencers or laser-sights. What this all adds up to is a chaotic fight in some brilliant locales, including penthouse clubs, subway stations and huge warehouses.

It works well from a whole group of people all the way down to one-on-one grudge matches, which require buckets of skill to survive the incoming torrents of death, and mastery of the dive and roll will give you a good boost to success. Limited lives works particularly well, as the last couple of people alive will be injured, low on ammo, and desperate to win.

Joe - Gravinull for Half-Life 2

The genius of Gravinull is in its system of movement. There is no gravity in the arenas. Instead there are dozens of balls floating around, each with several energy points on it. Every player is given a version of the Gravity Gun from Half-Life 2. When the player right-clicks on one of the balls they whizz towards it, and this is how you move around the level. When you arrive at the ball it is held in the Gravity Gun’s beam, and by left-clicking you can fire the ball at any of the other players floating around. This causes damage to the other player, the amount of damage being relative to the speed at which the ball was travelling. Dealing enough damage to another player kills them, earning you points.

The single most appropriately descriptive word I could choose to describe a round of Gravinull is ‘frenetic’. The arenas are extremely cramped, with nowhere to hide. It is played at an incredibly fast pace, the death count is always high, and each round seems to fly by. It can also oscillate between being the most rewarding of games and the most frustrating within a few seconds. Spot a ball hovering a metre behind an unsuspecting opponent’s head half the map away, shoot to that spot in less than a second, and despatch your prey execution style... and then almost instantly have the same done to you by another player. Respawn instantly, and repeat.  

This is a game of reflexes, co-ordination, skill and luck; all rolled into one.