The tale of Half-Life and its impact on the first-person shooter genre is something that will undoubtedly live on forever. It's often considered one of the greatest video games of all time, up there with the likes of GoldenEye 007 on Nintendo 64, the original Doom, and Halo 3.

And thanks to the modding community, I get to keep talking about the game. In this instance, there's an upcoming mod that should appeal to fans of Cyberpunk 2077 or Deus Ex. Created by user Guild of Inventors over on ModDB, The Last Goodbye fully converts Half-Life into a neo-noir game with a Dick Tracy lean.

I'l??l let the creator enli??ghten you as to what it's about:

In the shadowy fairy tale metropolis of Prava, the gun-for-hire Lucille - better known on the streets as The Banshee - takes a job from enigmatic entrepreneur Ark McLean. Her target: Bu??llseye, the deadliest gangster in town. On her travels through the criminal underworld, she meets all manner of friends and foes, with plenty of action and intrigue along the way.

Tee-hee! I said "Dick"

In case you do?n't know, Dick Tracy is a fi??ctional detective from an old comic strip and movie, featuring strong noir vibes.

While The Last Goodbye is not out yet �?and there's no current release date �?the above video gives a nice roundup of how development is going. We get to see the current build of it in action, which includes some story elements and v??oice acting.

As of December 2024, Guild of Inventors says the mod is in a "solid late beta stage of development." It's technically playable, but "certainly not complete." I'm heartily impressed with how it looks so far. You can sort of tell that it will play and possibly feel a bit like Half-Life �?i??t being made in the Gold Source engine �?but with this unique ?take on Valve's classic FPS.

Look, it's pretty simple. If you like the look of this one, you'd do well to keep an eye on it. I, for one, am always taken in by the efforts of the modding community. Gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling in my tummy space. Anyway, if you want to keep up with progress on The last Goodbye, you can check out the developer's Twitter/X, Bluesky, or YouTube channel.

The post Half-Life goes noir in this mod that will see you take on the criminal underw??orld appeared first on Destructoid.

How many Skyrim mods are there? About a bajillion.

Okay, good night everyone. Thanks fo??r coming. Drive safe.

No, but seriously. There are a lot. Barely a few days go by without me talking about some of the mods that are out there for The Elder Scrolls 5. Given that the game has been out since November 2011 �?????and given how tenacious the modding community is �?it's hardly surprising there's so much content available, and has been since day one.

They range in scope as well, from funny ones to unofficial expansions to ones that attempt to undo the many, many bugs the game is plagued with. There are a host of highly recommended Skyrim mods to choose from. Personally, my favorite is the one that renames all the Frost Trolls to Tim Allen. Nope. I have no idea, either.

So, I think it's time I make an attempt to tally up how many mods there are for Skyrim. As f??ar as I can tell, we've never done this at Destructoid. There may be a reason for that, but we'll see.

A few things to consider before we move on:

1. This will be a roundabout figure. Mods are being made and uploaded at an alarming rate, and by the time I finish writing this article (let alone it being published), the number will almost certainly have gone up.
2. I'll be using a bunch of sources to try and get as accurate a number as I can. However, I accept there will be some mods that exist on more obscure or less obvious websites, which are more difficult to take into account.
3. There's also the question of certain mods having more than one version, such as one for the Special Edition or Anniversary Edition. Not to mention, creators may well have uploaded their content to more than one site.
4. Just assume it's a large number, and we'll all be a lot happier.

Now that we've sorted out that little bit of housekeeping, let's crack on with trying to ascertain how many Skyrim mods there are.

Nexus Mods

About a year ago, we did an article about Nexus Mods celebrating 10 billion downloads, which, according to a ??post on the site itself, would take an estimated 317 years to download. But why would you? Anyway...

Of these, a significant number of them were for Skyrim. At the time, Bethesda's epic RPG was listed as both the number one and number two games that had the most downloads, totaling 5.7 billion downloads??. Looking on Nexus Mods today, that figure has unsurprisingly gone up over the course of 11 or 12 months.

At the time of writing, the website is host to 102,366 custom mods for Skyrim. Now, it's possible your mileage may vary. I've done my best to make sure the site sho??ws as many mods as possible, so you might see a slightly different number, depending on what options you have checked.

Also, this number is specifically for the Special Edition of the game. If we move over to the vanilla release of Skyrim, we see this number is a lower 72,471. Again, at the time of writing. Why are there less for the original 2011 version? Best gue??ss is most players have made the switch to the newer releases, so modders may be more inclined to upload for the Special Edition instead.

Also, this doesn't take into account that some mods will exist on both versions simultaneously. Add onto that the fact that some custom content has multiple uploads for different language translations. As such, it seems pretty difficult to count all the unique mods Nexus has. But we do our best.

ModDB, Bethesda.net, and Steam

After Nexus, ModDB is probably the second-most used modding website on the internet. At least from my perspective, that is. It's where I go for all my fan-made Doom content.

Much like above, there is a section for the standard version of Skyrim and one for the Special Edition release. However, one thing that become?s immediately apparent is the numbers are significantly smalle??r.

Vanilla Skyrim lists just 196 mods and 38 add-ons (I'm not even 100% sure wha?t the difference is between the two), while the Special Edition has even less, with 39 mods and just four add-ons. Again, you'll note that there are some crossovers.

Why there are less isn't clear to me. It could simply be that Nexus Mods has carved out something of a large corner of the TES5 modding market?, so that's just where most peo??ple go.

Then we turn to "official" mods that Bethesda deems worthy to host on its own website. The developer and publisher actually refers to these as "Creations" for some reason, but they are basically just normal mods. One thing that does set them apart from those on, say, Nexus is they have been made compatible with console versions of Skyrim, so non-PC players get to enjoy them.

Essentially, it seems Bethesda wanted to have a say in some of the custom content that gets bandied around for its game. In this regard, many of the Creations could be considered of a certain standard, typically pretty high quality or making important changes to Skyrim. One example is the Unofficial Skyrim Patch, which fixes a shitload of bugs and glitches.

As of right now, Bethesda.net lists 49,149 fan-made m??ods on its website. Of these, 8,424 are for PC, 9,283 are for PlayStation, while Xbox takes the lion's?? share, with a meaty 33,212 files.

As for Steam Workshop, the number is still pretty impressive. As of right now, it's showing 27,559 mods in its database. And for some reason, the first one that's showing for me is one that makes it so Nords emit chicken noises. I didn't say every mod would be a game-changer.

What's the total?

Even when you take into account that some mods will have multiple translated versions, files for the vanilla and Special Edition releases of the game, and may be available on more than one website, it's still a pretty huge number of mods that Skyrim has.

If you take the numbers above at face value �?and remember: this is as accurate as can be at the time of writing �?we get a grand total of 251,822 overall mods and add-ons. That's more than a quarter of a million ways you can enhance your Elder Scrolls 5 experience.

For comparison, CurseForge is showing 197,691 mods for Minecraft, which came out around the same time as Skyrim. And pe?ople may wonder why Bethesda's game continues to hang around after more than 13 years.

The post Just how many mods for Skyrim are there? appeared first on Destructoid.

There's an argument to be had that all video games are survival games in many respects. Despite the gun-blasting, demon-killing chaos of the likes of Doom 2, you're still trying to survive in a pixelated world run amok with hellish antagonists. But what if you were to turn the game into something that's more i?n-line with the survival genr?e?

That's what ModDB user budwieser (yes, it's really spelled that way) is doing, at least. Taking heavy inspiration from the STALKER series, "Heart of U.A.C." is an upcoming mod for Doom 2 that takes you away from hell and pi?ts you aga?inst the Zone.

The Zone, in this case, has invaded the Union Aerospace Corporation �?the Mars-based conglomerate where much of Doom takes place. The mod is described thus:

Countless marines have been invaded and?? you have to survive here. Get out of safe zone, kill and loot ?mutant monsters and enemies. Survive by drinking food and water and beware of radiation

Is it even Doom 2 anymore?

Take a look at those screenshots. Honestly, if you had to guess what this game was, you wouldn't assume it was Doom 2. It definitely looks more like a "demade" take on GSC Game World's cult STALKER franchise. It really shows what people can do with modding ??when they have the time, skills, and tools to hand.

"Heart of U.A.C." doesn't have a release date yet. However, the mod page does say it's expected to be released sometime in Q3 of this year, so keep an? eye out for that. It will be interesting to see how the fast-paced antics of classic Doom will translate to the much harsher realm of survival horror. I imagine it will fare pretty well.

Speaking of, STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl has been doing pretty well for itself. Spending many years in development �?with the studio itself getting caught in the midst of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine �?the long-awaited follow-up to 2009's Call of Pripyat was met with high praise despite the issues it had upon release. So it's nice to see the series getting a nod from Doom 2, as well.

The post An upcoming Doo?m 2 mod will turn the game into a STALKER-style FPS appeared first on Destructoid.

The entire Star Wars oeuvre is replete with lore and characters, such that the films alone cann?ot explore all of it. As such, we have plenty ??of spin-offs, novelizations, and video games to fill in the gaps, or at least create new stories from the same universe.

Despite the swashbuckling and lightsaber glory of Star Wars as a successful franchise, one ?thing it's not really known for is its depiction of blood and guts. Even Luke Skyw??alker's famous hand-removal scene is pretty tame. However, someone has decided to rectify this lack of viscera.

Over on ModDBm, user Cody Cruikshank has brought us something that essentially recreates Dark Forces within the Doom 2 engine. One thing they have added for cer?tain is a healthy dose of gore. The mod itself �?currently available in early access �?is even called "Brutal Dark Forces," which, judging by the images alone, promises a bloodier and more violent take on the LucasArts title.

No sign of Doom's chainsaw, however

Cruikshank seemingly invites us to "be one with the force and save the galaxy with blood," saying tha??t their mod boasts the aforementioned gore, as well as "remixed w??eapons, brutal enemies, bosses, weapons," and other things.

To that end, it does appear they've essentially created a Doom-esque version of Star Wars: Dark Forces, but with some much-needed bloodshed that's evidently missing from the original 1995 game. Of course, we already did get a remaster of Dark Forces not long ago, but I'm guessing that one downplays much of the excessive violence t??his mod is aiming for.

One thing that's not clear, however, is which port of Doom 2 the mod supports. Given that it has the word "brutal" in the title �?not to mention the aquifer of ichor seen in the screenshots �?it stands to reason that it may require Brutal Doom in order to run. Either that or GZDoom.

Maybe Dark Forces didn't go down as the best Star Wars game of all time, but I still have pretty fond memories of playing it many moons ago. I'm not sure how I feel about an excessively bloody take on it, but if it keeps me installing and playing classic Doom, I'm all for it.

The post Experience the gory side of Star Wars with this ‘brutal’ Doom/Dark Forces mashup appeared first on Destructoid.

Long before the likes of Oblivion, I recall the OG PlayStation console. Its 3D capabilities and catalog of releases turned Sony into a powerhouse in the video games industry. Nostalgic though that time was, we have truly moved on since those low-poly, low-pixel days. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't return to th??em every so often.

That's exactly what Nexus Mods user gong has done. Making sure we never forget the PS1 era of gaming, they've managed to "demake" The Elder Scrolls 4, turning it into a bloc??ky facsimile of its formerly smooth (though now dated) self.

"Oblivion Umastered," as it's called, has taken the classic Bethesda RPG and "decimally crunched" the textures, turning it into something that would sit m??ore at home in 1995. The modder has also �?if you'll pardon ?the language �?"rampantly polyfucked" the meshes, and has also "bit crushed" the audio. I speak for myself, but I kind of like the way gong describes things...

Obliviating the visuals

Visually and audibly, it may have been altered to an eye-bleeding quality that many of us still recall fondly, but it's the same ol' Oblivion. The modder describes it as being like a PS1-era game, but it's functionally still TES4, so n?othing else has been tinkered with outside the graphics and sound.

They also recommend running their unmastered mod with the included s?hader preset, saying that it??'s "actually a pretty cool experience." All I can say is it really makes me miss my youth.

Of course, we can't talk about The Elder Scrolls without mentioning the elusive sixth entry. Skyrim came out over 13 years ago and while Bethesda is working on the next game, many of us are starting to grow impatient. On top of that, there are still rumors that Oblivion will be getting a remake at some? point. Counter that with this PS1 demake mod and we could potentially have it all from the nearly 18-year-old RPG.

The post Turn Oblivion into a PS1-style game with this mod appeared first on Destructoid.

Mods are hardly new for Left 4 Dead 2, but since Valve has added full Steam Workshop support, it's easier than ever to find and install user-created content. It's as easy as locating a promising-looking mod within Steam and clicking the "subscribe" ?button.

There are now so many games with Workshop support you can basically turn anything into an unrecognizable fiasco waiting to happen, and thankfully, Left 4 Dead 2 is no exception.

If, like me, you're burned out on the vanilla experience, here are the best Left 4 Dead 2 mods that you can ??find, install with the click of a?? button, and enjoy on the Steam Workshop right now.

The best Left 4 Dead 2 mods

Back to School

It's not as bad as the title sugge?sts, I promise. This mo??d doesn't just add a new map or quality-of-life features: It adds an entirely new campaign for you to play through, including six new maps that are available for both Campaign mode and Versus mode.

If you're in the mood for more Left 4 Dead 2, but you don't feel like playing the origina??l campaign again, this is th?e mod for you.

Survivors: Velociraptors

I would simply type out the word again in all caps, but Hamza's beaten me to the punch. While there are a number of nice replacement models for the survivors (Borderlands 2, Portal 2, etc.), this is the stand-out for its solid execution and original subject matter. And it's true: Who wouldn't want to play as a dinosaur fighting against the undead menace at least once? Scratch that �?who wouldn't want to play as a talking di?nosaur? Because they totally retain the origi??nal voices, and it's pretty funny.

Common infected: Deathcraft Zombies

You might be skeptical of this choice, as I was before installing it. Minecraft has gotten out of control these past couple of years; I've seen multiple (yes, multiple) children wearing a Creeper hoodie on the same day, and it's not like I was searching for them on a scavenger hunt. Regardless of the overabundance of Minecraft merch, the game's blocky undead fit in shockingly well with Left 4 Dead 2's realistic art s??tyle. They're so much fun to shoot, too! Don't knock it until you've seen this mod in action.

Tank: Stay Puft

While the last recommendation needed a bit of explanation, this one certainly does not. I wouldn't go so far as to say the Tank is frightening in its original Valve-sanctioned form, but he's certainly not a pleasant sight to see (or hear) in the game. We don't look forward to his arrival, I think we can all agree. But what if we did? What if the Tank was pudgy and non-threatening? What i—oh,?? good. ??You're already downloading the mod. Carry on.

AI: Improved Bots (Advanced)

Frankly, there are times when I don't want to play games with other human beings, even if they are designed with such interaction in mind. That's where this mod comes in �?it attempts to make the? AI-controlled survivors behave more like we would. (Or "should," I should say.) The bots still aren't perfe?ct, but this is well worth grabbing.

Common infected: Xenomorphs

Admittedly, this won't look as good as you might hope it would in-game, but screw it. Replacing the common infected with Xenomorphs is equal parts terrifying and awesome. ??Now all the creator needs to do? is add the iconic death screech and we'd be set.

Music: Benny Hill Witch and Tank

This one goes particularly well with the Stay Puft replacement for the Tank, adding to the overall goofiness of that mod. The classic music really sets the mood when you're gunning down?? marshmallow men, and as for the Witch, well �?you should probably still stay away fro?m the Witch.

Survival map: Panic in Pallet Town

Ever since the first generation of Pokémon, I've always wanted to see Game Freak's handheld adventures expanded into ful??l 3D worlds that could be fully explored. Hell, I'm still waiting for that to happen on a meaningful level. This mod wonderfully recreates Pallet Town, inside and out, for use in survival mode. I'd say it's still worth checking out, even if you just want to do a quick tour rather than actually, you know, try to survive the undead apocalypse.

Map: Left 4 Mario

Ever wanted to fight off the ravenous hordes in t?he Mario-verse? Well, thanks to this mod, you can! Fight through zombies in the wonderful wo??rld of Mario, complete with fantastic textures and even those um... green tunnel things.

If you enjoyed Mario as a kid, you'll find the t??extures very well done and weirdly nostalgic, even though M?ario never had to fight any undead.

Campaign: Urban Flight

Yet another campaign mod worth playing, Urban Flight takes you through four maps as you attempt to flee the city during the zombie apocalypse. It's an interesting playthrough that will leave?? you wanting more, but four?? maps are all you get for now.

It's a very well-designed mod and a fun play �?definitely worth picking up if you'd like to jump back into Left 4 Dead 2 with a great mod.

Campaign: Day Break

Okay, last campaign, I swear, but I do enjoy these an awful lot! Day Break is another great mod where a group of survivors is trying to space San Fransisco before the mi?litary bombs the city, flattening it and our survivors. It's up to you to lead them to safety while, of course, dealing with the hordes of undead that roam the city.

This mod brings five new maps that were playtested for the Co-op, Survival, Versus, and Scavenge game modes, so it gives you a bunch of variety and an interesting new apocalypse scenario to play through. Is it a little cliche? Yeah, but who cares �?it gives us another chance to play Left 4 Dead 2.

Effects: Cinematic Lighting Effects

This awesome little mod doesn't do much at all. No c?razy new skins, and no large new maps. Instead, you simply get better lighting. This seems to affect most (if not?? all) lights in the game, and the effects are noticeable in the least.

It's a small quality-of-life improvement, but these small ones add up to create an overall fresh e?xperience in the game.

Weapon: Lucille Mod

If you're a fan of The Walking Dead, you may remember Negan. You've probably heard of him even if you didn't watch the series, but arguably th?e more infamous villain is Lucille, Negan's barbwire baseball bat.

Well, if you want to bash some zombie heads in with Lucille, you?? can do just that with this mod. Just spare any main characters along the way, won't you? I won't say more on that. No spoilers here.

Skins: Extended Items Skin Pack

Last, but not least... well, maybe. If you're sick of the same old items over and over again, this little mod will come to your rescue. This skin pack introduces tons of new skins for items and throwables in Left 4 Dead 2. This doesn't change?? their effec?ts, only how they look.

The same creators, Manacat and Sir Wololo, have two other mods available: a Melee skin pack and a Firearms skin pack, in case you'd like to totally overhaul skins in the ga??me. And that's about it.

These were the mods that made the top of my list. What about you? What mods do you believe everyone needs to download, whether featured in the Workshop or otherwise, to get the most out of Left 4 Dead 2?

The post Left 4 Dead 2 mods: The best of the best appeared first on Destructoid.

Despite its status as an absolute banger in the early PC gaming era, the original Doom left a somewhat negative mark on the industry. Along with Mortal Kombat, id ??software's iconic FPS caused parents and US congressmen to gasp at all that 1990s digital violence. "Why can't video games offer more intellectual stimulation?" one might say.

Well, wonder no more. As noted by PC Gamer, there's a mod you can get for the OG Doom that will ?be a feast for art lovers. The Gallery Experience is pretty much what it sounds like, in tha?t it re-imagines the game's E1M1 map as an art gallery.

Featuring notable works from some of history's most famous artists, the experience lets you walk around admiring great and classic works of fine art, complete with links that will take you to more information on the Met Museum website. Did you know, for example, that Filippino Lippi's Madonna and Child "evokes the area aro??und the Strozzi villa near Florence?" Fascinating.

A little Shiraz to go with that Baroque?

You can play Doom: The Gallery Experience in your browser over on Itch.io, or you can download it. I chose the former, and I was particularly amused by the fact that Doomguy walks around with a glass of red wine in hand. Now you can appreciate all the pixelated del??ights of a Botticelli painting while sipping a Bordeaux. How elegant!

While there are no monsters in the mod, there are items you can pick up as you explore; notably a few hors d'oeuvre and even a bit of cash. All while classical music fills your mind to the brim with sophisticate?d enrichme??nt.

If you thought Doom could never be paired with words like "intellectual," "cerebral," or "Renaissance," you would be wrong. When you grow tired of mowing down Imps with a chainsaw or firing rockets into the face of a Hell Knight, why not refine your Doom playtime with a trip to an art galle??ry? It's almost as good as the real thing*

*Citation needed.

The post Explore the more cu?ltured side of Doom with this art gallery mod appeared first on Destructoid.

Remember all those years ago when we first got a glimpse of Skyrim? My word, but it was gorgeous. Jaw-dropping vistas of the colder parts of Tamriel were something to behold. Fast-forward some 13 years later and vanilla TES5 has certai??nly aged to some extent. But there's still life in the ol' girl?, yet.

As noted by DSO Gaming, someone has created a version of Skyrim w?ith a graphical kiss of life, so to speak. Specifically, someone has ported the game ??over to Unreal Engine 5, and you can now play the demo of this fan project.

The video above gives a taste of how much it's improved the overall look of Bethesda's aging RPG. The person responsible for the port �?one Greg Coulthard �?says they wrote their own C++ plugin, which allows it to read the ESM files of Skyrim, which also automates "landscape generation and object placement" within UE5. You can download the demo from Discord here. Ju??st look for the link pinned to the top of the "bethesda_unreal" channel.

Just a lovely stroll through the world

A couple of things to note: first, Coulthard says their version uses the vanilla assets of Skyrim, so it will still loo?k very close to the 2011 release, just with much better visuals. Second, DSO notes that the demo only contains the world, so there's no gameplay or RPG mechanics to speak of.

Basically, if you just want to have a leisurely walk through Skyrim's land, wondering what could have been had Bethesda built the game in Unreal Engine, this is your chance. As for when we will have a full release of the project, it's hard to say at this stage.? For all we know, it may never emerge.

Essentially, go into this with an understanding that it's more of a proof of concept than an example of things to come. But, hey, it's at least another way for Skyrim to retain some degree of relevance while we wait ever longer for updates on The Elder Scrolls 6.

The post Skyrim has been ported to Unreal Engine 5, and it’s stunningly beautiful appeared first on Destructoid.

One of Resident Evil's biggest impacts on gaming was it being paramount in helping the industry push into 3D development. Along with the likes of Doom, the days of 2D video games were about to be cast aside in favor of something more advanced. So imagine my surprise when I saw that these two iconic franchises came together in retr??o fashion.

Over on ModDB, user DooMero Entertainment has just released a version of the original Resident Evil 4 that turns the clock back by remaking it as a 2D side-scrolling shooter. To cap it all off, it's been made in the Doom 2 engine. Or at least, it's been uploaded under that category, and the developer does say it's made to run on GZDoom,?? a port that allows id Software's iconic series to run on more modern hardware.

DooMero says this version of RE4 has two campaigns: Leon and HUNK, a mercenary who has their origins in Resident Evil 2. However, the mod description does say that Leon's story has been shortened, "covering only up to the village section," but HUNK's segment makes up for it with? a n?on-canonical story.

Is there anything Doom can't do?

I'm showing my ignorance here, but looking at the footage above, I'm left dumbfounded by how this has been accomplished. Having only really tinkered with a bit of level editing in my time (mainly Quake and Quake 2), I'm in awe of how someone has managed to take a classic Doom game �?famous for its three-dimensional visuals �?and remade Resident Evil 4 in 2D �?again, something that's not known for being 2D i?n the first place �?within it.

It seems like I'm not the only one impressed by the mod, given the title of the above video, which is positively awestruck by the idea that this project exists. It also, once again, shows the awesome power of Doom modding.

Even these past few weeks, we've seen all the ways the OG can be tinkered with. Everything from Doom meets Starfield, to Doom as an Age of Empires RTS game, to Doom 2 reimagined as a neon, synthpop world are things I'd never imagine I'd ever associate? with the iconic FPS. But, here we are.

The post Some genius has only gone and done a 2D version of Resident Evil 4…i?n Doom appeared first on Destructoid.

I can't speak for everyone, of course, but when I play Skyrim, I seldom stop to admire the wildlife that frolics throughout this cold slice of Tamriel anymore. I think I've just played the game so much that I've gradually become numb to any visual allure. But with the power of modding, I can learn to truly appreciate TES5 once more.

Thanks to Nexus Mods user shadowman2777, I can now sleep with a cow. No, no. Not like that. Please try to focus here. I mean, "Sleep With Any Cow Shout" is a way of chilling with a fellow bovine creature while out and about in Skyrim.

If you just want to kick back with a furry wild beast (again, drag your mind out of the gutter), you can employ this cust??om Shout, which will allow you to cuddle up to any cow you target. Why would you want to do this? Why are you being so? judgmental, is my rebuttal.

Fus-Cow-Dah!

Seriously, look how chilled out the guy in the image above looks, craning his neck to feel rested? against the animal's stomach. Ignore the well-endowed wo??man in the neon pink cocktail dress who's standing nearby. I'm sure she's not related to the mod.

Oh, there is one thing I should probably say. While, yes, there are cows in Skyrim, they don't appear like the ones in the images shared by shadowman2777 on Nexus. This is because �?according to the description �?this mod seems to require another download: "FNIS Creatures." I'm not sure if this is for the animations or these particular types of cows. In any case, if you need it, you can download if from here.

By now, you should all have enough Skyrim mods installed to make the aging RPG look like a different game entirely. No, but seriously, if Bethesda doesn't let us mod The Elder Scrolls 6 by improving the visuals, adding custom quests, or changing the names of the? Frost Troll??s to Tim Allen for some reason, what even is the point?

The post Time to cuddle cows with this Skyrim mod appeared first on Destructoid.

I think it's fair to say that Starfield is a decent game, pretty vast in scope, but it didn't quite reach the lofty heights Bethesda was hoping for. Still, it's a year and a bit later, and it's managing to draw people in, but it's unfortunately struggling to shake off that "Mixed" review score on Steam.

However, that won't deter the modding community, the tenacious and ambitious bunch that they are, and this new one combines the world of Starfield with the carnage of modern Doom. Over on the Bethesda Creations site, "At Hell's Gate" is now available to play for free. Check ou??t the brief trailer for it below.

The description has this to say about it:

A band of mercenaries has narrowly escaped an encounter with some??thing that can only be described as beyond evil. Investigate this mysterious happening and ?prevent a vile force from invading your universe.

DoomField! (Puns are easy)

The mod �?which is available on both PC and Xbox Series X|S versions of Starfield �?also comes with some tasty bonuses after you complete the new quest. Once done, you'll get access to a spacesuit that's based on Doom's Praet??or Suit, the Super Sho?tgun (natch), and the Crucible Blade.

There are also six plushies that can be crafted if you wish to decorate your Starfield outposts and homes. When you download "At Hell's Gate," you can start the mission by "approaching an SSNN broadcast pillar in any of the major cities, such as New Atlantis, Cydonia, Ak??ila City, or Neon."

This official Creations mod comes from the minds of Kinggath Creations, the team that's also responsible for the "Bard's College Expansion" and "East Empire Expansion" quests for Skyrim, as well as Sim Settlements 2, the rather vast sequel to the city-building project that you can download for Fallout 4.

So, you know, these guys weren't just banging rocks together when they decided to blend Doom with Starfield. They seem to know what they're doing.

The post Starfield and Doom come together in this o??fficial Creation mod appeared first on Destructoid.

If I received a penny for every time I did a post about a Doom or Doom 2 mod, I'd probably have enough to buy at least a loaf of bread. That may not???? sound impressive, but bread can be expensive these days, so that would easily equate to a couple hundred posts. It's still a fair amount for one person.

The point is that I've found another one. This one hits closer to home, as it pertains to a dystopian version of my home country, England. Also, the dystopian premise. That checks out as well. Over on ModDB, user chazlee i?s bringing us "Bolero," a dark take on ol' Blighty, with plenty of "urban dismay and raw insanity" to?? boot.

Taking on "Cannibals, Cultists, Nazi Bikers," and more in this Doom 2 mod, this is very much going for a leather-clad?? 1970s vibe, which is not quite my era, but I'm here for it all the same.

Dance, dance the Bolero

Sadly, "Bolero" is not yet out, wi??th the download page simply having it down as TBD for its release date. For now, the images on ModDB will have to suffice, although it's hard to know what to expect from screenshots. But I do like the dark purple sky and biker gang vibe I get from what I assume is a title image.

Hopefully, it won't be too long until it's out. We all know the old Doom games inside and out by now, so it's always interesting to see the ways in which the fa?n base keeps tinkering with the original. It's no wonder we keep talking about the games. Or at least I do.

Add onto that all the bizarre ways Doom has been ported, which includes a version of it on Nintendo's Alarmo device and even placed within the cutesy world of Stardew Valley. Seriously, if I ever get sick of talking about the mods for these classic id Software games, know that I have been taken over? by some sort of sentient amoeba*.

^{*"So what else is new!" Says the funniest person in the room.}

The post This Doom 2 mod will turn the game into?? 1970s dystopian England…with cannibals appeared first on Destructoid.

For as long as there's been Doom, there's been a way to modify and tinker with id Software's iconic FPS. Indeed, the original has been ported in so many interesting and bizarre ways, including on a smart toothbrush. Did you even know there were smart toothbr?ushes?

Anyway, the time has come to unleash it unto Stardew Valley. You can see it in action on the Reddit thread below, but it does exactly what it says on the tin by adding an arcade cabinet into the game that will allow you to play the original Doom.

Simply referred to as "DoomValley," you can install it yourself by downloading the file from GitHub. User wojciech-graj provides installation instructions for both Windows and Linux. However, do note that it doesn't work with sound. But you all know what Doom sounds like at this point.

I should have said StarDoom Valley...it was right there!

Based on the above footage, it looks as though you jus?t have to purchase the cabinet from Gus in the Stardrop Saloon. It'll only set you back 10,000 gold, but if you play it the way my girlfriend does, you're all basically millionaires at this point, I'd wager.

Honestly, given that Stardew Valley already has an arcade machine that plays its own minigame, I'm surprised it's taken this long to add Doom into it. Unless there are multiple instances of this happening in the past, I'm just not with the times?? anymore.

Be that as it may, it still astounds me that Doom keeps getting all this love some 30 years after it was released. Given that we've seen it running on a John Deere tractor, a pregnancy test, and even E. coli cells (sort of), porting it to Stardew almost seems passé at this point.

The post At long last, D??oom can be played in Stardew Valley appeared first on Destructoid.

Portal 2 seems like a lifetime ago, now. It released all the way back in 2011 and was the last (and ju?st the second) time Valve took us on a journey through its puzzle-based game with the sardonic robot antagonist. It's a shame we never got a third entry, as it feels like there's still so much to explore. Still, we can always make what we have look shinier.

As noted by DSO Gaming, you can now play Portal 2 via Nvidia's RTX Remix software, which gives the game full Path and Ray Tracing features. To put it simply (because I don't un??derstand how the tech works myself), it boosts the lighting and overall visuals, making you go "ooh, shiny," throughout.

You can download the mod �?which was created by user xoxor4d �?from GitHib. However, it should be noted that this is still a work in progress. The description on the download page says RTX Remix was "never intended to support Por??tal 2." As such, you may encounter one or two bugs or a few c?rashes, so do bear that in mind before you install it.

Remixing the classics

Here are the featu?res for the RTX Rem??ix compatibility mod of the game:

• Most things are rendered using the fixed-function pipeline.
• Remix friendly culling and the ability to manually override culling per visleaf.
• Per map loading of remix config files to set remix variables.
• Spawning of unique anchor meshes.

As you can see from the video above, Portal 2 looks pretty striking. To be fair, even though it's been 13 years s?ince it was released, the vanilla experience still holds ?up, but if you can get it running through Nvidia's toolkit, you'll definitely notice the visual differences.

Nvidia launched the beta of RTX Remix at the start of this year. Since then, modders have been using it to inject a bit of Ray Tracing goodness into some classic games, including The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind, GTA: Vice City, Half-Life 2, Tomb Raider, and even the original Unreal.

We also got an official release of an RTX Remix version of the first Portal back in 2022, which looked stunning. However, it was notable for requi?r??ing a much beefier system to run when compared to the standard game.

According to the Steam page, it even?? recommends a GeForce RTX 4080 graphics card and 32GB of RAM if you want ?to play it on "Ultra" settings. Maybe that's one of the reasons it has a review score of "Mixed."

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I never thought I'd see the day when I would reach my forties (laugh it up) and Doom would still be relevant in the gaming sphere. With The Dark Ages coming sometime in 2025, id Software's inf??luential shooter franchise is still as strong as ??ever.

To say nothing of the modding community, which has been tweaking and tinkering with the classics since time immemorial. Most fan-made content may change much about the originals, but will typically keep it feeling like a traditional Doom game. However, one person decided to switc?h thing??s up a bit.

ModDB user HELLKNIGHT61 thought it was high-time to remove the "FP" from "first-person shooter" and deliver a version of Doom that's more isometric. More specifically, they've taken the 1993 game and rebuilt it in the Age of Empires 2 engine, turning i??t into some sort of classic PC gami??ng amalgamation.

Rip 'n' tear 'n' wololo

Now, before I go any further, I am aware ?that "Age of DOOM" came out a year ago. According to the download page, it was released on November 9, 2023. However, it seems to have wormed its way onto the first couple of pages of ModDB and, honestly, I'm genuinely surprised I haven't come across this one already.

HELLKNIGHT61 describes the mod as both a "tactical shooter and isometric shooter game," with some point 'n' click elements to boot. Simply put: it takes the sprites and visuals from Doom (as well as the ultra violent Brutal Doom mod) and incorporates them into Age of Empire 2's otherwise green and pleasant lands.

It's also standalone, which means you don't need either of the official games in order to play "Age of DOOM." It features a tutorial scenario, a practice scenario, as well as a remake of the "Knee Deep in the Dead" chapter, which has nine maps. It's also recommended to start with the tutorial, becaus??e a fast-paced shooter in an isometric world with tactica?l elements may not have the most intuitive gameplay.

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Although it's a hugely successful and much-beloved game, Fallout 4 sometimes gets criticized for its continued scaling back of more traditional role-playing elements. It's these elements that arguably made the series such a cult hit in the first place. Since Bethesda took over for the third installment, it defi?nitely feels like things have slid into more action than straight-up RPG.

Of the later Fallout games that have come about, New Vegas is almost universally considered the best in the series. People are always keen to return to this modern classic, and that includes the modding community, where Nexus Mods user bp42s (thanks, DSO Gaming) brings us "REPUTATION."

Aside from being spelled out in a way that makes it feel like you should shout it out loud with your arms held aloft, this mod adds one of New Vegas' much-missed features into Fallout 4. Specifi??cally �?and as the name implies �?it adds reputation, allowing you to gain fame or infamy among known factions.

Just like in the good old days

This means you can now achieve good standing with a number of settlements across the nuclear-annihilated city of Boston, which can yield rewards. For example: having a positive reputation may "provide you with access to their gear, materials, or a tribute chest in your ?honor."

You can also ge??t access to supply crates, which can become unlocked if that particular faction sees you in a more favorable light. Additionally, you can get unique perks for reach??ing an "idolized" status. These perks are said to be powerful, but "not game-breaking or unbalanced."

Alternatively, if you decide to be an utter bastard on your Fallout 4 travels, you can earn such negative esteem, that people will send out hit squads, similar to the Legionary Assassins in New Vegas. Vendors will also increase their pr????ices for both buying and selling depending on what they think of you.

Also, salutes have been added to the game, and bp42s says that generic NPCs "in the more organized or militaristic factions will have a chance to salute you when you look at them, depending o??????????????????????????n how liked you a?re." It's all about making friends or enemies, then.

It's a nice little revival of a role-playing element that seems to have gone away completely in the Fallout series. The fact that your actions and antics can once again influence how citizens and other wastelanders regard you �?and whether they want to shoot you in the face �?is something I think a lot of fans of the series will be keen to see in Fallout 4.

The post This Fallout 4 mod brings back the reputation system fr??om New Vegas appeared first on Destructoid.

Are you tired of me talking about Half-Life mods yet? Good. I actually have no idea how you respond??ed, as this was written in the past. I'm essentially time-traveling right now. Hmmm...best not to think about that concept.

Anyway, Valve's 1998 shooter not only set new heights for what was possible in the FPS genre, but it remains steadfast in the limelight thanks to a dedicated modding community. For this installment of "How Long Can I Keep Harping On About Half-Life," I present a mod which is set in the Aliens universe.

Yes, that's "Aliens" with an "s." As noted by DSO Gaming, Team Lambda has just released the first episode of Solitary Echoes; a single-player campaign that pi??ts you against the iconic Xenomorph creatures and is set on LV-513.

Hopefully, it won't be game over, man, game over

The team behind the mod says they are both "extremely proud and to? be honest also a little scared" about the release of the first episode. The description on ModDB says they've "worked on this for one and a half years now," and "hitting that upload button" has given them the heebie-jeebies.

The images alone really put me into the mindset of this being an Aliens game, with its familiar set pieces, while the above video will easily make you forget this was made in Half-Life. In fact, I'd go so far as to say this almost looks like it could be an Alien vs. Predator game. The report from DSO says the 3D models used in Solitary Echoes may well have come from AvP2.

There doesn't appear to be any mention of when the next episode will release, or how many there will be in total. Suffice it to say, this is definitely one to check out if you like a horror-based first-person shooter set in a James Cameron-esque universe. I realize that could describe pretty much any Alien video game, but it's worth repeating that this was all done in the original Half-Life engine. Impressive, says I.

The post This Half-Life mod combines Valve’s iconic FPS with the Aliens universe appeared first on Destructoid.

It must be a huge weight off the collective shoulders of everyone at Bloober Team to see the remake of Silent Hill 2 is doing pretty well for itself. Steam shows the game as "Overwhelmingly Positive" for all reviews, so it definite??ly proves the wait was worth it in the end.

As a survival horror game, Silent Hill 2 is dripping with mood, atmosphere, anguish, sorrow, and grotesque denizens. What it's not dripping with, however, is a potassium-based snack. This is where Nexus Mods user Stevebg23 comes to the rescue with a m??od that changes the pistol James finds into a large banana.

As if that wasn't enough, you'll also find that the lead pipe �??a classic of the original 2001 releas?e, many would say �?has also been changed. Now, the player will find themselves beating the snot out of monsters with a giant spoon.

Because of reasons, I guess

The reason for the "Banan??a Gun and Spoon Pipe" mod is simple: the creator "always wanted to have a silly mod," and this is the result. They also reassure us you can reload the skin of the gun, and that the spoon is "shiny and silvery and nice to handle against the hordes of evil coming your way." Comforting to know.

Despite its seriousness, anyone who's played the original Silent Hill 2 knows the developer was not afraid to get a little silly. The infamous dog ending showed a kind of light-he??arted irreverence for this drab horror experience that many of us were absolutely not expecting the first time around.

Of course, the game is still the same, even if yo?u do swap out the pistol for a healthy-looking, half-peeled banana. It's nice to know James is getting his vitamins while battling the inner demons of his guilty conscience.

The post Here’s a Silent Hill 2 mod that turns the weapons into a banana and a large spoon appeared first on Destructoid.

Let's play a game. Let's see how long we can talk about Half-Life without bringing up the elusive third entry yet to emerge. Wait. Damn, we've already lost. How long was that? Anyway, yes, despite continued hopes that Valve may still make a third installment in its iconic FPS series, we're still not there.

So why bother with HL3 when we have Half-Life at home? More specifically, we have mods. And even though Halloween is now over (just), we can still get our spook on with this download from ModDB user ScriptedSnark.

This one may actually spark a bit of nostalgia in some �?especially those with an interest in indie horror games �?as it reimagines Slender: The Eight Pages in the original Half-Life engine, GoldSrc. From the images alone, it does look to be a faithful take on the cult Slender game, which, by the way, is more than 12 years old at this?? point.

What even is time?!

I remember The Eight Pages quite fondly. Though short, it very much left an impression on people who dared to open up the .exe file. If you're not familiar with the game, it came to prominence around the time t??he whole?? Slenderman "mythos" started to take off.

Th??e game itself placed you in a ?wooded area in the middle of the night, with naught but a flashlight to help you see your way through. The object was to collect eight pages that have been scattered around the area, stapled onto a tree, for example.

The twist was that each one you picked up wo?uld ramp up the scares. The creepy Slenderman would begin to emerge, teleporting closer to your location to try and capture you. The music would thump, your heartbeat would race faster, and, for some of us, collecting just a few pages was enough to close down the application.

It's nice to see Slenderman �?despite him no longer being the horror darling of the internet �?coming back via Half-Life's engine. However, it remains?? to be seen whether the mod g??ives you a crowbar for you to slap the ghoulish creature silly.

The post Remember Slenderman? He’s back. In Half-Life form appeared first on Destructoid.

While this might've been a laughable prospect years ago, in the middle of Skyrim's heyday, Bethesda's p??aid Creations mods are now the go-to option for many players. At least, this is the case with Starfield, and the resident third-part??y modding website Nexus Mods is responding accordingly at la??st.

More specifically, Nexus Mods' latest policy update includes a proper clarification of how the company feels about paid mods approved by publishers/developers. It sounds fairly innocuous and sensible in general, to be fair, but there are a few tidbits that could bring about problems later down the line. The gist of it all, as Nexus puts it, is that the company is "committed to building a positive modding community where all content is freely available." As per the new policy, this means no interaction with paid mods whatsoever.

Nexus Mods issues a blanket prohibition on 'demo' versions of paid mods and more

As highlighted on r/starfieldmods and featured above, there are three big points of contention to be discussed in the context of Nexus' latest polic?y update:

• Nexus Mods does not allow free mods to be shared in instances where they are inferior versions of a paid mod.
• Nexus Mods does not allow the sharing of mod lists that rely on paid mods to the extent that the list does not work without the user paying for content.
• Nexus Mods does not allow any patches or addons for paid user-generated content.

?The first two updates are, broadly speaking, fairly sensible. Using Nexus Mods as a demo site for paid content hosted exclusively over on Creations is in bad taste and diminishes Nexus' value as a third-party host for community-made content. Similarly, sharing mod lists that outright rely on paid mods to function is a poor showing, as it directly drives revenue toward Creations.

Extrapolating from this, it seems similarly sensible that Nexus would also disallow patche??s and/or expansions for paid Bethesda Creations mods (or for any other similar mod marketplace, for that matter). And there's definitely an argument to be made that such improvements can still be hosted on Creations to begin with. Y?et, this also opens the door to situations where a non-Creations modder will no longer be able to make an X Nexus mod compatible with a paid Y Creations mod using an XY patch hosted on Nexus.

We'll have to wait and see how this pans out in practice, of course, but this could drive an eve?n bigger wedge between the two modding marketplaces than there currently is.

It's also worth considering the fact that Bethesda's taken to releasing some first-party Starfield content via Creations as paid offerings to begin with.? Would Nexus now disallow Nexus ??patches and addons for Bethesda's own Creations items? Probably not, but it's all quite up in the air as it stands. Time will tell how this pans out in the end, but it's clear that Nexus isn't happy with the direction Bethesda's taken with Creations.

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Although it's not the largest video game ever in terms of map size (not even when compared to other Elder Scrolls titles), Skyrim still boasts a hefty amount of land to ?explore. Its vastness gives plenty to see while out and about on (mostly??) fun quests, but there's no doubt that it could stand to be a bit bigger.

That's where Nexus Mods user Nevah comes onto the scene. As noted by DSO Gaming, we've got an opportunity to explore a brand-new ??island, thanks to "Nevah’s Isle Redux." Not only is there an island/world to explore, but the mod also contains a ghost village, complete with a home for the player.

The description on Nexus says to get to the island, you'll need to head to the docks at Solitu??de. There's also a memorandum to the creator's father at the northwes??t point of the island, as well as "many secrets and hidden rooms."

To cleanse or not

Eagle-eyed? readers will have spotted the word "redux" in the mod's title. This is because it's a redo of a previous creation. While it's pretty much the same as the older version, this time around, they've added an optional side quest that lets you restore the island/ghost village to its former glory.

Nevah strongly recommends going through with the quest, as the island is "far more beautiful that way" and, ????once restored, will have "no more cobwebs or decay or overgrowth." Of course, it's entirely up to you, so if you don't mind wandering around a new island that's home to ghost vendors, that's an option as well.

It's also recommended to install the mod manually, with the ESP ideally at the bottom of your Skyrim loadout list. It shoul??d also work alongside any other modifications you've got installed, but, as anyone will tell you, there's always a slight risk with?? these things. We like to live dangerously, yeah?

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There aren't many games that mix heavy-handed literature with first-person shooting. BioShock is one example that springs to mind. Not so much Half-Life 2, but someone is in the midst of creati??ng a mod for Valve's iconic FPS that seems to take cues from the classi?cs.

ModDB user GRÆMAMËTH is currently working on "Goethe's Last Laugh," a full-conversion modification for Half-Life 2 that, from the images alone, looks wonderfully bizarre. Oh, hell. I don't think I could do it justice, so here's what the creator has to say about the project (after you've checked out the footage bel??ow,? of course):

In the abstract, it’s a working class power fantasy about ad?diction a?nd revolution...

Take control of Jackson Ian Faust, a 300 year old, self destructive, misanthropic vamp??ire, and investigate the many unusual phenomenon of Gondolas city, a fictional civilization set on the sinking monster?? island of Duciano.

No mention of a Mephistopheles-inspired gravity gun

It's still in development at the moment, with no release date yet. However, you can keep an eye on progress from the ModDB page linked above, or follow it on Itch.io. This ?one definitely seems too g??ood to miss out on, especially with its proposed themes.

Now, I've never read Faust, so I can't say how certain this Half-Life 2 mod will match up with the original text. But I do know that it must have inspired the project, given that it's titled after the play's author, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and has you play as someone literal?ly called Faust.

It's? also where we get the term "Faustian" from,?? to refer to any kind of deal or barter that leads to dire consequences. I'm hoping there'll be some of that in GRÆMAMËTH's mod. If not, at least we get to play as a cynical vampire that's three centuries old. That's always dope. Do people say "dope" these days?

The post Bizarre Half-Life 2 mod lets you control a ‘300-year-old, self-destructive, misanthropic vampire’ appeared first on Destructoid.

Thanks largely to the recent Shattered Space DLC, Starfield has been enjoying something of a resurgence. SteamDB shows there has been a bit of an uptick in player count on PC, even ??if the game over??all is not exactly beaming with universal praise.

All that aside, people are still playing it and modding for it. A recent bit of fan-made content �?as spotted by DSO Gaming �?injects a little bit more realism into Starfield, thanks t??o NPC schedules and busi?ness opening hours.

Created by user FlippingEggs, "NPCs Have Routines and Stores Have Schedules" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue as a mod title, but it does exactly what it says on the tin. It effectively gives a bunch of non-playable characters a bit of vim, w??hich uses custom AI to give them their own sch?edules.

"Sorry, bud. I'm closed now."

It should be noted that not every Starfield character has been given the gift of a timetable. The description over on Nexus Mods has th?e following to say:

36 named characters now have daily schedules
4 unnamed but unique characters now have daily schedules
10 new robots work in various stores, so you can buy stuff when the store owner isn't there (Styx included)
57 data slates added to various store countertops and NPCs' personal spaces. Some of these slates are simple notifications of business hours, while others offer you a window into the lives of characters and where you can find them when they aren't working.
1 of?? these?? data slates is an Easter egg for The Expanse

Oh, yeah. That's the other thing. Because the mod gives many businesses in the game actual opening hours, robots can be on-hand to work through the night while the proprietor gets some much-needed rest. You'll find that ??stores and their owners in places like New Atlantis, Akila City, Neon, and more have been given these schedules.

The creator goes on to say:

If you find a shopk??eeper while they're away from their store, or sleepin??g, their normal dialogue tree will not be available and you won't be able to trade with them.

They've also been careful to make sure t?he mod doesn't interrupt vanilla quests and should be compatible with a lot of other installations you have installed. But it's best to check beforehand.

I don't know why, but "NPCs Have Routines and Stores Have Schedules" puts me in-mind of Oblivion. Remember in the early 2000s when Bethesda was promoting its upcoming Elder Scrolls 4? Todd Howard and his team were so excited about its new "Radiant AI" system, which essentially gave?? NPCs their own daily routines, including eating, sleeping, and practicing their archery. Ah, to be young again. And also a?? non-playable character in a role-playing game.

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Ah, Skyrim. If it weren't for the fact that you ?were a genuinely good (albeit buggy to hell) game that stays afloat thanks to the modding community, you probably would have disappeared into obscurity long ago. Also, hey, here's something you never, ever hear in the game: "Oh no! Look out for that tank!"

Until now, that is. If your WW2 artillery needs are not being met by Skyrim, perhaps this mod will scratch that battle scar. As reported by DSO Gaming, Nexus Mods user MixedMartialArtist brings "World of Tanks" to The Elder Scrolls 5.

It is, as you can imagine (and as the above clip shows), a means of combining the fantasy world of Bethesda's creation with the ability t??o �?and I quote �?"partake in The Greatest Tank Battles in history." Did I mention the destructive tanks? I'm pretty sure I mentioned the destructive tanks. It sort of answers the question of what would happen if you mashed up fanciful role-playing elements ??with world war re-enactments.

"You're finally awake. Here's a Mauser."

To put it in the creator's own words:

Now Skyrim can be played as a War-Tank Battle Game with an endless amount of epic battles. Skyrim is now full of action and chaos as armies of both sides continue to press into enemy territory with their squads of infantry and armored ve??hicles. Take part in the war by joining the civil war, and destroy your enemies with the plethora of weapons at your disposal - guns, rockets, tanks, bombs, artillery, you name it. Build your army with new troops and tanks at forts, or simply use your abilities to take control of nearby patrols to follow you. Shoot your machine gun from your commander's cupola, mowing down hordes of bunched up infantry, and fire your main gun to eliminate enemy armor.

I haven't had a chance to download and try "World of Tanks" myself yet, but the clips are putting me in mind of the old Medal of Honor games. Remember those? The idea that we can inhabit a fictional realm where World War 2 tanks and dragons can duke it out for ??moral supremacy is the sole reason we keep on gaming, I feel.

That and The Elder Scrolls 6 still feels like a long way off from releasing. Yeah, yeah. I know. Change the record, already. Or change the Instagram Reel. I'm not sure how to modernize retro sayings. Anyway, what was I saying? Oh yes. Skyrim.

The post Welp, there it is folks; Sky??rim now has full tank battles appeared first on Destructoid.

The one thing about the original Doom and Doom 2 was they really liked to emphasize the dreary colors to match the guttural ?90s violence. Combined with some of the murkier, bloodier hellscape levels, id Software's iconic series is not exactly known for its liberal use of bright colors.

Until now, that is. As you can see, ModDB user DoomMate is currently in the midst of creating a mod for Doom 2 that can only be described as "neon." While it's still a work-in-progress, "Volt Las??er" is promising a large selection of custom maps that have taken cues from a more synthwave/cyberpunk aesthetic.

This ??"megawad" will contain 35 levels, featuring a city??, underground, some outskirts, and more. You can see the progress that's been made in the video above, and I, for one, am looking forward to running around maps that have purple floors and teal buttons.

Deus-Doom? System Doom?

As mentioned, "Volt Laser" is still ?being worked on. Its creator did say they wanted it out by November, but ha?ve had to delay releasing the mod due to other commitments. At this time, there's no definite launch day, but it should hopefully be before the end of the year.

However, DoomMate did post recently with some updates from the project, including some more images. I don't know about you, but that skyline in the distance is giving me mad original Deus Ex vibes. Or some other throwback piece of dystopian ???science fiction.

In any case, I'm here for it. Honestly, I'll be surprised if I ever get bored of seeing Doom mods. We've all played the game??s to death and I know I go? on about fan-made content a lot, but if I had even an iota of investment and talent as a lot of modders do, you wouldn't be reading this article right now.

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The remake of Silent Hill 2 launched yesterday and judging from the current review scores on Steam, it's going down a mighty treat. Bloober Team seems to have done the or?iginal a great service with its re??imagining of the iconic 2001 survival horror game. However, it's not perfect.

For example, the developer has ensured that the cutscenes in Silent Hill 2 are locked to 30 frames per second. In this modern era of gaming, this can be something of a bugbear. Fortunately, as noted by DSO Gaming, someone has already fixed that. At least on the PC ?version.

Nexusmods user RoseTheFlower has created "Cutscene Improvements," a modification for the remake th??at unlocks the FPS during the cutscenes on PC. This means they can now be viewed in higher framerates. The mod also removes the "?black bars from the cutscenes in anything other than 16:9."

Unlocking Silent Hill's full potential

According to the report from DSO, it does work pretty well, though they've only tried it on a few of the earlier cutscenes, with the writer adding that they "did not spot any framepacing or speed issues." This potentially raises the question of why the developer and/or publisher made the decision to lock the scenes to just 30f??ps.

Such a small detail may not be a huge issue for some gamers. However, those who want more bang for their buck are willing t??o play something that makes the most of their hardware. Bethesda raised similar concerns when it turned out that Starfield would be locked to 30fps on a console. At least the PC version still has it unlocked.

It seems there may not be any one reason why a modern studio would limit frame rates in this day and age, but it is far from me to speculate Bloober or Konami's rationale. In any case, if you are playing Silent Hill 2 on PC and you ha??ve a system with decent specs, "Cutscene Improvements" seems to be one mod that's w?orth trying out.

The post Not happy about Sile?nt Hill 2 cutscenes being locked to 30fps? You need this mod, then appeared first on Destructoid.

Let's face it, when playing Doom or Doom 2, the only reason to start punching enemies is that you've just picked up the Berserk power-up. Either that or you have a sadistic?, unquenchable desire to know how long it takes to down a Cyberdemon with fisticuffs. Hint: it's probably a long time.

Anyway, if you're tired of being given the easy route with weapons, ModDB user Tortilladude has the solution. With "Gunless" instal?led, you can strip away the need f??or pistols, shotguns, and rocket launchers, as this mod only allows you to use your punches to quash the demons of hell.

Making a case that guns in Doom 2 are (and I quote) "for wussies after all," this download replaces all weapon sprites with just the Doomguy's fists, which includes numerous v??ariations on the punching animation.

Mano a Imp-o

Now, I haven't ??had a chance to check out the mod myself, but from the images on the download page, it looks like yo?u still get projectiles. It's just they're now coming from your knuckles instead of from the business end of a plasma rifle or something.

In any case, Doomguy will no longer have to worry about lugging around all manner o?f arsenal. Not when he can mow down the denizens of the underworld with naught but his mitts and a "duke it out" mentality.

Once again, we find ourselves drawn back to the allure of classic Doom. The modding community has kept us coming back for more with some pretty interesting ways of playing id Software's iconic FPS. We may be moving forward, what with Doom: The Dark Ages coming in 2025, but it'll be a cold day in hell before people stop playing and tinkering with the OG entries in t??he?? series.

The post Punching is where it’s at with this ‘gunless’ Doom 2 mod appeared first on Destructoid.

Modded games tend to fall apart whenever the developer pushes an official update to them, but I am thrilled to announce that this is not the case with Starfield. Specifically, the release of Shattered Space and its accompanying patch worke??d surprisingly flawlessly, and our mods are mostly safe?.

The jury is still out on whether Starfield: Shattered Space is some of Bethesda's finest work yet. I find it roughly comparable to prior Bethesda mainline DLCs such as Dragonborn and Far Harbor, though a tad more disappointing in some key ways. The flip side of the coin, though, is that Shattered Space does not seem to break the vast majority of mods for Starfield, and even the legendary Script Extender has already been updated to support it.

Your Starfield modlist is safe with Shattered Space, and the Script Extender has already been updated

As is usually the case with any other first-party Bethesda RPG, it doesn't take long before it becomes unthinkable to play them without mods. I myself enjoy systemic revamps such as Bedlam's dungeon randomization features, while others might be more keen on upgrading the game with a whole assortment of new gear, vehicle mods, graphics upgrades, or even Star Wars-themed paraphernalia. Who am I to judge?

The obvious expectation was that our modded builds of Starfield would basically be out of the picture for a little while until all the mods get updated and tweaked to accommodate Shattered Space. Imagine my surprise, then, when I managed to l??oad?? into the game basically minutes after the DLC's release.

For better or for worse, Starfield's new Shattered Space is almost entirely separate from the rest of the game. It adds a reasonable chunk of new stuff, sure, but it doesn't tap into Starfield's core progression and gameplay systems. In turn, this means Shattered Space is functionally a mod in all the ?ways that matter and should behave nicely for most users.

Very, very few mods needed updates outside of the Script Extender. I'm not running an overly hefty modlist, granted, as I've got "only" a few dozen mods installed at this time, but oth?er people are happily reporting experiences that mirror mine.

In case you missed the news, the update that dropped alongside Shattered Space is a monumental achievement in its own right. Specifically, it resolves a whole bunch of problems with Starfield in general, including the infamous mod limit that has been in place from launch day onwards. In practice, this means we no longer have to keep our modlists lean just to prevent the game from keeling over and crashing, which is phenomenal stuff. Now, if only Shattered Space had added some new ship-building ??content, I would've b??een happy.

The post Starfield: S??hattered Space ??does not break your modlist, after all appeared first on Destructoid.

A few days ago, Sony let God of War Ragnarök run free on Steam, nearly two years after its debut on PlayStati??on 5. However, there's been a bit of contention regarding the publisher's insistence that players need a PSN account, even if they don't have the console version. Or even the?? console itself.

Still, trust the modding community to come to the rescue. As spotted by DSO Gaming, Nexus Mods user iArtorias released an unofficial tool for the game that allows PC users to boot up Ragnarök without having to sign up for a PlayStation Network account??.

The modder says the download is a "tiny library that fully strips the PlayStation PC SDK runtime requirement," after some players encountered problems ??w?ith the port of the game. They do make it clear that the mod is not intended to encourage piracy, nor does it "touch or modify any original game code."

A quick look at the mod's? history demonstrates that it may not be a guaranteed fix for everyone, or at least not a permanent one. A few comments raise issues around sudden curveballs to navigate from Sony, like getting stuck on account linking threads, but iArtoriasUA has since patched the issue. Regardl??ess, as future patches roll out, it's worth noting Sony may introduce or change requirements that could result in modded PC copies getting locked out.

Sony strikes again with its PSN demands

At the time of writing, God of War Ragnarök has a Steam review score of "mixed." Indeed, while a lot of ??people seem pleased with the game, there have been a few comments regarding Sony's PSN account requirement.

This is also not the first time Sony has come under fire for this tactic. Earlier this year, it was announced that those who wanted to play Helldivers 2 on PC would also need to connect up a PlayStation Network account. There was quite the backlash from the community, and Sony eventually backpedaled on the idea.

As for God of War Ragnarök, developer Santa Monica recently published Patch 2, with the update intending to fix some issues with Nvidia Frame Generation and Reflex, as well as tweaks to the UI. You can see the full patch notes here. The developer also recently announced that Ragnarök has been verified on Steam Deck.

Whether Sony will change its mind about PC players having to link to PSN remains to be seen at this stage, but we saw what happened with Helldivers 2. For now, you may have to use iArtorias' mod.

The post God of War Ragnarök mod removes Sony’s PlayStation Network requirement appeared first on Destructoid.

According to scientific theories, such as those in Popular Mechanics, it's estimated that the last particle in the known universe will decay after 10²⁰⁰ years (a long time, basically). However, I reckon people will still be modding Skyrim. You just can't stop the? unbridled tenac?ity of gamers.

Here's one more for all you hip cats to add to your TES5 loadout. Remember when ninjas were all the rage in pop culture? Well, Nexus Mods user Q10isarobot is bringing them to Skyrim. Replacing the rebellious Forsworn, these NPCs now know kung fu. Or something li??????????????????????????ke that.

This mod change?s all the Forsworn outfits for the more traditional ninja getup. This also includes giving them weapons worthy of a?ny stealth warrior. Check them out in the video above, although it's pretty clear the player is more than capable of dispatching them. Look at all that blood!

Nin-ja or Nin-nein?

The reason why the Forsworn have been replaced with ninjas is, according to Q10isarobot, because they "fight kinda like ninjas and hang out in clans so I think it fits well in the game." Makes sense, though they do admit they're not a lore expert when it comes to Skyrim.

This also looks like a good mod for anyone who doesn't want to interrupt their current save file. The creator says it just replaces the me?sh, so it's "safe to install or uninstall," and also doesn't require an ESP file for expanding scripting.

Right. Okay. We've played and modded The Elder Scrolls 5 for quite a long time now. When's th?e sixth game coming out? No, I wi??ll not stop harping on about this.

The post This Skyrim mod turns the Forsworn into ass-kickin??g ninjas appeared first on Destructoid.