Fallout 4 drops players into an irradiated wasteland surrounding Boston. The game brought numerous changes to the series, including a new story, new factions, and base-building mechanics. However, there were some aspects of Fallout 4 that fans of the series found lacking. Luckily, games from developer Bethesda are notorious for how moddable they are, with games like Skyrim and Fallout 3 still sustaining massive modding communities years after their respective releases. Bethesda games often boast a wide range of mods, from small visual items to completely fanmade expansions that can add hours of new content.
Thankfully, Fallout 4 also introduced modding to the console editions for the first time in the series. The PlayStation 4 version of the game is limited in what mods players have access to, but Xbox One players have access to a much larger selection. This introduced a large new segment of the Fallout community to modding, which can be pretty overwhelming. With Fallout 4 receiving a framerate boost on the Xbox Series X, however, now is the perfect time for Fallout fans to jump in and give a modded Fallout 4 a try. For fans who are a little overwhelmed by all of their options, there are some mods that stand out above the rest available on Xbox that make great places to start.
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While Bethesda games are very well known for being moddable, they also are well known for being very buggy. That is why every player should make sure to download The Unofficial Fallout 4 Patch. The mod fixes an incredible amount of small bugs and issues found throughout the game, promising to make a playthrough go much smoother than vanilla Fallout 4. The mod is especially a must for any players who don't want to lose a playthrough to one of Fallout 4's bugs.
KS Hairdos is far from the most influential mod on this list, but it does give players some great new options when customizing their characters. The mod introduces more than 700 new hairstyles that have textures even better than those in the base game. Most of the hairstyles in the mod work for male and female characters as well, so it is an easy download for any player looking to spice up their characters a bit. One can only hope that the character creator in Fallout 5 will feature a similar number of quality choices.
For players who have already sunk plenty of hours into Fallout 4, Fallout 2287: Nuclear Winter completely overhauls the game to make it a unique new experience. The mod will especially satisfy players who felt that Fallout 4's survival mode isn't challenging enough, as it adds players having to manage their body temperature as the Commonwealth is frozen over. One of the best things about Fallout 2287 is that it is functional with most of Fallout 4's best mods, so players can increase the challenge on any of them that they want to.
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One of the most criticized aspects of Fallout 4 is its dialogue system that only gives players a vague idea of what each option will have their character say. For players who want to know exactly what their options are, the Full Dialogue Interface mod is the perfect solution. The mod replaces all of the dialogue choices throughout the game to tell players exactly what lines their character will say for each option. It is also a great mod for players who want the game to feel a bit more similar to older Fallout titles or who want to ensure that they make the right choices.
Settlements were a divisive new feature in Fallout 4. Many fans found that they added a lot to the game's world and help them feel invested in the game, while others found them tiresome or too distracting from the game's core gameplay loop. Sim Settlements has benefits for both types of players. The mod allows players to direct settlers to continue to develop the settlement while the player is gone for players who don't want to engage with the system as much. However, it also features new features and progression systems so that players who can't get enough of improving Fallout 4's settlements have even more options and can eventually even build entire cities.
For players who are fans of Fallout 4's settlements, however, Settlement Supplies Expanded is a must-have. The mod adds over 400 new objects for players to craft and place around their settlements, which really expands what is possible to build in Fallout 4. The mod includes everything from parked vehicles to vault doors and army vehicles. The mod allows players to make locations that can rival even Fallout 4's most beautiful locations, and really lets players make a settlement that feels unique amongst the rest of the Commonwealth.
Armorsmith Extended dramatically expands the options that players have when customizing their characters. Not only does it add numerous new pieces of equipment, but it also overhauls how players can equip armor and clothing. Armor can be worn over clothing while players can also individually layer pieces of armor and can upgrade all of them with a number of new and vanilla mods. Some players may not enjoy some of the more outlandish options added in the mod, but there are plenty of more serious additions for armor as well. For any lovers of Fallout 4's companion Nick Valentine, the mod also allows players to customize the synth's appearance as well.
For players who don't want to leave behind Fallout 4's other best companion, Dogmeat, behind, the mod Everyone's Best Friend lets players always bring Dogmeat along while also having a second follower. The mod is a great addition as it lets players take full advantage of Dogmeat's unique fetching abilities while still being able to bring about another companion for some more help in combat encounters. Of course, any players using the mod will likely want to find Fallout 4's Dogmeat armor sets to help make sure that he stays alive and well throughout the playthrough.
Fallout 4 is available now on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
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