Bethesda is recognized as one of the most influential game development studios of all time. Most well-known for the successful Elder Scrolls, Doom, and Fallout franchises among others. Any list of the best-ever video games is likely to have at least one Bethesda game somewhere on it.

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Bethesda is excellent at creating immersive worlds, where the gameplay, characters, and plots make it hard to leave for reality.

But as games age, even great Bethesda games, their popularity wanes. When this happens, unless the developers update the game, remaster it or otherwise bring it in line with modern standards, it will pass into gaming history. However, some games are kept alive by an active modding community. Bethesda has been fortunate in this regard, as several of its titles have received a plethora of excellent mods, keeping them fresh long after their expiry date.

7 Dishonored

Plenty Of Graphic Update And New Game Plus Mods

Even though Dishonored, the first game in the franchise of the same name, was released in 2012, there are still new mods released for the game regularly. Although not as many as there once were. Furthermore, some of the older mods are no longer maintained.

That being said, there are still plenty of excellent mods that work well for Dishonored. Many of these aim to improve the graphics of the game, either using textures or improvements to lighting. Dishonored has a New Game Plus style of replayability, and there are quite a few mods and save game files available to improve this experience.

6 Call Of Cthulhu: Dark Corners Of The Earth

An Older Game With A Handful Of Useful Mods

Call Of Cthulhu: Dark Corners Of The Earth makes this list, simply because there are only a handful of mods available for it, but those that are available fix problems with the game that Bethesda never addressed. Fans of Call Of Cthulhu can pick this game up very cheaply on special offer, regularly.

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By using the mods that fix gameplay, gamers can get a taste of some of the earliest Call Of Cthulhu content available in video games. The game is somewhat dated now, but it was well-received in its day and something Call Of Cthulhu enthusiasts might like to experience.

5 Fallout 3

Many Transformational Mods Available

Even though Fallout 3 was released over 15 years ago, there are still new mods created for the game every week. A lot of these mods aim to bring the graphics of the game up to a more modern standard. This is done with high-resolution texture packs, and changes to lighting, weather, and many other visual elements of the game.

There are also a great many mods that change the gameplay of Fallout 3, and quite significantly so in some cases. For example, the Modern Pipboy mod brings the Fallout 4 version of the Pipboy to the older Fallout 3. Overall, any game considering playing Fallout 3 that is put off by its age, needs to know that by using a selection of good mods, the game can be made to look much better, and it is still one of the best games in the Fallout timeline.

4 Doom Eternal

Plenty Of Mods Adding New Weapons

Few game franchises are as beloved by gamers as much as Doom. The 2020 release of Doom Eternal put this franchise back on the modern gaming map. And with the game being received so well, it should come as no surprise that the modding community picked it up and ran with it.

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Many of the mods for Doom Eternal add extra weapons. Some of these weapons are designed to balance gameplay or provide more utility. Others are simply there for the fun factor, and this is what Doom has always been about, blowing things up with ludicrous over-the-top weaponry.

3 The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim

Probably The Most Modded Game Of All Time

Even though The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim was originally released over a decade ago, the fact it has received many updates, special releases, and editions, has kept it in the public eye. Because of this, Skyrim remains a popular game, with Steam statistics showing daily peak players of around 3,000.

The modding community has really gone to town on this game. New mods are still released daily. Many of these mods are nothing short of transformational, making the game something entirely new. Graphics updates keep the game looking fresh as well. Recently, modders managed to add AI-driven conversations between NPCs and the player. Players that own Skyrim but have not played it in years, might like to dust it off and give some of these amazing mods a try.

2 Fallout 4

Keeping The Game Fresh

To many gamers, Fallout 4 represents the pinnacle of Bethesda's world-building prowess. The game is almost a decade old now but still has a massive following of loyal players and modders. Something the modding community has managed to do is keep Fallout 4 looking like a modern game. There are a number of high-resolution texture packs available that impact the visuals of almost every item in the game.

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Fallout 4 has plenty of mods available that change the gameplay, and significantly so. For example, at the time this list was written, the Fallout London mod was approaching release. This is a massive mod that creates an entirely new game in the Fallout world. Fallout fans who have never played Fallout 4 should not be put off by its age. With the addition of a few graphical mods and quality-of-life mods, it is as good as any modern AAA title.

1 Starfield

A New Breed Of Moddable Games

Over the years, Bethesda has learned that mods add value to a game, and in a way that costs the company nothing. Looking back at Skyrim and Fallout 4, it is unlikely either of those games would still be as popular today had they not been gifted with some truly exceptional mods by the gaming community. And with this in mind, Bethesda built Starfield to be modder friendly, from the ground up.

Within hours of the launch of Starfield, mods were being published. The earliest of these solved issues with the vanilla game. Patching in DLSS support for example. Others tried to overcome limitations with the UI, due to PC players being forced to use an interface that was built for the console first. A special modding kit is due for release by Bethesda sometime in late 2024. At this stage, modders will be able to change almost every aspect of the game.

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A Complete List of Bethesda Games

While fans enjoy Starfield, here is a list of all the games from the house behind it: Bethesda.