The five best mods of the month - July 2023

From Skyrim and Fallout to Cyberpunk 2077 and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, as well as upcoming releases like Starfield, we here at Gfinity cover an awful lot of news about mods.

This month has certainly delivered a strong selection of works that can make any playthrough a bit more interesting, with everything from samurai-style attacks, to a tropical adventure, and even a few rude gestures having possibly arrived in your load order.

With this in mind, we’ve decided to highlight five of the best mods that we’ve featured over the course of July. So, here we go…

5. Skyrim’s abandoned homes finally come off the market

Credit: Siberpunk on Nexus Mods.

First up this month is Siberpunk’s ‘Environs - Abandoned Abodes’, which is the latest in a series of impressive works designed to make life in Skyrim feel a bit more dynamic. For this latest entry, the modder has taken on the guise of a Tamrielic estate agent and managed to find some new owners for a bunch of homes across the province that end up empty following certain quests.

Set up so that they’ll take their places on the property ladder a realistic amount of time after you’ve completed the missions in question, the mod’s 14 NPCs all come with unique names and routines, designed to establish them as a proper resident of their new city.

They’ll also give their abodes makeovers, which will hopefully help cover up the slightly sketchy pasts some of the affected locations come with.

4. Tears of the Kingdom players get to wield some classic Zelda weapons

Credit: Tach9.

While Zelda players have proven that it’s possible to create all kinds of terrifying machines to do their killing for them in the series latest entry, sometimes it’s nice to revert to dealing with baddies more directly.

Tach9’s ‘Weapons of Legend - Past Zelda Gear (Standalone)’, previously known simply as 'Legendary Weapons,’ provides you with a myriad of nostalgia-inducing ways to do just that.

Boasting the mission statement of eventually bringing “every sword, shield, and bow from each 3D Zelda [game], from Ocarina of Time to Skyward Sword, into Tears of the Kingdom as a standalone weapon,” the mod is a must-have for long-time fans of Link. It’s also worth keeping tabs on going forwards, with regular updates bringing it ever closer to achieving that goal.

3. Fallout 4’s radios pick up a detective drama station

Credit: DJ Atomic Wolf and Tari Mark David.

Picture the scene. You’re in The Commonwealth. You’ve just battered a band of raiders and now you face a long hike back to civilisation in order to claim the reward for dealing with them. You turn on your Pip-Boy’s radio to try and make the miles go by faster, but aren’t in the mood for the same tunes you’ve been listening to since 2015.

Then, you discover the radio station added to the game by ‘True Vault Escapades - A Fallout Audio Drama’. You spend the journey enjoying a bunch of episodes of lore-friendly, 1940s-style detective drama from the True Vault Escapades podcast, seamlessly integrated into Fallout 4 by the show’s creator, voice actor Preston Hardin, and modder EpicestGamer.

Life in the wastes isn’t too bad after all.

2. Skyrim’s Dragonborn takes a trip to the Harthstone Isles

Credit: The Arcane University.

Having visited everywhere from Cyrodiil to Falskaar, Skyrim players love a good summer holiday. This year, ‘Harthstone Isles’, the latest work to come out of the Beyond Skyrim project’s Arcane University initiative, has come along to offer keen adventurers the perfect getaway.

The archipelago in the Sea of Ghosts that you’ll be heading to as part of the mod boasts several interesting locations, including some sizeable dungeons. It’s also home to an interesting cast of 14 NPCs, all with unique personalities, whom you’ll no doubt meet as you work your way through its five quests. So, pack your bags and head off on a trip to Harthstone.

With that, we’re down to just our victor. So, without further ado, here’s July’s top mod of the month:

1. Fallout New Vegas gains a rideable rollercoaster

Credit: AmaccurzerO on Nexus Mods/Obsidian.

Sometimes you see a mod and you just end up feeling very glad someone decided to dedicate their time making something of its nature. AmaccurzerO and Ashens2014’s ‘A Ride on El Diablo’ does a very simple thing, in theory. It lets you ride a rollercoaster in Fallout New Vegas.

The ride in question is Primm’s El Diablo, with AmaccurzerO having made the cart on Ashens2014’s rebuilt version of the coaster able to accommodate thrill-seeking couriers without the need for any risky parkour. So, now you can take a break from relentlessly pursuing the man who shot you in the head and spend a few minutes screaming ‘Weeeeeeeeeee!’ at the top of your lungs, while some bemused NCR soldiers watch on.

Video game modding. Heck Yeah.

So, that’s your winner for this month! Regardless of whether you agree with these selections, make sure to follow us for in-depth coverage of loads more great mods over the course of August. You can also check out our mods of the month for April, May and June.