You probably already own Battlefield Vietnam, Unreal Tournament 2004, and Neverwinter Nights—and you’ve probably already played through them all. Breathe new life into them with these free mods. Just download the executable files and install them on the computer where the original games are living. Oh, you’ll probably notice the ton of Unreal Tournament mods on this list. Why? The “Make Something Unreal” contest dangled some serious money in front of mod makers—and lined us up with lots of great game tweaks.
Battlefield 1942
Desert Combat
www.desertcombat.com/
This mod, set in the Middle East, continues to be wildly popular among BF1942 players. It’s maintained by a dedicated team of programmers and artists who recently released the final full-featured version to the public.
Empires
www.empiresmod.com/
This mod fuses the BF1942 experience with the tactical gameplay of real-time strategy games, giving you the option to expand your base with extra vehicles and buildings as you contest with enemy teams for valuable resources.
Battlefield Vietnam
BattleGroup Vietnam
www.battlegroup42.com/
This Vietnam conversion of BattleGroup42’s BattleGroup 1942 mod aims to bring more realism to the game, with historically accurate equipment and much more attention to detail across all the game’s weapons, vehicles, and maps.
BushWar
http://bushwar.uni.cc/
It’s the Cuban army versus the South African Defense Fund in BushWar, a total-conversion mod set in South Africa and Angola during the 1970s. It features all-new maps, as well as additional weapons and vehicles compatible with the existing Battlefield Vietnam maps.
Insurrection 1776
www.planetbattlefield.com/insurrection/
Insurrection 1776 is a Revolutionary War–style mod for Battlefield Vietnam. It’s still pretty early in development, but it is set to feature new weapons, the ability to bandage wounds, and several new weapons and classes—including an officer class that commands three to six NPC units.
Point of Existence
www.pointofexistence.com/
Forget Vietnam—Point of Existence brings the fight into the modern day, pitting the United States against Russia in a struggle for resources. This Battlefield Vietnam mod features new automatic weapons, vehicles, and aircraft.
World War II Modification
http://bfvietnam.ea.com/
Want to relive the glory days of Battlefield 1942? This official mod from EA Games and Digital Illusions updates three classic maps from BF 1942, taking full advantage of the more robust Vietnam engine.
Civilization III: Conquests
Rise and Rule
http://civ3.bernskov.com/RaR/
Variety is the spice of life in this massive modification for the Conquests expansion. It introduces 340 new units, 200 technology upgrades, and enough bells and whistles to keep you busy for a long, long time.
Command & Conquer: Generals
Battletech: The Capellan Solution
www.battletechmodproductions.com/btgenerals/
Do you miss the MechCommander games? C&C Generals meets Battletech in this total-conversion mod that brings the military RTS into the realm of futuristic battle mechs. The single-player campaign sports a solid story involving three warring clans and features plenty of changes to the typical Generals mechanics.
SecondWave
http://102freegames.1UP.com
This C&C Generals mod brings plenty of new options to the table, including a new side to play as, 30 new units, and several additional maps for skirmish and multiplayer modes.
Zero Hour Reborn: Rise to Power
http://102freegames.1UP.com
If you own the Zero Hour expansion pack for C&C Generals, check out Rise to Power, which rebalances the gameplay and adds new music, loading screens, and cinematic sequences.
DOOM 3
32-Player Multiplayer
http://justbi0.de/d3.html
Multiplayer is a great thing—and for Doom 3, four players just ain’t enough! With this mod, up to 32 players can connect to a server, making for an even more chaotic demon-killing gorefest.
Duct Tape
http://ducttape.glenmurphy.com/
If you’re anything like us, Doom 3 has instilled a new fear of the dark in you. This handy mod grafts a flashlight to your weapon in exchange for a slightly narrower cone of light.
Hello Kitty Flashlight
http://102freegames.1UP.com
Need a night-light? There are a variety of wacky flashlight modifications available for Doom 3, including the Batman logo, the Thundercats logo, and—our personal favorite—Hello Kitty.
Nitro Gore
www.nitroclan.de/
Doom 3 doesn’t exactly skimp on the vile and disgusting carnage, but if for some reason you just can’t get enough of it, this mod will ensure that you’re swimming in blood and guts the whole way through. Yummy!
Far Cry
Far Cry Co-op: Together Through Cabuto
www.farcrycoop.de.vu
The multiplayer addition is great—especially for those who can’t handle going it alone. With this mod, up to three players can take on the single-player missions simultaneously. After you’ve gotten your fill of Far Cry’s solo mode, try this multiplayer patch.
Freelancer
Freelancer: The Next Generation
www.starfyrestudios.com/
We had a great time blasting through this game when it first came out, but after finishing the adventure, we craved more. Many Freelancer mods have come and gone over the years, but TNG is one of the most complete. It’s got tons of new spacecraft, sectors to explore, and things to kill.
Half-Life
The Beginning
www.hltb.co.uk/
The Beginning is an objective-oriented multiplayer modification for the original Half-Life. It features squad-based gameplay, two distinct teams to choose from, 12 new weapons, and tons of graphical upgrades.
Counter-Strike 2D
http://102freegames.1UP.com
This total-conversion mod transforms Counter-Strike into a top-down 2D action-shooter. Fans of games such as Crimsonland should definitely appreciate this cool little throwback to simpler times.
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
Battle Tactics 2
http://battletactics.maxpayneheadquarters.com/
Battle Tactics 2 turns Max Payne 2 into a turn-based strategy game in which you’ll match wits with the enemy A.I. as you work to escort hostages to safety. There’s even a bonus Dead Man Walking level for the truly hardcore.
Matrix Edition
http://102freegames.1UP.com
If there’s one game that out-Matrixes Enter the Matrix, it’s Max Payne 2. This mod takes it a few steps further, giving you an infinite bullet-time meter, some beefy new weapons, and some new music to rock out with.
Neverwinter Nights
Tomb of Horrors
http://nwvault.ign.com/Files/modules/data/1084483376000.shtml
Based on a classic Advanced Dungeons & Dragons module, this adventure is built for high-level characters. You may need both expansions to play this module, but it’s worth it. Just consider yourself warned: With a name like The Tomb of Horrors, don’t expect it to be a cakewalk.
Return to Castle Wolfenstein
DeGeneration
www.planetwolfenstein.com/tramdesign/degeneration/index.html
This team-based mod has you and your opponents racing to create your own WMDs. It’s part Junkyard Wars as you race to the drop zone, where you grab and assemble pieces of a giant death ray. Yes, we know: a giant death ray.
Unreal II: the Awakening
The Crystal Element
www.crystalelement.tk/
Here’s something that should humble just about every game developer out there: This mod of Unreal II is a school project. It’s not actually finished yet, but even as is, it brings cool, consoleish RPG platforming to the PC that’s better than some full-priced stuff we’ve seen.
Unreal Tournament 2004
Action UT
www.ateamproductions.net
Take all of UT’s first-person action and slam it into what you’d expect to see in an action movie. That, in a nutshell, is what Action UT is all about.
Anomaly
www.anomaly-faction.com/
We are unabashed speed junkies, but there are few games like F-Zero or WipeOut on the PC. Thankfully, the guys working on Anomaly also feel that need for speed.
Alien Swarm
www.blackcatgames.com/swarm
We love the Alien movies and top-down tactical games. Put the two together and you’ve got an addictive mod in which you control a team of four specialists. In fact, it looks so slick, we’d probably pay for it if we had to.
Call to Arms
http://102freegames.1UP.com
Why wait for games like Dungeon Lords when you can get your hands on a fantasy-fueled total conversion for UT? This action-RPG has a point-and-click interface and a fairly interactive environment to explore. Not bad for two brothers programming in their spare time, eh?
Clone Bandits
www.demiurgestudios.com/
There’s no way to sum up this postapocalyptic FPS mod. But some cool, creative vehicles are yours to control, and the goal is to seize the clone pumps on each map, depleting the enemy’s supply.
Damnation
http://102freegames.1UP.com
