Spicing up your game is one of the most interesting things you can do in gaming, and modding Dark Souls is no exception. With the wide array of community-sourced mods, you can do anything from simply changing up the graphics settings a bit to playing a completely different game through overhaul mods. They are simple, easy to install, and rarely cause any issues with the base game. In this article, I’m going to list some of the best Dark Souls 3 mods that everyone should have.
15. Mod Engine
To start, we’re going back to the basics. Using the Mod Engine, you’re effectively getting all of the mods at your fingertips, allowing you to change the game in any way you see fit, be it with simple mods that change small details, or large, full-scale overhaul mods that change the game completely. The setup is quite easy and adding mods is simple, so all you have to do is click a few buttons and you’re on your way.
What makes the Mod Engine fun:
- Limitless possibilities
- Simple
- Quick installation
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14. First Person Cam
The first-person cam mod takes the entire perspective of the game and shifts it into the first person, adding some extra in-your-face aspects to combat that you just can’t get with a normal playthrough. The difficulty is also amped up, as you cannot see some enemy attacks and certain details might be obscured by the forced perspective. However, this is realistic and an excellent addition to an already difficult game.
What makes the First Person Cam mod fun:
- New perspective
- Added difficulty
- More immersive
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13. Recolored Visual Effects
A simple mod that takes the base spell effects in the game and gives them a new, prismatic light. The colors range in an interesting palette: pink, green, teal, purple, and violet, so you can choose whichever you think is most interesting and roll with that.
What makes Recolored Visual Effects fun:
- More diverse spell effects
- More interesting than the base game
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12. Revenant ReShade
A graphical mod that changes how the game fundamentally looks, Revenant ReShade changes the way Dark Souls 3 looks in favor of a more dark, grim cinematic experience. It includes a large number of effects such as vignette, film grain, Gaussian Anamflare, etc. All of them combined create a unique experience for a player looking for something more ambient and immersive.
What makes Revenant ReShade fun:
- New effects
- A large number of visual improvements
- Ambient
- Immersive
- Decent systems can support the graphics with no issues
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11. Modern Firearm
The first “overhaul” mod on this list, Modern Firearm changes the core aspects of Dark Souls 3 and adds the option of gun combat. The player can use a variety of weapons commonly found in first-person shooter games, and they can mow down enemies with them. The purpose of this mod is simply to have fun with the game in a way that is refreshing and unique.
What makes Modern Firearm fun:
- A new take on combat
- Unique
- Weapon mechanics are more fun
- Variety of guns
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10. Minimalistic HUD
Some games are affected by the awful plight of a clunky, in-your-face HUD that takes up a lot of screen space, and Dark Souls 3 is one of them. This mod removes the old HUD and replaces it with a slimmer, sleeker one that is reminiscent of Bloodborne. It is very simple to install using the mod engine, and it is compatible with most other mods, as long as they don’t change the same files.
What makes the Minimalistic HUD mod fun:
- Takes up less of the screen
- Sleek
- Simple to install
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9. PS4 Controller Buttons
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Button confusion is always an annoying thing if you want to play on the system that you are most familiar with, and this mod helps the situation out considerably. When you play the game on PC, sometimes it will display Xbox buttons as controls, and that can be confusing when you’re trying to use a PS4 controller to play. Using, igp11, it shows the buttons you want, so you can play in peace.
What makes the PS4 Controller Button good:
- Useful for clarity
- Simple to install
- Quality of life mod
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8. Pocket Souls
Ever wanted to play Pokemon in Dark Souls? Well, now you can! With the Pocket Souls mod, you can capture enemies to use them to fight bosses, even special trainers who also use the same means of combat. Aside from the obvious, this mod also adds weapons, armor, items, bosses, and different mechanics. It is a full overhaul mod with a lot to explore, so you’re guaranteed to have hours of fun.
What makes the Pocket Souls mod fun:
- Full overhaul
- Pokemon-inspired
- Very interesting
- Lots of things to explore
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7. Incandescent ReShade
Another incredible graphical mod, Incandescent ReShade gives a large number of improvements to the base game, It is very light on your computer, and stays true to the original atmosphere of the game, not deviating too much.
What makes the Incandescent ReShade mod fun:
- Better aesthetic
- Many graphical improvements
- New themes
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6. Enemy Randomizer
As you play through the game time and time again, coming across the same enemies can get a little tedious. The Enemy Randomizer mod shuffles the positions of all enemies, bosses, and NPCs in the game, not affecting side quests. This adds another level of difficulty to the game, forcing you to adapt to each situation just like you’re playing for the first time. Consider this mod for a new unique approach to gameplay.
What makes the Enemy Randomizer mod fun:
- More versatile situations
- Makes the game more complex
- Makes the game harder
- Forces you to re-learn the game again
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5. Item Randomizer
Very similar to the previous mod, the Item Randomizer takes all of the items in the game (including key items) and puts them in completely different locations throughout the game, making it exceedingly more difficult to progress, seeing as you can find only consumable items, for example, not having a weapon for a long time. This mod can be combined with the Enemy Randomizer mod to create a really complicated situation. Consider it when looking for a more difficult experience.
What makes the Item Randomizer fun:
- More difficulty
- Unique situations
- Forces you to adapt
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4. Blue Sentinel
We finally come to a PvP-oriented mod that helps you take action against cheaters and dishonorable players. Anyone trying to use cheats in your world gets flagged and kicked immediately, so you have a more pleasant experience in multiplayer. More details on how it works can be found on the mod page.
What makes the Blue Sentinel mod good:
- Very good for multiplayer
- Makes your game more enjoyable
- Generally useful
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3. Champion’s Ashes
Another full overhaul mod, Champion’s Ashes puts more focus on the multiplayer side of things, seeing as it vastly improves weapons, combinations, mechanics, and much more. Offline-wise, you can expect to see a large number of new bosses, enemies, graphics, and mechanics that improve upon the base game to give you a balanced, unique experience.
What makes the Champion’s Ashes mod fun:
- New bosses
- New weapons
- Improved multiplayer
- Many other changes you can find on the mod site
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2. The Convergence
One of the most popular overhaul mods on the market, The Convergence offers an extensive load of changes, ranging all the way from new enemies to new bosses to new spells, all brought together in a balanced package that is sure to satisfy even the most ravenous of gamers.
What makes The Convergence mod fun:
- Tons of new enemies
- New bosses
- Better lighting
- New audio and dialogue
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1. Cinders
And now, we come to the most popular overhaul mod, as well as the most popular regular mod for Dark Souls 3. Cinders is a comprehensive overhaul that affects every small facet of the game, down to the animations. New classes are present, as well as special builds and abilities fitting those same classes. A Gauntlet can also be accessed where you fight specific bosses of your choosing. There are literally hundreds of changes that you should check out on the mod’s respective page.
What makes the Cinders mod fun:
- Complete overhaul
- New enemies and bosses
- Different animations
- Better graphics
- New classes
- And much, much more
