Modding Grand Theft Auto 5 can improve your game and upgrade some of its less than perfect qualities. A common complaint for the base game is the unrealistic gunplay, car damage, driving, police, and a few other game mechanics.

Modders have spent years adding content packs to remedy this, and these mods can transform your game into a more realistic and immersive experience. If making GTA 5 feel more real sounds interesting, here’s a list to help you find the right mods!

15. GTA Realism

GTA Realism aims to be an all in one realism mod for GTA 5, updating and changing many of the major game mechanics. This includes a weapon system overhaul, police response, and improved graphics. 

How GTA Realism makes things fun

• Lead cops in more difficult chases
• Realistic damage makes fighting cops a challenge
• Increased population to mess with

Get the mod here

14. Realism Dispatch Enhanced

The Realism Dispatch Enhanced improves police response and adds several new types of cop to the game. In addition to adding new agencies, the mod updates the models for cops, their vehicles, and improves behavior.

How the Realism Dispatch mod makes things fun

• Adds detectives, highway patrols, airport cops and others
• Use police terminals in updated patrol cars
• Battle fighter jets and tanks at high wanted levels

Get the mod here

13. Ripplers Realism

Have the guns in GTA V ever felt not powerful or realistic enough? The Ripplers Realism mod overhauls all the weapons in the game, giving them new sound effects, more realistic damage, and  accurate kick back.

How Ripplers Realism makes the game more fun!

• Use weapons that feel more real
• Bigger explosions!
• Real gunfire sounds

Get the mod here

12. Limitless Vehicles Mod

The Limitless Vehicles mod edits the traffic and pedestrian density in the game, allowing you to increase and decrease how many cars and people you see at will. Ever wondered what heavy traffic would look like in GTA? Now’s your chance.

How the Limitless Vehicles mod makes things fun

• Create massive pile ups
• Realistic road and foot traffic
• More cars to blow up!

Get the mod here

11. Euphoria Ragdoll Overhaul

The ragdoll effects in GTA 5 can be a bit lackluster, leaving a good bit of room for improvement when compared to Red Dead Redemption 2, and even GTA IV. This mod overhauls the ragdoll reactions in the game, making them seem much more realistic and brutal.

How the Euphoria Ragdoll Overhaul makes things fun

• NPC’s try their hardest to remain standing
• Realistic death movements
• Pedestrians show pain

Get the mod here

10. Raider’s Blood, Violence, Melee & Destruction Overhaul

A lot of people say GTA is too violent, but the guy who made this mod definitely diagrees. This mod overhauls the gore, ragdoll, and explosion effects in game, turning it into a much more intense gaming experience. 

How Raider’s Blood Mod makes things fun

• Crazy realistic deaths
• Improved animations
• Better explosion effects

Get the mod here

9. Gangs of Los Santos

Gangs of Los Santos adds in many new factions of gangs to the map, and outlines their territories. In this mod, there are 13 different gangs to fight scattered around the map, all equipped with unique new vehicles, character models, and dialogue.

How Gangs of Los Santos makes things fun

• Witness gang activity like drive-bys, gang wars, etc.
• Fight for city territories
• Enjoy a more diverse game

Get the mod here

8. Faster AI Drivers

Faster AI Drivers is what it sounds like, it changes AI driving behavior to make it more like real life. You will also see some crazy drivers speeding through the streets and down the highways.

How Faster AI Drivers makes things fun

• Witness car chases through the streets
• Race AI drivers through the city
• See organic car crashes and other events

Get the mod here

7. VisualV Mod

VisualV overhauls all the weather effects and visuals in Grand Theft Auto 5. It also updates the interiors of buildings, adds color correction and many other improvements.

How VisualV makes things fun

• Improved realistic night sky
• Real, intense weather 
• Adds new clouds, fog, and shadows

Get the mod here

6. Natural Vision Mod

The Natural Vision mod modernizes the graphics for Grand Theft Auto 5, greatly improving and completely reworking the lighting and weather effects in the game. It renovates the visuals for GTA 5, making it feel like a brand new game.

How Natural Vision makes the game more fun

• New visuals make the game feel brand new
• One of the most ambitious mods ever
• Map texture, new clouds, new weapons and more

Get the mod here

5. L.A. Roads Patch

The L.A. Roads patch redoes all the roads in Los Santos and replaces them with photorealistic roads from Los Angeles. This includes road signs, billboards, highways, etc.

How the L.A. Roads patch makes things fun

• Explore Los Santos like you’re driving through L.A.
• Enjoy real looking, improved road textures
• Race down infamous L.A. roads like Rodeo drive

Get the mod here

4. Project RELOAD

Project RELOAD updates almost 1,500 textures from the base game. This includes vegetation, buildings, roads, billboards, and many other objects. See a whole new version of Los Santos with this huge content patch.

How Project RELOAD makes things fun

• Admire new models for objects across the map
• Enhanced nature textures
• Revitalized graphics

Get the mod here

3. PhotoRealistic San Andreas

PRSA is a beautiful graphic overhaul of GTA 5, turning the game into an almost real looking adventure. Photos from the mod look as if they were taken with a real camera, making this mod a must have when looking for realism.

How PRSA makes things fun

• Enjoy a photo realistic version of GTA 5
• Incredibly detailed textures
• See the game like never before

Get the mod here

2. RAGEuphoria

Modders have changed the Euphoria physics engine, along with Rockstar’s RAGE engine and upgraded them to the best of their potential. Enjoy these engines the way they were meant to be played.

How RAGEuphoria makes things fun

• Improved ballistics and ragdolls
• Mix of the best effects from previous Rockstar games
• AI will try to self preserve when shot

Get the mod here

1. Clean N’ Natural

The Clean N’ Natural mod is a pack of realism mods, with some original effects as well. This mod pulls content from mods like VisualV and others. It  makes the game look more clean and improves reflections, upgrading many of the lighting effects.

How Clean N’ Natural makes things fun

• Life-like imagery
• Amazing detail in lighting
• Includes 2 realism mods

Get the mod here

Many of the mods on this list work well when installed together, and can create an ultra realistic GTA 5 for you to enjoy. A list of mods that work together can be found on the page for Clean N’ Natural.

Also be sure to read:

• [Top 25] Best GTA 5 Mods You Must Have
• [Top 15] GTA 5 Best Combat Mods
• [Top 15] GTA 5 Best Mods For Realism
• [Top 15] GTA 5 Best Places That Are Awesome
• GTA 5 Best Graphic Settings For Beautiful Visuals
• GTA 5 Best Drift Cars [Top 10]
• [Top 10] Best GTA 5 Horror Mods You Must Have
• [Top 5] GTA 5 Best Muscle Cars 2020
• [Top 10] Best GTA 5 Missions For Best Rewards
• [Top 5] GTA 5 Best Assault Rifles and How To Get Them