Over the course of two decades in business, GameFront has hosted all kinds of files — some big, some small; some useful, some useless. For popularity and sheer awesomeness, though, it’s hard to beat the mods. Many of modding‘s most epic, recognizable names have called our servers home — keep reading to find out which.

 6. Generals Mod 2 (Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 – Yuri’s Revenge)

You might need a degree in video game taxonomy to even figure out what this mod is for. The long-running Command & Conquer series spawned an impressive array of of sequels, and this wildly popular mod pertains to just one of them, the above-mentioned Yuri’s Revenge. 

Generals Mod 2 rebalances and reconfigures the game’s various factions, so that each specializes in a particular kind of warfare. Fans of the RTS appreciated the possibilities, downloading this mod in record numbers.

5. Galactic Warfare (Call of Duty 4)

Galactic Warfare marries the most popular entertainment franchise of the 20th century to the most popular entertainment franchise of the 21st. 

If you’ve always dreamed of experiencing breakneck Call of Duty gameplay while clad in stormtrooper armor, peppering the streets of Tatooine with blaster fire, this mod’s for you. The attention to detail is downright obsessive.

4. Red Orchestra (Unreal Tournament 2004)

Speaking of obsessive detail, nothing can quite rival the efforts of historically minded modders who decide to bring a little bit of realism to their favourite games. Begun as a mod for Unreal Tournament 2003, Red Orchestra deposits players on World War II’s notoriously unforgiving Eastern Front. 

Robbing them of crosshairs and ammo counters, the mod team tried to deliver the most authentic experience possible. Their efforts were rewarded with a free license from Epic Games, culminating in Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45 and a sequel, Heroes of Stalingrad, in 2011.

3. Fall From Heaven (Civilization IV)

Begun as an outgrowth of modder Derek “Kael” Paxton’s D&D campaign, Fall From Heaven quickly took on a life of its own. Drawing on Kael’s rich lore, the mod grafted fantasy tropes and RPG mechanics onto Civ IV’s timeless turn-based gameplay — a surprisingly effective combination. 

After the initial version was released in 2005, other enthusiastic modders joined the Fall From Heaven team, fleshing out features and taking advantage of the Civ IV SDK released by publishers Firaxis. All the hard work paid off in 2008, when the complete version of sequel Fall From Heaven II was released to the public.

2. Forgotten Hope (Battlefield 1942)

Another entry in the “meticulous World War II realism” files. The makers of Battlefield 1942 had clearly done their homework, but that wasn’t enough for the creators of Forgotten Hope, who added over 250 pieces of authentic equipment, new classes, new maps, and new mechanics. 

A greater emphasis on tactical combat means more fun for everyone, but if you’re the kind of gamer who scoffs at appearance of an anachronistic tank design while you’re busy dodging machine gun fire, you’ll love this mod.

1. Oscuro’s Oblivion Overhaul (Oblivion)

Some mods purport to do everything, and some mods really do. Obscuro’s Oblivion Overhaul falls into the latter category, virtually remaking the game from scratch with new quests, new items, redesigned AI behavior…the list goes on and on. 

Most impressive is the way that this labor of love fundamentally changes the way the game is played, making Cyrodiil into a much more dangerous place. Not recommended for those with arrow wounds in their knees.