ARMA 3 is an interesting game. One on hand, it’s a deadly-realistic military simulator, one that prides itself on how different it is from the average shooter. On the other, its popularity is largely due to a mod for the previous iteration of the game. It should come as no surprise, then, that the game has a very active modding community. Below are a just a few selections of the best ARMA 3 mods, most of which take the game to an entirely new level.
What are your favorite ARMA 3 mods? Let us know below.
Wasteland
If there’s a mod for ARMA 3 that can make a run at the DayZ throne, it’s probably this mod. A multiplayer-only addition, it puts players on either one of two opposing teams or on their own. Players have to scrounge for money and ammo, working to survive in a hostile environment. With variable missions and objectives, it’s an interesting change to the ARMA formula. While not quite as popular as DayZ, it definitely has a following in the community.
MGS 1
It’s probably telling that one of the best ARMA 3 mods involves trying to retell the story of a much more popular game. MGS 1 is an attempt to tell the story of Metal Gear Solid within ARMA’s engine, something that’s more than a little difficult. It’s amazing how much work clearly went into this mod and even more amazing that it plays as well as it does. This is a one-off sort of mod, something you’ll only play until you beat it. It is, however, recommended that you give this one a shot.
Baphomet
Let’s face it – most players come to ARMA 3 expecting zombies. This is one of the great go-to zombie mods, one that puts players against demons in a fight against hell. Yes, the living dead are here – but it’s the atmosphere that really makes this mod worth downloading. The changed color palette and music make this one that’s worth playing even if you don’t care for the supernatural elements in the game. Give it a shot if you want something a little more gothic than the base game.
Survivor
One player, a cool soundtrack, and a horde of AI enemies. It’s one of the more clever mods to the game, one that’s great for training shooting as well as providing a great time for players. It’s not the most complex game, but the time limit and the roving gangs of enemies actually make this one a great training ground for other popular Battle Royale games. It might get old quickly, but mastering this mode will actually make you better at surviving in the vanilla game.
ALiVE
If you want to run realistic military operations with a group, this is the mod for you. ALiVe is a persistent mission mod that allows for a huge amount of flexibility. Designing missions and setting up objectives is a breeze while stringing them together takes a minimal amount of work. You can actually design incredibly complex military scenarios with this one, allowing groups bigger than you might imagine taking part in the missions. It’s a great fit for serious players of the game.
Dynamic Universal War
Dynamic Universal War takes the promise of ARMA 3 to the next level. The mod puts players in the middle of a procedurally generated war, allowing them to fight the enemy and to gain control of territory. There’s almost an RTS element to this mod, allowing players to buy units and vehicles with control points and sending them in to help in the war effort. An ambitious mod to be sure, this one gives a hint at what ARMA 3 could someday become. It requires some patience to play, but it’s enough of an improvement over the base game that it is almost a must-have for players.
Skopos Course
Sometimes, you just want to race. Skopos Course turns ARMA 3 into a rally racer, putting players in control of a nice little hatchback and allowing them to race to their hearts’ content. Some of the background details are actually amazing here, with some set pieces actually rivaling those of professionally produced racing games. As you might imagine from playing the base game, the handling on the car isn’t perfect – but that’s part of the charm. This is a great mod for those who have had enough of the game’s violence and just want to check out the scenery at high speeds.