Top 20 mods to transform GTA 5: best additions and enhancements

It's time to dive back into the madness, but this time in Grand Theft Auto 5. In previous articles, I wrote about mods for Vice City and San Andreas, and now we'll touch on the fifth part, which is a favorite among many series fans.

In this article, 20 of the best mods will be presented, which will not only enhance the game but also radically change it, turning the classic GTA into a completely different project.

GTA 5 Redux

Image: steamcommunity.com

This extensive mod significantly improves the game, making it more realistic and enjoyable. The modification focuses on graphics and brings the following changes:

Additionally, game elements were reworked. For example, billboards and almost all terrain textures were redrawn, the yellow filter was removed, lighting was changed, and so on. Physics and gameplay were also overhauled, car packs were added, weather conditions were recreated from scratch, and NPC behavior became more interesting.

R⭐hancer Photorealism

Image: gta5-mods.com

Another graphics mod aimed at enhancing the overall look of GTA 5. It modernizes all the elements that players may have found lacking. After installation, users can enjoy:

This is not a complete list of graphical changes available after downloading R⭐hancer Photorealism. There are many, which will please players who strive to make their favorite title more beautiful and realistic.

Home Invasion

Image: gta5-mods.com

Next, we have a robbery mod. You might ask, why is this needed when the fifth part already implements this well? No, this is about a different kind of robbery, only seen in San Andreas.

It had a unique burglary mechanic, which, for some reason, was not included in any other game in the series. By pulling up to a house in a special van, you could activate a mini-game where the protagonist had to steal household items very carefully to avoid waking the homeowner.

GTA 5 also features several heists, but they are part of the storyline or multiplayer. Home Invasion adds the ability to rob houses in single-player mode. The creators worked on the interiors to make the possessions in mansions and humble shacks on the outskirts significantly different.

LSPD First Response

Image: lcpdfr.com

Enough of being outside the law! It's time to fix that and step to the other side of the barricades. If you want to serve the public good, you can install this mod to turn the game about the crazy adventures of criminals into a police simulator.

Players will access missions that involve catching lawbreakers. Murders, robberies, gangs that have lost all shame and conscience — without your bravery and courage, it will be difficult for the cops to cope with this chaos. Cool chases, investigations, and a rewritten storyline already await the players.

GrandCyberPunk

Image: gta5-mods.com

If you haven't managed to play Cyberpunk 2077 for some reason, you can now bring the game from CD Projekt Red into GTA 5. Here, you will encounter Night City, illuminated by neon lights, filled with futuristic cars and enhanced characters.

Grand Theft Space

Image: grandtheftspace.com

Looking at the screenshot, many might think it's from Starfield, but this mod drastically changes the game. Would you like to go into space with your favorite characters? With Grand Theft Space, that is now possible.

The modification allows the player to become Earth's last line of defense by undertaking a dangerous special mission to intercept and neutralize a group of dangerous aliens planning an invasion.

During the mission to protect humanity, you will explore 3 moons and 11 planets, full of fantastic structures and hostile enemies. The character will also encounter new vehicles, weapons, enemies, and a sci-fi storyline.

NaturalVision Remastered

Image: youtube.com

Another graphics mod that significantly improves the game's visuals. Numerous changes were made to weather conditions, the lighting system, environmental colors, tonal compression, the weapon system, specific textures, and much more, to erase the line between imagination and reality.

GTA Basic Needs

Image: youtube.com

So, we've added realism to the visuals: it's time to add it to the gameplay. Now, in addition to other basic needs, like car theft and shooting people, two more important ones are added — food and sleep.

Tasty food will not only restore health but also help you survive. There are five states of health: from healthy to critical (with negative side effects), so now players will have to monitor these indicators as well.

Working Restaurants

Image: youtube.com

It’s strange that in such a massive game with an open world, there's no option to walk into a café and grab a bite, although this mechanic was in previous parts.

Working Restaurants is another mod that adds realism, giving the character the ability to peacefully eat a tasty burger and wash it down with a Coke (though the process won't be shown). It also restores health. Combined with the previous mod, it will look great in the game.

Travel to North Yankton

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There may be winter lovers among the readers, especially fans of snowy locations in GTA. In most parts, the action takes place in hot settings, with endless oceans, palm trees, and blazing sun. It gets tiresome.

Do you remember that place where we, along with Michael and Trevor, robbed a bank and had an intense shootout with the cops in the snowy American wilderness? If you suddenly want to revisit that harsh yet picturesque place called North Yankton, the game won’t allow it, condemning you to endlessly endure the scorching sun.

Fortunately, Travel to North Yankton lets gamers go to the airport and take a Christmas vacation up north.

Army at Five Stars

Image: libertycity.net

I remember the good old days when in the early games of the beloved series, the entire US Army was mobilized for some lone bandit who had run over too many pedestrians.

However, there's no such fun and madness in GTA 5, which greatly disappointed me. Who, if not a tank, will stop a guy with a machine gun? Some pathetic special forces? That's not serious: we're playing grown-up games by grown-up rules here!

Fortunately, modders created Army at Five Stars, bringing back that cool atmosphere, tanks, helicopters, crazy chases, and an adrenaline rush off the charts.

City Bus Driver

Image: youtube.com

Decided to change your ways and move towards a peaceful life? But don’t know what to do because just yesterday, you were robbing banks and mercilessly killing everyone around. We suggest starting a career as a bus driver. It’s simple: pull up to bus stops and take passengers along the correct route.

See how long you can last living without madness and an endless stream of adrenaline.

GTA RPG

Image: libertycity.net

It’s time to turn our favorite game into a full-fledged RPG with cool features.

This mod adds a complete leveling system, a character editor, an almost endless list of quests, and even branching dialogue trees. Forget about chasing big money: now, you need to earn as much experience as possible to make your character better, cooler, and stronger.

By the way, you can also check out our top best RPGs of recent years.

Simple Zombies

Image: libertycity.net

The zombie theme has been explored in other GTA mod collections, so why not do it again? Those who love hunting down the undead should definitely download Simple Zombies.

This mod is a full-fledged survival simulator in a zombie apocalypse. Players will not only have to shoot monsters but also monitor their character's health and hunger levels.

Trucking Missions

Image: libertycity.net

So, we’ve already been bus drivers. That got boring. Time to change professions again, but not go back to robberies, right?

This mod allows players to hop into a truck and complete mini-missions transporting cargo. Some deliveries require careful handling, while others demand speed. If you wanted ETS in the GTA world, this is a great opportunity to live your dream.

GTA Realism

Image: libertycity.net

Even more realism! This mod changes several aspects of the game. For example, the police now react to even the slightest violation of the law. You can no longer hide in the bushes, as every nook and cranny is thoroughly searched. Police behavior has also been changed.

Attacking pedestrians is also no longer advisable. They’ve become stronger and can take you down faster than you can take them. Witnesses will report crimes more frequently. Changes were also made to the physics of weapons and cars.

ctOS V

Image: libertycity.net

We’ve been bus drivers, truckers, and now it’s time to become a real hacker. This mod brings some hacking functions from the game Watch Dogs to the in-game phone.

Pick up the phone and scroll down. You should see new contacts as well as new hacks. Call one of them and bring your abilities to life. Some of these include:

Fishing Mod

Image: youtube.com

Between shootouts and bank robberies, you need to relax. Grab a fishing rod and go fishing.

This mod adds a fishing mechanic to the game. You can fish from any pier or boat and sell your catch. In addition to 21 species of fish, you can also catch many useful (and not-so-useful) items.

Heist Vehicles Spawn Naturally

Image: youtube.com

If you like the vehicles from the online version but want to continue playing in single-player, this mod allows you to bring those vehicles into the offline mode, adding them to the city streets.

Prison Mod

Image: libertycity.net

Closing our collection is a mod that adds realism and additional gameplay.

This modification introduces a full prison mechanic to the game. In the base GTA 5, after being arrested, your character simply posts bail and loses some ammo. With this mod, you’ll first need to find a way to escape prison: dig a tunnel, start a riot, or sneak out at night.

That was a collection of the 20 best mods for GTA 5. Of course, there are many more. Maybe you have some favorite mods you’d like to share in the comments.

Main image: alphacoders.com