Final Fantasy XIII was a great starting point for newer fans, as it focused more on linear gameplay and was the first title bringing the series onto the PS3. Granted, FF13 came out quite a while ago. So you might want to change up your next playthrough with some mods. And if you’re looking to jump back into FFXIII with a fresh face, here are some of the best mods to check out.
10. The FF XIII HD Project
Check Out This Mod While FF13 saw a later release for PC, mod team NGS still didn’t feel that enough attention was put into improving the graphics. So they took it upon themselves to create the FF XIII HD Project. The mod is still a work in progress, with the most recent update being released just last month. But the results are already stunning. Currently, environmental textures along with a few NPCs and weapons have been given visual upgrades, making the game look much better at 1080p and 4k. And there’s a lot more planned here, too. Keep an eye on this mod because it’s getting frequent updates.
9. HD Models Plus
Check Out This Mod While the FF XIII HD Project is still being worked on, you’re going to want to give the character models an upgrade as well. HD Models Plus is a great way to do exactly that. It allows you to swap in the high-quality character models that were initially only intended to be used for cutscenes. In doing so, all your favourite characters like Lightning, Fang, Snow, and the rest of the gang will be looking much better than ever before. And the creators of this mod even made what they call “ultimate models” which are even better than the ones originally included for cutscenes. This is taking HD to the next level. You’re definitely going to enjoy re-playing FF13 with this level of detail.
8. FF XIII HD Full Motion Video
Check Out This Mod With modding you can give all the full motion videos in FFXIII upgrades, all with another graphics-focused mod from Team NGS. FF XIII HD Full Motion Video replaces all cutscenes in the game with 1080p alternatives. The original game offered the cutscenes in 720p so this is definitely an improvement. And they don’t just look like resized videos, definitely not at a glance. While the modder put lots of effort into rescaling the videos, the drawback is that file sizes will now be quite large at 6GB each. This is mostly from limitations in encoding 1080p FMVs. If you have the disk space available, I’d still recommend installing this. Especially if the plot of FF13 is one of your favorite parts of the game.
7. Clean ReShade Preset
Check Out This Mod Now if you’re looking for a more expansive graphical upgrade, you might want to include Clean ReShaded Preset in your mod list. Clean ReShade Preset provides a cleaner and crisper image, reducing the blurriness and dull coloring of vanilla. The mod also adds a few modern visual effects like ambient occlusions to further improve graphics overall. What’s even better about this mod is that it has been tested with both the FFXIII Project and Model Swap HD mods, so you shouldn’t experience any issues running them alongside each other.
6. Louder Music
Check Out This Mod It seems many fans had minor complaints with the volume of the background music in FFXIII. I myself have become nitpicky with this, as most games nowadays offer more control over in-game audio settings. Well if you’re like modder InAutumn and want to enjoy the background music some more, you’re going to want to get this mod. It simply increases the volume of all music in the game. You’ll be able to hear everything much better. A must-have for fans of the FF13 OST.
5. Hair Colors
Check Out This Mod There are some neat little customization mods out there, if you know where to look. These let you change up a few design choices, depending how you want your rag-tag gang of characters to appear. The Hair Colors mod by MJB is one of these alteration mods, letting you change hair colors for the six main characters in the game. You’ll be able to choose among a selection of predefined colors, or create your own with the RGB settings offered in the mod UI.
4. Custom Weapons
Check Out This Mod We’ve ranked all the best weapons you could get in FF13, and trust me there’s a lot. But sometimes the vanilla designs just aren’t enough. Custom Weapons, again created by MJB, gives you complete control of weapon design in Final Fantasy XIII. What it does is unlock & alter six unused weapons that are already found in the game files. This way you’ll be able to create completely customized weapons for each of the six characters in the game. You could keep the original unused weapons, or alter the designs to style them however you want. You’ll even be able to assign attributes to each weapon to better suit your play style. For hardcore fans, this is a must-have mod.
3. Crystarium Editing
Check Out This Mod FF13 uses the Crystarium System for character progression. It feels like an upgraded sphere grid with cooler graphics. Basically, each character is assigned a Crystarium where you determine which stats & bonuses each character gains with each level. Customization is always appreciated in FF titles. Well the Crystarium Editing mod gives you complete control over the Crystarium system, allowing you to make edits through a simple excel sheet provided with the mod files. You’ll be able to swap nodes around, as well as change bonus and CP cost values. This takes cheating to a whole new level, my friends. In addition to all of that, you can even add some abilities that aren’t available to certain characters in the vanilla game. Hack your way to some easy glory or make the game insanely more challenging, all up to you.
2. Gameplay Tweaks and Hard Mode
Check Out This Mod If you’ve finished a playthrough or two of FFXIII and are looking for an enhanced experience for your next run, well you’re looking at a mod that can help. Gameplay Tweaks and Hard Mode is a mod that changes things up a bit. You know, to keep the game fresh. Changes include higher level caps for tier 3 weapons, Cystarium modifications, and a few changes to some of each character’s default abilities. This mod also includes a “Hard Mode”, which combines a number of different mods to give you more of a challenge. Absolutely worth trying out because you get a lot with just this one mod.
1. FF13 Rebalanced – True Enemies of Cocoon
Check Out This Mod Now if you’re looking for an even tougher FF13 playthrough, you should absolutely check this out. FF13 Rebalanced makes the game more challenging by giving enemies higher stats, which requires a more tactical approach to combat. The mod also features an overhauled Cystarium system to further mix things up. You’ll now be able to assign characters different roles that weren’t options in the base game, so it’s not all about making the AI tougher! This one’s definitely worth checking out if you’re a more seasoned FFXIII fan.
