With an active modding community for Arma 3, it’s not that difficult to get started modding the game.
Finding mods and getting them to work isn’t an issue, and that’s largely thanks to a few management mods, which I’ll cover initially.
CBA, or Community Based Addons, hosts a list of modding tools that aim to streamline Arma 3 mod support so you won’t have to worry about compatibility issues.
Many of the mods on this list will require CBA so it’s best to start off with this one.
Fans of Arma 3 fell in love with the game because of its hardcore focus on realistic combat.
There just wasn’t anything like it during its time, as the shooter genre was dominated primiarly by point and shoot arcade games.
Modders continuously find ways to improve on Arma 3’s immersion by adding little tweaks here and there, like with this fantastic mod.
Blastcore A3 is a visual effects package for Arma 3 that brings warfare to life, adding in more realistic explosions, smoke effects, and bullet tracers to the game.
Check it out and I swear you won’t be disappointed.
Other than graphics and audio improvements, quality of life mods improve how immersive your Arma 3 experience will be.
Enhanced Movement is a great example of QoL improvements, making movement in-game much more fluid.
It’s pretty strange that this feature wasn’t included in the base game. This left movement a bit clunky at times, but thanks to the Enhanced Movement mod your soldiers will be able to climb over obstacles pretty much anywhere.
As you can probably expect, this will happen a lot.
Given you’re at war traversing some pretty rough terrain.
What’s even better about this mod is it adds animations for jumping and climbing, making everything look much smoother.
Project Injury Reaction adds a few new features that make the game even more realistic than before.
As the title suggests, soldiers who take gunshots in-game are now given a number of new possible reactions, like dropping weapons or losing consciousness.
The mod affects yourself, as well as AI soldiers, so watch out to see if the enemy you just shot is really done for.
It also makes combat feel much more dynamic.
You never really know how an enemy might react once you start shooting.
It gives you complete control over its settings, so you’ll be able to customize your Arma 3 experience however you wish.
It also introduces a ton of new features like the ability to carry and drag fallen soldiers, an improved medical system where limbs can be treated independently, and even a much more realistic gunplay system with bullet drop and wind ballistics.
If you’re looking for an accurate combat experience, ACE3 is the way to go.
Another great way to spice things up in Arma 3 is through the many addon mods out there.
I mean there are mods that add buttloads of new content – including new weapons, maps/terrain, soldier types, and even completely new playable missions.
Personal Arsenal is a great example, giving complete access to the game’s Virtual Arsenal.
This means all equipment in vanilla will be unlocked and available for use any time you wish.
You’ll be able to freely customize loadouts and see which weapons work best together to make sure you’re 100% ready for the next mission.
The RHS mods are another great source of additional content for Arma 3, this time focused on new country-themed models to play around with.
RHSASFRF in particular adds models based on the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
You’ll be able to explore new weapons, vehicles, and uniforms based on the Russian army, greatly expanding what’s already available in the base game.
There are now versions for United States Armed Forces, Green Forces, and Serbian Armed Forces as well.
So you can pick and choose which ones you’d like to see.
These mods are created by a long list of modders, too, so the amount of effort and detail that goes into these models definitely makes them worth checking out.
Terrain drastically impacts combat tactics in Arma 3.
So what better way to mix things up a bit than with a new map pack?
The CUP Terrains pack is one of the most popular out there, including 16 new maps to explore.
Maps included here aren’t completely new, though, as they’re based on maps we already got in the older Arma games.
Either way, they’re not included in the base game. So you’re in for a refreshing Arma 3 experience.
Whether you’ve never played the older Arma games or already have favorites from previous titles, CUP Terrains is sure to give you hours of fun exploring Arma 3.
If you just want to squeeze everything you possibly can out of Arma 3 without really changing much of the base game, Dynamic Universal War System might be what you need.
DUWS procedurally generates mini campaigns based on a number of predetermined criteria, allowing you to get different mission experiences each time.
You’ll be able to choose certain settings like mission type, HQ locations, and unit setups, allowing you to completely customize your campaign experience.
DUWS is meant to give the ability to play custom campaigns, aiming to maximize replayability.
Arma 3 created the ultimate playground for modders with its vast sandbox world and powerful built-in editor, allowing modders the freedom to let their imaginations run wild.
This all makes for some interesting content. And while some modders chose to go back in time, this team chose to go in the opposite direction.
Combining Arma 3 with another of their favorite shooters, Operation: TREBUCHET takes Arma 3 into the world of Halo.
While inspired by the Halo universe, Operation: TREBUCHET takes a different approach.
Instead of focusing on the elite spartan warriors like the original game, the mod lets you experience the struggles of the common soldiers, making for a more hardcore Halo/Arma 3 experience.
Check it out if you’re a big Halo fan, I’m sure you’ll love it.
Now if you’re looking for a more historical Arma 3 overrhaul, Unsung is a terrific place to start.
Unsung is one of the largest overhaul mods for Arma 3 out there, and it takes your Arma 3 experience to the jungle warfare of Vietnam.
With 12 new maps, 12 factions, 130 weapons, plus tons of new uniforms, vehicles, and equipment, there’s so much to explore in this one.
You’ll find yourself completely immersed in the Vietnam war as if you weren’t even playing a game anymore.
Unsung itself doesn’t currently contain any custom missions. But it has built a following so large that others continue to create custom campaign content for it.
