5 Best Mods for Grand Theft Auto V in 2021

People have been tweaking the core ingredients to video games and adding their own spices for decades now — and we still haven't come close to having our fill. In fact, with an endless slew of mods covering the market, it's unlikely that we'll ever feel fully satisfied with the creativity that pours from the fingertips of the many mod champions out there. And, truth be told, Grand Theft Auto V really is just one of the many cracked experiments that people enjoy messing with. Still, we can't fault a good mod — especially at Rockstar's expense.

Sure, we've seen plenty of mods for both the base game as well as the online platform, but even after several years — only five still hold their ground among the apex. From minor tweaks to the physics to the ludicrous bolt-ons that possess the power to break the game entirely — everything is low-key impressive in some respect. However, it's these five that stand out the most in 2021 — and we can't help but salute those who added them to the mix — as pleasant or as ridiculous as they may be.

5. LSPD: First Response

For when the life of crime sinks into monotonous petty thefts.

If you've grown tired of robbing banks and holding up gas stations for petty cash, then now might be the time to switch up your life goals and enrol in the very domain you've been slating for the last seven years. Thanks to this rather impressive collection of features, LSPD: First Response fuses the perks of the law into your very pockets as you reap Los Santos of its criminals and wrongdoings. You know — everything Grand Theft Auto doesn't want you to do.

With the ability to fully customize your department, players can morph and tweak characters, vehicles, arsenals — and even the agency that employs the task force. As well as the flashy customization elements, First Response also permits you to make arrests as you see fit — whether it be for wielding a rocket launcher or just for being human in general. And then, of course, there's the usual spool of ingredients that literally defies everything Grand Theft Auto V was built around. Overall, a pretty impressive mod that, in a nutshell, builds a whole other game within a game. Well played.

4. Simple Zombies

Because who wouldn't want to see Los Santos flooded with neck biters?

Ever pictured Los Santos splattered with blood and teeth marks? Well, now you can quite literally live out that ludicrous concept with the Simple Zombies mod. As a package of features that stem from the likes of State of Decay, Days Gone and almost every other zombie survival hit on the market, this collection of tweaks puts some of the best-selling components together and transforms Grand Theft Auto into something else entirely — and we're all for it.

Seeing as the zombie narrative is being wilted and recycled even more these days, it only makes sense that the Rockstar game would go on to employ something along the same lines. After all, with Los Santos being a perfect concrete jungle with plenty of brain-dead citizens to herd, throwing a wild zombie mod into the mix would ultimately turn a run-of-the-mill experience into something irresistibly bleak. It sells — that's all I'm saying.

3. God Mode Trainer

Do you want to play God?

If you've grown a little tired over having to physically walk to your destination all the time, or if you're getting a little sick of being shot in the forehead every other minute — then perhaps it's time to assume the role of God himself and embrace immortality. Of course, by taking on such reigns, Grand Theft Auto itself essentially becomes an empty playground where not even a grenade to the scalp can leave a lasting bruise. That said, having what we can only refer to as God Mode embedded in such a game can release the burden of practically any challenge altogether. And we're okay with that from time to time, to be honest.

As well as giving you infinite health, ammo and an endless cash flow to splash out on unnecessary provisions, the Trainer mod also allows you to travel at lightning speed, teleport across all regions of the map, and even move at the pace of a garden snail. So, basically a slew of random tweaks that can either make or break your descent into the madness that is Los Santos. Fun times.

2. No Water + Tsunami + Atlantis Mod

Ah, so that's what it looks like!

If you've ever wondered what it'd be like to cruise the Los Santos borders at sea level — then you're in luck. Thanks to this beefy collection of mods that allow you to alter the water levels as well as morph them into an all-powerful tsunami, players can shift things up a gear and effectively transform San Andreas into a disastrous wasteland where the majority of rules no longer apply.

Although proving to be slightly temperamental, as with most mods that funnel madness through a straw, injecting this one into your game can either make or break your experience as a whole. And while it is a nugget of insanity that can ultimately transform your world into a post-apocalyptic no man's land, it is worth pointing out that a bunch of defects have been stumbled upon since its debut. And so, with that, perhaps it is better to leave it to the imagination rather than load these mods into your game. Just a thought.

1. Vice Cry: Remastered

Any Rockstar fan will tell you that, despite the global success of the fifth chapter, Vice City is still very much considered to be one of the best entries in the series. With its electric eighties soundtrack, fluorescent cityscape and colorful personalities flushed throughout its chunky rags to riches narrative, it's no wonder the spin-off chapter still holds a special place in the gaming community. And it's because of that love for Vice City that gamers have gone on to keep the flame alive through mods and tweaks in later instalments.

Vice Cry, which is essentially a fancy way of saying “Vice City clone”, is a mod that allows you to traverse the wondrous landmarks of the beloved neon world. With Tommy Vercetti even making a striking return to the roster, both the characters and the environment are served to us on a silver platter in a stunning little package. And if that's not enough to persuade Rockstar to dig up the past and rehash it for 2021 — then we honestly don't know what is.

Grand Theft Auto still on your mind? You could always sink some time into these lists:

5 Rockstar Games That Need To Be Remastered