5 best Minecraft Java Edition mods for realism in 2021

As one of the best sandbox games out there, Minecraft is a brilliant title for players who love to take their gameplay into their own hands and do what they want to rather than follow a specific plot or storyline.

One attribute of Minecraft favored by most players is its classic feel, despite the flaws in creating a realistic atmosphere like other popular sandbox games. There are, however, a lot of amazing community-made mods that bring that aspect of realism to the game, and many are hard to pass up.

Here are some of the best Minecraft mods that bring realism into every area of the game, whether that be above ground, underground, and more.

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Best Minecraft JE mods for realism

#5 — Geolosys

Image via CurseForge

Geolosys is a fantastic mod that reconstructs the generation of stone and ore in the game to enhance the mining and geologic aspects. It is compatible with multiple common mining mods, too, which work to bring new types of rocks and ores into the game for an enhanced gameplay version for the player.

This mod works in tangent with the next mod on this list and many others to make gameplay a lot more realistic. With this mod, ores generate in more realistic clumps or veins. Specific ores (like coal) can produce other atmospheric responses like the creation of sulfur and so much more.

This mod is honestly amazing, especially when downloaded in conjunction with the next mod on this list, and is excellent for realistic gameplay.

Download here

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#4 — TerraFirmaCraft

Image via CurseForge

TerraFirmaCraft is a great mod for players wanting that upgraded vanilla Minecraft experience.

This mod's slogan is 'survival how it should've been,' which completely encapsulates what this mod is all about. This mod reconstructs each of the biomes that players can find in vanilla Minecraft, adds new blocks and items that make each biome fuller, and so much more.

This mod changes the leaf generation to make trees look more realistic and adds new textures for different forms of grasses, dirt, and stones. It even brings new plants into the game which are native to specific biomes (like cattails in swamps) to make areas look so much more full and realistic.

This mod indeed introduces so much to the game. With so many fantastic reviews over different mod downloading sites (and close to a million downloads overall), this mod is a great find.

Download here

#3 — YUNG's Better Caves Mod

Image via CurseForge

YUNG's Better Caves Mod is perfect for players wanting a realistic version of Minecraft gameplay. Whereas vanilla Minecraft caves are quite bland and similar, regardless of where the player is looking in the world, this mod changes caves' appearance in tangent with biomes.

It introduces new cave biomes such as lava caverns, underground lakes and rivers, poison rivers, and more, which can be found throughout the world. It does this without introducing any stone types, too, which is impressive considering how much depth is in each area.

This mod introduces new items like stalactites and stalagmites (which can be collected), different cave plants for atmospheric effect, and more without straying from realism.

An example of cave generation (Image via CurseForge)

This mod also makes caves appear so much more realistic in the way of generation. As players gradually step into each one, there are junctures between and varied sizes of caves to explore.

Some caves are large with multiple offshoots for players to venture into, others are slimmer and make them feel more claustrophobic, and there are so many in between.

Download here

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#2 — Better Animal Models

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Better Animal Models for Minecraft is one of the best mods for realistic mob textures and models.

This mod changes the appearance and coloring of all of the mobs in vanilla Minecraft, adds new articulation to each one, and makes them a lot more visually appealing.

Now less blocky and square, both adult and baby versions of every mob have new appearances that are akin to how animals look in real life.

Image via CurseForge

This mod adjusts the appearance of base game mobs, making it great for a heightened version of vanilla Minecraft gameplay. It is also compatible with a handful of popular mods, allowing players to have a cohesive look throughout their entire world.

It is brilliant for players who enjoy the realistic look of Minecraft and want their world to look a lot nicer. The mod works incredibly with shader packs and works perfectly with the next mod in this list.

Download here

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#1 — Realistic Terrain Generation

Image via CurseForge

This is easily one of the best terrain generation mods out there for Minecraft. It works to alter how different biomes generate in the game to make them more realistic, although slightly harder to traverse in some cases.

This mod works to give mountains more defined peaks, provide deserts with recognizable dunes, make valleys and cliffs generate more freely around the world, and so much more.

It doesn't add any new blocks and works entirely with the blocks found in vanilla Minecraft, making it an amazing mod for an upgraded vanilla Minecraft gameplay.

Image via CurseForge

This mod doesn't just change how lands generate, either. There are so many smaller additions that this mod brings that completely upgrade how players' worlds appear.

Rivers, lakes, and other bodies of water are a lot more natural and realistic looking. Rivers can be found winding their way around the terrain and, in most instances, find their way to an ocean or larger water body. Trees in this mod are updated to be a lot more grandiose and realistic, too.

This is easily one of the best realism mods that aren't super taxing on a player's computer, making it a mod that players need, but just don't realize that yet.

Download here

Note: This list reflects the writer's personal opinions, and what may seem better to one may not be so to another.