While Bethesda and developer Obsidian Entertainment are busy taking a plasma rifle to the countless bugs still present in Fallout: New Vegas, devoted -- and programming-savvy -- fans are putting out mods for the PC version of the game that improve its texture maps and lighting, sometimes dramatically. Couch Athletics took a look at three of the more promising additions in its most recent "Mod Madness" feature.

First up is the Arenovalis Weapon Retexture Project which, as its name suggests, replaces the textures on the game's weapons -- 11 of them so far, all of which look far better than the "stock" guns, and the mod's developer is continuing to add more. Then there's the Detailed Normals Texture Pack, which features improved normal maps for some of the world textures (ground and rocks, most prominently) that make them more 3D-looking, though sometimes very shiny.

The most impressive of the new mods, however, is FNV Enhanced Shaders, which makes the game's lighting more realistic and adds a depth-of-field effect, among others, which are all player-adjustable. The results of combining these mods can be seen in the video we've posted after the break. Now, if only someone could make a "Bug-Free Pack" -- and we don't mean one that kills off all the mutated ants and radscorpions.