Recent reviews by Danir

It is a pity that this game has no meaningful competition within its space.

It's a game about playing as an adorable kitty-witty.

Whilst I do acknowledge the significant effort that's gone into shoring up the void of functionality that resulted from banning all mods through EAC, I maintain that an open and sincere attempt at dialogue with the modding community would have yielded a far more constructive outcome.

Surely deserving of a sequel.

Perhaps one of the most highly anticipated games of 2013, BioShock Infinite is the third installment of the BioShock series, and by far the most ambitious. Players assume the role of Booker DeWitt, a disgraced Pinkerton agent who must travel to the floating utopian city of Columbia in an attempt to wipe away the debts of his past. It is in this city that he must rescue Elizabeth, a mysterious girl who has been imprisoned in solitary confinement for most of her life. With many fantastic promotional gameplay demos promising an epic adventure on a massive scale, I came into this game with high hopes and even higher expectations. And while I do feel that Infinite delivered for the most part, I am still left with some reservations having completed the game.

While I did find the narrative itself to be quite interesting on the whole, I did not feel like it was the sort of story I would find in a BioShock title. Probably one of the greatest disappointments for me about this tale was the aspect of choice, or in this case lack thereof. Indeed, any veteran of the BioShock series will know that the recurring themes and motifs often correlate to the ideas of choice and free will, and typically play out with the players' actions throughout the game affecting the final outcome of the story. From viewing the gameplay demos, it seemed like this thread would once again recur in Infinite. The final product, however, proved oddly lacking in this regard, offering players only two or three real choices, with none of them having any real bearing on the gameplay or the story. Similarly, we were led to believe that Elizabeth's development as a character would have been influenced in at least some regard by our actions throughout the story, particularly when interacting with Songbird, her warden. Even Songbird, however, was given a rather painful backseat throughout the action, with most of his appearances being purely cinematic despite being publicized as the title enemy of the game.

I rather find that this lack of connection between Booker and Elizabeth also put up some barriers between myself and her character. While she remains a thoroughly likable character throughout the story, the fact that I was not really able to really connect with her character also meant that she had less of an impact on me, despite being a major part of the story. This is not to say that I found her character to be undeveloped; Indeed, I rather found her personal maturation throughout the game to be rather touching and emotionally powerful. I would, however, have liked to see a little more personal involvement in that development (Think how Delta's actions affected Eleanor Lamb in BioShock 2; Even her dialogue in combat was affected depending on how good or evil the player was). Consequently, the single ending that we got ended up leaving me with rather mixed feelings, as it did not really feel as though my actions had truly affected the story or Elizabeth in any meaningful way. The last minute twist and confused pseudo-science was also rather off, leaving me feeling somewhat baffled by the time the credits rolled.

I also felt that much of the backstory concerning the existence of Columbia was left strangely underdeveloped. The audio diaries scattered throughout the city were not terribly revealing about life in the clouds, and so much of Columbia's history was left obscure. The workings of the Vigors and other mechanical marvels that are found throughout the city are also left mostly mysterious. While the city does create the same atmosphere of mystery and intrigue that Rapture left me with, the lack of richness also meant that I was never really able to connect with Columbia in quite the same way as Rapture, and so felt more like a passing spectator than someone who was actually part of events.

On the whole, I would consider this to be solid title, worth adding to anyone's collection. While I did find that many aspects of the story did not quite ring true with the themes native to the series, Infinite still proved to be a thoroughly entertaining experience.

A triumph of the role-playing genre and a masterpiece of artistic form, Skyrim, the fifth installment of the Elder Scrolls series, provides for a wonderfully magnificient adventure for players to embark on.

Set in the frozen tundra of Skyrim, you assume the role of the Dovahkiin - the Dragonborn - to answer the threat of a prophecy that foretells the return of an ancient evil to Skyrim: the Dragons. With their leader, Alduin, bent on destroying the entire world, you will be all that stands in the way of oblivion.

Or not. One of the greatest things about Skyrim - as with most of Bethesda's titles - is the open-ended nature of the environment. You are not bound by any mandate to actually complete the main storyline, meaning you can set your own pace for the game and take the time to discover for yourself all that Skyrim has to offer. With an enormous world to explore and dozens of side-quests to complete, your adventure will never leave you with a dull moment.

I must admit, I was somewhat hestiant about whether or not I could recommend this game to others. Not for a lack of quality, but because I cannot say with any degree of certainty that the average gamer will enjoy this experience. If you are the sort of person looking to find a fast-paced, action-filled shooter, then this may not be the game for you. If, however, you are one who is truly passionate for incredibly immersive space simulators, and are willing to spend the time getting to know and unveiling the true beauty of the game, then Terran Conflict is for you.

One of the greatest things about this game is how alive the universe truly feels. The hundreds of unique vessels you encounter throughout your travels are all part of a vast economic network comprised of several alien civilizations that span countless sectors. Your actions as you traverse this space will create tangible effects, thus making the construction of your interstellar empire immensly satisfying.

The controversial ethics and morality behind the human capacity to augment themselves through technology are what take the center stage in Deus Ex: Human Revolution. You assume the role of Adam Jensen, an ex-cop who trys to uncover the truth behind the conspiracies that surround the augmentation business.

Unlike most games which usually tend to leave the story by the wayside in favor of focusing primarily on the action alone, Deus Ex is able to truly shine in how it is able to tell a story that actually forces us to stop and think. Coupled with gorgeous visuals and intensive gameplay, Deus Ex: HR easily presents itself as being one of the best titles of 2011.

Without question, Garry's Mod provides for one of the most interesting and unique gaming experiences out there. Augmenting its powerful sandbox driven single-player mode is an impressive physics engine that gives players the ability to create just about anything they see fit. Make a zany contraption, or set up an epic fight between NPCs; the choice is yours. With countless add-on files being created every day by an active and diverse community, the possibilties for expansion here are endless.

Better still are the countless numbers of custom gamemodes found throughout the multi-player community. Sit back and watch YouTube videos with your friends, or pick up a rifle and fight the zombie apocalypse head-on. Regardless of what kind of gamer you are, Garry's Mod offers something for everyone to enjoy.