Summary:
Hi, my name is Denis. I originally started this blog over at Blogger in July 2008. I tend to write a lot about videogames, and have made various rounds of the web. Was formerly a staff writer for both GayGamer and The Border House. This blog serves to explicate my thoughts on any number of issues, not solely focused on videogames anymore (though they still make up the majority).Search:
Archives
Author Archives: Denis Farr
Trade Wars To Facebook Games
Gaming has always been something social in my family; if you wanted to be alone, you opened a book. Everybody gamed, so we would often watch each other, talk about games, and reference them. If you’ve never laughed while family … Continue reading
Half-Life 2: Gordon Freeman
Spoilers: Half-Life, Half-Life 2, Episodes One & Two, Portal. I’ve mentioned before that I often see playing games as a performance–not that I necessarily make up my own character from scratch, but inhabit the life of one while building his … Continue reading
Posted in Character Analysis
Tagged Gordon Freeman, Half-Life, Half-Life 2, Portal, theater, Valve
6 Comments
PA
Trigger warnings: Penny Arcade (read: rape and rape apologism) I’ve been watching this Penny Arcade business with some interest. After all, I wrote about it for The Border House way back in August. August, mind you. Many, many people have … Continue reading
Posted in Community, Uncategorized
1 Comment
Writing Roundup: January 2011
I asked on Twitter if anyone would find useful my linking up pieces I’d written elsewhere. The idea came to me when I realized I wanted to put together a portfolio, but that I’ve written a shitton (actual measurement) of … Continue reading
Half-Life 2: Dr. Breen and G-Man
Spoilers: Half-Life, Half-Life 2, Episodes One & Two The first two significant characters Gordon Freeman encounters in Half-Life 2 serve well to establish the conflicts he will face. First, waking him up from one of the proposed two endings in … Continue reading
Posted in Character Analysis
Tagged Dr. Wallace Breen, Episode One, Episode Two, G-Man, Half-Life 2, kyriarchy
10 Comments
Half-Life 2: Alyx and Eli Vance
Spoilers: Half-Life 2, Episodes One & Two. For me, a large part of the appeal in Half-Life 2 was how it humanized its world. Playing the first one was a lesson in navigating a very mechanical world–there were followers, but … Continue reading
Posted in Character Analysis
Tagged Alyx Vance, Eli Vance, Episode One, Episode Two, Half-Life 2
8 Comments
Dice Rolls
I recently reinstalled and started two games based on the Dungeons & Dragons systems (both well before third edition rules): Baldur’s Gate and Stronghold. What I found, almost immediately, upon starting up both games was my aversion to a system … Continue reading
Posted in Design
Tagged Baldur's Gate, Dragon Age: Origins, Quest for Glory, stat systems, Stronghold
2 Comments
Battling Ghosts
From the blogs I read, it seems like BioWare is rarely praised for the intuitiveness of their systems. While I never praise them, I also rarely seem to encounter too many problems (had some complaints about the skill bar in … Continue reading
Beyond Literary Allusions
Spoilers: Beyond Good & Evil. When handled well, I enjoy stealth games, or portions of games that have stealth. I will reiterate ‘handled well.’ This meant that my recent playthroughs of both Alpha Protocol and Metro 2033 involved a lot … Continue reading
Exit 2010, Writing For 2011
Among the reasons I’m never positive on how to elect a GAME OF THE YEAR is the fact that it depends on when you ask me. I play a variety of genres, and depending on my mood, I might have … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
6 Comments
Vorpal Bunny Ranch 