MODmonday: Garry's Mod

Posted Dec 22nd 2008 4:00PM by David Craddock
Filed under: Features, Action, FPS, Multiplayer, Sandbox, Opinion

While Xbox 360 and PS3 users have worked themselves into a veritable tizzy over downloadable content, PC users have been accustomed to having the lifeline of their favorite games extended far past their in-the-box values since the days of Doom - and even before that. What's more, we're used to downloading new levels, weapons, characters, and new episodes absolutely free of charge.

Big Download understands that a five-hour game can be extended by hundreds of hours via total conversions, brand new monsters, and weapons you've always wanted to see in your favorite title. In the spirit of extending a title's longevity beyond mere out-of-the-box expectations, MODmonday celebrates the best modifications for games new and old. Half-Life, Half-Life 2, StarCraft, Diablo II, Doom and more will all be represented here, ensuring a wide spread of mods available across every possible genre of PC gaming.

This week's MODmonday modification is Garry's Mod, a full-featured construction set able to modify any Source engine-based game.

Mod: Garry's Mod
Developer: TEAM GARRY
Download Link
Required Game: Any Source engine-based game (i.e., Half-Life 2, Team Fortress 2, Counter-Strike: Source)

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Sandbox games have become a staple of the gaming industry. While many developers strive to create compelling single-player experiences rooted in traditional linear design, more players are praising the open world-nature of titles such as Grand Theft Auto and Fallout 3. The "go anywhere, do anything" freedom provided by these and similar titles often includes a story, but the narrative usually takes a backseat to actions performed by the players which, in many cases, affect the game world. It is no wonder that this sense of truly affecting the course of events is often preferred over games that set players on a set path that flows rigidly from point A, to B, and all the way to Z.

Even the most refined non-linear games have some restrictions, the most common caveat being that you can do almost anything you want, so long as the game's mechanics allow for it. In these instances, it's not always possible to open the game's hood, root around, and swap tubes, nuts and bolts. To further the metaphor, you can drive the car anywhere you like, but the engine isn't usually swappable. And then along came Garry's Mod, the fully-equipped mechanic's shop created by designer Garry Newman and TEAM GARRY that allows PC gaming grease monkeys to tweak and modify anything and everything beneath the hood of all Source engine-based games.

More than simply a toolbox that allows you to bend Source engine characters like action figures, Garry's Mod is hard to compare to any typical game modifications. Closest in spirit to a total conversion, Garry's Mod allows for the creation of new levels, yes, but is also capable of creating entirely new modes, machinima, items, characters and more.

Think of Garry's Mod as wide open world found in The Matrix. Need guns, lots of guns? Explore Garry's menus to find exactly what you're looking for, and then change it to your heart's desire. Want to string together characters like Christmas lights in order to conduct a line dance? Grab the G-Man, Alyx Vance, a Combine guard, and Team Fortress 2's Medic to create an unlikely line of organic ornaments.

Feel free to bludgeon and break your own creations to perfection, then share them with the world via online play. All custom content will be sent to all users who join your game, which should make building with Garry's Mod a tempting and exciting venture for users put off by the complexity of traditional level design software.

The freedom offered by Garry's Mod is accomplished using and due in large part to the realistic physics realized in Valve's Source engine. Because of this, Garry's Mod requires at least one Source engine-based title, such as Half-Life 2, TF2, or Counter-Strike: Source. That's not too restricting -- what PC gamers don't have at least one Source title in their library? -- but somewhat restricting is the $9.99 price tag tacked onto Garry's Mod. That's not much, but gamers used to mods being absolutely free might be soured at the prospect of paying even a cent, and mod builders always have the option of using free programs such as UnrealEd and Valve's own Hammer editor, which have a wealth of design options readily available.

Considering all that Garry's Mod makes possible, 10 bucks isn't much for all the fun you'll have treating your favorite Source titles like freely arrangeable jigsaw puzzles. Garry's Mod is a worthy purchase for any gamer interested in dabbling in design.