For as long as PC Games have existed, gamers have found delight in modifying game files and changing how games behave. This process is called “modding”, and the files that change the game are known as “mods”.

The first mods were simple, and only made small changes such as changing the color of a weapon or giving the player infinite health. As time passed however, the mods that people made became more and more elaborate, some so complex that they turned into their own games. It may be hard to believe, but hit games such as Counter Strike, Team Fortress 2 and Defense of the Ancients started out as mods with small development teams.

Sure, not every mod will be as famous as Counter Strike, but modding is still very much alive today. One of the big players in the modding scene is Modb.com, a website that lets users upload and promote their mods to others. This review will be on a piece of software that Modb.com has recently released : Desura, a online digital distribution platform aimed at mods and indie games.

Desura’s aim is to allow Gamers to have access to a huge array of mods and games, and this certainly has been achieved. New and popular files are displayed in the main dashboard with large thumbnails so that you can easily browse through them, while a detailed search is also available for those who are looking for something specific.

But the biggest selling point of Desura has to be the fact that it handles mod installation very well. Usually, to install a mod, you would have to move the mod files to very specific locations, a process that is easy to mess up. This can prove very frustrating as wrong file locations can break the game. With Desura, all mods and games can be installed with a simple click. Desura handles all file placements for you, both installing and uninstalling, making it much easier to enjoy mods.

In addition, Desura also has strong community features. Players and developers have their own profile pages, where they can leave comments, discuss/rate mods and write reviews for everyone else to read. This integrates a strong community relationship between both gamers and developers, and will certainly appeal to those who may be interested in being part of a gaming community.

Desura does have a few issues though. First, of all, only a small selection of mods on Modb’s website are available for download using Desura. The current amount of mods and games on Desura are still pretty small compared to the files on Modb’s website. Also, as with all programs, Desura constantly saps at your CPU power, and there have even been a few instances where Desura crashed.

With that said though, Desura is a very worthwhile piece of software for gamers, as it makes it very easy to find, install and enjoy mods and indie games. Strong community features as well as great design makes it a brilliant piece of software. The Desura community and it’s creations are also constantly expanding and increasing in number. So if you are a PC gamer, I would recommend you give Desura a try.

Desura is a free piece of software developed by Desura pty Ltd. The current version of Desura can be found at this link. Please note that a Modb.com account is required to use Desura, signing up is free.

This article was written by a guest editor, Bok Wai Yeung