All things Deus Ex

[Dante Fireseed]

Saw this and thought it worth posting. For anyone who has the original Deus Ex on PC, there is a new mod out which gives hi-res textures. I own it on steam so might be a reason to go back and try the old classic.

http://www.shacknews.com/article/76820/ ... -completed

http://www.moddb.com/mods/new-vision

[magicjoef]

Looks cool!

I would definitely give it a try. I revisited it before HR came out, and even without a texture pack it felt like it held up pretty well (although I played it first time around too, so I had the nostalgia factor).

The shooting is probably the most wonky thing. I always found it a bit weak any way, but especially light-weight these days. Luckily, you don't really have to do much of it

[magicjoef]

Next to Fallout 4, this is probably top of my wishlist:

http://www.giantbomb.com/articles/big-s ... 1100-4755/

It's a way off, so who knows what will happen, but I loved Human Revolution, so fingers crossed!

[DomsBeard]

Are you me Magicjoef? I'm the same

[Scrustle]

I don't really know what to make of this. I admit I'm far from a hardcore Deus Ex fan, but I really don't think that the IP suits what it sounds like they're trying to do. Sounds like they're trying to make an MMO, or something with a lot of online and "social" features, as well as trying to leech as much out of the franchise as they can by trying to make as much "Deus Ex" stuff as possible. While I can see how perhaps some kind of online features could have potential in the series, given its setting, I think the things that Deus Ex does so well would really be harmed by trying to exploit the franchise and trying to jump on the bandwagon of current "social" gaming trends. It's hard to have a really focused story and a strong atmosphere in a game with those features. Deus Ex isn't something you're supposed to play with friends.

[dezm0nd]

Loved Deus Ex:HR despite its flaws. Stealth mode was superb and I despise stealth games, mostly.

[magicjoef]

Deus Ex isn't something you're supposed to play with friends.

True, I wouldn't be digging an MMO either. From what I've read though I think 'Universe' is just them referring to their world, and how everything will fit in that context. Ideas mentioned like "different parts of the world segregating into technological classism" suggest they are keeping tight to the Deus Ex core themes. Don't forget they did make everyone on the Human Revolution team play through the first game

[magicjoef]

Are you me Magicjoef? I'm the same

Ha! You are a gentleman of exquisite taste

[Flabyo]

trying to jump on the bandwagon of current "social" gaming trends.

I'm willing to bet that at least 75% of games in development for next gen are taking this approach. Many publishers are of the opinion that the only way to make enough money to offset the sky high dev costs of these next consoles is to go for 'long tail' stuff that they can either charge a subscription for, or that they can release a LOT of DLC for.

See for example: Destiny.

[Alex79]

I really liked Human Revolution up to the bit where I've been stuck for about a year, and just gave up. It was a boss fight with some woman who kept glitching about the screen or something. I can't really remember now.

EDIT : Great post >_<

[ratsoalbion]

The forthcoming Director's Cut of DXHR apparently features revised/refined/improved boss fights.

[dezm0nd]

Aye, I'd be interested in seeing those changes but not playing it again. Already done it twice, want a new one naaaow.

[JaySevenZero]

Here's where you can write up your thoughts and opinions for Ion Storm's 2000 cyberpunk-themed action-role playing video game - Deus Ex.

[triumphofhearts]

An absolute belter.

Picked up the PC version after reading some article in a games magazine at the time. It talked the game up pretty big, and coming from the late N64 and early PS2 titles I was playing at the time it sounded like something out of science fiction in both narrative concept and execution.

My PC would barely run the thing, and my first few days were spent chugging through the training sections with various graphics settings altered until I hit a passable framerate - no doubt something like 20fps in the quiet, and 15 or so (or lower!) during action sequences. I absolutely loved it, even though my rig was technically hamstrung, and remember shouting for my brother from the other room when I realised you could pick up any old tat laying around: "GET IN HERE, I'M DRUNK AND SMOKING CIGARETTES".

I never made much progress owing to the fact my machine struggled more and more as the game levels opened up. I do have fond memories of the rooftoop / balcony style traversal somewhere in the second stage (?) though as the lack of enemies meant that I could run the game at a reasonable clip.

A couple years later I picked the game up on the PS2, and even with its cut content and trimmed level layouts I still had a great time. Even here, with textures almost comically blurry I enjoyed what felt like real freedom to approach tasks in my own way. I've always been rubbish at stealth and action games, yet I loved the choice of which approach I could fail at. Every blunder felt like *my* blunder, and this was something I can't remember feeling in much else of the era except for Outcast.

Deus Ex sits on my list of games I really need to go back and finish properly - I'm pretty I have the GOTY edition sitting in my Steam library but just don't have the time to play it. I never played Invisible War or Human Revolution despite now owning both, but one day hope to blast through the set. A special, special title.

[Flabyo]

If this is soon you need to stick a date in the subject, I think people put off replying to these when there's no date cause they think there's plenty of time.


I doubt I'd have much to say about this one that you won't say in the show already. I loved it, still love playing through it, and I still like *all* the sequels (yes, I'm that person that thinks Invisible War is great too).

[Bakers_12]

I remember buying Deus Ex on a whim being only drawn by is cover. Upon playing it I bounced off it hard. I could get nowhere in the first level , I could not even manage to hit anyone with my tranq crossbow. I gave up. I did return around four times and never got past the first bit. Then on my fifth go it clicked and it clicked big time!!

Once I got my head round how the game works I found the first level was a mission statement for the game. I showed you the diversity in options afforded to you as you worked you way into and then up the statue of liberty. Even at the time it was not a pretty game but it's ruff edges seamed to me to suit it. The game play and scope of the game was a revaluation to me at the time, It opened my eye that games don't have to stick to one genre but take bits from others to improve the experience.
For me it was the story that stuck out the real world conspiracy theorys twisted up and merged in to the main story did capture my imagination with its twists and turns. Looking back it was taking a lot of cues from the X-files but it worked. More amazing was that the story was so very malleable there was so many veribuls in what you could do to effect and it always seamed to register in some way within the story, at times it blow my mind! The quality of the level design was and still is amazing as said before giving you so many options but also the quality stays high all the way to the last area. That last area is one of my fav last areas from any game. As soon as you arrive your dissensions from before the level starts can mean you could lose a companion or change the opening layout of the level. The final show down where you have several people wanting you to do their biding , all trying to convince you to stop what you have decided to do and help them instead was such a cleaver way to finish the game , shame the Devs in human reevaluation didn't take note and didn't ended their game with a room with four buttons!
I came back to this game repeatably until my last gaming PC gave in. Even after so many play thoughts I still found new areas and people to talk to. This game along with Alpha centari are the only games to took with me when I moved out of home.

Despite how good this game is and how highly its thought of now at the time I knew no one else who had played the game. Years later when the second game was first announced I found out a work colleague who is now sadly no longer with us had played and loved Deus Ex too. That day (and many days after) was spent having in depth conversations on that we found and ways we did things, in one conversation he dropped a massive bomb shell! In his playthoughs he always saved JC's brother. He would barricade the apartment and defend his bro, I on the other hand had always jumped out the window and legged it changing our stories completely (and messing up the continuity of the sequel too as JC's bro was a main player in that story)! I was amazed that a game I had played so many times could years later through me something new! We had talked a fellow colleague to play the game too , though he played the PS2 version and from what he says it sounded like a cut down version. He was not a fan.

Now I still see it as my fave game ever! even the squeals have not quite live up the the first one. Deus Ex introduced me to many of my desired elements in games, ones that give you a feeling that you can chose to do what you want and that there is going to be some course and effect.

[Todinho]

Deus EX is one of the few games that I remember being really hyped about in the late 90's,in hindsight I dont really know why I was so excited to play it because at the time I didnt even know it was a First person RPG but maybe I just thought that the Matrix looking guy on the cover was really cool,once the game came out my father bought it with us crossing our fingers hoping that our computer would be able to run it and thankfully it did!I remember booting up the game,starting the first level,getting stuck and then never touching it again;Not something unsurprising for someone of my age at the time to do I supposed,I was 8 or 9,my father kept playing it but I would just comeback to it 10 years later around the time Human Revolution was announced and I knew I had to comeback and finnish this.

Being someone who was really excited to play the game when it came out but who only properly played it way after it's release coming back to it I was really aware of the areas of the game that didnt age very well for example,while at the time the graphics of Deus Ex were cutting edge they didnt exactly age very well as it's often the case with games of that time,that's not such a big problem given the game's grimy cyberpunk aesthetics but it's still an eyesore,another thing that REALLY didnt age well were the actual mechanics of the game,let's just say combat in this game is clunky at best and it's one of the main reasons I avoided it at every opportunity while playing the game,at last the overall plot is very run of the mill being your average conspiracy theory cyberpunk story with some really flat characters.

However despite all these dated aspects the game made me fall in love with it once it's timeless qualities started to shine;first off the level design,not only are the areas very well designed to acomodate any type of playthrough but they are HUGE even by today standarts with a bunch of secrets for the more dedicated players to find so much so that Im convinced it's impossible to find them all in a first playthrough,not only are the levels open but the game itself boasts the now common advert "you can play the game anyway you want" only in Deus Ex case that's actually true,the amount of options you have to deal with each level is stagering you just need to look at the first mission in how that has around 5 possible ways to end it, or how you can actually save your brother from death not to mention that I didnt need to fight a single boss in the entire game because of the way I was playing it. The freedom the game gives the player in how to aproach it is the true revolutionary quality of the game to the point that the only title I can even think of that can really match it's open the gameplay is the recently released MGSV and that's not even a fair comparison,if that it's not a testament of how ahead of it's time Deus Ex was I dont what is.
At last I would be remiss if I didnt mention the game's outstanding soundtrack that perfectly fits the setting giving it alot more character then it would've without it,themes like UNATCO and Hong Kong Streets stick in your head for a long time making it one of the few soundtracks from a AAA western game that I tend to listen to with frequency.

I was really happy to comeback and play Deus Ex because despite not aging well in certain areas it remained timeless in others and it completly blew me away because of that,It's a game I think it can teach alot to any aspiring game creators,surprise new players and is a must play to anyone interested in gaming history.

[Electric Crocosaurus]

Deus Ex came along when I was too young to have disposable income with which to buy the full game. I did have access to the demo though, which came ‘free’ with a copy of PC Zone magazine back in the day. As such, Deus Ex is one of those games where my fondness comes from how much I rinsed their generous demo rather than the full game itself (see also Parappa the Rapper and Resident Evil 2).

Deus Ex’s first demo gave players access to the first mission, while a second demo released a few months later opened up the Hell’s Kitchen section that followed. Due to its open world this meant there was a heck of a lot of content to explore. While the full game would feature some tweaks for the most part it was stuffed to the cybernetically-enhanced gills with content. And you could use a crowbar as a weapon, firmly establishing it as a millennial PC game.

GTA 3 was over a year away, so I wasn’t used to having such large, expansive places to explore. I had great fun acting like a complete berk; stunning friendlies, teasing enemy AIs and alternating between being stealthy stealthy and blowing up everything in sight. That first hub-world was such a wonderful sandbox of possibilities that I don't think there’s a level of a game that I've played more thoroughly.

It helped that the game came out relatively soon after the release of the Matrix. Balletic gunfights, night-time sunglasses and ridiculously long coats were the epitome of counter-culture cool in 2000, although JC Denton was a typically one-note video game representation of this. The theme tune was ace too, though I suspect the composer had listened to the 90s X-Men cartoon theme a few times beforehand…

One final shout-out has to go to Gunther Hermann, possessor of both the most clichéd German name in video games and one of the worst cod-German accents. He’s one stein away from asking Denton to run away to ze lant hoff shokolat with him, and all the more hilarious for it.

[James]

Thanks for the great posts, folks! Keep 'em coming.

[James]

As you can see, I've updated the thread title as we're now not recording until Thursday 11th Feb. A little extra time to get your thoughts on the game into the podcast, should you so wish!