Deus Ex (Late to the party)

[Guynemer]

So far, it's not too bad. I admit, I'm highly put off by not having any skills, and only a few aug slots. I also don't like getting so many augs so early--part of the fun of the original was slowly building up your skills and augs. However, the aug system is pleasingly streamlined, any aug canister can go in any slot or upgrade an existing aug. I also like the idea of separate black market augs. The weapon upgrades are also pleasingly straightforward.


The interface may take some more getting used to, but thus far it seems considerably inferior to the original. I heard many complaints about the inventory being so small, but the original also had a small inventory if you decided to carry around more than one medium-large item.


I like the idea of different factions giving you contradictory goals that have an effect on how the factions react to you in the future. The first game had an illusion of this early on, but ultimately was very linear.


The biggest drawback so far, and it's a big one, is that the levels are so freaking small. I mean, the graphics aren't THAT great. I can't understand why, for instance, Half-Life 2 can have much bigger levels with comparable (or even better) graphics and shorter load times.


Regardless, on its own merits, it's not a bad game so far. Pretty good, actually. Better than the average shooter, no doubt. But while superior in some aspects, it is clearly inferior to the original overall, particularly in fun and immersion.

[Guynemer]

Incidentally, first time through the original, what ending did you guys go for?

I sided with Tong and went the "New Dark Age" route. Even this last play through, knowing what all the endings were, I still went with that one. It just... feels right, you know?

However, the best ending storywise is clearly the Everett "Join Illuminati" option, very very cool ending closing the loop of the story.

For whatever reason, never much cared for the Helios ending.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Guynemer The biggest drawback so far, and it's a big one, is that the levels are so freaking small. I mean, the graphics aren't THAT great. I can't understand why, for instance, Half-Life 2 can have much bigger levels with comparable (or even better) graphics and shorter load times.

HL2 came out a full year later, and probably had a bigger budget.

[Quillan]

They never admitted to it, but I am convinced that the reason the levels in Invisible War (and Thief: Deadly Shadows, same team and same engine) are so small is that they were designed for Xbox play, with all the limits of that hardware.

The first time through Deus Ex, I went with Helios. The other options just left a bad taste in my mouth considering them.

[El_Cid]

Originally posted by Guynemer
Incidentally, first time through the original, what ending did you guys go for?
.......

Same for me "new dark age". even though i love computers for gaming, and have been into them since the early 80's, i also know they will be our doom. We would all be better of without them sadly.

Still I had to try all the endings - they were all interesting choices for me. It really was/is a great game - top ten all time list material

[Solver]

Originally posted by Guynemer
So far, it's not too bad. I admit, I'm highly put off by not having any skills, and only a few aug slots. I also don't like getting so many augs so early--part of the fun of the original was slowly building up your skills and augs. However, the aug system is pleasingly streamlined, any aug canister can go in any slot or upgrade an existing aug. I also like the idea of separate black market augs. The weapon upgrades are also pleasingly straightforward.

That was part of my problem with IW. I had all of my augs maxed out during my first visit to Germany. In the original DX, I didn't have them maxed even after completing the game, it really required more attention to do so. I similarly disliked weapon upgrades in IW, they were too common.

Black market mods were a good idea, though.

I heard many complaints about the inventory being so small, but the original also had a small inventory if you decided to carry around more than one medium-large item.

The problem with IW inventory is no concept of size. A grenade takes up a slot just like the rocket launcher does. Silly. I don't want DX's tetris system back for DX3 either, but I'd want a simple weight system - every item has a weight and you're capped at carrying around X kg.

I like the idea of different factions giving you contradictory goals that have an effect on how the factions react to you in the future. The first game had an illusion of this early on, but ultimately was very linear.

But the second game messes that up even worse. Spoiler material if you haven't finished Invisible war:

Spoiler:

Yeah, both games allow you to change how certain people react to you. Both games are ultimately linear but with a bunch of non-linear moments, in the first one there are numerous characters who may live or die depending on what you do. The faction stuff in the second game wasn't at all good. I was particularly disappointed by the end - you got the same options at the end, no matter what you chose to do. You can go through the game brutally killing every Paladin, but no, in the end you'll still be offered the option of siding with them.

Regardless, on its own merits, it's not a bad game so far. Pretty good, actually. Better than the average shooter, no doubt. But while superior in some aspects, it is clearly inferior to the original overall, particularly in fun and immersion.

Yep, that summarizes IW. Had they done a slightly different setting and called it something else, not creating a link to Deus Ex, the game would've been received better.

[Tau Ceti]

That second last paragraph is arguably spoiler material. Let him find out for himself.

[Solver]

Oops, I'll spoiler-tag. I misunderstood Guynemer and thought he'd finished.

[Guynemer]

Yeah, I'll wait until I'm done to unveil that.

Another thing that bothers me...

Seattle? Really?

The original had New York, Hong Kong, Paris, Area 51. Seattle just doesn't have that feeling.

[Quillan]

I didn't have a problem with that so much. The back history of the game is that JC did trigger the new Dark Age at the end of the first, so everything has been rebuilt as they were climbing out of the ashes. My nit-picky problem is that they have had massive technological advances (universal nanotech ammo? WTF?) during the time period that the world crashed and burned.

[Solver]

IW actually assumes an ending that is some combination of the three from the original.

I didn't have a problem with it being Seattle, my problem was that the arcologies were too futuristic. Deus Ex, while set in the future, really looked believable as far as the cities went. And from what I read, people who've actually been to places like Battery Park and Hell's Kitchen say the in-game portrayal was good.

[lord of the mark]

to remind everyone, I have not finished the first game yet, Im still messing around in Hells Kitchen so spoiler tags would be appreciated. Ive been quite busy the last couple of weeks, and so havent played the game much, but I hope to get back to it.

[Wiglaf]

DENTON JOINS THE JEWISH CONSPIRACY AND BECOMES A CYBORG AGENT OF HOLLYWOOD

Saved you some time

[DrSpike]

Originally posted by lord of the mark
to remind everyone, I have not finished the first game yet, Im still messing around in Hells Kitchen so spoiler tags would be appreciated.

Serves you right for waiting so long.

[Skanky Burns]

Can't fault him for "savoring the moment" now that he has actually started playing the game, though.