Rediscovering the original "Deus Ex".

[Giles Habibula]

I bought this game back shortly after it came out in 2000. I'd installed it and played through the training mission, but it took me several hours to get through the first real mission, and I got hopelessly stumped in the second mission, not knowing what to do next in this type of game. I was pretty good at Doom and the like, but this game added a few layers of complexity that I simply wasn't used to at the time.

After reading some stories online referring to it as a classic and a must-play, I just now decided to try it again, since in the intervening years I've gotten much better at this without really knowing it....I guess. In any case, the gameplay is actually pretty intuitive once you get into the swing of things and managing your inventory. And exploration has become quite fun, rather than the aimless hinderance I once thought it was.

Once I had all the controls and customized my keyboard and mouse (something I never bothered with the first time, so I hadn't even known there was a flashight for instance, among other things---I read the manual this time), the gameplay came quite naturally this time.

And I must say I'm very pleased with this game.
It runs smooth as silk under WinXP w/SP2, right out of the original box with no patches applied.

I'm on the third real mission in Hell's Kitchen, and I'm having a blast! I'd always heard about the multiple paths to each objective, but never really got far enough to try a few the first time.

Casing each area and discovering the options for ways in before making my decision which one to try is half the fun. I'm loving the sneaking around trying to scope things out. It actually sort of vaguely reminds me of "Thief" that way, and I dearly loved Thief. But this is not Thief by any means. It's something different. Whether or not this game can unseat Thief as my favorite game of all time remains to be seen, but so far, it's made a wonderful impression on me.

I'm really getting into this game, a rare occurence for me lately.
I'm becoming a retro gaming whore as of late, discovering old classics I'd never played and put up on the shelf for a rainy day. I've played quite a few newer games too lately, but they seem to lack the charm of the classics somehow. Though that could be purely nostalgia on my part.

I'm guessing most of you have already played "Deus Ex" and know how good it is, but for the few that may not have, if you can find a copy, I'm recommending it, most especially since it seems to do just fine with XP.

[Greggy_D]

Shoot Giles...everytime you mention a game, I need to go finish it. That was the same experience I had with DE. I didn't know what to do and I was pissed I only had 6 bullets at a time! This calls for a reload.

[WPD]

I thought it was a great game.

Sadly, I thought the first section of the game where you storm the Statue of Liberty was the best of the game and it (very, very slowly) went downhill from there.

But it was still one hell of a (confusing at times) ride.

[Samurai]

Easily the game that I have replayed the most in my entire life. At last count I have played through it 7 times. I don't even know why its so replayable, but I do know that, even after 7 times through, I still find new stuff each game that I have missed.

[D.A.Lewis]

One of my top 5 games of ALL TIME. I couldn't play the game when it first came out because I didn't have the computing power. I was able to get into it about 6 months later with my new computer.

Fun all the way through, it was just too bad the sequel killed the series.

[morlac]

Love this one as well, played through it twice. I went stealth/hacker/incapacitator one time and guns/melee/death dealer the next time. Good Fun! They play totally different as well.

[Erithtotl]

Post a screenshot, I'm curious as to what it looks like on a modern machine after all these years.

Also one of my favorite games of all time.

[Hamlet3145]

Sonofagun.

/reinstalling

It'll be interesting to see how it looks on my ATI x800 running at 1600x1200.

[Grifman]

Sadly, I thought the first section of the game where you storm the Statue of Liberty was the best of the game and it (very, very slowly) went downhill from there.

That's a strange conclusion. You have no/few biomods, weapon mods, few skills and you think the first area was the best? THat's just really really odd.

[Freezer-TPF-]

Fantastic game, even though my rig at the time (Voodoo2 ftw) struggled with it at times. Enjoy it. 8)

[Inverarity]

One of the better games I have ever played. It's on my "Games I should replay but now I probably never will" list.

I found the Statue of Liberty missions to be the absolute worst of the game (almost to the point where I stopped playing). The farther along you get the better the game plays, imo.

[Rabid moth]

GREAT game, probably one of my all time favorites. It was one of the few games that I was actually kinda of sad when I finished it.

I think my favorite weapon skill is surprisingly the pistol group, which is rare for most games. They are small, so you always have room for a GEP gun (the "lockpick") and tons of grenades, it's cheaper so it's easier to raise your other skills, like hacking and melee. With highly modded pistols, some points in melee weapons and a dragon tooth it's the perfect sneaker build.

[razgon]

I agree - other than the ability to biomod, and the various weapons and skills, I REALLY loved the story and voice acting in this game.. the FEMA director gave me the chills whenever he spoke - damn good job...

[El Guapo]

Yeah, this game is absolutely a classic, and also one that taught me what a multipurpose tool a rocket launcher is.

[warning]

I've played it twice already. Love this game.

Don't make me play it again.

[Rincewind]

Deus Ex was and remains one of those supposed "great" games that I never could get into and still can't.I have probably started the game and played through 3-4 missions about 6 times over the years, and every time I do I am left completely underwhelmed. Never could really figure out why.

[Grundbegriff]

It's a very good game. Although it's not a timeless classic, like Thief Gold, Torment, and X-Com, it floats near the top of the next tier.

The AI is ludicrous. The dialogue ranges from hilarious to tedious. The gameplay is sometimes monotonous. The plot is ridiculous. Nevertheless, some of my most vivid gaming memories come from Deus Ex (especially during a non-violent/non-firearm replay on high difficulty, which I recommend as an enjoyable second pass).

The whole is definitely more than the sum of its parts, and certain design decisions were just right.

[jonsauce]

Deus Ex is my all time favorite game. It made me shake, it made me sweat, it made me jump once or twice. Granted it was my first FPS (If you can call it that), but it really drew me in. I loved how you had to get in AND get out. Getting out was usually the most tense part for me.

[Giles Habibula]

I've been unable to pull myself away from this game for the last 7 hours.
I'm continually learning new things that are actually optional, and thus rewarding. I'm disappointed with myself if I skip a side mission for instance, as they are very rewarding.

Managing inventory has been the most challenging and rewarding experience for me. Deciding which items to ditch to make room for new stuff. Items to ditch temporarily then come back for...it's a sub-game of its own.

Reading all the snippets from books and paper lying around has been a terrific way to fill in missing conspiracy pieces I'd been curious about. As has been listening in on numerous conversations.

What I found most fascinating though, was in reading the Midnight Sun newspaper that came in the box with the game. One whole page is dedicated to voice actors. There are approximately 50 different voice actors, each doing anywhere from 3 to 7 voices EACH, resulting in a cast of characters I'm estimating to be between 200 and 300! A stunning amount of script-work. I can only imagine the work that went into that aspect alone, much less tying it all into a complex conspiracy story (or stories).

[Odin]

It's a very good game.

Agree

Although it's not a timeless classic, like Thief Gold, Torment, and X-Com, it floats near the top of the next tier.

Disagree.

The AI is ludicrous.

Disagree

The dialogue ranges from hilarious to tedious.

Disagree

The gameplay is sometimes monotonous.

Disagree (though you could MAKE it monotonous if you chose, I guess. considering how many different ways there are to progress through the game, it's hard to see your point.)

The plot is ridiculous.

Disagree

Nevertheless, some of my most vivid gaming memories come from Deus Ex

Agree

The whole is definitely more than the sum of its parts, and certain design decisions were just right.

Agree

I've replayed Deus Ex more than any other game I own, and played it to the end every single time. It's definitely at or near the top of my list of best games ever. The gameplay, the story, the look, even the music - just top-notch stuff.

Sith

[Grundbegriff]

The AI is ludicrous.

Disagree

I can see someone loving this game more than I do, so I have no broad dispute with your tastes. However, c'mon. The AI isn't ludicrous?

Your recommendation would be stronger if you were frank about the game's weaknesses as well as its strengths. The AI in Deus Ex is as thick as peat.

[Giles Habibula]

I'll agree that the AI is none-too-swift. For instance, I can lure a whole slew of them into a hallway, and wait around the corner and pick em off as they come carreening wildly around the corner one after another. In fact, if the physics were more state-of-the-art, they'd literally be tripping over their comrade's bodies as they came sailing 'round.

But it's kinda fun that way. And I do have to plan for it a bit by scoping out how many there are in the area, and having possibly two corners for me to fall back around while I reload, depending what weapons I happen to have and how many enemies there are.

So yeah, the AI isn't the greatest, however taken in the context of the year 2000, it wasn't too bad, and I'm having loads of fun with it the way it is. Kinda like dealing with Keystone Kriminals.

[Odin]

The AI is ludicrous.

Disagree

I can see someone loving this game more than I do, so I have no broad dispute with your tastes. However, c'mon. The AI isn't ludicrous?

Your recommendation would be stronger if you were frank about the game's weaknesses as well as its strengths. The AI in Deus Ex is as thick as peat.

Sure, the AI was plenty A and not very I, but what game of that time period didn't suffer the same problem? It's only in the last couple of years that we've started to see AI that began to act with some shade of realism. This game was developed six years ago, and for the time its AI was not unusually bad and was better than some.

As such, I can't fault it too harshly any more than I'd complain about the "lame graphics" when talking about Space Invaders.

Sith

[warning]

I think the biggest complaint about the AI is that they didn't even match the AI in Half-Life which came out over a year before Deus Ex.

I'm just amazed that they fit all the levels, all the spoken dialogue, all the music (great music!) on one freaking disc!

[Grundbegriff]

Sure, the AI was plenty A and not very I, but what game of that time period didn't suffer the same problem?

Thief 2 and Half-Life had better AI, and they're also from 1999-2000. So did NOLF, IIRC.

[Smoove_B]

Sure, the AI was plenty A and not very I, but what game of that time period didn't suffer the same problem?

Thief 2 and Half-Life had better AI, and they're also from 1999-2000. So did NOLF, IIRC.

Half Life was the deal breaker - it woke everyone up. Not just with the graphics, but the storyline and the AI. When it came out - nothing was even close.

Thief 2 *did* have better AI than Deus Ex - but it's a different kind of game. Clearly the design of T2 called for the computer AI to be able to react to the type of game play that was required (stealth).

At its heart, Deus Ex is really just a FPS with a robuts RPG engine slapped in for good measure. I was never under the impression that the game aspired to have the kind of AI that Thief 2 had.

I don't remember NOLF having very good AI - IIRC they also just ran in waves at you. The thing that NOLF had was nifty death animations - guys falling over railings or tumbling down stairs. I think they had some basic situational awareness - if they found a body they'd sound an alarm.

I guess, in summary, I don't look back on Deus Ex for the AI. I think it was the storyline and RPG element that made it a classic game.

[Little Raven]

Thief 2 and Half-Life had better AI, and they're also from 1999-2000. So did NOLF, IIRC.

NOLF definitely did not have 'better' AI. The guys were quite stupid. The only difference was that while guards would notice downed compatriots and sound alarms in both games, in DE, they eventually forgot and went back to their patrol routes (and alarms terminated) while in NOLF the condition was permanent. That made NOLF less forgiving. I'm not sure that's the same thing as better. Spectre said the decision to have the AI 'reset' was quite intentional and designed to produce a more fun (if less realistic) experience.

[Grundbegriff]

I guess, in summary, I don't look back on Deus Ex for the AI. I think it was the storyline and RPG element that made it a classic game.

I agree. I like Deus Ex despite the problems I mentioned. They hold it back, but it's still a heap o' fun, especially as an FPRPG.

It's sort of a heavily populated System Shock 2.

[Grundbegriff]

Thief 2 and Half-Life had better AI, and they're also from 1999-2000. So did NOLF, IIRC.

NOLF definitely did not have 'better' AI. The guys were quite stupid. The only difference was that while guards would notice downed compatriots and sound alarms in both games, in DE, they eventually forgot and went back to their patrol routes (and alarms terminated) while in NOLF the condition was permanent. That made NOLF less forgiving.

I guess I don't RC; now that you describe the difference, my memory triggers tell me you're right. It was the fact that NOLF's AI didn't forget so maddeningly quickly that left me with the impression that it was different in a way I find better.

Spectre said the decision to have the AI 'reset' was quite intentional and designed to produce a more fun (if less realistic) experience.

Spector said a lot of things. For instance, he said he was committed to emergent gameplay.

[Little Raven]

Spector said a lot of things.

Yeah, but I'm actually inclined to believe him on the AI reset call. I certainly can't think of any reason why the reset would be technically mandated. And it did lead to a more relaxed gameplay. In DE, I could always run and hide and wait for things to calm down a bit, while in NOLF I pounded the quickload a lot. Which route is 'better' is probably a matter of taste.

[Grifman]

The AI in Deus Ex is as thick as peat.

Agreed, and I think that is one of the main complaints in Tom Chick's infamous review which trashed the game.

First level, I can kill guards and when their buddies walk by on patrol, right by the corpse(s), they act as if nothing happened. If they see you, they'll chase until you get out of sight, but then go back on patrol as if nothing happened after a while. That was the worse part of the game, but as Grund said, the game was greater than the sum of its parts.

[Odin]

Half Life was the deal breaker - it woke everyone up. Not just with the graphics, but the storyline and the AI. When it came out - nothing was even close.

Thief 2 *did* have better AI than Deus Ex - but it's a different kind of game. Clearly the design of T2 called for the computer AI to be able to react to the type of game play that was required (stealth).

True enough, but then HL was a much more linear game while Thief2 was so very focused on the stealth aspect that it's hard to compare it to DX. And they were both groundbreaking games in their own rights, so to say they did something better (even much better) than another game doesn't make that aspect of the other game "awful" just because it suffers by comparison. The DX AI was typical of the day - worse than some games, equal to or better than others. It was sufficient to make the game challenging, so it did its job. I just can't agree with the assertion that the AI was "ludicrous" - it was standard fare for its time.

Sith

[Bad Demographic]

I don't really remember much about the AI in Deus Ex. I recall thinking stealth didn't work as nicely as it does in the Thief games. I played DE shortly after System Shock 2 and what really struck me as nice was that the npcs were alive in DE - in SS2 they were dead by the time you found them (SS2 was a very lonely game). I liked being able to design my character as I went along, and I really liked that there were usually different ways of achieving a goal -- different ways to get around, different ways to handle situations.

There were many things in DE I thought were great. I loved the readables (enough that I eventually read "The Man Who Was Thursday"); I loved that one cat would purr and follow you around if you "petted it" while there were others that became hostile; I loved that the bird cages swung if you bumped into them. I guess it's these atmosphere touches that really make a game for me.

[Grundbegriff]

I loved that if you threw things at the bums in the sewer a few times, they'd finally bark "Quit jerkin' around!"

[Quaro]

I dug the The Man Who Was Thursday too! I ended up reading a bunch of Chesterton due to Deus Ex.

I loved: obscure references in email messages, the ambience (music in Hong Kong!), that NPCs had an initial conversations which took care of the necessary game elements and then repeated clicks initiated longer conversations to add flavor, that you could save nearly every character who had a scripted death (although I think the game is more thematically satisfying if Paul dies), the voice-in-your-head guy making light conversation while you explore the map, the large non-combat oriented sections. Playing the demo, I wasn't totally won over until I finished the mission and was chilling at a very interesting Unatco HQ.

[Odin]

I loved that if you threw things at the bums in the sewer a few times, they'd finally bark "Quit jerkin' around!"

I like that after all the times I've replayed this game, there's still stuff I didn't know. Like that.

Sith

[Victoria Raverna]

Spector said a lot of things.

Yeah, but I'm actually inclined to believe him on the AI reset call. I certainly can't think of any reason why the reset would be technically mandated. And it did lead to a more relaxed gameplay. In DE, I could always run and hide and wait for things to calm down a bit, while in NOLF I pounded the quickload a lot. Which route is 'better' is probably a matter of taste.

And you still don't think Deus Ex's AI reset call is better? Deus Ex save your fingers from having to press the quick load key a lot which in turn reduce the chance of game related injury to your fingers.

[Grundbegriff]

And you still don't think Deus Ex's AI reset call is better? Deus Ex save your fingers from having to press the quick load key a lot which in turn reduce the chance of game related injury to your fingers.

My game-within-a-game with first-person hybrid games is to pretend there is no quick-load, to make every choice count, and to live with the consequences.

This doesn't mean that I play in a true ironman mode; it does mean that I try to avoid quicksave and quickload for that kind of game.

It's frustrating to be willing to accept the consequences of your actions, only to have those consequences evaporate if you idle for 90 seconds.

[Padre]

I think the best compliment I can give Deus Ex is that I didn't even notice how bad the AI was until it was pointed out to me.

[Darkie]

I think the best compliment I can give Deus Ex is that I didn't even notice how bad the AI was until it was pointed out to me.

Agreed. When I played it, it was still fairly new, and the AI seemed about par for the time.