Replaying Deus Ex

[wmulax93]

I bought Deus Ex: GOTY Edition off of eBay a couple of weeks ago. Back in 1998, when it came out, my computer could barely run it. In fact, I had to quit playing the game rather early because of the frequent crashes. Now, it runs just fine on my laptop, so I'm quite happy!

I haven't been this into a game in quite some time. Probably Half-Life 2 was the last game I had that had me this enthralled with the story and actually wanting to keep it going. I haven't finished the game yet; I just got to Hong Kong, so I think I'm about half way there.

Even though the graphics are subpar by today's standards, I'm loving the gameplay. I wish I had more games like this!

What older games have you been playing lately? Is there anything new this playable (for one person) that doesn't require some ridiculous gaming rig? Or is everything about the glitz and the pretty graphics now?

[Really Not All That Bright]

Funny you should mention that.

I picked up Half-Life 2 the day before yesterday and I've devoted every non-working waking moment to it since. Even the constant DirectX errors can't ruin this experience.

Last week I discovered the Fallout 2 Restoration project:
http://news.filefront.com/fallout-2-restoration-project/
...which is utterly awesome. Bit buggy, but if anything less so than the original games.

I think next week I'm gonna play through Knights of the Old Republic, if I don't just buy every HL2 mod/expansion instead.

I was so happy when Deus Ex became available on Gametap since I'd never gotten to play it, and it really is rather good. The sequels, Deus Ex: Invisible War and Project: Snowblind (originally Deus Ex Clan War or something like that) kinda sucked, though.

[Indistinguishable]

God, I loved the shit out this game; the only ones I'd rate higher are Miyamoto classics. There's apparently another sequel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deus_Ex_3) in the works, but who knows if it will end up a proper Deus Ex 3 or just Deus Ex 2 2?

[Hostile Dialect]

I found myself playing nothing but open-source games I missed from my Linux days, like nethack, BZFlag, Linley's Dungeon Crawl, etc. Finally I realized, "WTH, why don't I just install Linux?" That was about five days ago and I've been in heaven since then. I like Linux games--when I play a game, I don't want to spend half of my time watching FMV and the other half resisting the urge to defenestrate my computer because I can't figure out the obscure trick to getting past some level (and once you do figure out the trick, it turns out to be some repetitive thing you have to keep doing over and over and over again in redundant fashion). I know that's very 1992 of me, but that's what I like.

I've been really into FreeDroid Classic, BTW. It's free and open source and it's available for Windows; it's worth checking out. Other interesting and awesome open source games available for Windows include the aforementioned nethack, BZFlag and Dungeon Crawl plus XEvil (really addictive) and...many others. I'll let you know about some more when I've played through all the games on my Linux systems. (There are a lot of them.)

[Qwertyasdfg]

I think Deus Ex has the best ending of any video game ever. Its got to be in my top 5 favorite games ever. I should replay it myself, now that you mention it.

[wmulax93]

I was so happy when Deus Ex became available on Gametap since I'd never gotten to play it, and it really is rather good. The sequels, Deus Ex: Invisible War and Project: Snowblind (originally Deus Ex Clan War or something like that) kinda sucked, though.


My god, I never knew about Gametap before. There goes any semblance of free time I had!

[Captain_C]

I just finished Gothic last night, and am installing Gothic 2 as we speak. I've never played them before now, so they are new to me. It's like discovering a hard version of Morrowind, and I am loving every minute of it.

[essell]

I think Deus Ex has the best ending of any video game ever. Its got to be in my top 5 favorite games ever. I should replay it myself, now that you mention it.
I don't know if it's just me, but all the best games are from that era of gaming IMHO.

None of the follow ups ever measured up. For the record, Deus Ex is my favourite game of all time. I played it through about two weeks ago on Realistic dificulty. I had great fun sneaking around.

In reply to the OP, I was playing colonization a few days ago. That's an old game.

Also, I'm trying to get a frankenstein machine working at the moment that I can install windows 98 on, so I can play X-Com Apocalypse.

I can't get it to run in Dosbox and I tried running it in XP with VDMSound but it's crackling and buzzing. I need the action music to play that one! X-Com was the best because of the music!

I'm gonna go play UFO:Enemy unknown now.

[Montgomery0]

Even though the graphics are subpar by today's standards, I'm loving the gameplay. I wish I had more games like this!


If I remember correctly, in the mod community, there is an effort to spruce up the dated graphics of the game. I saw they were pretty far into it about a year ago, but I haven't been keeping up with the progress. You might want to google it.

[Really Not All That Bright]

I played HL2 until about 4am last night because I kept thinking I was almost done.

And let me tell you... worst ending ever.

Seriously. I almost put a fist through my monitor.

That said, that final level was a lot of fun.

[Left Hand of Dorkness]

I played HL2 until about 4am last night because I kept thinking I was almost done.

And let me tell you... worst ending ever.
I didn't think it was so bad. But then, I bought it as part of Orange Box, so I could immediately start with the first expansion. And the first expansion picks up immediately at that cliffhanger of an ending.

I agree that Deus Ex is an awesome game; one of these days I'll replay it. The late nineties were a great era for PC gaming. But then, I think we're in another great time as well, with Orange Box and Bioshock and their likes.

Daniel

[Ike Witt]

but who knows if it will end up a proper Deus Ex 3 or just Deus Ex 2 2?
Hell, I'd be happy if they just re-released the original Deus Ex with the same graphics as Deus Ex 2.

The graphics are the only thing that didn't hold up from that game. I still love to play it myself and have high hopes for DX3.

[smiling bandit]

Spoiler question about Paul Denton...

How can I keep Paul Denton alive? He keeps vanishing. This is some kind of bug, but does anyone know a workaround?

[Really Not All That Bright]

Spoiler question about Paul Denton...
Which level are you on?

[Cleophus]

Spoiler question about Paul Denton...

How can I keep Paul Denton alive? He keeps vanishing. This is some kind of bug, but does anyone know a workaround?

I presume you're talking about the fight in the hotel. I never had that problem. I think the trick is to not get separated initially. I always stayed behind with Paul and fought the soldiers and MiBs. You still "die" (get knocked out, actually) even if you do manage to get out of the hotel with Paul and to the subway station.

[smiling bandit]

I presume you're talking about the fight in the hotel. I never had that problem. I think the trick is to not get separated initially. I always stayed behind with Paul and fought the soldiers and MiBs. You still "die" (get knocked out, actually) even if you do manage to get out of the hotel with Paul and to the subway station.

Yes, it's on that level. However, even when I defeat the soldiers, I have to keep Paul within view at all times. If he actually goes out of my sight range, he vanishes and is counted as "him dead." UI eventually earned that if I stay right next to him I can turn away. I used this to defeat the soldiers and MiB and Paul walked to the exit and vanished (which I assume is a scripted "Paul leaves"). However, the game then claimed he was dead and the rest fot he game continues with that. :(

[Nightsong]

Yes, it's on that level. However, even when I defeat the soldiers, I have to keep Paul within view at all times. If he actually goes out of my sight range, he vanishes and is counted as "him dead." UI eventually earned that if I stay right next to him I can turn away. I used this to defeat the soldiers and MiB and Paul walked to the exit and vanished (which I assume is a scripted "Paul leaves"). However, the game then claimed he was dead and the rest fot he game continues with that. :( And as I remember from that level, if you leave via the window and hop onto the fire escape, Paul will always die. Even if you hop back in and stay with him: hopping out the window triggers a game flag that marks Paul as dead.

___
<< Cats know your every thought. They don't care, but they know. >>

[Cubsfan]

Just chiming in to say that was a great game. I never got to beat it but it was one of the few games that I felt truly let you decide how to solve problems and proceed past areas. I really liked the story as well. Never really played the sequel though.

I tried to play Deus Ex a year ago or so but I just couldn't get past the rudimentary graphics. My 360 has spoiled me.

[Indistinguishable]

Wow, the graphics are really that bad? So many people have commented on it, anyway, which surprises me. The last time I replayed it was four years ago, but I don't recall being particularly turned off then. Then again, four years is a long time.

[TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW]

Wow, the graphics are really that bad? So many people have commented on it, anyway, which surprises me. The last time I replayed it was four years ago, but I don't recall being particularly turned off then. Then again, four years is a long time.

Yes. I downloaded Deus Ex about a year ago when it was released on Steam because I never got a chance to play it the first time around, and I simply could not get past the graphics after a while (the fact that the actual gameplay and story didn't hook me in the slightest didn't help). It felt like one of those first-generation FPS like Wolfenstein or Doom - just super-simplistic and ugly graphics.

[Snarky_Kong]

Wow, the graphics are really that bad? So many people have commented on it, anyway, which surprises me. The last time I replayed it was four years ago, but I don't recall being particularly turned off then. Then again, four years is a long time.

Not at all. They're not great, but it gets the job done.

[ZenBeam]

In reply to the OP, I was playing colonization a few days ago. That's an old game.How is that? I have it (for DOS, I think, but maybe Windows3.x). I tried it once, but I was used to Civilization, so I don't think I was treating the Indians right. Maybe I couldn't find a spot far enough from their cities to build my city, or something. Anyway, I never got back to it. Worth trying it out again?

(I got a screaming 486/66MHz system with 16 MB and a caching hard drive controller just sitting in my basement I could put it on. Or I could cheat and use DOSBox.)

[Really Not All That Bright]

Wow, the graphics are really that bad? So many people have commented on it, anyway, which surprises me. The last time I replayed it was four years ago, but I don't recall being particularly turned off then. Then again, four years is a long time.
I didn't think so, and I didn't play it until it came out on Gametap... circa start of '06 I think.

Then again, I'm just not a cutting-edge type gamer. I'd rather spend half as much on my rig (and games!), and play everything with the graphics settings turned all the way up.

How not cutting edge, you ask? I'm typing this on an Athlon XP 2600-based machine, with a GeForce 5200FX video card and a single 40 gig HD - which I built approximately 6 years ago and have upgraded exactly three times. (Win '98 > XP, 512 megs of ram to 1 gig, and just last week I finally installed a DVD drive because even three-year-old games are mostly on DVD only now.)

I'm pretty sure HL2 is the absolute upper limit of what this system is capable of running.

Plus, I just bought my girfriend a PS2 for Valentines' Day (she just wants to play Guitar Hero III, and since her last game system was a Genesis I think this is a big enough leap for her :D )

[essell]

Spoiler question about Paul Denton...

How can I keep Paul Denton alive? He keeps vanishing. This is some kind of bug, but does anyone know a workaround?
In order for Paul to live through the game two things must happen:
1) The first wave of MiBs that raid the room must be killed. (Put some LAMs in proximity mode outside the room before the fight, and one on the wall near the door. That'll help)
2) Paul must be alive when you die / get captured.

Easiest option is kill the first wave in the hotel room then jump downstairs and die in the lobby of the 'ton. You'll wake up moments later in the cell inside the MJ12 facility.
You'll know if you've got it right when you talk to the French NSF agent in the cell across the row and says he's "heard noises down the hall"

[essell]

How is that? I have it (for DOS, I think, but maybe Windows3.x). I tried it once, but I was used to Civilization, so I don't think I was treating the Indians right. Maybe I couldn't find a spot far enough from their cities to build my city, or something. Anyway, I never got back to it. Worth trying it out again?

(I got a screaming 486/66MHz system with 16 MB and a caching hard drive controller just sitting in my basement I could put it on. Or I could cheat and use DOSBox.)
I play Colonization in a DOS box and it works fine including the sound.
The only bug I've seen is in the Random number generation. Sometimes you can not win a combat no matter how many troops you throw at the target. You've just got to back off and try again next turn.

In the game, I just kill the Indians near my territory and ignore the others. It's convenient, it's often profitable and it's true to history.
Although I usually use the Aztecs and the Incas as targets to earn my troops some experience later in the game. You can make a lot of profit doing that.


As to whether it's worth playing, for me it has a special place in my heart. It's the first PC game I ever played so maybe I'm biased but I think it's worth your time.

Despite the Sid Meier name on the box and the visual similarity it's a very different from the Civ games. There's no gradual, inevitable climb to greatness. You've got to make it happen. Which has it's own rewards.

[Sleel]

If I remember correctly, in the mod community, there is an effort to spruce up the dated graphics of the game. I saw they were pretty far into it about a year ago, but I haven't been keeping up with the progress. You might want to google it.

This (http://offtopicproductions.com/hdtp/) is probably it. Improved textures and models for Deus Ex. There are probably other mods out there that are finished. They have an initial release done, but are still working on more improvements.

If the graphics are offputting for you guys, just remember that this game was originally released in 2000. That means that they were probably using stuff that was cutting-edge in 1998. There has been a massive amount of change in what computers can do with graphics in the intervening 10 years.

Deus Ex: Invisible War wasn't a bad game, it just wasn't very Deus Exy. The physics settings they used were too floaty, the style was just a bit too cartoony, and it was much more action-oriented than DE. It was a simplified mainstreamed game that had only a little in common with the original.

My favorite style of play was stealth. Nothing more fun than sneaking up on a Templar Paladin with the non-eutectic sword and taking his ass out with a single swipe. Maxing low tech early in the game was very helpful. Plus, if you always sneak around you get to hear more of the character dialog.

[treis]

I though I'd mention that the Max Payne series was damn good. That would be the next two games I'd play if you liked Deus Ex.

[Ike Witt]

I though I'd mention that the Max Payne series was damn good. That would be the next two games I'd play if you liked Deus Ex.
Yeah, Max Payne is great but it has nothing in common with Deus Ex.

[treis]

I'd say that if someone enjoyed Deus Ex, that they would like Max Payne.

No One Lives Forever is a good one for sneaking around. The more you sneak, the funnier conversations you hear.

[smiling bandit]

I'd say that if someone enjoyed Deus Ex, that they would like Max Payne.

:dubious:

I can see why some poeple might like both, but they have nothing to do with one another. At all. This is barely even apples to oranges.

Deus Ex is a slow-paced game of exploration, cool equipment, small quests, alternate routes, and combinations of combat and non-combat solutions. It is a dystopian futuristic adventure game.

Max Payne is a balls-to-the-wall shoot-em-up. It has little interactivity, totally linear levels, and an immense amount of graphic bloodshed and brutal violence. You can't sneak very often. It has a distinct film noir feel to it, a world gone cold and ugly, a icy-eyed shark ready to consume the shattered lives of those devoured by the green-eyed monster, men and women and children vanishing into the chill gullet of an insatiable beast.

I men, yes, they are both very good games. But I can't see liking one as a recomendation for liking the other.

[treis]

Max Payne has the same long and mysterious story line that Deus Ex has. It also relies much more on strategy than a quick trigger finger due to the slow down effect.

[smiling bandit]

Max Payne has the same long and mysterious story line that Deus Ex has. It also relies much more on strategy than a quick trigger finger due to the slow down effect.

Look, I understand your love for both games... but they really aren't anything close to being like one another. That's got to be the most generic argument ever. I could use to compare both to Doom 3, or maybe Fallout, or even Wing Commander.

[Ike Witt]

Look, I understand your love for both games... but they really aren't anything close to being like one another. That's got to be the most generic argument ever. I could use to compare both to Doom 3, or maybe Fallout, or even Wing Commander.
I concur. However, the comparison to NOLF is a good one. Both NOLF games were great. I keep holding out hope that they will make a third one.