We need, in fact the industry simply REQUIRES, in-depth oral history journalism and retrospectives like this. The "gaming industry" is 40+ years old now, and there have been absolutely pivotal works in that time. They deserve to be interrogated and documented dispassionately and with rigor.
Deus Ex at 20: The oral history of a pivotal PC game
21–30 of 129 posts
Re: Deus Ex at 20: The oral history of a pivotal PC game
#22Earlier quoted context omitted.
> really finicky Is it finicky? The stealth system is very basic and based on line-of-sight and sound (for human enemies). As long as you aren't running, it's actually incredibly trivial to stealth through levels without being seen. Even the bots aren't really a problem, since they have static patrol paths and limited line of sight.
Its really that I'm just more used to modern stealth mechanics that handhold the player more. It's not my style of play in general.
It's more of a trial and error kind of play. It really helps to quick save/quick load a lot to figure out what you can get away with.
Re: Deus Ex at 20: The oral history of a pivotal PC game
#23I really hope they will make a remake of the originals. I loved Deus Ex: Human Revolution when it was out, but it’s a challenges to enjoy older games most of the time.
Human Revolution is an older game? Geez, I must be really getting old then. That game certainly holds up just fine, and does not need a remake.
Re: Deus Ex at 20: The oral history of a pivotal PC game
#24Earlier quoted context omitted.
I feel the same. I want to play the originals, but they are just so clunky and even the mods do not fix the fundamental problem of how old the games do feel.
I went back to human revolution a couple months ago. I loved it the first time, but I was really surprised how clunky a game from 2011 felt. I think there were also some scaling issues with my 4k monitor. it's really too bad; mankind divided had a much better "feel" to it, but the story was not as interesting or well developed.
Mankind Divided was such a letdown...
Re: Deus Ex at 20: The oral history of a pivotal PC game
#25I really hope they will make a remake of the originals. I loved Deus Ex: Human Revolution when it was out, but it’s a challenges to enjoy older games most of the time.
Human Revolution is an older game? Geez, I must be really getting old then. That game certainly holds up just fine, and does not need a remake.
I mean I did play HR, and I’d like to play a remake of a Deus Ex from 2000.
Re: Deus Ex at 20: The oral history of a pivotal PC game
#26For the 15th anniversary Warren Spector, Sheldon Pacotti and Chris Norden got together to replay the game.[1] Spector and Looking Glass creators also had a replay for System Shock's 25th anniversary last year. [2]
Deus Ex made me read "The Man Who Was Thursday". I was slightly disappointed that the other book "Jacob's Shadow" was made-up for the game.
Re: Deus Ex at 20: The oral history of a pivotal PC game
#27I really hope they will make a remake of the originals. I loved Deus Ex: Human Revolution when it was out, but it’s a challenges to enjoy older games most of the time.
What's the oldest viable game to you, now? I just played the first Mass Effect for the first time, and was really impressed by how well it had aged for a game from 2007. I replayed the first Bioshock (also from 2007) not long ago, too, and it, too, holds up IMO. Could we get further back than 2007?
I think 2007 is exactly the year. I’m playing Bioshock now, so much fun. But Deus Ex from 2000 is clunky.
Re: Deus Ex at 20: The oral history of a pivotal PC game
#28Re: Deus Ex at 20: The oral history of a pivotal PC game
#29Earlier quoted context omitted.
I feel the same. I want to play the originals, but they are just so clunky and even the mods do not fix the fundamental problem of how old the games do feel.
I went back to human revolution a couple months ago. I loved it the first time, but I was really surprised how clunky a game from 2011 felt. I think there were also some scaling issues with my 4k monitor. it's really too bad; mankind divided had a much better "feel" to it, but the story was not as interesting or well developed.
I played HR for the first time last month and couldn't finish it, because it bored me to death and then gave me stupid boss fights. It's so dumbed down and just doesn't come close to the first Deus Ex. And yes it felt clunkier than the first game (I lost count of how many times I fell to my death trying to jump onto some platform to perhaps find a secret or hidden route, only to hit a stupid invisible wall)..
Re: Deus Ex at 20: The oral history of a pivotal PC game
#30> ‘You can make any game you want, you can take as long as you want, and money’s not an issue’. > ‘Just run the studio, we’ll pay the bills and keep you isolated from anything that’s happening up here in Dallas’. I don't think this can happen today and I also believe this is the reason we don't see anything close to the original Deus Ex.
Anything close in what regards? There are amazing games coming out all the time.
Amazing to look at, but not innovative. There's very rarely that combination of a big AAA game combined with gameplay innovation these days that Deus Ex (and some other groundbreaking games in the late 90's) represented.
The big blockbuster games cost so much money to make today that those who provide the money are extremely risk averse, so you get rehash after rehash after rehash of proven formulas with shinier graphics.
All the (gameplay and storytelling) innovation happens in smaller indie games. Some of them actually have incredible production value, but rarely the marketing power of AAA productions by the big publishers.
It's much like Hollywood in the 70's vs Hollywood today.
(some edits to make it clear that I'm talking about innovation outside the pure rendering technology, that's where AAA productions are leading, no doubt).