JC is so autistic i love it
It would be difficult to find a more genre-defining and culture altering game than this. Bizarrely prophetic, fun as hell, extremely well written (even when its not, it's extremely funny). Even if you don't like the gameplay, play this for the writing and the memes. A monolithic figure in the history of gaming.
The first time that I had heard of the Deus Ex series was through the middling reviews of Deus Ex: Mankind Divided that were being written around the time that game first came out, and while I had no interest in playing that game (or most of the games in the series, for that matter), the amount of praise that went towards the very first game in the series made me curious about eventually giving it a shot. As my tastes in games began to form with age and my love for Western RPGs began to blossom, Deus Ex ended up being one of those games that I wanted to play as soon as I possibly could, and because playing video games on a Mac is an absolute nightmare, it ended up being easier for me to emulate the PS2 port of this game than it was to actually play the original release due to the former option having significantly less hoops I'd need to go through just to get the game to work. Despite me playing it on a technically worse version of the game than around 99% of the population, Deus Ex was able to blow me away in every aspect, and I knew that this deserved its status as one of the best games ever made long before I was finished with it.
One problem that a lot of WRPGs face is that the gameplay ends up being a lot less interesting than the story or characters, but that thankfully isn't the case here at all. Deus Ex is an absolute blast to play thanks to how much freedom of choice the game gives you right from the very beginning, and your options only increase as the game goes on. The sheer amount of vents to crawl through, systems to hack into, and people to talk to in each of the game's 13 missions end up making Deus Ex feel like it's constantly rewarding your curiosity, and having all of the game's interactable elements work alongside each other (i.e. helping a character out so that they can give you useful information or avoiding confrontation by climbing through some vents that you reached by building a stack of boxes) makes exploration feel natural. The dystopian cyberpunk setting was another aspect of why each level was so engaging to traverse, as seeing the grimy, moody, and hellish depictions of New York, Hong Kong, and Paris (as well as the amazing and eclectic music that they were paired with) not only made me want to see what these areas had in store for me, but also what was going on behind the scenes. Deus Ex is a stealth game at its heart (and an immensely fun one at that), but it gives you the tools to really carve out your build and play any way you want, as the limited nano-augmentations, weapon modifications, and skill points always made me careful about choosing what to upgrade and how to take advantage of my new abilities with my current roster of weapons.
From a gameplay standpoint, Deus Ex was already an absolute knockout that was designed in such a way where no two people's playthroughs are the same, but this game also features some of the most enthralling, fascinating, and thought-provoking writing I have ever experienced in a video game. Before the game even starts laying its twists and turns on you, Deus Ex gives you a sense of how bad the world's gotten through the propagandistic newspapers and terminals that are scattered around the levels, and even with the answers that the characters and various organizations give you throughout your playthrough, the atmosphere of mystery and secrecy still manages to linger all the way to the end. The game strikes an excellent balance between riveting gameplay and philosophical food for thought, and it ends up posing a lot of interesting questions regarding morality, politics, capitalism, and human nature whose answers are still being debated by fans to this day. By the time the credits of Deus Ex rolled, I had a giant smile on my face, because while I was admittedly a bit let down that I wasn't able to play the original PC version of the game, I'm still glad that I got to experience what is easily one of the very best games of all time.
One problem that a lot of WRPGs face is that the gameplay ends up being a lot less interesting than the story or characters, but that thankfully isn't the case here at all. Deus Ex is an absolute blast to play thanks to how much freedom of choice the game gives you right from the very beginning, and your options only increase as the game goes on. The sheer amount of vents to crawl through, systems to hack into, and people to talk to in each of the game's 13 missions end up making Deus Ex feel like it's constantly rewarding your curiosity, and having all of the game's interactable elements work alongside each other (i.e. helping a character out so that they can give you useful information or avoiding confrontation by climbing through some vents that you reached by building a stack of boxes) makes exploration feel natural. The dystopian cyberpunk setting was another aspect of why each level was so engaging to traverse, as seeing the grimy, moody, and hellish depictions of New York, Hong Kong, and Paris (as well as the amazing and eclectic music that they were paired with) not only made me want to see what these areas had in store for me, but also what was going on behind the scenes. Deus Ex is a stealth game at its heart (and an immensely fun one at that), but it gives you the tools to really carve out your build and play any way you want, as the limited nano-augmentations, weapon modifications, and skill points always made me careful about choosing what to upgrade and how to take advantage of my new abilities with my current roster of weapons.
From a gameplay standpoint, Deus Ex was already an absolute knockout that was designed in such a way where no two people's playthroughs are the same, but this game also features some of the most enthralling, fascinating, and thought-provoking writing I have ever experienced in a video game. Before the game even starts laying its twists and turns on you, Deus Ex gives you a sense of how bad the world's gotten through the propagandistic newspapers and terminals that are scattered around the levels, and even with the answers that the characters and various organizations give you throughout your playthrough, the atmosphere of mystery and secrecy still manages to linger all the way to the end. The game strikes an excellent balance between riveting gameplay and philosophical food for thought, and it ends up posing a lot of interesting questions regarding morality, politics, capitalism, and human nature whose answers are still being debated by fans to this day. By the time the credits of Deus Ex rolled, I had a giant smile on my face, because while I was admittedly a bit let down that I wasn't able to play the original PC version of the game, I'm still glad that I got to experience what is easily one of the very best games of all time.
30 hours in I found out that you can reload with the ; key
This was a surprising game in many ways, while outdated in graphics and controls (fuck the ladders in this game), the way it allows you to approach any situation in a multitude of ways and it's story are ahead of it's time. While it's depiction of Asian people, Hong Kong and Chinese culture along with it's voice acting are definitely not the best, the rest of what the game has to offer is damn near perfection.
This game is philosophically stimulating and I wonder if I made the right choice with my ending. Given that it's cyberpunk, perhaps there are no right choices but just ones that you can justify more. I like how it takes the conspiracy theories of its time (and even now) and turns them into tangible and well thought out levels, factions, and ideas. Just the levels in general are amazingly crafted, they really account for all play styles, it's awe inspiring.
I'm just in awe at how many ways this game could progress, there's so many "turning points" that it would take you about a dozen playthroughs to see everything and even then I'm sure there's more hiding in the shadows. I know the series is pretty mixed after this debut entry which is a testament to how revolutionary and sadly unique this game truly is.
I tried to model this JC Denton after me, usually in these types of games I'll try to be the most compassionate I can be and go as non-lethal as possible. At a certain point in the game I just let a lot of that go and decided to become a murderous ninja so couple that with the ending I got I wonder how the world would look like based on the choices I've made. Such a fascinating game and one I'll come back to explore intimately. If you can look past some of it's outdated visuals and controls (seriously, fuck the ladders), Hollywood levels of poor taste Asian stereotypes and bad voice acting then you'll be in for one of the best games of all time.
This game is philosophically stimulating and I wonder if I made the right choice with my ending. Given that it's cyberpunk, perhaps there are no right choices but just ones that you can justify more. I like how it takes the conspiracy theories of its time (and even now) and turns them into tangible and well thought out levels, factions, and ideas. Just the levels in general are amazingly crafted, they really account for all play styles, it's awe inspiring.
I'm just in awe at how many ways this game could progress, there's so many "turning points" that it would take you about a dozen playthroughs to see everything and even then I'm sure there's more hiding in the shadows. I know the series is pretty mixed after this debut entry which is a testament to how revolutionary and sadly unique this game truly is.
I tried to model this JC Denton after me, usually in these types of games I'll try to be the most compassionate I can be and go as non-lethal as possible. At a certain point in the game I just let a lot of that go and decided to become a murderous ninja so couple that with the ending I got I wonder how the world would look like based on the choices I've made. Such a fascinating game and one I'll come back to explore intimately. If you can look past some of it's outdated visuals and controls (seriously, fuck the ladders), Hollywood levels of poor taste Asian stereotypes and bad voice acting then you'll be in for one of the best games of all time.
Its almost impossible to play this on modern hardware without losing your sanity
You Can Kill Children
WHY CRUNCHAIN IT
Eu falei que System Shock 2 é um dos melhores jogos de PC da época, mas não o melhor, justamente porque esse trono vai para Deus Ex, um dos melhores jogos de todos os tempos, sem brincadeira.
A gameplay de início pode ser meio difícil de pegar o jeito, e admito que na primeira vez eu não entendia o hype por trás desse jogo, mas depois de finalmente pegar o jeito (e inúmeros rebinds de teclas), o jogo finalmente clicou e descobri um dos melhores jogos que já joguei, simplesmente uma combinação dos melhores jogos de PC da época em um, o jogo no início pode parecer um jogo de FPS comum, mas na verdade ele é um jogo de stealth a la Thief (faz sentido vendo que Thief (os dois primeiros) foram desenvolvidos pela Looking Glass Studios), só que se já não bastasse, ele expande mais nas idéias vistas em Thief com mecânicas de RPG e inúmeras maneiras de customizar seu personagem, no início tinha achado isso uma idéia terrível de combinar stealth com RPG, mas a verdade é que as mecânicas de RPG elevam esse jogo, você pode virar o Garrett cyberpunk focando seus Skill Points (obtidos ao completar quests e até mesmo EXPLORAR O MAPA) em Electronics e Lockpicking, ou virar o mestre do terrorismo (irônico vendo a premissa inicial da história) e upar tudo em armas, ou mesmo virar um psicopata e focar em upar SWIMMING (HABILIDADE DE NADAR), e isso que nem tinha entrado os Augments na conversa ainda, alguns Augments são genuinamente extremamente divertidos de usar tipo o Speed Enhancement que no level máximo tu vira o Tarzan saindo pulando pelo mapa, ou mesmo o Regeneration com Power Circulation ambos level max que viram uma fonte de cura tão boa que deixa os medkits completamente inúteis de tão absurdo, esse sistema de customização de personagem deixa até System Shock 2 parecendo um jogo de FPS da primeira metade dos anos 90, ainda mais quando você combina com um level design sensacional que incentiva ao máximo a exploração e o uso das habilidades adquiridas ao longo do jogo, lhe permitindo passar pela fase de múltiplas maneiras, de novo, digamos que tenha uma porta com Keypad e durabilidade da porta, quer explodir ela? Você pode! Quer procurar a senha, ou até mesmo usar os Multitool para ultrapassar ela totalmente? Você pode! Além disso ainda existem várias maneiras de atravessar outros obstáculos do jogo dependendo de seu personagem, por exemplo, digamos que tem robôs pelo mapa, robôs imunes a tiros normais de rifles, tem um nível Heavy (armas pesadas) alto e um lança foguetes? BUM, explosão, não tem isso mas tem munição explosiva de Assault Rifle e nível Rifles alto? BUM, não tem nem um nem outro? Vai no stealth! Enfim não vou ficar me repetindo o que já falei antes em Dishonored e Cruelty Squad, mas dá pra ver que explorar as várias maneiras de passar pela fase é muito divertido, e também muito recompensador, você ganha de Skill Points até mesmo armas e AUGMENTS (caso você já não tenha pego antes), e além disso ele ainda depende quase totalmente do audiovisual para saber onde está os inimigos assim como Thief, pra mim algumas das melhores fases do jogo são a base da UNATCO em Hell's Kitchen e a Catedral de Paris, não vou falar com são pois (SPOILER), mas no geral, tudo isso que falei pode parecer que tem um sacríficio ou outro, mas surpreendentemente ele não sacrifica nenhum aspecto do jogo por outro, ele tem uma gameplay de stealth muito boa sem sacrificar a capacidade de matar gente igual Thief, ele tem uma customização de personagem bastante complexa sem ter um tiroteio piorado igual System Shock 2, e tem uma história muito boa sem sacrificar a gameplay no geral igual o Planescape Torment.
Ah sim, a história! Ela é uma das melhores de qualquer jogo de RPG, ou até de qualquer jogo, ainda mais para um jogo de RPG que não é isométrico ou um JRPG, e nem tem 40 horas de duração, no início parece uma simples história de "Grupo anti-terrorista, AKA UNATCO, contra um grupo terrorista, AKA NSF", mas depois de um tempo a história toma um rumo bem diferente e fica mais interessante, não posso contar pois (SPOILER), mas o jogo vira basicamente uma batalha de ideologias muito daora e também é muito interessante ouvir sobre cada um dos lados lá para o fim do jogo, onde não existe lado bom ou ruim, todos podem ser beneficiais e perigosos ao mesmo tempo. O jogo curiosamente também tem uma boa quantidade de escolhas que afetam o rumo daquele personagem ou evento, claro eles podem até não afetar o final da história, mas é bem interessante e alguns até afetam gameplay como por exemplo a citada escolha do arsenal inicial, e é incrível como alguns dos eventos do jogo refletem em muita coisa que aconteceu anos depois do lançamento desse jogo, tipo a invasão da Área 51 (mesmo que tenha sido por meme) e a COVID-19, o que é simplesmente surreal para um jogo de 2000 que parcialmente previu o que aconteceu 20 anos depois.
Visualmente o jogo pode não ter envelhecido dos melhores (apesar de ainda ter envelhecido melhor do que System Shock 2), mas ainda assim por causa da "datadice" da parada toda, alguns personagens tem visuais bem mais memoráveis do que eles já seriam por causa disso, além disso algumas fases tem um visual muito legal tipo a citada fase da Catedral de Paris que podia ser facilmente uma fase em algum jogo de Thief, até o corredor antes de chegar na Catedral em si lembra uma fase de Thief. A trilha sonora por outro lado é sensacional, e é mais maneiro ainda o balanceamento de tom, algumas músicas dão vontade de chorar de tão lindas, algumas passam uma vibe de filme de ação e entre outras coisas, mas as músicas ainda assim são genuinamente sensacionais, tipo a música da Mansão de Beth e a da fase do Ocean Lab, apesar de que no início a trilha sonora pode não ser incrível, mas da Hell's Kitchen em diante a trilha sonora vai ficando cada vez mais incrível.
Agora sim, esse jogo é simplesmente algo especial para os jogos de PC da época, ele é um dos melhores jogos de todos os tempos por vários motivos, pra mim um dos motivos principais é como ele combina vários elementos de alguns dos melhores jogos da plataforma em uma combinação surrealmente fenomenal, ele tem a história complexa de um Planescape Torment, ele tem a customização de personagem complexa de System Shock 2 e a incrível gameplay e level design de um Thief, tudo em um, e mesmo que tenha algumas coisas meio datadas nele, essas coisas meio "datadas" são fichinha perto do quão sensacional todo o resto do jogo é, não é atoa que é considerado um dos melhores Immersive Sims de todos os tempos, pra mim é um dos melhores Immersive Sims, e também um dos melhores jogos de todos os tempos!
10/10!
A gameplay de início pode ser meio difícil de pegar o jeito, e admito que na primeira vez eu não entendia o hype por trás desse jogo, mas depois de finalmente pegar o jeito (e inúmeros rebinds de teclas), o jogo finalmente clicou e descobri um dos melhores jogos que já joguei, simplesmente uma combinação dos melhores jogos de PC da época em um, o jogo no início pode parecer um jogo de FPS comum, mas na verdade ele é um jogo de stealth a la Thief (faz sentido vendo que Thief (os dois primeiros) foram desenvolvidos pela Looking Glass Studios), só que se já não bastasse, ele expande mais nas idéias vistas em Thief com mecânicas de RPG e inúmeras maneiras de customizar seu personagem, no início tinha achado isso uma idéia terrível de combinar stealth com RPG, mas a verdade é que as mecânicas de RPG elevam esse jogo, você pode virar o Garrett cyberpunk focando seus Skill Points (obtidos ao completar quests e até mesmo EXPLORAR O MAPA) em Electronics e Lockpicking, ou virar o mestre do terrorismo (irônico vendo a premissa inicial da história) e upar tudo em armas, ou mesmo virar um psicopata e focar em upar SWIMMING (HABILIDADE DE NADAR), e isso que nem tinha entrado os Augments na conversa ainda, alguns Augments são genuinamente extremamente divertidos de usar tipo o Speed Enhancement que no level máximo tu vira o Tarzan saindo pulando pelo mapa, ou mesmo o Regeneration com Power Circulation ambos level max que viram uma fonte de cura tão boa que deixa os medkits completamente inúteis de tão absurdo, esse sistema de customização de personagem deixa até System Shock 2 parecendo um jogo de FPS da primeira metade dos anos 90, ainda mais quando você combina com um level design sensacional que incentiva ao máximo a exploração e o uso das habilidades adquiridas ao longo do jogo, lhe permitindo passar pela fase de múltiplas maneiras, de novo, digamos que tenha uma porta com Keypad e durabilidade da porta, quer explodir ela? Você pode! Quer procurar a senha, ou até mesmo usar os Multitool para ultrapassar ela totalmente? Você pode! Além disso ainda existem várias maneiras de atravessar outros obstáculos do jogo dependendo de seu personagem, por exemplo, digamos que tem robôs pelo mapa, robôs imunes a tiros normais de rifles, tem um nível Heavy (armas pesadas) alto e um lança foguetes? BUM, explosão, não tem isso mas tem munição explosiva de Assault Rifle e nível Rifles alto? BUM, não tem nem um nem outro? Vai no stealth! Enfim não vou ficar me repetindo o que já falei antes em Dishonored e Cruelty Squad, mas dá pra ver que explorar as várias maneiras de passar pela fase é muito divertido, e também muito recompensador, você ganha de Skill Points até mesmo armas e AUGMENTS (caso você já não tenha pego antes), e além disso ele ainda depende quase totalmente do audiovisual para saber onde está os inimigos assim como Thief, pra mim algumas das melhores fases do jogo são a base da UNATCO em Hell's Kitchen e a Catedral de Paris, não vou falar com são pois (SPOILER), mas no geral, tudo isso que falei pode parecer que tem um sacríficio ou outro, mas surpreendentemente ele não sacrifica nenhum aspecto do jogo por outro, ele tem uma gameplay de stealth muito boa sem sacrificar a capacidade de matar gente igual Thief, ele tem uma customização de personagem bastante complexa sem ter um tiroteio piorado igual System Shock 2, e tem uma história muito boa sem sacrificar a gameplay no geral igual o Planescape Torment.
Ah sim, a história! Ela é uma das melhores de qualquer jogo de RPG, ou até de qualquer jogo, ainda mais para um jogo de RPG que não é isométrico ou um JRPG, e nem tem 40 horas de duração, no início parece uma simples história de "Grupo anti-terrorista, AKA UNATCO, contra um grupo terrorista, AKA NSF", mas depois de um tempo a história toma um rumo bem diferente e fica mais interessante, não posso contar pois (SPOILER), mas o jogo vira basicamente uma batalha de ideologias muito daora e também é muito interessante ouvir sobre cada um dos lados lá para o fim do jogo, onde não existe lado bom ou ruim, todos podem ser beneficiais e perigosos ao mesmo tempo. O jogo curiosamente também tem uma boa quantidade de escolhas que afetam o rumo daquele personagem ou evento, claro eles podem até não afetar o final da história, mas é bem interessante e alguns até afetam gameplay como por exemplo a citada escolha do arsenal inicial, e é incrível como alguns dos eventos do jogo refletem em muita coisa que aconteceu anos depois do lançamento desse jogo, tipo a invasão da Área 51 (mesmo que tenha sido por meme) e a COVID-19, o que é simplesmente surreal para um jogo de 2000 que parcialmente previu o que aconteceu 20 anos depois.
Visualmente o jogo pode não ter envelhecido dos melhores (apesar de ainda ter envelhecido melhor do que System Shock 2), mas ainda assim por causa da "datadice" da parada toda, alguns personagens tem visuais bem mais memoráveis do que eles já seriam por causa disso, além disso algumas fases tem um visual muito legal tipo a citada fase da Catedral de Paris que podia ser facilmente uma fase em algum jogo de Thief, até o corredor antes de chegar na Catedral em si lembra uma fase de Thief. A trilha sonora por outro lado é sensacional, e é mais maneiro ainda o balanceamento de tom, algumas músicas dão vontade de chorar de tão lindas, algumas passam uma vibe de filme de ação e entre outras coisas, mas as músicas ainda assim são genuinamente sensacionais, tipo a música da Mansão de Beth e a da fase do Ocean Lab, apesar de que no início a trilha sonora pode não ser incrível, mas da Hell's Kitchen em diante a trilha sonora vai ficando cada vez mais incrível.
Agora sim, esse jogo é simplesmente algo especial para os jogos de PC da época, ele é um dos melhores jogos de todos os tempos por vários motivos, pra mim um dos motivos principais é como ele combina vários elementos de alguns dos melhores jogos da plataforma em uma combinação surrealmente fenomenal, ele tem a história complexa de um Planescape Torment, ele tem a customização de personagem complexa de System Shock 2 e a incrível gameplay e level design de um Thief, tudo em um, e mesmo que tenha algumas coisas meio datadas nele, essas coisas meio "datadas" são fichinha perto do quão sensacional todo o resto do jogo é, não é atoa que é considerado um dos melhores Immersive Sims de todos os tempos, pra mim é um dos melhores Immersive Sims, e também um dos melhores jogos de todos os tempos!
10/10!
Hong Kong is one of the best levels I've ever encountered in any game, ever.
The rest of Deus Ex is all just as strong, too.
My non-lethal run started out as a teeth-pulling, save-scumming stealth game (still fun, even if a bit basic and slow as such) and gradually evolved into ballistic-armoring, speed-boosting, and occasionally straight up invis-walking past enemies. The progression that the augmentations afford is incredible and empowering, but never so strong that one approach feels obviously superior--a tough proposition even among the best immersive sims. Admittedly, if you're not feeling creative, some newer Arkane games occasionally run into this thanks to the omnipresent strength of blinking around. System Shock 2, while a master class in atmosphere, doesn't really have that many viable playstyles. Thief is an incredible stealth game, and I love it for that, but Deus Ex director Warren Spector had bigger ideas: he wished you didn't have to play Thief as a stealth game in the first place. Deus Ex is the first great, even masterful execution of that idea.
Another thing that is striking about Deus Ex, even to this day: almost all of the meaningful choices in the game, where possible, are presented through mechanics, systems, and open-ended situations rather than menus, text boxes, or button prompts. Want to kill or spare a character? Just do it. (It might not be easy, but that only makes it more immersive.) Want to avoid learning the passcode to this door? Stack some boxes to climb into the window. Or do whatever else you want. Only you can judge yourself. Try to stick to the approach you feel is right, or experiment wildly. It's all here. It's all tight, atmospheric, and--as clunky as the stealth, shooting, and AI can seem--it all works together as a brilliant clockwork contraption of mechanics, simulation, and downright satisfying game design.
0451/10
The rest of Deus Ex is all just as strong, too.
My non-lethal run started out as a teeth-pulling, save-scumming stealth game (still fun, even if a bit basic and slow as such) and gradually evolved into ballistic-armoring, speed-boosting, and occasionally straight up invis-walking past enemies. The progression that the augmentations afford is incredible and empowering, but never so strong that one approach feels obviously superior--a tough proposition even among the best immersive sims. Admittedly, if you're not feeling creative, some newer Arkane games occasionally run into this thanks to the omnipresent strength of blinking around. System Shock 2, while a master class in atmosphere, doesn't really have that many viable playstyles. Thief is an incredible stealth game, and I love it for that, but Deus Ex director Warren Spector had bigger ideas: he wished you didn't have to play Thief as a stealth game in the first place. Deus Ex is the first great, even masterful execution of that idea.
Another thing that is striking about Deus Ex, even to this day: almost all of the meaningful choices in the game, where possible, are presented through mechanics, systems, and open-ended situations rather than menus, text boxes, or button prompts. Want to kill or spare a character? Just do it. (It might not be easy, but that only makes it more immersive.) Want to avoid learning the passcode to this door? Stack some boxes to climb into the window. Or do whatever else you want. Only you can judge yourself. Try to stick to the approach you feel is right, or experiment wildly. It's all here. It's all tight, atmospheric, and--as clunky as the stealth, shooting, and AI can seem--it all works together as a brilliant clockwork contraption of mechanics, simulation, and downright satisfying game design.
0451/10
In my opinion this is the best western game, period.
A timeless FPSRPG classic that only ages better every year, with a deep conspiracy story that predicted many world events, from the evils of late-stage capitalism to the outbreak of a pandemic.
It has the charm of a cheesy 90's action movie, while perfectly capturing the cyberpunk aesthetic like no game has ever since.
The gameplay itself offers a lot of exploration, shooting, sneaking, hacking, you truly feel like a secret agent in a world full of options and choices.
Amazing conspiracy thriller, must play!
A timeless FPSRPG classic that only ages better every year, with a deep conspiracy story that predicted many world events, from the evils of late-stage capitalism to the outbreak of a pandemic.
It has the charm of a cheesy 90's action movie, while perfectly capturing the cyberpunk aesthetic like no game has ever since.
The gameplay itself offers a lot of exploration, shooting, sneaking, hacking, you truly feel like a secret agent in a world full of options and choices.
Amazing conspiracy thriller, must play!
funny and kino
taking the stealthy nonlethal approach is probably the most fulfilling and engaging but eventually its easy to run out of patience and just bum rush everything with the dragon tooth sword one shotting everything (max low-tech weapon skill, even big robots will not survive me)
the game's pacing gets pretty slow from hong kong and beyond but picks up eventually and doesn't overstay its welcome beyond that, so i cant really complain.
that aside its one of the funniest and most open ended sandbox rpgs out there, great story and level design too.
ive basically played through this game like 3 times, whether it be due to losing progress or just wanting to replay it for the sake of it, and that's saying something cause i cant be assed to do that these days.
overall, i dont really wanna preach to the choir that this is a great game, play it, its really good
taking the stealthy nonlethal approach is probably the most fulfilling and engaging but eventually its easy to run out of patience and just bum rush everything with the dragon tooth sword one shotting everything (max low-tech weapon skill, even big robots will not survive me)
the game's pacing gets pretty slow from hong kong and beyond but picks up eventually and doesn't overstay its welcome beyond that, so i cant really complain.
that aside its one of the funniest and most open ended sandbox rpgs out there, great story and level design too.
ive basically played through this game like 3 times, whether it be due to losing progress or just wanting to replay it for the sake of it, and that's saying something cause i cant be assed to do that these days.
overall, i dont really wanna preach to the choir that this is a great game, play it, its really good
I always thought people saying things like "This changed the way I think about video games (movies, music, etc.)" was kind of corny, but when a game makes checking your email as engaging as stopping world domination I have to agree.
dude it wouldve been crazy to be stoned out of your mind in the year 2000 playing this game after school
I'll take the gep gun
A lot of games claim to be inspired by Deus Ex, but it’s hard to tell what that actually implies. The most common elements would be an open approach between action and stealth, character upgrades focusing on opening up new routes, and a plot with room for player choice. While Deus Ex has all these things, they only capture the surface level of what is so impressive about the game. What stands out is the level of reactivity to the player that’s much more than just chastising players who kill too much. It’s actually just the opposite, to give one example. Taking out a terrorist cell with lethal force will have some people within your organization respect you more, but others will quietly voice their distaste. Characters will react to the path you took, the weapons you used, or if you did something really bizarre. A lot of choices aren’t presented in a binary way, and choosing to thoroughly assess your options can even affect the outcome in its own rite. It’s extremely impressive how elegantly the game reacts to all the ways players could interact with it, so getting invested in it and being perceptive actually pays off. Antiquated presentation makes the buy-in for that experience relatively high, but it’s worth the personal investment even after so many games have tried to serve as the definitive successor.
Note: Learning to appreciate an old game shouldn’t mean you have to appreciate a barely functional game. I highly recommend Kentie’s launcher, which lets it work perfectly on modern systems. No gameplay or art assets are modified.
Note: Learning to appreciate an old game shouldn’t mean you have to appreciate a barely functional game. I highly recommend Kentie’s launcher, which lets it work perfectly on modern systems. No gameplay or art assets are modified.
I bounced off Deus Ex hard initially. But I have never been more glad that I didn't immediately give up on a game. The beginning was rough but as I started to develop my stats and arsenal, I began to see the game's greatness and I fell deeply in love with Deus Ex.
The biggest barrier for new players is that frankly it doesn't feel very good to play, even for a game from 2000. The weapons lack a feeling of impact and are inaccurate until you level up your abilities, and the stealth is crap compared to Thief 2 from the same year. But the fun is in problem solving with the endless arsenal of tools you can use, the ways you can use the environment to your advantage, and the myriad of routes to progress through the levels. Each level is extraordinarily non-linear. The sheer amount of choice you have in how you complete each level, along with the choices you make in the story and in building your character, mean that each player can have a vastly different playthrough.
Though the game is notorious for being cheesy and has produced many memes over the years, there is a captivating story and eerily prescient social commentary amongst the cheese; something its sequels failed to recapture. The dystopian atmosphere is still gripping despite the old graphics, and the soundtrack goes hard to this day.
Besides some awkward gameplay, the only other issue is that some levels are too big and become very tedious to traverse, and easy to get lost in. But this only becomes noticeable in a handful of levels.
Deus Ex will forever be a classic. If you have a reasonable tolerance for jank it's unmissable.
The biggest barrier for new players is that frankly it doesn't feel very good to play, even for a game from 2000. The weapons lack a feeling of impact and are inaccurate until you level up your abilities, and the stealth is crap compared to Thief 2 from the same year. But the fun is in problem solving with the endless arsenal of tools you can use, the ways you can use the environment to your advantage, and the myriad of routes to progress through the levels. Each level is extraordinarily non-linear. The sheer amount of choice you have in how you complete each level, along with the choices you make in the story and in building your character, mean that each player can have a vastly different playthrough.
Though the game is notorious for being cheesy and has produced many memes over the years, there is a captivating story and eerily prescient social commentary amongst the cheese; something its sequels failed to recapture. The dystopian atmosphere is still gripping despite the old graphics, and the soundtrack goes hard to this day.
Besides some awkward gameplay, the only other issue is that some levels are too big and become very tedious to traverse, and easy to get lost in. But this only becomes noticeable in a handful of levels.
Deus Ex will forever be a classic. If you have a reasonable tolerance for jank it's unmissable.
This review contains spoilers
Normally I don’t write reviews because I find it increasingly difficult to word my feelings about a game properly. I can point out things that are good, things that work, yet I struggle to find what I truly love. But alas, ever since I first started playing this game this month it’s been on my mind nonstop and sitting here at 4 AM, it’s worked its way back into my brain for a while longer. These past few weeks I’ve been trying to sell everyone I know on this damn game and trying to convince them why it’s a god damn masterpiece.
And I’m about to do it all over again.
christ on a cracker what the hell is this game. Deus Ex has served as my introduction to the world of Western RPGs and good god what a tour guide. Where other games go right, Deus Ex goes back, up, and to the left. Nothing about this game is made simple, even the damn controls at the start of the game feel like their own little war. Every single aspect of this game has been meticulously crafted to be as perfect as possible and everything has a sense of purpose. For a game made nearly 23 years ago this shit STILL feels like it’s from the future.
Deus Ex puts you in the role of JC Denton, an augmented terminator man working his first shift at UNATCO, the United Nations Against Terrorism Coalition. Immediately upon booting the game you get one of the most iconic moments of any Western game ever made with Bob Page and Walton Simons discussing the current status of the world and talking about a whole bunch of things that to a new player will sound like complete nonsense. It’s almost a little comedic listening to Page talk his own ego up, he sounds incredibly one dimensional, and in a few ways he is, but his goals and his methods of reaching them is what makes him interesting. More on that later. Your first mission is to meet up with your brother Paul Denton and after attaining your weapon of choice, fight through the terrorist group of the NSF on Liberty Island and find the leader holed up in the Statue of Liberty in order to regain access to UNATCO HQ. Which leads me to the first real point of discussion;
The gameplay in this game is a tad bizarre. At first it was honestly overwhelming. The game dumps pretty much everything on you all at the start, which coupled with some janky controls and AI, can make for a weird learning barrier. Break that barrier though, and you will stumble into one of the most endlessly customizable and intuitive games ever made. Your first goal is to find the NSF Terrorist Leader and take back Liberty Island. Now, you could play the game like a dumb fucking caveman chimpanzee (me) and blow up all the guards and security bots, fly through the front doors, walk up to the leader and blow his brains out, or you could do what Deus Ex does best; experiment. Deus Ex is an immersive sim, which in case you’re unfamiliar, basically means that any problem you’re supposed to solve with a gun you can probably solve by stacking a bunch of boxes and going over it instead. Liberty Island is a pretty massive first level, and you’re rewarded for exploring it. You’ll find codes that unlock doors around the site, you can go into a shed or UNATCO’s bunker to get some extra goodies, you can even head to the docks and meet up with some double agents that’ll give you the means to get into the Statue of Liberty by either going in front or back. You’re also given the option of taking down enemies passively or lethally. It’s not just you getting from point a to point b however you like, how you get there affects the story and affects the game. It’s incredible. For instance, if you kill Anna Navarre in Lebedev’s plane, she doesn’t show up for the rest of the game despite having major roles and boss fights and Gunter Hermann will become increasingly suspicious of you for killing her. The game even accounts for you killing NPCs in dialogue options. Finishing Liberty Island also gives the player some insight into one of the most haunting things I’ve ever experienced in media.
Deus Ex is a weird game. It’s weird in that 23 years ago, it was a fictitious world with insane ideas and crazy politics. But what’s so strange and haunting about that… is that today it feels less and less fictitious than it ever has. I mentioned previously that you don’t have to kill the NSF Leader like a chimp person, you can spare him and talk with him, and if you do, you get one of the most iconic and haunting conversations ever held in a game. After that conversation, something becomes clear; there is nobody in this world you can trust to take at face value, and there is nobody in this world you can trust to be your friend. Deus Ex is a world that is being destroyed by a man made plague called the Black Death, one that was not initially meant to be harmful but was later altered to attack those with nano augmentations, and is now attacking people even if they lack said augmentations and is killing them indiscriminately. It’s a world populated by the hopelessly rich, the elite who keep the rich in their pocket, the puppeteers who work from the shadows, terrorists and criminals trying to keep themselves alive, drug traders and party goers, and the homeless and soldiers who walk the city streets at night. There is no middle class working man, there’s only the rich and famous, and the poverty stricken flocks of urban citizens. People have begun to make homes underground, creating factions in those underground homes and having wars with each others, entire new cultures have been born from this migration to abandoned train stations and sewers. Yet all the same, we’re working for a coalition that seems to be in touch with some of these richer folks, and we can’t relate to these people even if we wanted to. Things get even weirder when it’s revealed that UNATCO isn’t just kept in the pocket of these rich people, but is also a massive front for said rich people’s secret terrorist organization; Majestic 12.
Majestic 12 is terrifying. Getting captured in New York and fighting your way through the hellish MJ12 Prison Facility only to open the blast doors and realize you were in UNATCO the whole time is something I do not think I will ever be able to describe properly. Not to mention that after you leave the facility you exit to Hong Kong with only 24 hours left to live and are fighting the clock to uncover their secrets and keep yourself alive. Majestic 12 is a group that is manufacturing the virus and infecting people, while also manufacturing the vaccine and distributing it only to the wealthy to make money and push their agendas. It’s insidious and yet it’s both smart and mirrors our reality so effortless. This is what Bob Page’s reality is. It is a reality where everyone is kept in his pocket and he gets to have his way with reality. Even Walton Simons seems to be at his mercy. The Majestic 12 operate everywhere, and in Paris, have gained so much control that they operate in the open and are seen as a cult that forces young children to join at risk of being killed otherwise. They also perform human experimentations and create this horrible chimera monsters that populate some areas of the world. It is shocking how much of this game cane true in the years that have passed. It predicted 9/11, it predicted COVID, it was well aware of how much of a scam all these corporations and government facilitations were. Deus Ex was so far ahead of the curve that it makes every other game I’ve played nearly seem childish in comparison. It is haunting how much of this game panned out. Deus Ex is a story that talks about conspiracy, that talks about humans replacing gods for AI, that talks about our inherent need to feel governed and controlled. God was a dream of good government, and now we can fulfill that same dream with machines and computers. We can literally become the god of the machine, the deus ex machina.
One thing I’ve gone without mentioning somehow, is how everything comes together in this game. What I mean is, as I’ve explained the story it’s easy to gather that this game is oppressive and cruel. It’s so endlessly hopeless and yet it constantly combines the familiar and mundane with cyberpunk horror and fantasy and that makes it feel weird and interesting yet so close to home. There is no feeling quite like walking the streets of New York City, completely abandoned and empty thanks to the pandemic, as that ambient synthwave music kicks in, and it’s magic. The imagery in this game is stunning. The Statue of Liberty’s head has been blown off, Hong Kong is lit up by neon signs and advertising and is accompanied by one of the best songs in all of gaming to emphasize how lively it is, and Paris… oh dear god Paris. Walking the completely empty and dead streets seeing MJ12 units and security bots patrol the streets so openly as bakeries and offices have been shut down and booby trapped for robbers just screams nothing short of a world that is completely fucked. This all goes without mentioning moments like the DuClare Chateau, a moment where you get to take a break from all the fighting and stealth and explore the mansion of a former Illuminati while her daughter tells you stories of her childhood and growing up in this massive house, all while arguably the best song in the game plays. It’s such an incredible piece of world building.
I love this game. I don’t even have the words to describe how much I love this game. I went into this game expecting to really like it and what I came out with was a strong contender for one of my favorite games ever made, let alone media. Nothing I say will ever describe this game as well as simply walking the desolate streets of its desolate and destroyed cities. Deus Ex is a masterpiece. It is a one of a kind experience that comes once in a lifetime and anyone who’s fortunate enough to meet it on its own terms and really let it have its way with them will find themselves walking out of it feeling like they’ve been completely and totally transformed. I don’t even have the right words. There is so much to say and yet after all I’ve already said I think it best to just say; I love this fucking game.
oh also “why contain it?……… s’cool”
And I’m about to do it all over again.
christ on a cracker what the hell is this game. Deus Ex has served as my introduction to the world of Western RPGs and good god what a tour guide. Where other games go right, Deus Ex goes back, up, and to the left. Nothing about this game is made simple, even the damn controls at the start of the game feel like their own little war. Every single aspect of this game has been meticulously crafted to be as perfect as possible and everything has a sense of purpose. For a game made nearly 23 years ago this shit STILL feels like it’s from the future.
Deus Ex puts you in the role of JC Denton, an augmented terminator man working his first shift at UNATCO, the United Nations Against Terrorism Coalition. Immediately upon booting the game you get one of the most iconic moments of any Western game ever made with Bob Page and Walton Simons discussing the current status of the world and talking about a whole bunch of things that to a new player will sound like complete nonsense. It’s almost a little comedic listening to Page talk his own ego up, he sounds incredibly one dimensional, and in a few ways he is, but his goals and his methods of reaching them is what makes him interesting. More on that later. Your first mission is to meet up with your brother Paul Denton and after attaining your weapon of choice, fight through the terrorist group of the NSF on Liberty Island and find the leader holed up in the Statue of Liberty in order to regain access to UNATCO HQ. Which leads me to the first real point of discussion;
The gameplay in this game is a tad bizarre. At first it was honestly overwhelming. The game dumps pretty much everything on you all at the start, which coupled with some janky controls and AI, can make for a weird learning barrier. Break that barrier though, and you will stumble into one of the most endlessly customizable and intuitive games ever made. Your first goal is to find the NSF Terrorist Leader and take back Liberty Island. Now, you could play the game like a dumb fucking caveman chimpanzee (me) and blow up all the guards and security bots, fly through the front doors, walk up to the leader and blow his brains out, or you could do what Deus Ex does best; experiment. Deus Ex is an immersive sim, which in case you’re unfamiliar, basically means that any problem you’re supposed to solve with a gun you can probably solve by stacking a bunch of boxes and going over it instead. Liberty Island is a pretty massive first level, and you’re rewarded for exploring it. You’ll find codes that unlock doors around the site, you can go into a shed or UNATCO’s bunker to get some extra goodies, you can even head to the docks and meet up with some double agents that’ll give you the means to get into the Statue of Liberty by either going in front or back. You’re also given the option of taking down enemies passively or lethally. It’s not just you getting from point a to point b however you like, how you get there affects the story and affects the game. It’s incredible. For instance, if you kill Anna Navarre in Lebedev’s plane, she doesn’t show up for the rest of the game despite having major roles and boss fights and Gunter Hermann will become increasingly suspicious of you for killing her. The game even accounts for you killing NPCs in dialogue options. Finishing Liberty Island also gives the player some insight into one of the most haunting things I’ve ever experienced in media.
Deus Ex is a weird game. It’s weird in that 23 years ago, it was a fictitious world with insane ideas and crazy politics. But what’s so strange and haunting about that… is that today it feels less and less fictitious than it ever has. I mentioned previously that you don’t have to kill the NSF Leader like a chimp person, you can spare him and talk with him, and if you do, you get one of the most iconic and haunting conversations ever held in a game. After that conversation, something becomes clear; there is nobody in this world you can trust to take at face value, and there is nobody in this world you can trust to be your friend. Deus Ex is a world that is being destroyed by a man made plague called the Black Death, one that was not initially meant to be harmful but was later altered to attack those with nano augmentations, and is now attacking people even if they lack said augmentations and is killing them indiscriminately. It’s a world populated by the hopelessly rich, the elite who keep the rich in their pocket, the puppeteers who work from the shadows, terrorists and criminals trying to keep themselves alive, drug traders and party goers, and the homeless and soldiers who walk the city streets at night. There is no middle class working man, there’s only the rich and famous, and the poverty stricken flocks of urban citizens. People have begun to make homes underground, creating factions in those underground homes and having wars with each others, entire new cultures have been born from this migration to abandoned train stations and sewers. Yet all the same, we’re working for a coalition that seems to be in touch with some of these richer folks, and we can’t relate to these people even if we wanted to. Things get even weirder when it’s revealed that UNATCO isn’t just kept in the pocket of these rich people, but is also a massive front for said rich people’s secret terrorist organization; Majestic 12.
Majestic 12 is terrifying. Getting captured in New York and fighting your way through the hellish MJ12 Prison Facility only to open the blast doors and realize you were in UNATCO the whole time is something I do not think I will ever be able to describe properly. Not to mention that after you leave the facility you exit to Hong Kong with only 24 hours left to live and are fighting the clock to uncover their secrets and keep yourself alive. Majestic 12 is a group that is manufacturing the virus and infecting people, while also manufacturing the vaccine and distributing it only to the wealthy to make money and push their agendas. It’s insidious and yet it’s both smart and mirrors our reality so effortless. This is what Bob Page’s reality is. It is a reality where everyone is kept in his pocket and he gets to have his way with reality. Even Walton Simons seems to be at his mercy. The Majestic 12 operate everywhere, and in Paris, have gained so much control that they operate in the open and are seen as a cult that forces young children to join at risk of being killed otherwise. They also perform human experimentations and create this horrible chimera monsters that populate some areas of the world. It is shocking how much of this game cane true in the years that have passed. It predicted 9/11, it predicted COVID, it was well aware of how much of a scam all these corporations and government facilitations were. Deus Ex was so far ahead of the curve that it makes every other game I’ve played nearly seem childish in comparison. It is haunting how much of this game panned out. Deus Ex is a story that talks about conspiracy, that talks about humans replacing gods for AI, that talks about our inherent need to feel governed and controlled. God was a dream of good government, and now we can fulfill that same dream with machines and computers. We can literally become the god of the machine, the deus ex machina.
One thing I’ve gone without mentioning somehow, is how everything comes together in this game. What I mean is, as I’ve explained the story it’s easy to gather that this game is oppressive and cruel. It’s so endlessly hopeless and yet it constantly combines the familiar and mundane with cyberpunk horror and fantasy and that makes it feel weird and interesting yet so close to home. There is no feeling quite like walking the streets of New York City, completely abandoned and empty thanks to the pandemic, as that ambient synthwave music kicks in, and it’s magic. The imagery in this game is stunning. The Statue of Liberty’s head has been blown off, Hong Kong is lit up by neon signs and advertising and is accompanied by one of the best songs in all of gaming to emphasize how lively it is, and Paris… oh dear god Paris. Walking the completely empty and dead streets seeing MJ12 units and security bots patrol the streets so openly as bakeries and offices have been shut down and booby trapped for robbers just screams nothing short of a world that is completely fucked. This all goes without mentioning moments like the DuClare Chateau, a moment where you get to take a break from all the fighting and stealth and explore the mansion of a former Illuminati while her daughter tells you stories of her childhood and growing up in this massive house, all while arguably the best song in the game plays. It’s such an incredible piece of world building.
I love this game. I don’t even have the words to describe how much I love this game. I went into this game expecting to really like it and what I came out with was a strong contender for one of my favorite games ever made, let alone media. Nothing I say will ever describe this game as well as simply walking the desolate streets of its desolate and destroyed cities. Deus Ex is a masterpiece. It is a one of a kind experience that comes once in a lifetime and anyone who’s fortunate enough to meet it on its own terms and really let it have its way with them will find themselves walking out of it feeling like they’ve been completely and totally transformed. I don’t even have the right words. There is so much to say and yet after all I’ve already said I think it best to just say; I love this fucking game.
oh also “why contain it?……… s’cool”
teorias do zap simulator
You're gonna burn, alright.
I am still going to be laughing at Deus Ex: The Recut when I am 140 years old
Primeiramente, quero deixar claro que minha experiência foi apenas afetada pelas minhas experiências com Immersive Sims anteriores a Deus Ex(System Shock 1/2 e Thief 1/2). Joguei os jogos da Arkane (Dishonored 1/2, Prey, Deathloop) mas faz tempo que joguei eles, e não comparei eles com esse jogo em nenhum momento, tanto por serem diferentes dentro de suas propostas, tanto por eu achar retardado julgar um jogo velho por concepções atuais. Ninguém é totalmente imune disso, obviamente não sou, mas tento evitar
Esse jogo é, pelas pala palavras do próprio Warren Spector, uma fusão de RPG, FPS e Stealth, e pagou o preço da ambição dele, porque ele não é impressionante em nenhum desses 3 aspectos, e assim, pra mim, tornando toda a experiência chata, desinteressante, com diversos picos de interesse onde você reconhece a qualidade do game design e oque eles tentaram fazer. Sim, em 2000 você contava nos dedos quantos jogos faziam metade doque esse jogo faz, mas sempre que eu vejo as pessoas falando dos aspectos que "envelheceram mal" eu sempre vejo elas falando de coisas como controles e gráfico(que sinceramente, é a pior crítica que eu consigo imaginar) e não o jeito que o jogo funciona em si, oque me deixa com uma pulga atrás da orelha achando que eu não entendi algo, eu acharia isso jogando na época ou não? Provavelmente não, mas lembra que eu falei que ninguém é imune a julgar o jogo por concepções atuais? Então, é de se evitar, mas as vezes não dá.
A história desse jogo é outra coisa que não entendi porque falam tanto. Sobre a história, é realmente algo que é realmente muito foda na época dele, e isso eu respeito, mesmo que hoje em dia ela não seja tão foda. A história desse jogo é um enredo até que intrigante sobre todo tipo de teoria da conspiração, que é algo que tava muito em alta na época, então é certo falar que sim: A história desse jogo é massa, mas pra quem fala hj em dia que a história é uma masterpiece, vou assumir que metade jogou na época, 25% teve esse meu discernimento e o restante só não jogou o jogo.
Bom, gostaria muito de gostar mais desse, mas não teve a mesma mágica em mim que teve em outras pessoas. No fim, acho que os jogos da Looking Glass valem mais a pena, por serem mais focados e serem magistrais no que se propõem (não que Deus Ex não valha a pena)
Mas afinal, eu acharia tudo isso se eu tivesse jogado na época? Afinal, System Shock e Thief já existiam, e hoje em dia ainda não vi alguém com uma opinião semelhante a minha acerca dos elementos desse jogo, oque me dá a impressão que eu deixei algo passar. Vou ver se conforme esse jogo vai envelhecendo na minha memória, eu ache a resposta
Nota posterior: Tem umas coisas q eu lembro e penso "Era bem foda" não vou morrer de amores por esse jogo mas felizmente tá envelhecendo melhor na memória
Esse jogo é, pelas pala palavras do próprio Warren Spector, uma fusão de RPG, FPS e Stealth, e pagou o preço da ambição dele, porque ele não é impressionante em nenhum desses 3 aspectos, e assim, pra mim, tornando toda a experiência chata, desinteressante, com diversos picos de interesse onde você reconhece a qualidade do game design e oque eles tentaram fazer. Sim, em 2000 você contava nos dedos quantos jogos faziam metade doque esse jogo faz, mas sempre que eu vejo as pessoas falando dos aspectos que "envelheceram mal" eu sempre vejo elas falando de coisas como controles e gráfico(que sinceramente, é a pior crítica que eu consigo imaginar) e não o jeito que o jogo funciona em si, oque me deixa com uma pulga atrás da orelha achando que eu não entendi algo, eu acharia isso jogando na época ou não? Provavelmente não, mas lembra que eu falei que ninguém é imune a julgar o jogo por concepções atuais? Então, é de se evitar, mas as vezes não dá.
A história desse jogo é outra coisa que não entendi porque falam tanto. Sobre a história, é realmente algo que é realmente muito foda na época dele, e isso eu respeito, mesmo que hoje em dia ela não seja tão foda. A história desse jogo é um enredo até que intrigante sobre todo tipo de teoria da conspiração, que é algo que tava muito em alta na época, então é certo falar que sim: A história desse jogo é massa, mas pra quem fala hj em dia que a história é uma masterpiece, vou assumir que metade jogou na época, 25% teve esse meu discernimento e o restante só não jogou o jogo.
Bom, gostaria muito de gostar mais desse, mas não teve a mesma mágica em mim que teve em outras pessoas. No fim, acho que os jogos da Looking Glass valem mais a pena, por serem mais focados e serem magistrais no que se propõem (não que Deus Ex não valha a pena)
Mas afinal, eu acharia tudo isso se eu tivesse jogado na época? Afinal, System Shock e Thief já existiam, e hoje em dia ainda não vi alguém com uma opinião semelhante a minha acerca dos elementos desse jogo, oque me dá a impressão que eu deixei algo passar. Vou ver se conforme esse jogo vai envelhecendo na minha memória, eu ache a resposta
Nota posterior: Tem umas coisas q eu lembro e penso "Era bem foda" não vou morrer de amores por esse jogo mas felizmente tá envelhecendo melhor na memória
Holy Peak that was amazing!
A masterclass in just about everything it sets out to achieve, Deus Ex is an amazing experience and truly worthy of being considered one of the greatest PC games ever and one of my personal favourites ever.
The thing that makes Deus Ex special the most compared to other games released before and after is the sheer amount of options you are given to progress through the story. Never before have I seen such a massive amount of attention and effort put into every possible method the player might go for to tackle its intricately-designed big levels, bordering on "overdesigned" in many cases. Every decision you make, from the most important ones to the minor or goofy ones, will come back and either play a role in the story or be mentioned again. It's absolutely fucking insane. You can choose to either go gunsblazing and kill the enemies, sneak by them, stealthily kill them, smoke bomb your way through, fucking camo your way through levels, use swimming, lockpick and hack your way through, let bots or other people do your bidding, be a sarcastic jackass and have everyone hate you, throw vending machines at them, kill every single character (important or not) YOU NAME IT, THIS GAME LETS YOU DO IT AND ACKNOWLEDGES IT. HOW COOL IS THAT??? Best part is that none of them feel forced or tacked on and are instead very well-fleshed out mechanics and playstyles, thanks in no small part to its skill and augmentation system.
Every skill and augment in the game is useful in some shape or form and are well-worth going out of your way to explore each level and hub to have enough skill points to upgrade your skills or find augmentation canisters to gain new augments. Skill systems include general upgrades to the core mechanics you're gonna use through the game like: hacking, lockpicking, shooting, using melee weapons, swimming, resistance to environmental hazards. Because of that, they remain useful throughout because every level is littered with opportunities to use them. The augmentation system is just additional abilities that are used in addition with your general skills to open up even more opportunities to tackle levels in a different or easier way. All of the augmentations are useful too, depending on your playstyle, and are fun to use as well.
Of course, deus ex wouldn't be as well remembered if it weren't for the story too. Basically a "what if every single insane conspiracy theory is true" narrative, the game uses it effectively to tackle themes of freedom, capitalism, influence, dependence on technology, philosophy and politics, placing them in the near-future (which still looks like modern times, minus the robots) to make its commentary stick even more with players. It's very intriguing and keeps you guessing at every turn. Not only that, but YOU are able to shape how the story plays out. While the storyline has a fairly linear structure, you still have control on how it's shaped based on your choices and playstyle, making the game highly replayable. The dialogue writing and voice acting is also top-notch, making for some highly quotable and memorable moments. The characters are all written well, especially JC Denton (who has the most memorable and hilarious dialogue options).
The music is well-done too. Composed by Alexander Brandon, the music is a variety of different genres, all of whom perfectly fit each hub and level where they appear and help to elevate the atmosphere around the whole game (they're also bangers in their own way sooooo)
No game is perfect sadly, and there are two minor complaints i have for this game. The game doesn't look that good, even for year 2000 standards. Its optimization is also all over the place. Sometimes it runs good and in other places it runs like complete ass. They are extremely minor when compared to everything else the game does really well.
I think i've said enough regarding why this game deserves to be praised as much as it is. Its gameplay and story are a true showcase of what the industry can accomplish, accompanied by a great soundtrack to boot. While its presentation and performance on pc may leave a lot to be desired, those complaints disappear when you look at the package as a whole. This is a game you have to play before you di. If you don't, I will hunt you down with a GEP gun.
The thing that makes Deus Ex special the most compared to other games released before and after is the sheer amount of options you are given to progress through the story. Never before have I seen such a massive amount of attention and effort put into every possible method the player might go for to tackle its intricately-designed big levels, bordering on "overdesigned" in many cases. Every decision you make, from the most important ones to the minor or goofy ones, will come back and either play a role in the story or be mentioned again. It's absolutely fucking insane. You can choose to either go gunsblazing and kill the enemies, sneak by them, stealthily kill them, smoke bomb your way through, fucking camo your way through levels, use swimming, lockpick and hack your way through, let bots or other people do your bidding, be a sarcastic jackass and have everyone hate you, throw vending machines at them, kill every single character (important or not) YOU NAME IT, THIS GAME LETS YOU DO IT AND ACKNOWLEDGES IT. HOW COOL IS THAT??? Best part is that none of them feel forced or tacked on and are instead very well-fleshed out mechanics and playstyles, thanks in no small part to its skill and augmentation system.
Every skill and augment in the game is useful in some shape or form and are well-worth going out of your way to explore each level and hub to have enough skill points to upgrade your skills or find augmentation canisters to gain new augments. Skill systems include general upgrades to the core mechanics you're gonna use through the game like: hacking, lockpicking, shooting, using melee weapons, swimming, resistance to environmental hazards. Because of that, they remain useful throughout because every level is littered with opportunities to use them. The augmentation system is just additional abilities that are used in addition with your general skills to open up even more opportunities to tackle levels in a different or easier way. All of the augmentations are useful too, depending on your playstyle, and are fun to use as well.
Of course, deus ex wouldn't be as well remembered if it weren't for the story too. Basically a "what if every single insane conspiracy theory is true" narrative, the game uses it effectively to tackle themes of freedom, capitalism, influence, dependence on technology, philosophy and politics, placing them in the near-future (which still looks like modern times, minus the robots) to make its commentary stick even more with players. It's very intriguing and keeps you guessing at every turn. Not only that, but YOU are able to shape how the story plays out. While the storyline has a fairly linear structure, you still have control on how it's shaped based on your choices and playstyle, making the game highly replayable. The dialogue writing and voice acting is also top-notch, making for some highly quotable and memorable moments. The characters are all written well, especially JC Denton (who has the most memorable and hilarious dialogue options).
The music is well-done too. Composed by Alexander Brandon, the music is a variety of different genres, all of whom perfectly fit each hub and level where they appear and help to elevate the atmosphere around the whole game (they're also bangers in their own way sooooo)
No game is perfect sadly, and there are two minor complaints i have for this game. The game doesn't look that good, even for year 2000 standards. Its optimization is also all over the place. Sometimes it runs good and in other places it runs like complete ass. They are extremely minor when compared to everything else the game does really well.
I think i've said enough regarding why this game deserves to be praised as much as it is. Its gameplay and story are a true showcase of what the industry can accomplish, accompanied by a great soundtrack to boot. While its presentation and performance on pc may leave a lot to be desired, those complaints disappear when you look at the package as a whole. This is a game you have to play before you di. If you don't, I will hunt you down with a GEP gun.
you know, when i went into this i only expected to appreciate what it does story and theming wise
i didn't think it'd have some of the best level design i've ever seen in a videogame. what the fuck
i didn't think it'd have some of the best level design i've ever seen in a videogame. what the fuck
"We live in a post Piss-and-Shit society, and the fucking sheep don't even know it yet." - Henry David Thoreau
The Most Important game ever made, there will never be another one like it.
JC Denton is the greatest autistic character in fiction
This game never gets old to me. No matter how many times I replay it, I discover something new. Something I've never noticed before.
Deus Ex revolutionized what an immersive sim was. Never have I played a game this open ended that even something as tiny as the health system is immersive. The upgrade system and augmentation systems are also very open ended in a similar way.
The story of Deus Ex is campy in a cute way, while simultaneously being really grounded in reality. The conspiracy theory aspects are entertaining whereas everything else hits really damn hard.
Though in terms of the conspiracy bits, there is never gonna be a time where I don't feel some kind of surprise when I realize what a plot element is. The first time I played this game, and I got to a certain moment, it was like a bomb had just been dropped. I was sitting there in awe for like a straight 5 minutes. It's so good.
I can't stress enough how good this game is.
Deus Ex revolutionized what an immersive sim was. Never have I played a game this open ended that even something as tiny as the health system is immersive. The upgrade system and augmentation systems are also very open ended in a similar way.
The story of Deus Ex is campy in a cute way, while simultaneously being really grounded in reality. The conspiracy theory aspects are entertaining whereas everything else hits really damn hard.
Though in terms of the conspiracy bits, there is never gonna be a time where I don't feel some kind of surprise when I realize what a plot element is. The first time I played this game, and I got to a certain moment, it was like a bomb had just been dropped. I was sitting there in awe for like a straight 5 minutes. It's so good.
I can't stress enough how good this game is.
Monumental, uncomfortable and humane, Deus Ex used to be the biggest omission from my gaming experience and I finally sat down to play it in 2020, the year when game's prodigious far sight reached terrifying heights.
It is still to this day a model example of fantastic game design aided by visual coherence. Early 3D look leads to no visual clutter, making all important details and interactables pop and catch the eye, guiding you through complex environments with invisible hand. Aspects like limited inventory space or aim reticle shrinking when you stand still seem constraining at first, but they teach you punctuality and preciseness, leading to better understanding of environment, power and available resources. From the bumpy beginning Deus Ex nurtures you to do measured choices when dealing with problems which carries from gameplay to story, and you'd be pressed to find a game that does it so seamlessly.
There was a certain moment though when it's all clicked. The note about partitioning New York into segregated blocks to counter the terrorist threat hit way too close to home. It reminded about my own country's safety theatre. How with an excuse to prevent attacks the government tightened up the security in public places in a way that probably won't be too helpful against terrorism, but is very handy to keep surveillance and inspection of people while also implanting the idea of constant danger in minds of populace. And that's... exactly what was going on in Deus Ex. And they predicted this development back in 2000. Kind of an impressive prognosis, isn't it?
That's the power of Deus Ex you see everyone talking about. In bold strokes it makes assumptions about the future which land eerily close to reality, and this state of artful hyperrealism creates an incredible sense of investment. It's quite rare for a game to make me look in every note, read every e-mail and diary. Even rarer when a game manages to have me seek exposition, not dread it. I just couldn't get enough of this world and wicked reflections of us it manages to create.
Of course it's still a game, an entertainment. It's dumb, self-aware, it's full of silly video game things and it doesn't want to be taken seriously. Down to the core Deus Ex is still just a incredibly fun and campy adventure of a lovable secret agent untangling the conspiracy of goofy villains whom you love to hate. But it also wishes to enrich and challenge your worldviews like some of the best written media does. And that's undoubtedly very special.
It is still to this day a model example of fantastic game design aided by visual coherence. Early 3D look leads to no visual clutter, making all important details and interactables pop and catch the eye, guiding you through complex environments with invisible hand. Aspects like limited inventory space or aim reticle shrinking when you stand still seem constraining at first, but they teach you punctuality and preciseness, leading to better understanding of environment, power and available resources. From the bumpy beginning Deus Ex nurtures you to do measured choices when dealing with problems which carries from gameplay to story, and you'd be pressed to find a game that does it so seamlessly.
There was a certain moment though when it's all clicked. The note about partitioning New York into segregated blocks to counter the terrorist threat hit way too close to home. It reminded about my own country's safety theatre. How with an excuse to prevent attacks the government tightened up the security in public places in a way that probably won't be too helpful against terrorism, but is very handy to keep surveillance and inspection of people while also implanting the idea of constant danger in minds of populace. And that's... exactly what was going on in Deus Ex. And they predicted this development back in 2000. Kind of an impressive prognosis, isn't it?
That's the power of Deus Ex you see everyone talking about. In bold strokes it makes assumptions about the future which land eerily close to reality, and this state of artful hyperrealism creates an incredible sense of investment. It's quite rare for a game to make me look in every note, read every e-mail and diary. Even rarer when a game manages to have me seek exposition, not dread it. I just couldn't get enough of this world and wicked reflections of us it manages to create.
Of course it's still a game, an entertainment. It's dumb, self-aware, it's full of silly video game things and it doesn't want to be taken seriously. Down to the core Deus Ex is still just a incredibly fun and campy adventure of a lovable secret agent untangling the conspiracy of goofy villains whom you love to hate. But it also wishes to enrich and challenge your worldviews like some of the best written media does. And that's undoubtedly very special.