Editorial What made Deus Ex so great?

[Jaesun]

Tags: Deus Ex: Human Revolution; Eidos Montreal

<p> </p>
<p>That is a good question many ask when speaking about the FPS and RPG hybrid that graced us with its presence in 2000. Without Warren Spector in the lead role of Producer and Project Director, the series has since then had it's share of controversy and criticism. <a href="http://bnbgaming.com/2011/03/16/deus-ex-human-revolution-learning-from-the-past/">Writer Declan Burrowes at Bits & Bytes Gaming</a> writes down his thoughts on this question as well as the expectations and some observations on how Square Enix and Eidos Montreal are proceeding with the 3rd game in this series, Deus Ex: Human Revolution:</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>What made Deus Ex so great?  A potent mix of Thief, The X-Files and The Matrix, Deus Ex has always been the game for me. A legend in its own right, Deus Ex had one of the most finely-crafted plots in any game as well as seamless integration of role-playing elements which added up to a fluid and open-ended experience. The ultimate fusion of action and role-playing, it was a unique combination of action-packed close-quarter take-downs and intense shooting, offering a vast array of augmentations and upgrades for the many weapons at your disposal, as well as a multi-solution structure. You could choose how to accomplish each mission using combat, hacking, stealth or social modes to create a customized experience to suit any gaming style. </em></p>
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<p><em>Harking back to 2000, the game’ll be utilising distinct ammunition types again, as well as a renewed focus on the stealth aspect which was rendered redundant in Invisible War by the poor aiming and small environments. You won’t be gunning your way to victory in a blaze of glory in this game like you could in Invisible War with a shotgun and a prayer. The skill building system of the original game is also back. Human Revolution, it seems, is returning to the much more RPG-esque roots of the original.</em></p>
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<p>I agree: <em>If you don’t jump on someone’s desk and read their private e-mails while they watch, you’re not really playing Deus Ex.</em> </p>
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<p>Spotted at: <a href="http://bnbgaming.com/2011/03/16/deus-ex-human-revolution-learning-from-the-past/">Bits & Bytes Gaming</a></p>

 

[Demnogonis Saastuttaja]

Level design and some story-affecting choices as well as the game's aesthetic made it great.

 

[commie]

some story-affecting choices

Well in that case Mass Effect is far better than DX, amirite?

 

[curry]

Deus Ex is probably the most overrated game ever.

 

[Melcar]

Desu

 

[Jaesun]

Deus Ex is probably the most overrated game ever.

Explain.

 

[Tolknaz]

some story-affecting choices

Well in that case Mass Effect is far better than DX, amirite?

Pretty sure Deus Ex stomps on Mass Effect in that regard.

 

[Metro]

Stay out of the Ladies Room.

 

[Silellak]

Deus Ex is probably the most overrated game ever.

Explain.

Joined: 10 Jan 2011

 

[Jaesun]

Well duh Silellak.

 

[Radisshu]

Deus Ex is heavy on the superficial C&C (which isn't bad) and very light on the heavy C&C, so I wouldn't use that as an example of what made it good (although it definitely made the world seem more alive). I'd say that despite Deus Ex not really being an RPG, it most definitely got an important point many RPGs miss: playing various types of characters should make the gameplay significantly different, and not just "hmm, should I slay this ogre with my two-handed sword or backstab it with my dagger?". The level design is a huge part of that.

Plus, the writing is consistently good, and the voice acting is, uh... mostly good. The art direction is very nice, and I also really like the music.

 

[waywardOne]

the hilarious megaconspiracy plot.

the plethora of ways to accomplish some "quests". it was years before i discovered you could nuke anna navarre on the plane (of course, that comes from their use of unkillable NPCs in some areas).

huge range of combat abilities to specialize in. you could be a generalist and walk around like a gladiator. you could stealth through 90% of combat areas. you could specialize in fucking grenades.

 

[J1M]

Deus Ex is heavy on the superficial C&C (which isn't bad) and very light on the heavy C&C, so I wouldn't use that as an example of what made it good (although it definitely made the world seem more alive). I'd say that despite Deus Ex not really being an RPG, it most definitely got an important point many RPGs miss: playing various types of characters should make the gameplay significantly different, and not just "hmm, should I slay this ogre with my two-handed sword or backstab it with my dagger?". The level design is a huge part of that.

Plus, the writing is consistently good, and the voice acting is, uh... mostly good. The art direction is very nice, and I also really like the music.

Superficial C&C is what you see in a bioware game. When they suggest you have altered the story in some way and replace the werewolves you are fighting with elves.

The C&C in Deus Ex is far superior and can hardly be called superficial. How you choose to approach the objectives in the levels has a huge consequence on the game experience you get. There is no current technology which would allow one to have drastic or real influence over the progression of the overall story. For now, C&C is regulated to one's character and the experience you have playing it.

Maybe some day you will be able to ignore your charge as the chosen one and spend all day in the tavern trying to arrange a threesome which then has you seeking out some witch in the woods for an STD cure, but that's a ways off. Until then, the DX approach is king.

 

[Radisshu]

Deus Ex is heavy on the superficial C&C (which isn't bad) and very light on the heavy C&C, so I wouldn't use that as an example of what made it good (although it definitely made the world seem more alive). I'd say that despite Deus Ex not really being an RPG, it most definitely got an important point many RPGs miss: playing various types of characters should make the gameplay significantly different, and not just "hmm, should I slay this ogre with my two-handed sword or backstab it with my dagger?". The level design is a huge part of that.

Plus, the writing is consistently good, and the voice acting is, uh... mostly good. The art direction is very nice, and I also really like the music.

Superficial C&C is what you see in a bioware game. When they suggest you have altered the story in some way and replace the werewolves you are fighting with elves.

The C&C in Deus Ex is far superior and can hardly be called superficial. How you choose to approach the objectives in the levels has a huge consequence on the game experience you get. There is no current technology which would allow one to have drastic or real influence over the progression of the overall story. For now, C&C is regulated to one's character and the experience you have playing it.

Maybe some day you will be able to ignore your charge as the chosen one and spend all day in the tavern trying to arrange a threesome which then has you seeking out some witch in the woods for an STD cure, but that's a ways off. Until then, the DX approach is king.

Uh, yeah, right. I'm obviously talking about story C&C though, on which Deus Ex is light, lighter than a few Bioware games. If you come up with a few examples in which your (story-based) decisions have a huge effect on what happens later on in Deus Ex that doesn't just boil down to some guy mentioning "oh, your brother's alive" or "I heard you went into the ladies' room. Don't do that, please" I'd very much like to see them.

SPOILERS:
What I come up with is Maggie Chow confronting you, wielding one of those super swords, just before you blow up the machine that manufactures the virus, if you don't kill her in her apartment. I guess there are a few more examples, but they still don't add or remove significant parts of the game (BG2, for example, at least has a few companion quests during which you can lose your companions permanently).

 

[Demnogonis Saastuttaja]

some story-affecting choices

Well in that case Mass Effect is far better than DX, amirite?

?

What I also forgot to say is that DX had pretty good music. Now, Bach has better music though so he's a better game, amirite?

 

[Burning Bridges]

I was playing this recently and I also didn't see why this should be considered the greatest game ever. It sure is a satisfyingly long, open game with a very solid story, but the gameplay was nothing to write home about. When I compare it to my mermories of e.g. System Shock 2 DE was rather easy and badly balanced and even a bit consolish in comparison.

But yeah I didn't play more than a few hours. So you can discount my opinion, it's more an impression, but this is what I go by.

 

[Carlos' Bitch1]

When I compare it to my mermories of e.g. System Shock 2 DE was rather easy and badly balanced and even a bit consolish in comparison.

....

But yeah I didn't play more than a few hours.

Get out of here Stalker.

Now go and put it on the highest difficulty and play the game to completion. You still won't find Wizardry IV, but I think you will be surprised. And it really depends on what you mean by difficulty. In System Shock 2, most fights are unavoidable. In Deus Ex, not so. Your character build literally dictates most of your entire gameplay experience, provided you use these skills and think. Building a stealthy hacker thief, dedicated to silently taking enemies down in a non-lethal manner when necessary, then trying to run and gun your way through would be suicide. Thankfully, you don't need to run and gun your way through with the correct skills and equipment.

Deus Ex is, to me, the perfect example of what I want out of a shooter with RPG elements. Can individual elements be better? Of course, but Deus Ex is much, much more than an element here, an element there; take it as the overall whole.

What I come up with is Maggie Chow confronting you, wielding one of those super swords, just before you blow up the machine that manufactures the virus, if you don't kill her in her apartment. I guess there are a few more examples, but they still don't add or remove significant parts of the game

Define "a significant part of the game" please, because...

(BG2, for example, at least has a few companion quests during which you can lose your companions permanently)

removing a character is hardly what I call a 'significant part of the game'. How does this add or remove 'a significant part of the game'? What is the significant part we are talking about in regards to BG2?

 

[Azrael the cat]

some story-affecting choices

Well in that case Mass Effect is far better than DX, amirite?

Pretty sure Deus Ex stomps on Mass Effect in that regard.

Ah no. Common misconception and I have no idea where it comes from. Deus Ex stomps on Mass Effect alright (personally Deus Ex is my favourite 'played at least once per year for last decade' game), but C+C has nothing to do with it.

Deus Ex hasn't got one SINGLE piece of story-changing C+C other than choice of ending cinematic, and cosmetic choices where a different NPC ends up saying the SAME dialogue.

Even the 'biggest' choices: letting Jock die, killing your partner at the airport, saving Paul: completely cosmetic. Doesn't matter what option you select, it affects nothing more after that than a very small amount of dialogue and mostly just has another character come in and say the same lines.

What Deus Ex does well is sell those cosmetic choices really well - small and unexpected pieces of exploration attract comment from NPCs. But if we're going to shit on AP's choices as 'red shirts v blue shirts', or compare to actual story branching, Deus Ex doesn't have any branching at all - not even a 'red shirts v blue shirts' type change.

 

[jiujitsu]

I LOVED Deus Ex. I really should replay it again. Such an amazing game.

 

[J1M]

I was playing this recently and I also didn't see why this should be considered the greatest game ever. It sure is a satisfyingly long, open game with a very solid story, but the gameplay was nothing to write home about. When I compare it to my mermories of e.g. System Shock 2 DE was rather easy and badly balanced and even a bit consolish in comparison.

But yeah I didn't play more than a few hours. So you can discount my opinion, it's more an impression, but this is what I go by.

The first three times I played Deus Ex I thought it was a terrible pile of shit. The first time I barely made it off the dock before uninstalling the demo. For some reason I kept retrying it a couple of months later until I eventually devoured it.

It is simply the greatest game ever made and you owe it to yourself to try it again. I wish I could erase my memories of it so I could experience it again for the first time.

 

[Jaesun]

Deus ex is fucking awesome for one thing: Anna Navarre.

How many of you on your second play-through thought of the many way you wanted to kill her (and the devs let us try many ways, and were rewarded for such actions). Can you name many games since then that did that? Oh that's right, NONE. It's like a gigantic sand-box and the devs said "have fun kids! BUT... we are going to keep an eye on you and act appropriately based on your actions".

Give me a fucking time machine and let me have Spector (and crew) make just a few more games with this in mind. Oh gawd please yes.

LAMS.

 

[Black]

It definitely wasn't the voice acting, rather the feel of collapsing governments, neo-plagues destroying entire populations and conspiracies everywhere. They made the game very tinfoil hat-y but in a good way. Combined with Illuminati, mechs, augmentations and so on it had very fine cyberpunk theme.

Role-playing and c&c are basically non-existant, because JC doesn't have much to say and I think the only important choices are at the end of the game so there are hardly any in-game consequences.

What did saving Paul do? Otherwise than him being obviously alive and useless later on, nothing.
What did defusing the bomb on Jock's heli do? Allowed him to spot some baddies later-on and that's it.

Still, I find it similar to Dark Messiah. You have to get from point A to B, here are the tools and skills which you can use, go.
And the music is also great.

Greatest game ever? Nah. But a great game with its own unique feel and many optional play-styles which is about to be ruined by wall-punching faggots and "it's 3000AD!" technology? Yup.

 

[ortucis]

What made it great was the level design (which in itself felt like C&C implementation in the world without words). Without that, it would have been Heavy Rain of 2000 or it would have been DeusEx: IW.

 

[Black]

I forgot- Desu and Dark Messiah are, I think, games which represent THE BEST experience system.

You gain exp/skill points for completing objectives, exploration and advancing the story. No bullshit exp from killing goblins or something like that.
Just playing through DE and DM and then switching to Arcanum with its retarded exp system makes me cringe.

 

[sser]

It has the best combination of level and character design. Most games, at some point, will fuck this combo up. Alpha Protocol, for instance. I had a melee character in that game. Was fun, until I met a boss that was completely unbeatable via melee. Mass Effect 2's Vanguard is supposed to be a hard, close-up fighter. Except the Vanguard ability is totally worthless (except at getting you killed) if the difficulty is anywhere above normal. These kinds of fuck ups don't happen in Deus Ex. The game has extremely well made levels that allow the player to go about them as they wish. And it's a shooter which, compared to the inane, corridor, "set piece" feeding crap that is out there, is really mind-boggling.