Deu Sex Invisible Whore

[JarlFrank]

Damnit, this game is fucking short. Not only are the levels ridiculously tiny compared to DX, the game also is very short in length. About 3 main hubs (Seattle, Cairo, Trier), each with only about one or two main quests (each of which have a very small location to go through - really, each level can probably be done in 5 to 10 minutes even if you explore it thorougly). Then there's also Antarctica at the end but that's not much larger, either. Everything in this game is just so fucking small.

And it's not even a bad game. The story is rather simplistic and doesn't halfway reach DX, but the level design itself shows some promise. It's all rather ruined by the ridiculously small level sizes, though. FUCK YOU CONSOLETARDS. This could've been about 100 times better if the levels had been the size of the original Deus Ex, but noooo they had to make a ShitBox version too and ShitBox cannot handle large levels.

 

[Konjad]

It's still too long for it's retardation. I couldn't finish it mainly due to the writing quality, dubbing and characters.

 

[spekkio]

Welcome to 2003, Jarl.

But don't worry, they've learned from past mistakes, so DesuEx3 is gonna be super-awesome!

Preorder today!

 

[Forest Dweller]

Damnit, this game is fucking short. Not only are the levels ridiculously tiny compared to DX, the game also is very short in length. About 3 main hubs (Seattle, Cairo, Trier), each with only about one or two main quests (each of which have a very small location to go through - really, each level can probably be done in 5 to 10 minutes even if you explore it thorougly). Then there's also Antarctica at the end but that's not much larger, either. Everything in this game is just so fucking small.

And it's not even a bad game. The story is rather simplistic and doesn't halfway reach DX, but the level design itself shows some promise. It's all rather ruined by the ridiculously small level sizes, though. FUCK YOU CONSOLETARDS. This could've been about 100 times better if the levels had been the size of the original Deus Ex, but noooo they had to make a ShitBox version too and ShitBox cannot handle large levels.

Yeah this my main complaint too. In terms of non-linearity and faction dynamics it's actually an improvement over the original. But the game wasn't long enough to really elaborate on that.

 

[ScottishMartialArts]

My take as well, although I'd give a little more credit to the storyline, which in some respects I thought was an improvement over the original. The game was originally going to have much, much larger levels, and if you dig around on the internet you can find screenshots of the game that once was. They fucked up the tech development though -- Eidos forced them to switch development from Unreal Warfare to a homemade engine about a year into development -- and they reached a point where the game could only run badly on very high end PCs, let alone on the XBOX, a requirement that was also mandated by Eidos. The last six months were a desperate attempt to cut the game down into something shippable. Too bad, because there really was an awesome game underneath all the problems.

 

[sah]

I believe IW was one of the first of its kind - the classics "streamlined" for the console market. Back then the outrage from fans was strong and noticeable, not like with FO3 when everyone seemingly loved everything Beth was doing.

 

[torpid]

I never actually finished the game -- that already says a lot -- but if I remember correctly the storyline was more open than the first game's: you weren't forced to side with one faction like in the original, where you automatically joined the rebels in a very predictable move (your employers had BAD GUYS written all over them). I don't know if it became more linear closer to the end, which is what happens in a lot of games.

 

[Metro]

Good to know. I was somewhat kicking myself I bought the original on a Steam sale for $2.50 but the package of both came up for $3 this last holiday sale. But since the second isn't worth playing then hey, I saved fifty cents!

 

[JarlFrank]

Eh, it actually is a good game. Kinda. There's some potential in there.

It's to DX1 what Deadly Shadows is to Thief 1 and 2. Similar design principles, still a good game, but doesn't work as well as the predecessor(s) because of the horribly tiny levels with a lot of loading screens in-between. It's not the piece of shit most people make it look like, but it *is* a huge disappointment compared to Deus Ex, mostly because the non-linear level design is hampered by the smallness of it all.

There still are multiple ways to reach places, but when the whole level is just about the size of your living room, there's not that much of a point to it.

 

[Metro]

In that case I'd probably hate it because after multiple attempts I can't bring myself to finish/keep playing Thief: Deadly Shadows. Specifically because of the small levels/loading screens. Ruined by console-ization.

 

[Achilles]

This game is a disgrace to it's name and gaming in general.

 

[Imbecile]

Not played it for ages but I remember it being a perfectly acceptable, if unexceptional contribution. Levels are smaller and you can change allegiances a tedious number of times but its still a decent enough game despite the histrionics.

 

[DraQ]

Hey now that half of the codex...

Universal ammo

Oh.
Right.

 

[Reject_666_6]

This game is a disgrace to it's name and gaming in general.

Bullshit. It may be inferior when compared to the original, but it's an average to above-average game by itself.

 

[DraQ]

Also:

Seriously codex?

 

[Achilles]

This game is a disgrace to it's name and gaming in general.

Bullshit. It may be inferior when compared to the original, but it's an average to above-average game by itself.

Maybe so, but I'm judging it based on it's name and the "new shit" trend it pioneered.

 

[Serious_Business]

I never actually finished the game -- that already says a lot -- but if I remember correctly the storyline was more open than the first game's: you weren't forced to side with one faction like in the original, where you automatically joined the rebels in a very predictable move (your employers had BAD GUYS written all over them). I don't know if it became more linear closer to the end, which is what happens in a lot of games.

This isn't exactly a good point. Not only DX2's "nonlinearity" feels plastic and unconsequential, but it diminishes the plot's weight by far. I have no problems with the fact that they gave you no choices in DX. Well, I am biased because I am a huge fan, it's probably one if not my favourite game, but sometimes even being a C&C whore I feel a focused, linear narrative is the better way to tell a story. This isn't exactly a problem that was very explored in game/writing design because the industry cannot handle branching storylines, but I think with DX2 there was an attempt to go that way - and it backfired, along with everything else in the game. It's kind of hard to put the finger on what went wrong with it - if you think about it, it was done by the same team, the main writer is the same, and overall it is pretty much in tone with the first game. But something went horribly wrong - mostly gameplay and engine issues of course - but then that wouldn't stop a lot of us if the rest was good, which it isn't. It is just not good. Don't tell me "eh it actually is a good game, kinda" - it fucking isn't. It's a fucking mess. End of story. Deadly Shadows was 2 times better. Don't listen to the apologists, fuck em. I think the main problem, again aside form gameplay, is setting and how it handles characters and pacing. A lot of bullshit in there. I could go on and on about this shit so I won't

 

[Spark Mandriller]

The arcology was pretty good. Like a thousand sidequests and an interesting environment and helping Sharon Apple spy on the world and shit, that was pretty fun.

Then you leave and it's back to the dumb shit like the knights templar asking you to join them even though they hate nanotechnology and you've been killing them the whole game/the talking aliens who want to be friends/Liberty Island being like three different areas and still smaller than it is in the first game and it's just kinda oh.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

My take as well, although I'd give a little more credit to the storyline, which in some respects I thought was an improvement over the original. The game was originally going to have much, much larger levels, and if you dig around on the internet you can find screenshots of the game that once was. They fucked up the tech development though -- Eidos forced them to switch development from Unreal Warfare to a homemade engine about a year into development -- and they reached a point where the game could only run badly on very high end PCs, let alone on the XBOX, a requirement that was also mandated by Eidos. The last six months were a desperate attempt to cut the game down into something shippable. Too bad, because there really was an awesome game underneath all the problems.

So I figure they didn't stash the original content anywhere where a bunch of helpful Djinn could restore the game?

 

[ScottishMartialArts]

So I figure they didn't stash the original content anywhere where a bunch of helpful Djinn could restore the game?

Some of the items, monsters, and npcs are still referenced in the game, but as far as I know, none of the cut content is on the disc that shipped. If you dig around you can find screenshots from 2002 which show a game with much more detail, much more expansive environments, and a cleaner interface. Examples:

http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=39275&tab=screen

 

[Reject_666_6]

Invisible War was the unique bastard child of executive meddling and of devs thinking their shitty innovations were actually good. If anything, I'm surprised it didn't come out much, much worse.

 

[ghostdog]

The long and very frequent load times make it look longer than it is.

 

[Admiral jimbob]

I played a couple of hours of IW with a sort of gentle frown throughout. Then I hit a bug at the start of Cairo where the game would crash every time I left the greenhouse and uninstalled. I think it might honestly be one of the most unremarkable games I've ever played in every way.

 

[poocolator]

Also:

Seriously codex?

Hell's bells and buckets; I see what you did there.

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

Wow, good job. I didn't.

 

[Freelance Henchman]

Terrible waste of potential I thought. Thank you very much, COCKBOX.