Deus Ex 3. I shit you not.

[Tannhauser]

Finished this a couple of days ago.  Good game.  The strongpoint is the gameplay; sneaking around, shooting bad guys, hacking, etc. Very immersive.  I really liked the graphics as well, the environments were very sharp.  The story was uninspired though and the protagonist was unsympathetic.  It was also shorter than I expected, but I did focus solely on the main quest line.

Overall I'm glad I got the game. 

[Azazel]

Is there DLC planned for this thing? I just noticed that it's already on a pretty decent-sized sale at one of the places I buy from.

Also, what's the DRM like on PC, and is there a particular/compelling reason to go PC over console?

[Fabricated]

The PC version is prettier, mouse and keyboard, UI was tweaked for PC version and isn't annoying, etc etc. DRM I didn't notice...I have no idea what it uses on Steam.

[Kail]

Is there DLC planned for this thing? I just noticed that it's already on a pretty decent-sized sale at one of the places I buy from.

Yeah, they've announced one DLC level so far, it's called "The Missing Link" and takes place partway through the story.  There's a video about it on the game homepage, if you don't mind spoilers: http://deusex.com/

[Azazel]

Hm, Steamworks, eh?

Well, that more than likely means if I choose to buy it in the next 6 months I'll get the 360 version, and I'll hold out for the $10 Steam sale down the line for PC...

[AcidCat]

I finally finished the game over the weekend and have to say I was not much impressed. I think my main issues with the game were the environments and characters, neither seemed at all real, everything just felt so artificial. People seem to love the "choices" the game gives you, which I dunno, maybe I missed something, but seem to mostly come down to "kill / incapacitate this guy or sneak past him" and "take route A or B to the objective" ... oh and once in a while a "Decide what to say to this mannequin who you'd actually rather just shoot in the face." I was looking for an immersive experience but everything about DE:HR screams "GAME" at every opportunity, I found nothing for my suspension of disbelief to really latch onto.

Though I have to give the game props for letting me brutally murder a kindly old grandma quest npc.

[Ironwood]

And the game you've played that gives you what you want is...what ?

[Rasix]

Modern Warfare apparently.

[AcidCat]

Modern Warfare apparently.

Har Har. The game reminded me of a poor man's Mass Effect. With option for Pacifist Player.

I enjoyed the original game. Though I've never cared for the stealth/pacifist options, I'd rather just Terminator my way through. So, I guess half the game is kinda lost on me. Plus, I find myself less and less tolerant of linear games. Just feel claustrophobic, lacking agency in the gameworld. It takes really satisfying moment-to-moment gameplay for me to enjoy a linear game these days (I actually enjoyed the single player of Space Marine much more than DE:HR). To me the choices the game presented were just a thin layer of frosting on a thick cake of railroaded gameplay. They just didn't seem to really matter much. I didn't find the game bad per se, it was passable entertainment. Just one of those games that everyone seems to bust a nut over and I see nothing special. So let's just say it's not the game, it's me.

[rk47]

The lack of romance options is pretty jarring, right? Shd've been Jansen x Malik forever. Or totally shipping the Jansen x Pritchard to please both camps.

[AcidCat]

You'd have to have actual characters in the game first, DEHR doesn't really have any.

[K9]

 

[tgr]

I ... huh? What?

[Ironwood]

The game reminded me of a poor man's Mass Effect.

 

[Malakili]

So let's just say it's not the game, it's me.

Yeah, that seems right.

[rk47]

You'd have to have actual characters in the game first, DEHR doesn't really have any.

Yeah, I personally think Jensen needs a wingman, like how Garrus and Wrex operates in Mass Effect. A guy who likes things up close and personal, while another one is slightly more about finesse and dexterity. I really like how these two personality become the foil for my Shepard during missions. Jensen solo op is mostly punctuated by Pritchard's endless jabs and hardly much impact in the real engagement.

'Jensen, there's a hole to climb on,' didn't feel as great when Garrus goes 'One DOWN!' after pulling out his sniper rifle in that Tali's rescue mission. Say, do you like Alpha Protocol characters? It's kinda similar game to DEHR and I'm just curious how'd you rate them. It's got conversation sparring and stances, even a head slam move that is really in the vein of extreme Shepard.

[Engels]

Sorry, while you guys are all pig-piling on to AcidCat, I sorta agree with him. Its not a RPG, any more than the single player of MW is an RPG. The story is threadbare in its complexity, the branching options are stale and the character development is just simply not there. The conversational mini game is a single gem in an otherwise Robert Jordan-like ham fisted narration.

I've played through 2/3rds of the game and just can't finish it. I don't give a shit about any of the story. The combat, while better than most, still is annoyingly repetitive.

We've all been waiting for Deus Ex for eons, and now that its finally here, the fact that it vaguely approximates something that doesn't completely suck has made us all gaga.

[Lakov_Sanite]

It's ok to be wrong sometimes.

[Rasix]

We've all been waiting for Deus Ex for eons, and now that its finally here, the fact that it vaguely approximates something that doesn't completely suck has made us all gaga.

People are "gaga" because we've been waiting for Deus Ex and got exactly that.  

Not an RPG?  You're killing me. 

[AcidCat]

The story is threadbare in its complexity, the branching options are stale and the character development is just simply not there.

Yep.

I guess Mass Effect is not the best game to compare it to, but I feel my basic criticisms are valid.

[caladein]

I think the comparison to Mass Effect (2) is fair, and I think it holds up about as well as anything could really.  I don't think HR has enough downtime or exposition centered around its characters, even though you could spend a lot of time piecing together information about the world as a whole.  Which is fine, but leaves me cold for the most part.

I felt like a badass in conversations, I felt like a badass in combat, and there was enough of an illusion of choice that I wanted to do things "my" way and it felt good when I made a choice and it proved fruitful.  But, I didn't much care about it overall (and the boss sequences certainly didn't help).  Still enjoyed it a lot, and it's not like quality RPG/Shooters are growing on trees.  It'll have just been Alpha Protocol (stretching "quality"), New Vegas, and this game in the 2+ years between ME2 and ME3.

[tgr]

The two things that made DX:HR less than what I was hoping it'd be, were the boss fights (fuck them forever), and the snapping to various structures bullshit. Everything else was fine.

[Ingmar]

the character development is just simply not there.

Yeah I'm kind of with this as well. After everyone was talking about how much they liked Malik upthread, for example, I assumed that meant she'd have something of a personality, and she sure doesn't so far that I've seen. Caveat is I haven't finished the game, haven't reinstalled it yet after my little computer fail adventure.

[Bunk]

I liked Malik, and I was compelled to complete a certain thing because of her character, but in total I felt let down - they really needed another scene or two to wrap things up with her.

As with most rpgs, I really wanted more of a wrap up at the end. By that, I mean a personal wrap up - what happens to my guy personaly, based on his choices - rather than just an overall what happens to the world.

[eldaec]

Character development was largely bullshit in the first Deus ex. The strength of the original was in the freedom in how you complete the specific challenge in front you right now, which made it feel slightly more like a world and slightly less like a tunnel shooter.

[LK]

I agree with bunk. The human / subjective story got lost in the objective story (I would laugh if this was another intentional tie-in to the transhumanist theme exploration).

I enjoyed what they tried to do. It doesn't always work, but what does work is top-form. For example I thought the writing in particular was incredible, mainly during any character moments (not mission instructions) or the debates. There were a number of nice little touches that I enjoyed, such as character development by off-screen action (Adam's mirror).

Not all elements are exemplary, which would be difficult to achieve given the complexity of games, but I don't consider Deus Ex: HR's execution run-of-the-mill. Definitely worth my time and money.

My opinion is more informed by the narrative and characters than the game mechanics though. The game mechanics were alright.

[Lantyssa]

It really helps if you hack every computer and read every e-mail.  There's a lot of story and character personalities that are hidden away.  Things you would never know otherwise.

It's still probably not the OMG AWESOME some of you are looking for.

[Bunk]

Don't get me wrong, I loved all the little bits of story that they worked in to the game that way. I probably spent an extra ten hours on my playthrough hunting down all those things, and its amazing knowing how much more I missed.

It just felt like there was no way to really wrap up Adam's story at the end, because those types of info drops won't work there. Would have needed some more exposition or outright dialogs to pull it off.

Mind you, I always find that at the end of most games I enjoy, I'm always left wanting a little more.

[LK]

I'm curious, what was your opinion of Metal Gear Solid 4's ending?

[Rasix]

LONG.

[Samprimary]

I'm curious, what was your opinion of Metal Gear Solid 4's ending?

... it ended?

[K9]

SO, has anyone picked up the DLC for this? I'm not sure how keen I am at that price point; I need to know how long and interesting it is I guess.

[Bunk]

I'm curious, what was your opinion of Metal Gear Solid 4's ending?

Sorry, missed that question apparently - never played the game.

Made me stop and think, of some of the RPGs I did finish (typically I don't), how many left me satisfied at the end? As in, how many really felt like the wrapped everything up?

Fallout 3 -  not so much
Dragon Age 2 -  was rather abrupt
KotoR - good solid ending (Darth Revan takes over the universe for me) and generally things felt resolved with the primary NPC (Bastilla)
KotoR 2 -  BOOM! - Yea, fuck off Obsidian
Mass Effect - pretty good, end was so huge and wrapped up everything important well
Mass Effect 2 - again, quite good - plus it actually made sense to go back in and finish up the little things you might not have

Makes me realize, I love being able to go back in to the game to wrap up little things post story. Has to actually be something to wrap up for it to work though. I wouldn't want to just be able to wander around and have no one talk to me. (Dragon Age 2 - which basically just lets you stand around your Manor waiting for the DLC to come out)

[Kail]

SO, has anyone picked up the DLC for this? I'm not sure how keen I am at that price point; I need to know how long and interesting it is I guess.

Got it, but haven't beaten it yet (Steam was mucky yesterday).  Seeps pretty typical of Deus Ex so far.  Adam is on a boat, objective: get Adam off the boat.  You start with no augs, no weapons, no gear, so it's pretty low  power stuff, and I don't see anything really interesting that ties in to the plot of the main game yet.  Seems like a decently put together level, but indications suggest that it's going to be a bit short for $20.00.  I can try to FRAPS it if anyone wants to see it without buying, but so far I haven't run into anything too different from the base game.

[Vision]

Just beat the game, and I was relatively underwhelmed. The ending was too open ended for me to care.

It felt like a FPS geared metal gear game in my honest opinion. The gameplay was too hybrid for me to really feel like it excelled at any one thing, and the ending felt pretty rushed. The upgrades were cool, and I actually got into the story until  The boss fights were also somewhat lame.

Overall I thought it was relatively meh. Nothing wonderful.