This has been sitting my library forever and I am so happy to finally start it. This is one of the game series I have been dying to step into and now I am about to try it out. Since the story is one of the most important parts of games for me I like to start at the beginning then move through the series. This can sometimes mean dusting off some old titles and this game is pretty old. I downloaded this classic on my computer set the timer to one hour and played Deus Ex: Game of the Year Edition by Ion Storm.
The Experience:
The first thing I thought about is wow this game looks old. I had to look up when it was made. It was made 17 years ago and after I was able to end my existential age crisis I started the tutorial. (I could almost feasibly have a kid this old)
Deus Ex is a first-person shooter with RPG elements. While you control your aim, upgrades and weapon augmentations can improve your accuracy. The game plays like a regular FPS of the time where you have an objective to get to but where this differs is it's not about how many enemies you can take down quickly but about how you can use stealth and the environment. Getting through the map is not necessarily linear and gives a lot of freedom as to how you move through. There are also a lot of objects hidden all around the map that you can use so it encourages exploration. It's also early enough in the genre that this isn't a daunting task.
You are able to customize your character by buying into stats like rifle proficiency and computer hacking. This will allows your aim to be much more steady or be more proficient when breaking into something. This allows a wide variety of gameplay types and if you are like me you can say fuck it to the stealth because who has time to wait. Allowing even this much customization of a character really opens the game up.
The stealth aspect took me a bit because the NPCs are dumb as shit and it's not necessarily easy to see exactly where you can hide. I think graphics have changed quite a bit and my 2k monitor and graphics card seem to have kicked the resolution up to the point the shadows don't look too much like shadows. I figured it out but I really haven't been taking advantage of that aspect of the game anyways.
The game isn't very forgiving either. I am on normal difficulty and I have no desire to up it at all. Something as simple as being in the wrong position will give a chance for the NPC to drop you with a headshot. Then you remember you haven't saved for 10 minutes and have to give a slight sigh before loading up and going back at it. Explosive boxes are also not my friend because you have to aim high in order to throw them far enough away to not take out your legs. This is a beer-friendly game.
The game isn't very forgiving either. I am on normal difficulty and I have no desire to up it at all. Something as simple as being in the wrong position will give a chance for the NPC to drop you with a headshot. Then you remember you haven't saved for 10 minutes and have to give a slight sigh before loading up and going back at it. Explosive boxes are also not my friend because you have to aim high in order to throw them far enough away to not take out your legs. This is a beer-friendly game.
The controls are a bit wonky even for its time. The fact that I have key bindings to turn my character is weird especially when I am reaching across the keyboard to open the scope on my rifle. Luckily all of this can be mapped. Still, there is no mouse sensitivity option and the highest resolution is not working so there are a lot of times I will overcompensate with my mouse and send the camera spinning. The graphics are old and corridors look the same so this is a bit annoying. These are minor annoyances and in no way make the game unplayable.
(intro story spoiler)
The soundtrack is ok and has aged the worst. This music was obviously made on some ancient software. The story hasn't started off that much better. You are a cyborg agent named JC Denton working for an organization called UNATCO. Our protagonist is a bit of a hoaky manly stereotype and it's kind of humorous because it's a bit overdone. Your job is to go after National Secessionist Forces (NSF) members. You meet up with your brother who is also a cyborg agent and he basically tells you not to go on a rampage. I did anyway and he wasn't the happiest with me afterward but the fact my actions had an effect was definitely a positive surprise. This is as far as I have got in the story but I am told there is an early twist coming up that make it better.
What I really like about this game so far is how it really leaves it to the player how they are going to get through any challenge. There are several ways to beat the puzzle of the moment from hacking to brute force. It gives the perception you are in control of the game. While visually the game does not feel fresh the gameplay is interesting enough to keep someone who is used to all the modern day accouterments interested. Pro tip, don't smoke or at least save right before you do.
TL;DR:
I am liking what I played so far. This game has aged quite a bit but it still holds on by its dynamic environments and deep gameplay. The ability to customize your character to fit your play style really sets this game apart for its time. I am interested to see where the story and this game goes, which for a title this old is pretty impressive.
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