gerry wrote on 2025-02-27, 13:44:

well i'm almost finished and among one thing i noted since playing 10+ years ago is just how sparse the environments are

when i played it first the environments seemed very 'full' and detailed and now the visual style makes it look sparse when compared to mode modern games

I quite like the aesthetics of the first Deus Ex a lot; but I've always been a sucker for the down to earth modern urban stuff ever since playing Duke Nukem 3D.

You are right that a lot of the maps in Deus Ex 1 seem very barren and devoid of much objects and decor, I'm willing to bet a lot of that isn't just because of hardware systems at the time but also this was Ion Storm Austin's first foray into Unreal Engine. (and BOY does that show when you start looking into the class tree and UnrealScript)

gerry wrote on 2025-02-27, 13:44:

some parts are silly though, you really can explode a giant robot while a guard has their back turned and not only wont he notice, when walking back towards the wreckage he'll be just fine, not put out at all. it's a kind of unintentionally funny limitation of the 'ai'

Deus Ex's ScriptedPawn class is a hot mess and it would take a amazing amount of effort to make it not a hot mess anymore. I haven't tried things that remake the game like ReVision and GMDX but I'm under the impression nobody wants to dare fix that hot mess.

DracoNihil wrote on 2025-02-27, 14:30:

I quite like the aesthetics of the first Deus Ex a lot; but I've always been a sucker for the down to earth modern urban stuff ever since playing Duke Nukem 3D.

yes i like them - i like all solid attempts at urban settings from early 20th century all the way to slightly in the future, perhaps its the recognition and familiarity - i've also had that preference since Duke3d, it was such a great departure from the abstract and strange but clearly "this is a a game" maps in doom, rott and so on. Actually i think i'd enjoy settings further back into history too, if done well.

For me they always represent an opportunity to interact, i want to switch things on and off, read things, open the cupboard, run the tap and so on (drive around if its like gta...)

i also like post apocalyptic settings, derived from the above

Deus Ex's ScriptedPawn class is a hot mess and it would take a amazing amount of effort to make it not a hot mess anymore. I haven't tried things that remake the game like ReVision and GMDX but I'm under the impression nobody wants to dare fix that hot mess.

yes, as good as the game is this "feature" of deus ex tends to break the illusions of the game world, as do some of the physics (boxes hanging on to a ledge by a few corner pixels for instance)

i haven't played any mods but for these aspects of the game to really improve i suspect it would have to be redone, it wouldn't need to be all that modern either - the engine from half life2 would solve some of the physics quirks and allow for added detail and object interaction with the deus ex world at a more satisfying level. Add some improved AI for all NPCs, maybe even a straight copy of basic 'awareness and reaction' ai from another game and the gameworld would start feeling more like a believable place

the plot could be almost the same, even 25 years on. It might be necessary to alter some features regarding the ubiquity of internet and smart phones / tablets, but in the main it would work.

of course i'd like to add more of new york, paris, hong kong so i can speak to more citizens, do more secondary missions/side quests and uncover more interesting outcomes (eg the fate of sandra renton in the game being dependent on your actions) , oh and more apartments to go into, shops to look around, spooky phonecalls from mysterious AIs and so on!

I've just finished the d3d version of Dungeon Keeper! What strikes me is the lack of FMVs or at least something other than the Narrator introducing every subsequent level. It feels kind of hollow.

DracoNihil wrote on 2025-02-27, 11:50:

Yeah, picking all the "Renegade" conversation options is probably one of the single most amusing things about ME1. It gets even more brutal in the second game.

I have very fond memories of playing through ME2 as a 100% renegade. Something about the delivery of the voice actor was perfect for the smarmy psycho that is the renegade version of Shepard in that game 🤣.

Mass Effect
I am well on my way though my current attempt at this game, and I'm enjoying it. It stills looks pretty good (though with some janky animation and poor textures close up) but the stylistic lighting and awesome soundtrack make up for it. I went into this having already completed ME2 and ME3, and it's weird how different the game is from its sequels. It's focused more on world building than drama, which I personally prefer, so I am enjoying this. I think you could draw a comparison with this and Dragon Age: Origins compared with its sequels, in that respect. ME1 is a (pretty bad) shooter, but it really does feel more like an RPG than its sequels.

Having said that, the shooting is bad, and it feels completely disconnected from the story stuff. This didn't really improve at all in the sequels; in fact, the shooting got better but the stories got worse, so it became sort of the same problem but in reverse! But I do have a lot of nostalgia for ME2 (and to a lesser extent ME3), so it's fun to play this game.

---

I also ordered a copy of Mass Effect Legendary Edition for PS4. This includes all three games and the DLC, and is completely playable offline from the disc (unlike the PC version). I generally don't like remakes/remasters, but I might be fun to revisit the whole series at some point, and I don't want to deal with EA Play or Origin or whatever.

ME2 is really dumb compared with the first game, but I sort of like the psycho space cowboys feel of the game if you play as a Renegade character.

newtmonkey wrote on 2025-03-01, 16:29:

Mass Effect I am well on my way though my current attempt at this game, and I'm enjoying it. It stills looks pretty good (thoug […]
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Mass Effect
I am well on my way though my current attempt at this game, and I'm enjoying it. It stills looks pretty good (though with some janky animation and poor textures close up) but the stylistic lighting and awesome soundtrack make up for it. I went into this having already completed ME2 and ME3, and it's weird how different the game is from its sequels. It's focused more on world building than drama, which I personally prefer, so I am enjoying this. I think you could draw a comparison with this and Dragon Age: Origins compared with its sequels, in that respect. ME1 is a (pretty bad) shooter, but it really does feel more like an RPG than its sequels.

Having said that, the shooting is bad, and it feels completely disconnected from the story stuff. This didn't really improve at all in the sequels; in fact, the shooting got better but the stories got worse, so it became sort of the same problem but in reverse! But I do have a lot of nostalgia for ME2 (and to a lesser extent ME3), so it's fun to play this game.

---

I also ordered a copy of Mass Effect Legendary Edition for PS4. This includes all three games and the DLC, and is completely playable offline from the disc (unlike the PC version). I generally don't like remakes/remasters, but I might be fun to revisit the whole series at some point, and I don't want to deal with EA Play or Origin or whatever.

ME2 is really dumb compared with the first game, but I sort of like the psycho space cowboys feel of the game if you play as a Renegade character.

The first time I tried to play the first Mass Effect I bounced off of it. I swear I felt like the game never started, you just wandered around the space station having conversations for the first 20 hours. I hated it. I asked someone online when the game starts and they told me I was probably half way through it already. I did go back and finish it eventually, but I way more enjoyed all the other Mass Effects, even the latest one that everyone seems to hate, far more than the first one.

I just bought this games called "SKALD: Against the Black Priory", and it's awesome! It's a "retro-style party-based RPG set in a grim-dark fantasy world". It's actually a blend of styles, but it's a lot of fun to play. It feels like it would be right at home in a late 80's early 90's PC. If you're into this type of game, it's worth looking into. Available on GoG and Steam.

newtmonkey wrote on 2025-03-01, 16:29:

Mass Effect
I am well on my way though my current attempt at this game, and I'm enjoying it. It stills looks pretty good (though with some janky animation and poor textures close up

I can't play either versions of the ME Trilogy without the A Lot Of Textures mod:

I highly recommend it.

Remaster: https://www.nexusmods.com/masseffectlegendary … dition/mods/363

Original : https://www.nexusmods.com/masseffect/mods/83 (ME1 here)

Decided to replay Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory. I did revisit it a few years back, but the hardware that I was using at that time couldn't max it out fully. Now, I'm playing it on my i5 3570K + GTX 970 rig, with an X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty providing EAX under WinXP. The game runs at a locked 60 FPS when using the 1600x1200 resolution with all graphical settings maxed, and with 4xSGSSAA forced on top of that. With these settings, the GPU utilization doesn't go over 60% even during the most demanding scenes, per MSI Afterburner.

I've mentioned this before, but I really like the EAX implementation in this game. It's particularly noticeable during the first level. For starters, the echo effects in the cave that you enter at the very beginning are superbly done. When you get inside the enemy compound, you start hearing the muffled screams of the tortured prisoner, which get louder and clearer as you approach. Outside, you can hear raindrops hitting the fabric of the tents that the enemies are using. It sounds very realistic, especially when you're standing inside one of those tents. And while you're climbing the lighthouse itself, the machinery sounds fittingly echo throughout the interior, and the metal staircase creeks under Sam's weight. Yeah, this entire level is a fantastic EAX showpiece.

The next mission takes place on a cargo ship. The level design isn't bad per se, but it does feels too cramped in certain places. I like how the hanging lights in some rooms sway to the side due to the ship's movement. Of course, this makes it harder to hide in such places, but it's a really cool effect. It's also great how you can lure the guy who is your main target away from his bodyguards, force him to tell them he's just getting a drink, and then deal with him at a safe distance.

On that note, Chaos Theory allows you to complete every mission non-lethally, with the exception of designated targets, like the aforementioned guy on the ship. The game even scores you better at the end of each mission if you were never detected and didn't kill anyone. That said, there are some situations during the later levels where you're basically thrown into a firefight. You can still stealth through those encounters, but it takes a lot of effort. One minor nitpick that I have with this game are the optional objectives. These basically amount to "find 5 things" that are hidden somewhere in the level. Sometimes, this can get tedious, especially if you're going for that 100% completion score.

Mass Effect
I've settled on Liara and Tali as the rest of my party since I'm playing as a Soldier; this seems to give me a good spread of abilities, and I remember liking Tali in the sequels.

Combat can be a little difficult even on the normal difficulty level. It's fine for most fights, but then you get wrecked during a tougher fight and have to command your companions around. I would normally be fine with this, as I like a challenge, but it sometimes feels like babysitting dumb AI (why do your companions just stand out in the open, in what is basically a cover shooter?). The interface for controlling your party during combat is also a bit of a mess; it really needs a nice "tactical" overhead view like in Dragon Age: Origins. I guess my only other complaint so far is that loot is extremely boring and also tedious to handle, thanks to the interface, which I am guessing was designed with Xbox 360 controllers and a TV in mind.

Otherwise, I really like this! It's a cool mystery, there is some degree of exploration with the surprisingly large (but mostly linear) action segments, and it's a damned shame they dropped the Mako driving stuff in the sequels, because it really adds something to this game even with the touchy controls. The Renegade dialogue options are also a lot of fun, though not as good as they would become ME2.

Disco Elysium
This is normally not my kind of game, but it was sitting in my Steam library and I gave it a shot. Three hours later, I was hooked. This is basically an adventure game with heavy RPG elements, sort of like a Quest for Glory game with the combat system replaced with a dialogue system. You are a police detective who wakes up with a hangover and a case of total amnesia, which sounds lame, but works great in this game since you basically define your character as you play. You can choose one of three "classes" to start (either intelligent, sensitive, or physical), or can design your own character; having said that, you are basically just choosing your stats and abilities for a fixed protagonist.

The game plays a lot like an isometric adventure game, sort of like Sanitarium or maybe closer to Planescape: Torment, since your character actually has stats that are used to determine what you can and cannot do. You go around tracking down leads, examining the environment looking for clues, and interrogating people. You earn experience points for accomplishing stuff, which you can spend on your stats and abilities. The game has two two types of skill checks: white checks can be retried if failed, while red checks cannot. Sometimes failing a check will actually still make progress, but if not you can go explore and play through the many side quests to earn experience to improve your skills. It's a pretty cool system that I think would be awesome in a serious horror game, for instance.

And that brings me to my biggest issue with the game. The writing is overall very good, the world is interesting and unique, and the plot is interesting. However, there is also a lot of cringeworthy writing in the game. In fact, the game starts with a completely embarrassing bit of dialogue between you and your "ancient reptilian brain" that feels like something written by a teenager trying to sound quirky and deep. It is so bad, that it nearly turned me off from even playing the game, which is a shame because the rest of the game (so far) is really nothing like that.

newtmonkey wrote on 2025-03-03, 16:15:

I guess my only other complaint so far is that loot is extremely boring and also tedious to handle, thanks to the interface, which I am guessing was designed with Xbox 360 controllers and a TV in mind.

ME1 has the worst inventory system I've personally ever seen, I certainly can't think of any I've disliked even more.

Pro tip: store your save file in case you revisit the game in the future. If you load up your previous character on new game you get all the skills and equipment you had from the start, that way you can just give everyones gear back to them and can sell all the crap you end up with while playing with almost zero inventory management.

I suppose having maxed out gear from the very start breaks balance but I personally don't care, not only does it get rid of the inventory pain but also the extra bad weapon accuracy and constant overheating. I'm not the biggest fan of the combat in this game.

StriderTR wrote on 2025-03-01, 21:20:

I just bought this games called "SKALD: Against the Black Priory", and it's awesome! It's a "retro-style party-based RPG set in a grim-dark fantasy world". It's actually a blend of styles, but it's a lot of fun to play. It feels like it would be right at home in a late 80's early 90's PC. If you're into this type of game, it's worth looking into. Available on GoG and Steam.

This is in my wishlist and I will eventually get it. Glad to see someone else playing it! Please keep posting as you progress through the game.

I'm still inching my way through Pool of Radiance. My characters are all level 6 except my fighter/thief, who is 5/6. Currently in the Kobold Caves and have had a few goes at the big three wave combat in the Throne Room. I'm struggling, so instead, I decided to explore the rest of the caves and come back to the Big Fight later.

I am trying to finish this game quickly, because I want it done by the time GOG gets KCD2. That, and a 2nd playthrough of System Shock Remastered are what I'm looking forward to most.

clueless1 wrote on 2025-03-03, 23:12:

I'm still inching my way through Pool of Radiance. My characters are all level 6 except my fighter/thief, who is 5/6. Currently in the Kobold Caves and have had a few goes at the big three wave combat in the Throne Room. I'm struggling, so instead, I decided to explore the rest of the caves and come back to the Big Fight later.

I am trying to finish this game quickly, because I want it done by the time GOG gets KCD2. That, and a 2nd playthrough of System Shock Remastered are what I'm looking forward to most.

Argh. I finally got through all three waves successfully and I forgot to save. Did not realize there was one more big battle after that in the next room. 🙁

Making steady progress in Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory. Next up, we have the bank heist, which is one of my favorite missions from this game. I think the developers may have taken some inspiration from Thief 2 here, since it has a similarly structured level. In any case, the design of this mission is superb, and there are many different ways to navigate the environment. I also like the little nod to Mission Impossible when you're entering the bank from the roof while avoiding the laser grid below. It's kind of funny how Sam actually has to steal a ton of money to cover his tracks regarding the infiltration. Lastly, there's a little surprise when you exit the bank vault, which I won't spoil here. I'll just say that it's definitively possible to finish this entire level without raising any alarms and while remaining completely unseen, if you're careful and observant.

The next mission takes place in New York during a blackout, and it isn't particularly memorable, except for the new infrared cameras. These can detect Sam even if he's hidden in shadows, which makes them a lot more dangerous, especially in areas where there are multiple guards patrolling nearby. I noticed that interrogating guards is a bit more humorous in Chaos Theory, compared to the past games. There are some pretty funny responses from both Sam and his targets. At the same time, the facial animations during the interrogation seem worse somehow. Basically, all the faces in this game (including Sam's) look like they're made from plastic. Coupled with some weird lighting choices, this gives everyone a very goofy appearance. And it's like that even in the Xbox version, so this isn't a GPU issue.

After this, Sam goes to infiltrate the headquarters of Displace. Since this is a friendly organization, he's not allowed to use lethal force. This suits me fine, as that's my preferred way of playing this game anyhow. I really like the hi-tech feel of this area, with all the servers that you need to hack, and the fancy shaded windows. The map layout is pretty good as well, and it reminds me of some actual corporate buildings that I've visited, with large conference rooms and all. There's also a nice encounter where you can wirelessly hack a guy's laptop while he's talking to someone else. Overall, this was a very cool mission.

I forgot to mention this earlier, but one of the trademarks of Chaos Theory is that loud ambient noises can mask the sounds produced by Sam's footsteps. For example, you don't need to slowly sneak up on an enemy if he's standing near loud machinery. Instead, you can run toward him at full speed, as long as he doesn't see you. Similarly, you can use the sound of thunder during a storm to make a quick dash toward an enemy who has his back turned to you. For me, it's little things like that which make this game a cut above the other Splinter Cell titles.

I tried playing Deus Ex Invisible War... it was poor performing even on a 3ghz 64bit system that funs fallout 3, hl2, far cry 2 all fine. Added to that were all the load times and small maps, i didnt get far before i gave up, it just isnt as engaging either. maybe i'll try again. i played once many years ago and thought it ok rather than good.

Anyway, then i re-loaded a save game for Mafia, i'd given up at the mission where you have drive a race car over town within a time limit - but made it this time. The setting is great, like the story and detailed city - just want more, more places to enter, more people and more things to do. great game though

Still on Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory. The Hokkaido mission was the opposite of Displace HQ, meaning low-tech natural environments, with highly alert guards and unusual obstacles. Heck, they even have some "anti-ninja flooring" which does make things harder for Sam. Anyway, hunting down the hidden microphones was tedious, but the mission was fine otherwise. The final sequence always catches me by surprise, since you suddenly end up in the area where you first started the level. And if the environment was disturbed in any way (e.g. a light was turned off, or a door was left open) the newly arrived guards will get suspicious. Not to mention if they catch a glimpse of an unconscious or dead body. So getting that 100% completion score can be tricky here.

The missile base is another well designed level. Lots of security cameras, challenging guard patrol routes, and plenty of brightly lit environments. It's tough, but also very enjoyable. Well, except for the last bit where you're supposed to disarm a missile. At that point, you have a limited amount of time to accomplish this, but you aren't given even a single hint on how to do it. It doesn't help that the base layout is kinda confusing. And while disarming the missile isn't that hard, once you figure out where you need to go, this is still one of the few segments that I actually dislike in this game. To be fair, this event occurs during the last five minutes of the mission, so it doesn't ruin its otherwise solid level design.

The next mission takes place inside an active war zone, and I'm not a huge fan of that. Despite all the chaos happening around you, to get the 100% completion score, you're still expected to remain undetected and not use lethal force. Needless to say, it's a real chore to slug through this level, especially around those drones that can suddenly fly up to Sam and spot him in mere seconds. On the positive side, EAX is used to great effect here. From the subdued explosions in the distance, to the muffled voices of enemy soldiers hidden from view, and the sporadic sounds of gunfire all around you. Everything melds together perfectly to create a very immersive soundstage. Also, saving the injured pilots at the end of the mission while still getting that 100% score feels extremely satisfying.

Underrail
I was doing some research on this game, and discovered that the developer completely changed how psionics work at some point (to make it more difficult). This was apparently a somewhat controversial change, because you can actually use the "beta" feature of Steam to roll the version back to before the change was made.

With that in mind, I thought it would be interesting to revert back and play the game with the original psionics system. The biggest change is that the older version allows you to regenerate psi points over time, while the new version requires you to use somewhat rare items to do so. The next biggest change is that the new system requires you to prepare psi abilities in advance, and mixing abilities from different psi schools makes each ability cost more points to use.

It goes without saying that the older system makes the game much, much easier, and I understand why the change was made. However, with the new system, the game is very brutal from the start, and you'd normally have no idea what kind of character to build without spending lots of time on trial and error (or looking stuff up). The old system makes a pure sci user a very decent beginner character you can use to learn the game.

Over the course of an hour or so I was able to get through the first couple of major quests, so I've caught up to my previous character pretty quickly (and with much less frustration). There's a lot to like about this one, and I'm excited to put some more time into it.

(My plan is to complete the game on the "legacy" version, then later on play through the game with a different type of character with the DLC on the latest version.)

Underrail
It's been quite a while since I've been so addicted to a game! Although the story is very linear so far, the world is absolutely massive and quite open, so you can go around exploring if you hit a tough part. Last night I played the game for a couple of hours, watched a movie, and then thought, "Why not check that one area out before I go to bed?" Before I knew it, it was was 5:00 am, and I still had to tear myself away from the game.

So far, playing on the "legacy" version on Steam with a pure PSI user is a great way to learn about the game. It's an easy character to develop, because you want high INT, which also gives you a lot of skill points upon level up. You're limited to how many points you can add to any individual skill each level, so you have more than enough to max all your PSI skills (only three in this version). You don't need to spend points on any of the weapon skills, so you're free to spend the rest on your support skills, allowing you to fill any holes you might have in your skillset.

Finished Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory. The bath house is definitively the most difficult mission in this game, especially if you're going for the 100% rating. The first part isn't too bad, and there are some fun ways to use the environment to your advantage here. For example, flooding a room with hot steam will prevent heat seeking turrets from targeting you. However, once you complete the main objective, Sam gets thrown into a firefight between two enemy groups. Since most opponents have thermal vision here, it's extremely difficult to sneak past them, except when using smoke grenades. It's also pretty hard to remain undetected during the sequence where Sam has to defuse the explosives. Sticky shockers can help, if you still have some left at that point. Ultimately, I did manage to get the 100% rating, but it took a lot of effort and dozens of reloads.

The final mission was a walk in the park compared to the bath house. It was still reasonably challenging, with some interesting surprises near the end. There's even a special sequence if you get captured, since some of the guards here use non-lethal weapons. This is fun to see for novelty's sake, but it's always best to stay out of sight. The last area after the elevator can feel a bit daunting, but it's actually possible to remain unseen throughout that entire ordeal. After finishing this level, I achieved the overall 100% success rate, which you get for completing every mission in the game undetected and without using lethal force. I wouldn't recommend that for a first play through, but it can be an interesting challenge when revisiting the game.

BTW, for people who aren't familiar with the Splinter Cell series and are wondering where to start - play this game first. It's certainly the most polished one in the original trilogy. And while it does build upon the story of the previous two games, it's not necessary to play them beforehand, as everything that you need to know will be explained here. For me, Chaos Theory represents the ultimate Splinter Cell experience, and it's also one of the best stealth games out there. Well worth (re)playing.