5 ms·

Panoramas of Deus Ex Human Revolution

113 points by hyperific 4y ago

post_break 4y ago
Man I hope he does Jensens apartment. I love the architecture and all the details. The lab one is incredible.
- ehnto 4y ago
  The atmosphere in the apartments are so good. Almost a cosy dystopia. The first Deus Ex was my first experience with a "safe zone" and "hub world" in gaming and I remember it changed my entire outlook on what games could be. I didn't have to be fighting to exist in the world, and calmly exploring the space and the story was so refreshing. Probably why I enjoy "walking simulators" so much.
dereg 4y ago
I’m so glad to see such appreciation for the game. While it’s not the original and may have been on rails, there are few games in which I was so immersed in the art and design.
- int_19h 4y ago
  The original was fairly railroaded as well, outside of a few hubs. Which is exactly like DXHR, come to think of it.
  - swivelmaster 4y ago
    The direction of the story was railroaded in the original, but the player's flexibility in how they approached each mission was definitely not. HBomberguy did a whole video about how DXHR failed to achieve the same level of freedom of problem-solving that the original did. It's quite good, but also very long. Worth it, IMO. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgJazjz9ZsA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgJazjz9ZsA
    - laidoffamazon 4y ago
      He's absolutely correct on comparing it to the first game, but he may even be a little too warm towards some aspects of it. I also enjoy this video by Ross of "Freeman's Mind" [0] [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYLEuQrvND0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYLEuQrvND0
      - poisonarena 4y ago
        love all Ross videos, Ross gaming dungeon is the first video game reviewer I had patience for
    - dereg 4y ago
      3.5 hours – what a treat!
  - Barrin92 4y ago
    there's a GDC talk on Youtube where Warren Spector makes that point explicitly. The original was narratively linear but had freedom within the mission gameplay. He considered that vital for the tension of the story. This is also why HR succeeded for me in contrast to Mankind Divided. The 'open world' like approach of the latter sidelined the main story which seemed almost tangential. Which is a problem in many games these days. https://youtu.be/tffX3VljTtI https://youtu.be/tffX3VljTtI
- laidoffamazon 4y ago
  I agree. I'm a fan of the gameplay and honestly quite bizarre design, it's distinctive in a way a lot of games aren't. But the plot...oh man, I wish they had spent some time on the plot.
  - throwaway0x7E6 4y ago
    are you talking about HR or MD? I didn't play the latter, but I do recall HR had rather good plot and writing. not mind-blowing, but definitely above average
sedatk 4y ago
As a fan of both DXHR and Deus Ex Mankind Divided, I love this! Such a great series.
- laidoffamazon 4y ago
  I hope you've played the original too! It is worse in some aspects of gameplay, but it's significantly more immersive and the plot is fantastic (and aged a little too well).
  - sedatk 4y ago
    I’ve heard all good things but I’m hesitant as it might feel too old. I’d jump on a remake right away though.
    - jl6 4y ago
      It will feel old and clunky in many ways, but that doesn’t detract from the great music, writing, plot and atmosphere.
    - 5e92cb50239222b 4y ago
      I am somewhat of a Deus Ex fanatic (played through the original at least 50 times since it was released, the last playthrough was just a couple of months ago), and I probably wouldn't recommend it to those unfamiliar with it. The AI is too clunky, it feels like you're playing against toddlers: it quickly forgets about you if you stop moving, doesn't care about their comrades' bodies that have appeared out of nowhere (whom they had also been talking to just a minute before), and so on. Although you could try the unofficial Revision remake (which is free), it has some very significant differences in level design, but the levels themselves are very nice and detailed, so it looks much better. The AI is still stupid by today's measures though. https://store.steampowered.com/app/397550/Deus_Ex_Revision/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/397550/Deus_Ex_Revision/
    - danjoredd 4y ago
      I would play it anyway. I played it for the first time this spring and while the controls are clunky, the level design is still unmatched. The narrative it pushes, things like the homogenization of culture, the tyranny of bureaucracy, corruption of politicians, etc. all feel super relevant. More relevant than when it came out, certainly. It frequently goes on sale on GOG and Steam for about 3 dollars. I recommend the GOG version because its easier to apply Kentie's Launcher which updates the code to work with modern graphics cards better.
boppo1 4y ago
I really hope Embracer lets them finish the Jensen Arc. DX:MD was actually incredible.
- ehnto 4y ago
  It really was incredible. I am disappointed they did not finish the story arcs they set up for the main story, they had such great insidious plots brewing (Orchid?!) and in the end it was just a bomb at a convention. Human Revolution had a larger than life plot that only such a series can support, and they were almost getting there for MD as well but stopped short. I hope that was just setting up a sequel.
  - boppo1 4y ago
    I ignored the game at launch and only had time to play recently. To me, it felt like a complete game given how fleshed out the sidequests were. The narrative seemed to be setting up for an absolute spike of a third game. Admittedly, the other two deus ex games have stakes that ramp up low>medium>high through the game, but at the expense of sidequests and exploration. I figured the follow-up to MD would be able to hit the ground running and have plenty of space to be wildly high stakes the whole time. Maybe even get as wacky as the first did, but in a "plausibly serious" way.
  - danjoredd 4y ago
    I got both Deus Ex and Deus Ex Human Revolution recently on discount, and both games are amazing. My only complaint with Human Revolution is that it didn't feel as "deep" as the original story-wise, but it still felt leagues beyond other games. I am going to play Mankind Divided, but everything I have heard is that Mankind Divided was disappointing so I am bracing myself.
    - chaoticmass 4y ago
      I played the original Deus Ex back when it was new, also DX:HR and DX:MD. Of the two new ones, I find myself going back to replay DX:MD more. To me the biggest problem with MD was it's third act sort of fizzles out, but I enjoy the rest of it enough and the side quests enough to come back to it. Also, the really refined the gameplay to make it more fun.
Semaphor 4y ago
Recently played DX:MD for the 2nd time (having played DX and DX:HR at least 3 times each), it’s such a great series. And as the pictures here show, the new games look gorgeous.
- sedatk 4y ago
  DXMD’s DLCs are also great. I especially liked the prison arc.
  - Semaphor 4y ago
    Yeah, got it for the replay
cercatrova 4y ago
Their CGI trailer is still one of the best trailers I've seen for a video game [0]. When I saw it, I really felt a sense of futuristic wonder, thinking what it'd be like to augment our bodies in the near future. The color scheme is gold because it was a "golden age of human augmentation," highlighting how people saw the new technology for its endless possibilities. Its sequel was not gold because, predictably, people used such technologies for selfish ends. I often think of other such real-world technologies paralleled in the same light, like how the Internet evolved, and even those of centuries past; the trailer's Renaissance and Icarus comparisons are apt. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTdNRdw2y4E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTdNRdw2y4E
- flohofwoe 4y ago
  I think it was more because players complained about the 'piss filter' ;) (the HR Director's Cut had already removed the filter) I remember that around 2010 there was a number of AAA games where the visual designers just seemed to have discovered the color yellow as their game's "main theme". It soon vanished again, just like overdone lens flare or god ray effects before.
  - causi 4y ago
    It made me very angry that there wasn't even an option to turn it back on.
  - winReInstall 4y ago
    Remember when bumpmaps and specular were the thing and all things in games looked like actionfigures for one release cycle?
beebeepka 4y ago
Deus Ex HR was the only single player game that managed to really touch me. Not talking about "immersion" - as a multiplayer guy, I don't identify with characters, nor do I care for them in any way. And yet the combination of world building, music, narrative, and gameplay really appealed to me. Visiting Jensen's apartment touched my soul. A single player game touched me! A guy with 30 years of multiplayer adventures. That hadn't happened till then, nor has it since. Prague wasn't nearly as depressing as Detroit. Frankly, these guys would be better off using Unreal engine and stick to the formula. My only "RPG" love.
hrbf 4y ago
If the TLD didn’t already somewhat give it away, the fact that one of the panoramas is titled „Buero of David Sarif“ is just so very “German” – confidently using the entirely wrong expression.
valdiorn 4y ago
The art direction of that game is probably the best I've ever seen. It's incredibly cohesive and very, very deep. Everything from the architecture, to clothing, lighting and colour palettes is in perfect harmony.
- boppo1 4y ago
  Dishonored gives it a run for its money. Thief 2 as well IMO, but that might be more controversial.

113 points by hyperific 4y ago

post_break 4y ago

Man I hope he does Jensens apartment. I love the architecture and all the details. The lab one is incredible.

ehnto 4y ago
The atmosphere in the apartments are so good. Almost a cosy dystopia. The first Deus Ex was my first experience with a "safe zone" and "hub world" in gaming and I remember it changed my entire outlook on what games could be. I didn't have to be fighting to exist in the world, and calmly exploring the space and the story was so refreshing. Probably why I enjoy "walking simulators" so much.

dereg 4y ago

I’m so glad to see such appreciation for the game. While it’s not the original and may have been on rails, there are few games in which I was so immersed in the art and design.

int_19h 4y ago
The original was fairly railroaded as well, outside of a few hubs. Which is exactly like DXHR, come to think of it.
- swivelmaster 4y ago
  The direction of the story was railroaded in the original, but the player's flexibility in how they approached each mission was definitely not. HBomberguy did a whole video about how DXHR failed to achieve the same level of freedom of problem-solving that the original did. It's quite good, but also very long. Worth it, IMO. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgJazjz9ZsA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgJazjz9ZsA
  - laidoffamazon 4y ago
    He's absolutely correct on comparing it to the first game, but he may even be a little too warm towards some aspects of it. I also enjoy this video by Ross of "Freeman's Mind" [0] [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYLEuQrvND0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYLEuQrvND0
    - poisonarena 4y ago
      love all Ross videos, Ross gaming dungeon is the first video game reviewer I had patience for
  - dereg 4y ago
    3.5 hours – what a treat!
- Barrin92 4y ago
  there's a GDC talk on Youtube where Warren Spector makes that point explicitly. The original was narratively linear but had freedom within the mission gameplay. He considered that vital for the tension of the story. This is also why HR succeeded for me in contrast to Mankind Divided. The 'open world' like approach of the latter sidelined the main story which seemed almost tangential. Which is a problem in many games these days. https://youtu.be/tffX3VljTtI https://youtu.be/tffX3VljTtI
laidoffamazon 4y ago
I agree. I'm a fan of the gameplay and honestly quite bizarre design, it's distinctive in a way a lot of games aren't. But the plot...oh man, I wish they had spent some time on the plot.
- throwaway0x7E6 4y ago
  are you talking about HR or MD? I didn't play the latter, but I do recall HR had rather good plot and writing. not mind-blowing, but definitely above average

sedatk 4y ago

As a fan of both DXHR and Deus Ex Mankind Divided, I love this! Such a great series.

laidoffamazon 4y ago
I hope you've played the original too! It is worse in some aspects of gameplay, but it's significantly more immersive and the plot is fantastic (and aged a little too well).
- sedatk 4y ago
  I’ve heard all good things but I’m hesitant as it might feel too old. I’d jump on a remake right away though.
  - jl6 4y ago
    It will feel old and clunky in many ways, but that doesn’t detract from the great music, writing, plot and atmosphere.
  - 5e92cb50239222b 4y ago
    I am somewhat of a Deus Ex fanatic (played through the original at least 50 times since it was released, the last playthrough was just a couple of months ago), and I probably wouldn't recommend it to those unfamiliar with it. The AI is too clunky, it feels like you're playing against toddlers: it quickly forgets about you if you stop moving, doesn't care about their comrades' bodies that have appeared out of nowhere (whom they had also been talking to just a minute before), and so on. Although you could try the unofficial Revision remake (which is free), it has some very significant differences in level design, but the levels themselves are very nice and detailed, so it looks much better. The AI is still stupid by today's measures though. https://store.steampowered.com/app/397550/Deus_Ex_Revision/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/397550/Deus_Ex_Revision/
  - danjoredd 4y ago
    I would play it anyway. I played it for the first time this spring and while the controls are clunky, the level design is still unmatched. The narrative it pushes, things like the homogenization of culture, the tyranny of bureaucracy, corruption of politicians, etc. all feel super relevant. More relevant than when it came out, certainly. It frequently goes on sale on GOG and Steam for about 3 dollars. I recommend the GOG version because its easier to apply Kentie's Launcher which updates the code to work with modern graphics cards better.

boppo1 4y ago

I really hope Embracer lets them finish the Jensen Arc. DX:MD was actually incredible.

ehnto 4y ago
It really was incredible. I am disappointed they did not finish the story arcs they set up for the main story, they had such great insidious plots brewing (Orchid?!) and in the end it was just a bomb at a convention. Human Revolution had a larger than life plot that only such a series can support, and they were almost getting there for MD as well but stopped short. I hope that was just setting up a sequel.
- boppo1 4y ago
  I ignored the game at launch and only had time to play recently. To me, it felt like a complete game given how fleshed out the sidequests were. The narrative seemed to be setting up for an absolute spike of a third game. Admittedly, the other two deus ex games have stakes that ramp up low>medium>high through the game, but at the expense of sidequests and exploration. I figured the follow-up to MD would be able to hit the ground running and have plenty of space to be wildly high stakes the whole time. Maybe even get as wacky as the first did, but in a "plausibly serious" way.
- danjoredd 4y ago
  I got both Deus Ex and Deus Ex Human Revolution recently on discount, and both games are amazing. My only complaint with Human Revolution is that it didn't feel as "deep" as the original story-wise, but it still felt leagues beyond other games. I am going to play Mankind Divided, but everything I have heard is that Mankind Divided was disappointing so I am bracing myself.
  - chaoticmass 4y ago
    I played the original Deus Ex back when it was new, also DX:HR and DX:MD. Of the two new ones, I find myself going back to replay DX:MD more. To me the biggest problem with MD was it's third act sort of fizzles out, but I enjoy the rest of it enough and the side quests enough to come back to it. Also, the really refined the gameplay to make it more fun.

Semaphor 4y ago

Recently played DX:MD for the 2nd time (having played DX and DX:HR at least 3 times each), it’s such a great series. And as the pictures here show, the new games look gorgeous.

sedatk 4y ago
DXMD’s DLCs are also great. I especially liked the prison arc.
- Semaphor 4y ago
  Yeah, got it for the replay

cercatrova 4y ago

Their CGI trailer is still one of the best trailers I've seen for a video game [0]. When I saw it, I really felt a sense of futuristic wonder, thinking what it'd be like to augment our bodies in the near future. The color scheme is gold because it was a "golden age of human augmentation," highlighting how people saw the new technology for its endless possibilities. Its sequel was not gold because, predictably, people used such technologies for selfish ends. I often think of other such real-world technologies paralleled in the same light, like how the Internet evolved, and even those of centuries past; the trailer's Renaissance and Icarus comparisons are apt. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTdNRdw2y4E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTdNRdw2y4E

flohofwoe 4y ago
I think it was more because players complained about the 'piss filter' ;) (the HR Director's Cut had already removed the filter) I remember that around 2010 there was a number of AAA games where the visual designers just seemed to have discovered the color yellow as their game's "main theme". It soon vanished again, just like overdone lens flare or god ray effects before.
- causi 4y ago
  It made me very angry that there wasn't even an option to turn it back on.
- winReInstall 4y ago
  Remember when bumpmaps and specular were the thing and all things in games looked like actionfigures for one release cycle?

beebeepka 4y ago

Deus Ex HR was the only single player game that managed to really touch me. Not talking about "immersion" - as a multiplayer guy, I don't identify with characters, nor do I care for them in any way. And yet the combination of world building, music, narrative, and gameplay really appealed to me. Visiting Jensen's apartment touched my soul. A single player game touched me! A guy with 30 years of multiplayer adventures. That hadn't happened till then, nor has it since. Prague wasn't nearly as depressing as Detroit. Frankly, these guys would be better off using Unreal engine and stick to the formula. My only "RPG" love.

hrbf 4y ago

If the TLD didn’t already somewhat give it away, the fact that one of the panoramas is titled „Buero of David Sarif“ is just so very “German” – confidently using the entirely wrong expression.

valdiorn 4y ago

The art direction of that game is probably the best I've ever seen. It's incredibly cohesive and very, very deep. Everything from the architecture, to clothing, lighting and colour palettes is in perfect harmony.

boppo1 4y ago
Dishonored gives it a run for its money. Thief 2 as well IMO, but that might be more controversial.