Deus Ex 3: Human Revolution

[Jarrod]

Highlighting sucks.

And I fucking love the social aug in this. Its underused, but the social convos with the aug feel like the true boss fights of the game. Its probably the best ability vs. challenge social system I've seen in an RPG, and beats the shit out of Mass Effect's "click the blue/red text to win".
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[Quin]

[Esposch]

Right, so I decided to fire up this bad boy today after finally beating the first Deus Ex.

I didn't think I'd be so disappointed.

Because my processor has only two threads, I have to turn off every single graphical nicety to get the game running at a playable framerate. Not a smooth 40-60FPS, mind you, but merely a playable 25-ish.
The fact that my CPU is a 3.6ghz, 45nm E8xxx is completely irrelevant, as is the fact that I have a more-than capable HD5770 (from what I've read, I could replace it with a 9600GT and get the same performance).

For something that was supposed to be an amazingly well-handled PC port, this is a complete joke. Optimising a game for 3 or more cores just screams "lazy XBOX port", especially considering the fact that it doesn't do anything amazing technically.

:/

On the plus side, I found out that I could actually push my CPU to 3.6ghz stable. I kept getting errors when I went past 3.33 last time.
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[grim-one]

Apologies if this has already been posted - slight (non-plot) spoilers

Esposch, I'm surprised you're having performance issues. Maybe I don't have a good grasp of how your PC compares to mine (i7-930, Radeon 5850) but I'm having a good experience at 1920x1200 and all the fancy stuff on. I get a consistent 30+ when in large open areas and higher in close quarters.



Just discovered how to disarm mines. Did not know there is 3 movements speeds: sprint, run and walk.
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Steam:grim_one | PSN/Live:najakh | Flickr

[WarAdept]

Dear god that video is hillarious.

Warning to those doing a non-lethal run, the Break Walls aug kills people on the other side. Use it when they are not there (pick up the See Through Walls aug or make some noise) or just stick to plain weaps to destroy them.

Have to say, getting mildly irritating not being able to lure guards away when the only throwable things are crates and cardboard boxes. Only non-lethal weap I carry around is the Pistol and that has been upgraded like crazy with Silences and whatnot, and is only really used for mines or walls.

[Nietzsche]

I'm running on a dual core and it's running fine. There is a slight stutter when it loads a new area or a start the game up but that's it. I'm running it all high with 1980x1080. Not really grabbing me 100%. I like it but the way I'm playing (constant reloads to get it perfect) I don't think is the best way to play. I have a feeling I will soon switch up tactics and go full lethal.

[grim-one]

First boss fight... what to do as a pacifist... hrmm... =\
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Steam:grim_one | PSN/Live:najakh | Flickr

[Nietzsche]

Just did the 1st boss fight. Not looking forward to doing that the rest of the game. Played a more lethal route to get their. Doesn't show of the game's strong point as shooting and enemy AI are quite bad. Still I liked the freedom and feeling of messing with the guard more than the constant reloading. Might try to combine the two next mission but for now I'm going to bed for some zzz...

[WarAdept]

[Puddingfork]

WarAdept, you can use a silenced pistol to lure guards away, they'll go to where you shot.

Also tips for that first boss (I've been struggling tonight as a pacifist on 'give me deus ex', decided to hop off and check youtube and try it tomorrow since it's getting late) you can also just kill him without bullets, stun him (can use gas things that are in the room) then throw explosive barrels at him. Another method is concussion grenade, shoot him in the head, repeat 2 more times until he's dead (saw this one on youtube, hillariously cheap, takes under a minute to beat him).
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Unofficial PALGN Ventrilo Server 203.14.173.58:5704

[WarAdept]

Haha Pudding, my spoilers was the exact same strat for the first boss. Should of been made clearer, edited to avoid confusion.

Wasn't aware the guards still detected silenced shots, the few shots I tried in the Hive nightclub, nothing happened. I usually just do a high jump to make some sound now, does the trick.

It's coming to the point where I have all the augmentations I need (there are some seriously crap ones such as Hacking: Fortify/Detect Item thing and I would even go as far as to say the additional Energy Cells are useless.)

Not complaining, means whenever I feel silly, I can launch the Typhoon in a crowd then Cloak and run like hell.

[Chopbusted]

[Zhou]

^Funnily enough Deus EX HR is one of the games that actually DOESNT run like poo with my 560. Games like starcraft 2, l4d2, black ops lag give me weird lag spikes like no tomorrow.
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My flickr
i7 930 | 6gb ddr3 Ripjaws 2000 | GTX 560 | 1tb 7200rpm WD |

[grim-one]

If I want to play as a pacifist, why the heck am I forced to fight someone? Really rubs me up the wrong way. There should be another way: talk him out of it, hack a computer to disable/remove him or simply run away...

Anyway here's how I beat him

[Benc82]

^Nice work donkey kong.
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XBL/PSN/Steam: BenC82

[Frozencry]

God damnit, Jensen.


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[Esposch]

[Chopbusted]

[Jarrod]

Wall of text incoming. Here's my mini (lol) review. I didnt cover everything, but as always I could write an essay if I really wanted to, and nobody wants to read that.

Gameplay - Augs/Skills

This is a difficult area to cover as there's so much that can and probably should be said, but I'll try and keep it quick. Human Revolution isn't exactly like Deus Ex, and introduces quite a few changes and shake-ups, most of which I actually really like. I think, on a fundamental level, the new aug-only system and removal of skills is a great move. Jensen being adept at all weapons makes sense. They've essentially removed the dice rolls and spreadsheet side of things to favour a purely to-the-point augmentation system, with augs either giving you a very specific power or a very specific improvement to your base character. This is how I think Deus Ex should be.

Where they bungled up was the balance. A fair few too many of the augs are, in the grand scheme of things, too useless. Many of the ideas are great, they're just used far too sparingly to be of any real value. Some augs also don't really impact play style unless you desperate suck in one area, while other augs are too useful. Hacking is really quite invaluable, a problem heightened by blending hacking, electronics and lockpicking all together. Though I still happy with the removal of skills, they should probably split up hacking, or at least introduce augs that give viable alternatives. As it is, you have no reason to invest in hacking, and you will invest in hacking, because the game hands you way too many praxis points. By the end of the game you will have 80%+ of augs unlocked, and I've seen one person having only one aug category incomplete. This misses the point of Deus Ex.

Another issue I had with the aug system is energy usage, though I have no idea how to fix it. The battery system is fiddly. I get that balance is needed and using up whole charges to perform your best moves makes sense. But having a few moves deplete your entire supply is really annoying, as you can only recharge one battery naturally. As said, I understand the restrictions, but it needs work.

Lastly, the social aug kicked serious arse, and might just be my favourite social system in any RPG ever. Too often 'persuasion' is nothing more than a skill check - the game checks what level persuasion/charisma is, and gives you a dialogue option to net unique rewards or talk your way out of trouble. In worst cases, like Mass Effect 2, its a magical win button that gives you the absolute best possible outcome to a scenario at no effort. Human Revolution's CASIE convos are the true boss fights. They intense, engaging, and make you feel like a boss. The game actually has multiple lines of dialogue recorded for the same response, so you can never be totally sure what an NPC will say. It also feels completely robotic, like it should. Talking to Haas is a good example, as not using CASIE to persuade him as a completely different outcome to pheromone his ass. Awesome stuff there and huge props to Montreal for getting that part right.


Gameplay - Level Design/Play

Funnily enough, with my issues above, I do think the pros greatly outweigh the cons. Level design in Human Revolution is, for most part, fucking amazing, and captures the essence of choice-of-play that made Deus Ex what it was. Stealth is viable. Combat is useful. Lethal or non-lethal. It all works, and it all works really well without ever being tedious. Numerous entry points to buildings and ways to deal with encounters reward thinking and experimentation. For this reason Human Revolution takes a big smelly turd on basically every first person shooter and WRPG on the market. Though many of those games excel in other areas, fact of the matter is they do not off the variety of play styles and genuine role playing that Human Revolution does.

Even cases where the game does tunnel you a bit, it still feels relatively open and varied. Its a bit more confined than the original Deus Ex, but rarely feels like a corridor shooter. There's always secrets to discover, nooks to hide in, and other little bonus areas that expand the level design. I do think that in a sequel Montreal could push for bigger, more open levels like the original, but thats just looking towards the future. As it is Human Revolution still offers level design you just dont find anywhere else, and that is worthy of a lot of praise.

But you know what sucked? The boss fights. Fuck those, they were awful, each and every one. You cannot build an RPG and encourage freedom of play, and then force the player to play a specific way. Its like, against the very thing RPGs are all about. They're manageable, but they're a huge weak point that I'm surprised made it into the final game, given how focused and accurate the team is everywhere else. Oh, and the last level. Looked great visually, played like a giant turd. It was like Montreal forgot to finish the game and had to rush one out at the last minute. Easily the weakest stage and such a shame to end on a flat note, as the rest of the game is pure magic.



Graphics/Presentation

Human Revolution has what I consider one of the most focused and convincing art directions of any game ever. Montreal knocked it out of the park. The world feels totally authentic, right down to every single little detail. Public fashion, clothing and accessories look like they were designed by a fashion designer. Chairs, tables, paintings, wallpaper, carpet and everything else inside buildings looks like it were designed by an interior designer. It looks so real within its own universe, and is one of the most captivating and beautiful game worlds I've ever had the grace of exploring. The way augmentations were designed, notably in how they are made to look like authentic limbs, is exactly how I'd expect them to look in the real world. On a technical level I particularly loved the soft, painterly lighting. An art direction triumph.

On a technical level, Human Revolution was pretty rubbish. The various extra PC bells and whistles were cool, and the patch improving loading significantly was a god send, but the actual engine is extremely dated and basic. 90% of props are locked down so there's minimal physics work going on. Lighting, though nice from an artistic perspective, was baked in majority of scenarios which sometimes lead to an unpleasant flat look. Animation is a bit weak, though thats a production issue. Ultimately, Human Revolution really could stand to use a more modern and powerful game engine. But, I guess, this is a prime example of a phenomenal art direction rising above dated technology, as it still manages to look jaw dropping.

Audio was great, mostly. Voice acting was hit and miss, but I never felt it was too bad (except for the racist stereotype hobo lady). It felt very much like an improved Deus Ex, which for those who dont know had awful voice acting. Jensen is just like JC, and though some will hate him I dug his monotone grunts. A lot of the voice acting was over the top and stupid, and I guess thats why I liked it, because it reminded me of Deus Ex. The rest of the sound design was fantastic. AMAZING music and backing ambient tracks, and awesome sound effects.


Story/Choices

Good and bad really. Pulpy conspiracy nonsense thats hatable, but in the grand scheme of things really is what Deus Ex is about. Whether you like it or not, Deus Ex needs your crazy conspiracies, cos thats Deus Ex! I really liked the numerous ties to the Deus Ex universe, and lot of it 'made sense' to events that happened in later games. Lots of cool name dropping and lore building, much of which new Deus Ex gamers wont notice but old fans will appreciate.

Much like the level design though, it all takes a dive during the final chapter. Again, like the level design, it feels rushed. Actually, I'd say the story after Jensen gets on a certain boat becomes suspiciously rushed, as if they were funnelling the player to locations with not enough time to properly develop the story in between. A shame, really.

As for the choices and how they played out, I think Montreal did a fantastic job here. The game put you in some really intense situations where it was hard to predict the outcome, and then did a great job of following up both possibilities. I kinda dont want to go into this too much, because I'd spoil too many awesome moments.


Conclusion

Some good, some bad, but most importantly a whole lot of fucking awesome. The irony of games like this is that rarely do they succeed in AAA quality in every single area. Deus Ex, System Shock, Vampire: Bloodlines - you name it. These games have flaws, some obvious and frustrating. Yet its their ambition and some total of parts that helps them rise above the norm.

And thats where Human Revolution sits. Yes, it needs work in some areas. No, its not quite a full Deus Ex experience, improving in some areas but weaker in others. Yes, the game falls apart for the last level. But you know what? There hasn't been anything like it since Bloodlines. For some reason developers seem shit scared of making these kinds of games, and they only pop up every few years. Well, here's this generations. This is it, and its fucking awesome.

Its the thinking persons shooter and stealth game. Its a game that treats the player like a goddamn adult. Its a game that doesn't try overly hard to be cinematic blockbuster or an wanky art piece. Its a game trying to be a video game, an adventurous, creative and thought provoking one at that. Its priority is keeping you, the player, engaged in the experience, encouraging you to think, to play, and to interact in ways that make you feel good, and then rewarding you for doing so.

And even though its not quite Deus Ex, its still faithful and a step in the right direction. The team capture the oh-so nondescript 'spirit' of Deus Ex, much moreso than Invisible War ever did. This is one aspect that made me so happy, as it would have been far too easy for the developers to succumb to over simplification, streamlining and alterations to design that it becomes a game completely unlike its roots. BioShock is a great example of a game that, no matter how good it is by its own merits, is a fucking terrible 'Shock' game that completely fails at living up to its legacy franchise. Deus Ex is the polar opposite. Its Deus Ex.

If I had to score it on a critical level I'd probably 8.5/10 it. But dont let that deter you, because as an entire package, and as an experience, I stand by my early prediction - Human Revolution is one of the best games of this generation. Stop buying shit, and buy this instead.
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[JackSlack]

[WarAdept]

[Nietzsche]

Just opened up a few more augs that really make the game feel unique. Breaking through walls, jumping from heights and moving giant boxes is all great. Plus I switched to the tranquillizer gun which is awesome. AI is just so bad. Boom headshot guy moves to body, boom headshot repeat for a while.

[ObsoletE]

[JackSlack]

So, after a full city hub, I finally did something I swore I would not do.

I actually fired my stun gun.

Three times!

(They were threatening a woman! I'm not going to stand for that.)

[WarAdept]

Currently up to the last level, with I'm guessing ~30 mins of game left. Not a happy chap.

Spoilers