Absynthe on 23/11/2003 at 04:52

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Bloom appears to be a pixel shader affect that covers your entire view port. It helps to create a more "unified and marketable" image. It also acts as a sort of anti-aliasing effect as well so using both bloom and anti-aliasing is a tad redundent.

At first I was dismayed with the demo but after tweaking and playing some more I've decided I like it. I think the simplificiation process may have gone too far. The loss of experience points kills off one aspect of the original - the ongoing quest to find all the hidden areas containing experience points. Though its still fun to explore various hidden areas I don't feel as motivated to do so.

However, I'm starting to realize that the health packs don't heal much, ammo depletes kinda quick, and finding these hidden areas may be more important in the full game, especially on higher difficulties.

The menu system is annoying but it could be easily fixed by enabling the toggles to actually work as toggles. Pressing the key that opens your inventory should also close it. Pressing the biomod key should open the biomod menu even if another menu is already open. Add an option to remove the menu animation and I'd would be happy. A simple patch could take care of this.

For those needing help tweaking the INI files, nab this:

(http://www.deusexzone.info/downloads.php?file_id=451)

The strangely worded button on the bottom means "Save". :p

jstnomega on 23/11/2003 at 05:15

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fr around the web, I keep encountering the comment, "appears to optimized for the XBOX"

that pisses me off

the only game that ever made me consider a console, for even a moment, was Conker's Bad Fur Day

never did buy a console

maybe i'll never buy DE:IW

O.T.2000 on 23/11/2003 at 06:05

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Yeah, at first i was deeply disappointed but after playing the demo 4 or 5 times it's starting to grow on me. I'm still not entirely used to the inventory system yet, but I'm sure we'll all get the hang of it. Also the .ini tweeks are definitely necessary to enjoy the game's PC capabilities. I was getting a headache playing the damn thing until I lowered the Mouse threshold to zero.
The game runs smooth for the most part. I would like to see a 1152x864 resolution in the full game though. 1280 is a little too much for my computer.
The game will most likely need a patch or two, but i'll certainly welcome them if the patches seperate the PC game further away from teh ebil XOBX version. :p

Renzatic on 23/11/2003 at 11:42

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Wow, that's a good way to put it. It's like when I wake up in the morning and I'm walking around with one eye wide open and the other one's shut really tight..then someone says goodmorning to me and I say "FUCK OFF! Where's my drink? leave me alone." then sit down for 15 minutes with a scowl on my face til I finally wake up all the way.

That's the true definition of bloom.

rapa-nui on 23/11/2003 at 23:37

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Not too long ago I was playing a little game that was rather hard to get to run on Windows XP. That little game is called System Shock. It runs on DOS. The graphics are what you might expect for a game of its time. The interface is clunky, but complete. I can lean, I can crouch, I controll EXACTLY how much I want to crouch, for that matter.

A little before that, I was playing that game's sequel. It simplified the interface but ADDED functionality instead of removing it. The better graphics worked to enhance the experience. There was a skill point system that allowed me to customize my character too! This was how a sequel SHOULD be done.

Deus Ex could be called (in any other aspect except story) System Shock 3. The interface was rehauled once again and made simpler but with more functionality. The character development and tacttics you could use to complete the game were expanded, and NPC interactions were present and important. Pure gaming bliss.

And now, we have this demo of Deus Ex 2.

Some of the choices I flat out don't get. The interface has LOST functionality and been COMPLEXIFIED to hell. On a PC you have this thing called a KEYBOARD. It has a lot more buttons than an X-Box controller, letting you do more things.

No leaning? What if i want to play a stealthy character who's paranoid of cameras and I don't want to invest in that nifty little "see through walls" biomod? Why FORCE every single stealthy character to purchase the same biomod just so they can see cameras safely?

In Deus Ex a stealthy character could be created from a wide array of biomods... he never had to take one to be able to win with his style of play.

Character development: you took out the skill system but promised a more in-depth biomod system. Is that what we got? No. The new biomod system actually seems dumbed down. If I'm not mistaken we can only use 5 biomods at once (the light doesn't count). Whoopty-freaking-do.

No localized damage. Hello? I guess this means that DX: Invisible War won't have a sniper rifle? Because if I shoot someone in the leg I don't wan't them to react the same way they should when they get hit in the face.

BUT WAIT! I forgot... the levels are smaller and more compressed, so there really WON'T be a need for a long range sniper rifle.

Also, it's the future... I can suspend the disbelief of many things. But please explain how nanites (or whatever the hell the blue goop you put into your guns is) generate both bullets, electrical spark AND flamethrower fuel all from the same container. Please, explain. Maybe Feynman will rise from the grave and say "Gee, I should have thought of that."

Everything about this demo screamed out the same thing at me:

"We made a game that will be an amazing new experience for console players, but have decided to give our loyal PC fanbase (the ones that supported the first game in the first place) The Royal Shaft. You scum bags are lucky we are putting it out for the PC at all. Now, go edit your INI files so that the mouse doesn't lag. HAHAHAHAHAH!"

Thanks guys.

I really hope that I'm wrong. I do. I hope that when the game arrives, I'll open it, pop it in the drive and be immersed into an intriguing new world with multiple exploration options. The way you choose factions actually DOES sound very cool. If it's cool enough I mght be able to forget all the little slights and insults and just enjoy the product as is.

But maybe, just maybe, you need to go back to your DOS roots people.