gkkiller on 18/6/2015 at 06:35
There's a Crysis-looking weapons customisation menu that also looks really cool. Does this mean we can attach and detach weapon mods?
Also, I'm noticing that rather than the battery system, energy is now just one big bar that depletes with the use of augs. Interestingly, Smart Vision and the knockout pulse don't seem to drain energy, while the cloak and Blink do.
DarkForge on 18/6/2015 at 07:14
Quote Posted by gkkiller
Also, I'm noticing that rather than the battery system, energy is now just one big bar that depletes with the use of augs. Interestingly, Smart Vision and the knockout pulse don't seem to drain energy, while the cloak and Blink do.
Ah thanks for pointing that out, I wasn't even looking at the energy bar. I'd be very pleased if they stuck with that. :thumb:
At one point (around 34secs in) that energy bar is building back up but I can't see any obvious way they're making it happen (no inventory items, pickups etc.) Is the entire energy bar supposed to recharge by itself like health does, or do they just have it set that way for the demo so they can freely show off some augs?
heywood on 18/6/2015 at 23:10
I would bet the energy bar only recharges part way, and you have to upgrade it to increase the level it auto-recharges. That would be consistent with the last game. I would have preferred to see no auto-recharge of energy at all, because the last game made it a little too easy to use takedowns over and over endlessly without eating an energy bar. Or at least I hope they balance it better.
I like the new HUD in general.
Looks like they've added a mini-map, but it doesn't seem to show enemies. So I presume they've ditched the radar, or at least made it something that you have to unlock and not a freebie. That would be very welcome, as I always wished for a way to turn off the radar. I tried not to look at it, but it was hard not to notice it.
DarkForge on 19/6/2015 at 07:27
Quote Posted by heywood
I would have preferred to see no auto-recharge of energy at all, because the last game made it a little too easy to use takedowns over and over endlessly without eating an energy bar. Or at least I hope they balance it better.
Remind me: did the original Deus Ex have auto-recharging energy? I do seem to remember some official source (possibly in-game itself) stating that it would supposedly build itself back up again over time, but it's not an effect I ever remember seeing happen.
gkkiller on 19/6/2015 at 09:22
Quote Posted by heywood
I would bet the energy bar only recharges part way, and you have to upgrade it to increase the level it auto-recharges. That would be consistent with the last game. I would have preferred to see no auto-recharge of energy at all, because the last game made it a little too easy to use takedowns over and over endlessly without eating an energy bar. Or at least I hope they balance it better.
This is exactly how it works here. One massive bar of energy, and when you use augs, a small 'chunk' (indicated by faded blue) is depleted. The faded blue portion recharges over time - the energy that doesn't recharge and instead has to be filled with items is just black on the bar. That's my takeaway from the video.
It seems I was right, by the way - the inventory wheel now comes with an aug wheel. Looks like you can assign augs to the D-pad for a shortcut, AND you can equip an aug to use with the left shoulder button. Nice!
From the aug wheel at 14:08, here are the augs that seem to be in the game:
* Smart Vision - which now tells us where enemies are, what weapon they're carrying, and what loot they have on them.
* Enemy tracker - basic enough.
* PEPS stun. Once you arm it, it seems you can lock on to multiple enemies simply by passing your crosshairs over them. I imagine this will be an upgrade, and the guy in the voiceover says there's a maximum of four targets.
* Unknown aug with an icon of an arm with waves radiating from it - super strength maybe? No idea.
* Arm blades - you can shoot them out, or you can charge them up to explode! They also act like crossbow darts, pinning enemies to walls.
* The Titan Shield, which turns Jensen into a tank. When you're using it, black crystals are overlaid around the borders of the screen.
* Cloaking, which also has an overlay around the edges of the screen - but glassy this time.
* Silent movement - we haven't seen it in action, so it's possible this has been buffed.
* Icarus Dash, AKA Blink from the future. Can be used to slam into someone (probably acts like a nonlethal takedown without the Expedient bonus), or to jump to a nearby ledge.
* Focus mode / bullet time / reflex mode / token time-slowing power.
* Remote hacking, which BTW has its own match-the-frequency minigame.
* Icarus Stun is back, and by the looks of it, has been buffed. When you hit the ground, it no longer just dazes the enemies, but knocks them right out.
Also, more things I noticed:
* Enemies can hop down ledges!
* Jensen seems to be able to 'climb' onto ledges, COD style - you don't have to jump up onto them anymore.
* Is sprinting out of the game? The 'turn on aug' button has replaced its control.
* Use button has been moved to triangle/Y, and the 'holster weapon' button is moved into the inventory wheel. This suggests to me that the same button opens the inventory wheel, and is also used for contextual actions. The inventory wheel also has a 'press circle to close' prompt, which means it isn't being held, so what does holding the use button do?
* Augs can be assigned to the D-pad - the shortcuts aren't fixed.
* Jensen is a double agent in Task Force 29 for the Juggernaut Collective. If you've read
The Fall (DXHR companion novel by James Swallow), you'll know they're the group who help out the protagonists against the Tyrants (a group of mercenaries comprising the four bosses of DXHR - excluding
Zhao). They're led by Janus (mentioned in the demo), but no one knows who he is. My money's on him
being an AI.
* Eliza Cassan is back, and, it seems, with a new and equally ridiculous hairstyle. I hope she plays a part in this one.
* Jensen's new VTOL pilot is a combination of Malik and Pritchard. His name is Elias Chikane, and that sounds awfully familiar for some reason, although I don't know why.
heywood on 19/6/2015 at 10:24
Quote Posted by DarkForge
Remind me: did the original Deus Ex have auto-recharging energy? I do seem to remember some official source (possibly in-game itself) stating that it would supposedly build itself back up again over time, but it's not an effect I ever remember seeing happen.
No, you had to use an energy cell or repair bot.
heywood on 19/6/2015 at 10:37
Sad to see the XP bonus rewards for spamming takedowns are still there.
froghawk on 19/6/2015 at 19:11
'For the purpose of this demo, we have activate full life, energy and ammo'
That answers that question, I guess.
DarkForge on 19/6/2015 at 21:58
Quote Posted by heywood
No, you had to use an energy cell or repair bot.
Yeah, that's what I figured. Hmm, wonder where it was I read about the auto-recharge then?
