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[EatChildren]

Eh, I guess I'll just have to disagree with you. Normally I'm against minigames for games like this, but I genuinely enjoyed the hacking game. I thought it was pretty creative, engaging and well designed, with a heavy emphasis on skill over blind luck. I also really liked the way it was presented. The cool music shift, the intense theme when the security is triggered, racing to capture the end node before I'm caught. It was like a cheesy, unrealistic spy sequence in a movie where they try to make the hacking all super badass and intense, but I actually felt like that.

I can see why people dislike those things, but I enjoyed it. As said, my issues with the hacking were not so much the hacking itself, but the game design surrounding it.

 

[subversus]

I wouldn't call that beauty. First of all, lockpicking and electronics are redundant since they're both the same thing with a different name. But more importantly, you're just watching a meter fill or a number go down until you can use whatever it is you're picking/hacking etc. It's supremely uninteresting. It sounds like you "like" this system because it doesn't require you to do any thinking, but that's exactly the reason why other people don't like it.

you know, you shouldn't even think about calling it redundant. That's why people shit bricks every time someone mentions Invisible War. There was a long talk on some conference where Harvey and Spector discussed why IW is such a shitty game and why people hated it. So one of the reasons they named was that they removed a lot of mechanically same things for the sake of better design (following the advice of fellow game designers by the way). For example they removed swim suit (or lungs I don't remember) because you already can breath under water if you have good lungs (or suit). But players loved THE ILLUSION of choice. They felt like it was THEIR CHOICE to use suit or upgrade lungs even if they're the same thing basically.

so no.

 

[derFeef]

Yeah, I also love the hacking. It is just slightly overused I think.

 

[EatChildren]

you know, you shouldn't even think about calling it redundant. That's why people shit bricks every time someone mentions Invisible War. There was a long talk on some conferention where Harvey and Spector discussed why IW is such a shitty game and why people hated it. So one of the reasons they named was that they removed a lot of mechanically same things for the sake of better design (following the advice of fellow game designers by the way). For example they removed swim suit (or lungs I don't remember) because you already can breath under water if you have good lungs (or suit). But players loved THE ILLUSION of choice. They felt like it was THEIR CHOICE to use suit or upgrade lungs even if they're the same thing basically.

so no.

Right, but I'd argue stuff like hacking in Deus Ex was completely pointless, and the illusion of choice is meaningless if the choice itself has no impact. Trained is all you ever needed.

 

[subversus]

Right, but I'd argue stuff like hacking in Deus Ex was completely pointless, and the illusion of choice is meaningless if the choice itself has no impact. Trained is all you ever needed.

whatever, people liked it.

 

[ThoseDeafMutes]

I like it because it's quicker and it doesn't require me to learn mechanics for a glorified mini game. I just want to get into the PC/through the door as fast as possible so I can keep on doing the things I enjoy in the game.

I like thinking about stealth routes, how to attack guards, etc etc. Not playing a connect the dots game. I'd buy an iPhone and play half of the games released on it if I wanted that.

It's time for games to drop minigames for hacking/lockpicking. I'm so sick of them.

Why not just drop the pretense of the skills/augs actually being things? Like, you could just have levels full of red doors, blue doors and yellow doors, then your skill tree has "open yellow doors - TRAINED" to let you through the yellow ones. I mean, isn't that fundamentally what DX is at it's most basic level?

Maybe you don't like the hacking system, but loads of us do. I wouldn't want to play Weighted Directed Graphs - The Game on it's own, but as a brief interlude between shooting, sneaking and pathfinding it works great.

 

[Foliorum Viridum]

Eh, I guess I'll just have to disagree with you. Normally I'm against minigames for games like this, but I genuinely enjoyed the hacking game. I thought it was pretty creative, engaging and well designed, with a heavy emphasis on skill over blind luck. I also really liked the way it was presented. The cool music shift, the intense theme when the security is triggered, racing to capture the end node before I'm caught. It was like a cheesy, unrealistic spy sequence in a movie where they try to make the hacking all super badass and intense, but I actually felt like that.

I can see why people dislike those things, but I enjoyed it. As said, my issues with the hacking were not so much the hacking itself, but the game design surrounding it.

I blame Oblivion/Fallout 3/Fallout NV.

You do so much hacking/lockpicking in those games I'm just sick of it fullstop. It doesn't immerse me, I don't take pleasure in successfully doing it, it's just a horrible distraction.

 

[EatChildren]

whatever, people liked it.

People like lots of things. Personally, I like to encourage developers to succeed in creating deep, choice based gameplay that is also relevant and meaningful, rather than loot/stat filled glorified calculator RPG design.

I blame Oblivion/Fallout 3/Fallout NV.

You do so much hacking/lockpicking in those games I'm just sick of it fullstop. It doesn't immerse me, I don't take pleasure in successfully doing it, it's just a horrible distraction.

See, I loved New Vegas, but Oblivion and Fallout 3 I complete agree with, because they're ripe with shitty poor excuse for an RPG Bethesda game design.

 

[Foliorum Viridum]

P
See, I loved New Vegas, but Oblivion and Fallout 3 I complete agree with, because they're ripe with shitty poor excuse for an RPG Bethesda game design.

Eh I liked them all a lot, they just focused on hacking/lock picking too much.

Hell, I've even gone through the Ratchet and Clank games recently and each one of those games has a shitty little hacking game you have to learn and grit your teeth as it breaks up the flow of the level.

 

[EatChildren]

The way things are going, you'll be playing minigames just to boot up the game.

 

[Samus4145]

Planned on bearing the game today on my living room ps3, so used my cloud storage to transfer my saves from the office. Logged into my account and boom 24hour protection. Wtf its still my account, what's the point.

Side note, neither systems are automatically backing up saves even after saying yes

 

[BIONIC-ARRRMMM!!]

Planned on bearing the game today on my living room ps3, so used my cloud storage to transfer my saves from the office. Logged into my account and boom 24hour protection. Wtf its still my account, what's the point.

Side note, neither systems are automatically backing up saves even after saying yes

You can only download your saves at least 24 hours after uploading :lol

 

[Confidence Man]

Minigame was cool in the beginning, but once you realize there isn't any more to it and you have to hack everything then it becomes the same old shit, an annoyance just like every other minigame I've ever played for an extended period. That combined with how forgiving it is and it might as well not even exist as it doesn't even function as a barrier.

Here's the lead designer on why they abandoned the more "immersive sim" aspects of the game:

Well for one, I don’t think we abandoned it.

We toned it down, ok, we missed some good opportunities too, but part of it is still there. We could’ve made the whole game in 3rd person after all, had we wanted to. It was a conscious decision to keep first-person in.

It was also a conscious decision to have gameplay conversations and hacking sequences in first-person.

However, when making a game, you can’t have it all. You cannot design a game that will appeal to everyone.

So we had to pick and choose.

We’re you hoping for a first-person-only experience? With no cover system, no regen, lean keys, no take-downs, melee combat and everything in the environment being interactive?

If you were, then I’m sorry for you, but that’s not the game we set out to create, because that’s not the game we felt the majority of players wanted to play.

Simulation may be very immersive, but it’s not always fun. It may even be quite the opposite in some instances.

Our primary focus was on making a game that works and that is fun for most people.

So there it is, they made the game for what they felt the majority of people wanted, original game be damned, fans of the original be damned. These guys are given way too much credit for staying true to Deus Ex, they are the new Ion Storm making an Invisible War for the new generation.

Can't wait to see how they butcher what's left of the Thief series. "Oh you wanted a straight stealth game? Sorry but that's just not the game we felt the majority of players want."

 

[EatChildren]

Your unshackled cynicism and predictable raging meltdowns are always a joy to behold.

 

[ThoseDeafMutes]

These guys are given way too much credit for staying true to Deus Ex, they are the new Ion Storm making an Invisible War for the new generation.

No. DX:HR had several of the same design goals as DX:IW, except unlike IW, it's a good game. Many of the things IW did were bad in execution but not bad in principle. But I'm just going to sit here and continue to lap up your delicious, bitter tears.

 

[The Stealth Fox]

Minigame was cool in the beginning, but once you realize there isn't any more to it and you have to hack everything then it becomes the same old shit, an annoyance just like every other minigame I've ever played for an extended period. That combined with how forgiving it is and it might as well not even exist as it doesn't even function as a barrier.

Here's the lead designer on why they abandoned the more "immersive sim" aspects of the game:



So there it is, they made the game for what they felt the majority of people wanted, original game be damned, fans of the original be damned. These guys are given way too much credit for staying true to Deus Ex, they are the new Ion Storm making an Invisible War for the new generation.

Can't wait to see how they butcher what's left of the Thief series. "Oh you wanted a straight stealth game? Sorry but that's just not the game we felt the majority of players want."

Wow, you sound like you are really angry about this game.

 

[subversus]

So there it is, they made the game for what they felt the majority of people wanted, original game be damned, fans of the original be damned. These guys are given way too much credit for staying true to Deus Ex, they are the new Ion Storm making an Invisible War for the new generation.

Can't wait to see how they butcher what's left of the Thief series. "Oh you wanted a straight stealth game? Sorry but that's just not the game we felt the majority of players want."

can't wait until you fork out a couple of millions to make the game that you and other 10 people would play.

as for the game - core gameplay was left intact and the game is well designed. Lean keys and all that stuff weren't used that much anyway. It's become AN IMPORTANT FEATURE after this infamous MW2 bestbuy chat. Until then nobody gave a slightest shit about lean keys. As most other "features" insecure PC gamers like to boast about they're not fundamental for core experience and are used by "master race" (ugh) for boasting only and to artificially derpeciate the value game which they had the privilege of playing. But since unwashed masses can enjoy it too now they feel robbed and less elite.

 

[EatChildren]

Human Revolution essentially has a lean function anyway if you are grappled to cover.

 

[Hazanko]

Minigame was cool in the beginning, but once you realize there isn't any more to it and you have to hack everything then it becomes the same old shit, an annoyance just like every other minigame I've ever played for an extended period. That combined with how forgiving it is and it might as well not even exist as it doesn't even function as a barrier.

Here's the lead designer on why they abandoned the more "immersive sim" aspects of the game:



So there it is, they made the game for what they felt the majority of people wanted, original game be damned, fans of the original be damned. These guys are given way too much credit for staying true to Deus Ex, they are the new Ion Storm making an Invisible War for the new generation.

Can't wait to see how they butcher what's left of the Thief series. "Oh you wanted a straight stealth game? Sorry but that's just not the game we felt the majority of players want."

Why are you angry? I bought Deus Ex when it first came out for PC and loved it to bits. HR isn't perfect but it feels like a Deus Ex game. It's been a long time since the first game and you can't expect it to be exactly like the original. I like the 3rd person view in cover and I like hacking. I do think there is a little too much of it though. I do wish some things were better, like the awful cutscene quality and the yellow tint but it feels worthy of the Deus Ex name.

 

[Foliorum Viridum]

I've never played a Thief game, but if they modernise it as well as they have Deus Ex, I'm in.

They did the stealth so well in this game I can't imagine it being anything other than great.

 

[pringles]

Minigame was cool in the beginning, but once you realize there isn't any more to it and you have to hack everything then it becomes the same old shit, an annoyance just like every other minigame I've ever played for an extended period. That combined with how forgiving it is and it might as well not even exist as it doesn't even function as a barrier.

Here's the lead designer on why they abandoned the more "immersive sim" aspects of the game:



So there it is, they made the game for what they felt the majority of people wanted, original game be damned, fans of the original be damned. These guys are given way too much credit for staying true to Deus Ex, they are the new Ion Storm making an Invisible War for the new generation.

Can't wait to see how they butcher what's left of the Thief series. "Oh you wanted a straight stealth game? Sorry but that's just not the game we felt the majority of players want."

A lot, most, hackable doors can also be blown up with explosives or bypassed through secondary routes (vents, destructable walls). Also you can find passwords/codes for a lot of stuff. Making the Auto Unlocking Devices pre-order exclusive was dumb but for those who had them available they help a lot with hacking, especially lvl4-5 hacks and later on in the game when you're more than likely a little bit tired of hacking.

Very, very few times in the game are you actually forced to hack something. And when you are they're simple lvl1 hacks.

But judging from your other comments you seem to have some kind of grudge against this game or the developers so whatev.

 

[Treemonkeys]

Only to people with the DLC. Explosive packs and the double-barreled shotgun also appear in lockers and from arms dealers.

The wiki specifies which ones are DLC and not, I'm getting close to one so I'll see if I can find it.

 

[Jex]

I only had two problems with the hacking. First, it was too easy, and secondly, it was a blanket replacement for three features from the original Deus Ex.

Hacking was pointless above trained in Deus Ex, but Human Revolution could have done with a second skill to split them up, maybe lock picking or electronics. Something people could upgrade instead of hacking, that would allow them to access other areas hacking could not (and vice versa), and generally prevent hacking from being the most valuable, if not essential, skill in the game.

When you at that augmentation screen and see four separate hacking paths it certainly seems like there's far too much of that vs. other skills. That in it's own wouldn't be so problematic if hacking wasn't the solution for every locked obstacle (although I guess you can blow a few of them up).

 

[wutwutwut]

The first game isn't some sort of pinnacle of game design. In hindsight, there are plenty of things wrong with it, and DX:HR fixes a lot of them (while bringing some of its own in). Overall I think both games are excellent and roughly at par.

 

[Treemonkeys]

There should have been an electronics and lockpickign minigame as well. The hacking wasn't bad in itself but it was overused. The three hacking skill trees should have been hacking/lockpicking/electronics.

 

[charsace]

Human Revolution essentially has a lean function anyway if you are grappled to cover.

I'm going to say it now, lean keys can go to hell. Cover systems work better than Lean keys ever did. Even in sim shooters like America's Army 1.0 people hardly ever used them. People do more corner peaking with the strafe than they do leaning.

 

[EatChildren]

There should have been an electronics and lockpickign minigame as well. The hacking wasn't bad in itself but it was overused. The three hacking skill trees should have been hacking/lockpicking/electronics.

I dont know if they needed to split it by three, but I think two would have been sufficient. Maybe something like Computers and Mechanics, the former covering hacking and software related skills, the latter for up front mechanical interactivity. EG: Some doors unlockable either by hacking a linked computer terminal, or using mechanics to break the keypad lock. Take out a camera with a terminal, or up close with mechanics.

I think something like that would have given two nicely differentiated skills that offer different playstyles and unique qualities.

 

[Treemonkeys]

The first game isn't some sort of pinnacle of game design. In hindsight, there are plenty of things wrong with it, and DX:HR fixes a lot of them (while bringing some of its own in). Overall I think both games are excellent and roughly at par.

It was a pinnacle in terms of freedom and options, and HR doesn't quite live up to that. The biggest sore points of the original were the graphics and AI, HR improves the graphics but not so much the AI. If there was a faithful remake of the original with modern graphics and solid AI it would be a much better game than HR. HR didn't really deliver on the best part of the original in terms of freedom and options. I mean it blatantly cuts out several skills while having an exp system that heavily favors stealth play while also having a small amount of augs that are geared for all out combat. It is not really that different from IW, it has similar limitations that IW had under the original, but it has a much better story presentation and atmosphere compared to IW and a better ammo system making it better than IW.

Not going hacking/stealth is completely doable but also just gimps you and cuts out content which is my biggest gripe with HR. It feels like a possibly fun but unintended way to play the game while the original completely rewards you for different play styles.

 

[Onion_Relish]

I dont know if they needed to split it by three, but I think two would have been sufficient. Maybe something like Computers and Mechanics, the former covering hacking and software related skills, the latter for up front mechanical interactivity. EG: Some doors unlockable either by hacking a linked computer terminal, or using mechanics to break the keypad lock. Take out a camera with a terminal, or up close with mechanics.

I think something like that would have given two nicely differentiated skills that offer different playstyles and unique qualities.

I would have to agree with this idea. In my first playthrough I spent practically my first 5 points on hacking skills, knowing it would be useful seeing as detroit has a level 5 that can be easily accessed at the beginning of the game. My biggest gripe was that, as many people pointed out, hacking is all encompassing. I have 3 friends who have this game, and every single one of them (on their first playthrough) went for hacking. It's just too useful a skill to pass up. It's not like stealth and aiming skills arent good, because they are, its just that as it exists, hacking is the single best skill in the game.

The minigame itself is fun and I still enjoyed playing it on my 4th playthrough. Especially during my "meathead jensen" run where jensen begrudgingly has a maximum of level 3 hacking throughout the entirety of the game due to his seething hatred for Francis and all things computer related. Having to tactfully acquire and utilise nukes and stops along with fortify's actually makes the game really exhilirating. That might sound odd due to it being a mini-game, but when you're running out of items and you're close to setting off an alarm, it's really awesome.

Could the game have been better or more in depth or more balanced? Sure. Obviously the game would be even better with new hub worlds and skills and missions, but all things considered, the balance of both gameplay and pacing, narrative and atmosphere is a cut above in deus ex.

 

[charsace]

It was a pinnacle in terms of freedom and options, and HR doesn't quite live up to that. The biggest sore points of the original were the graphics and AI, HR improves the graphics but not so much the AI. If there was a faithful remake of the original with modern graphics and solid AI it would be a much better game than HR. HR didn't really deliver on the best part of the original in terms of freedom and options. I mean it blatantly cuts out several skills while having an exp system that heavily favors stealth play while also having a small amount of augs that are geared for all out combat. It is really is that different from IW, it has similar limitations that IW had under the original, but it has a much better story presentation and atmosphere compared to IW and a better ammo system making it better than IW.

No. And HR's AI is way better than what was in DX1 and 2. The fun in the original DX came from the choices and being able to be a badass quickly, like in HR. The only really neutered in terms of combat is hand to hand. Now its tied into a power bar so you really can't become a badass in it. You can still walk into a room and gun everything down though. You just have to think more about what you are going to do than you would have to in DX1.

What the HR sequel needs to do is bring back melee. I think regular melee and the instant kill grapples can co-exist. They need to tweak the cover mechanics. Adding a slide that also allows you to slide into cover and a dive would help to smooth out the gun combat.

 

[Korigama]

So there it is, they made the game for what they felt the majority of people wanted, original game be damned, fans of the original be damned. These guys are given way too much credit for staying true to Deus Ex, they are the new Ion Storm making an Invisible War for the new generation.

Can't wait to see how they butcher what's left of the Thief series. "Oh you wanted a straight stealth game? Sorry but that's just not the game we felt the majority of players want."

The Thief and Deus Ex teams are composed of completely different people, in spite of being part of the same development studio (same deal with the third team working on a brand new IP). Perhaps you'll get something you want next time.

 

[wutwutwut]

It was a pinnacle in terms of freedom and options, and HR doesn't quite live up to that. The biggest sore points of the original were the graphics and AI

I wasn't even thinking about them. I was mainly thinking about the lack of balance in skills (swimming!) and weapons (that dragon sword).

 

[Rickenslacker]

I wasn't even thinking about them. I was mainly thinking about the lack of balance in skills (swimming!) and weapons (that dragon sword).

Honestly one of my favourite things in Deus Ex is playing through it with randomly dedicating myself to a skill. Swimming might not be universally applicable, but I was able to play the game in a way I hadn't my previous 5 playthroughs because I finally chose to give that skill a shot. But I think even still it very much IS the pinnacle of that kind of game design as it currently stands.

 

[Island]

Just to note:

All quest items are unexamineable after the last patch.

(In case anyone else cares, otherwise carry on)

 

[charsace]

And the pinnacle of freedom in a single player game environment that has a structured story is fallout 2. The pinnacle of gaming freedom overall was Ultima Online in the beginning. Too bad we will never see an mmo like it again.

 

[Forkball]

My only real problem with hacking is the weak rewards you get. Sometimes you get something cool like an access code or you find a node with +200 XP, but most of the time the e-mails are just filler and you get nothing of interest.

 

[thetechkid]

My only real problem with hacking is the weak rewards you get. Sometimes you get something cool like an access code or you find a node with +200 XP, but most of the time the e-mails are just filler and you get nothing of interest.

Sometimes you get gems like "WHO CHANGES MY WALLPAPER TO ANIMAL PORN?!" or "LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLO He thinks we're doing our jobs".

 

[Rickenslacker]

The pinnacle of gaming freedom overall was Ultima Online in the beginning. Too bad we will never see an mmo like it again.

What a shame. Those were some magical days.

 

[RedSwirl]

So I finally finished the game last week. Overall I think it definitely lives up to the original DX and stands apart today as one of the few current gen games that feels like a full, rich experience.

It definitely isn't as big, varied, or complex as the original DX but I honestly didn't mind as long as it kept the same spirit in terms of the freeform gameplay and the story, which it did. Things like specific skill stats and location-specific damage weren't absolutely necessary in the original DX in my opinion.

The only place in which I feel you could really argue that HR didn't live up to the original was the environments and even that's subjective. Even though both HR and DX1 are about the same length, DX1 had larger, more open-ended locations and more of them. Even though HR didn't have anything as sandbox-like as the sea lab, its environments still had the same sense of freedom and depth. The only real "failing" in what Eidos attempted was that they couldn't fully do Motreal or upper Hengsha like the originally intended.

Still probably one of the five best games of the year so far.

 

[Anbokr]

Anyone know when to expect a console patch? I've been dying to finish this up, but can't due to bugs. I know they released a PC patch, has Eidos said anything about one for 360/PS3?

 

[BIONIC-ARRRMMM!!]

Anyone know when to expect a console patch? I've been dying to finish this up, but can't due to bugs. I know they released a PC patch, has Eidos said anything about one for 360/PS3?

What bugs?

 

[Replicant]

HOLY SH*T!

The game suddenly threw me into a deep end with

Spoiler

Hengsha part deux.

I mean, WTF? The game's difficulty suddenly went up and you're presented with a crazy scenario:

Spoiler

save Malik or run away. Saving Malik was hard since I am on my pacifist run but after a few tries, I finally figure out what to do with the 10 or so enemies. Stun gun + cloak seem to be the key. Although I hope there's no alarm in that area so that my foxiest trophy is still on.

 

[Korigama]

I have to agree that it would have been nice to see Montreal and Upper Hengsha realized as hubs.

HOLY SH*T!

The game suddenly threw me into a deep end with

Spoiler

Hengsha part deux.

I mean, WTF? The game's difficulty suddenly went up and you're presented with a crazy scenario:

Spoiler

save Malik or run away. Saving Malik was hard since I am on my pacifist run but after a few tries, I finally figure out what to do with the 10 or so enemies. Stun gun + cloak seem to be the key. Although I hope there's no alarm in that area so that my foxiest trophy is still on.

Spoiler

No alarm there, so Foxiest of the Hounds is still possible after saving her. The only potential liability with Pacifist would be the robot taking any of the soldiers with it when it blows up, and even then some say that isn't a problem (I got lucky, so no one was caught in the blast).

 

[BIONIC-ARRRMMM!!]

HOLY SH*T!

The game suddenly threw me into a deep end with

Spoiler

Hengsha part deux.

I mean, WTF? The game's difficulty suddenly went up and you're presented with a crazy scenario:

Spoiler

save Malik or run away. Saving Malik was hard since I am on my pacifist run but after a few tries, I finally figure out what to do with the 10 or so enemies. Stun gun + cloak seem to be the key. Although I hope there's no alarm in that area so that my foxiest trophy is still on.

Check the bodies before you leave, the robot may have killed them ;(

 

[The_Darkest_Red]

There are so many interesting paths in this game that open up after breaking a wall. I wouldn't have found most of them but I'm using the guide for my third playthrough and it's really interesting seeing all of the paths that are hidden in the game.

Right now I just finished up

Spoiler

at Picus

and I'm yet to fire a shot (except in boss fights) or use a takedown. It's fun playing as a super ninja.

 

[Replicant]

Check the bodies before you leave, the robot may have killed them ;(

Naah, I was pretty quick that

Spoiler

I managed to knock them out before they venture too far into the middle area.

I did check all 10 of them and they are sleeping soundly. I was only worried about the Foxiest but since there's no alarm and I was too tired (and shocked), I just moved on after checking that all 10 are just asleep.

 

[Treemonkeys]

No. And HR's AI is way better than what was in DX1 and 2. The fun in the original DX came from the choices and being able to be a badass quickly, like in HR. The only really neutered in terms of combat is hand to hand. Now its tied into a power bar so you really can't become a badass in it. You can still walk into a room and gun everything down though. You just have to think more about what you are going to do than you would have to in DX1.

What the HR sequel needs to do is bring back melee. I think regular melee and the instant kill grapples can co-exist. They need to tweak the cover mechanics. Adding a slide that also allows you to slide into cover and a dive would help to smooth out the gun combat.

It's really not. I played through the original right after beating HR and I was surprised at how similar the AI was. The ability to see you crouched and not behind cover is generally the same. The ability to insta kill you with a headshot is generally the same. HR AI is actually a little more idiotic when it comes to stealthing and what they are unable to hear, should have at least been MGS level AI since it is so stealth focused. THe original looks worse when it comes to pathing around corners but that is more animation than AI. Combat is neutered because it lacks good combat augs like health regen and deflecting projectile attacks on top of rewarding much less exp.

 

[NukeDukem]

Dropped all the vending machines in Pritchards office, and he doesnt even notice.
IMMERSION RUINED

 

[EatChildren]

I gave the game another while since the patch. Low and behold stuttering is 99% gone. There's very, very slight hiccups now and then, but nothing in the ballpark of what I was originally getting (which was entirely playable, but noticeable during data streaming).

 

[BengaBenga]

Finally had some free hours and started the game. Loving it so far. If it can keep up the quality of the first 4 hours or so it might even come close to Mass Effect as my favorite game this gen.