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[taimoorh]

You're out then.

Sigh. Steam refund it is then. Will wait for GOTY Edition next year.

Good news is I'll get cracking with Legion then.

 

[dreamfall]

There's nothing like Deus Ex. Even with all of it's faults (narrative, jank, smaller hubs), Human Revolution was right up there with my favorites of last gen. It was so refreshing to have freedom of approach, and taking the time to explore every piece of the environments created just felt so right.

Mankind Divided is one of my most anticipated games in years. Even story complaints can't derail the hype. I wish it resonated better in critical reviews but there are so few games that feel special anymore that I'm super excited.

 

[Mad Season]

Sigh. Steam refund it is then. Will wait for GOTY Edition next year.

Good news is I'll get cracking with Legion then.

legion is nothing but rehash...

 

[Riposte]

If there were more games like Deus Ex, people would care a lot less about Human Revolution, but alas. I'm in the same boat, where I think HR was like a 3/5 game, but it was exactly the type of game I want to play more of.

And Dishonored is like someone made a Thief, then someone else made a bunch of powers without considering the level design or balance. Also decent, but like Human Revolution it gets by because the industry isn't putting out better games of this kind.

 

[taimoorh]

legion is nothing but rehash...

Eh, I got into WoW during the WotlK days and REALLY loved it back then. Stopped with Cata, didn't bother with Mists and WoD wasn't interesting because Metzen was all up in Horde for the longest time and I was getting tired of that angle.

Legion comes at a time with an intro to a cool new class, plus I never played Burning Crusade (or vanilla) so I'm excited to see what the Burning Legion story brings to the table.

There's no doubt I'll play Legion for 2, maybe 3 months tops,though. Resubscribe again for a month or two next year when some major raid appears.

The thing with WoW is that it's very casual friendly, which works great for me because unlike Wrath days, I don't have enough time to play games any more. So anything that needs too much grind is not worth my time.

Also Raid LFRs are pretty easy, or so I've heard, and honestly it's good to relax and just have some fun with 19 other random people trying to bring down some bosses

 

[CertifiedFP]

Honestly, 20 hours isn't too bad even with an abrupt ending if it's 20 hours of meaningful content - Especially if it's highly replayable content with multiple outcomes and variables.

What ticked me off about MGSV is that it consisted of 50 hours of filler that accomplished nothing for Metal Gear canon and failed to be the "missing link" Kojima trolled us with three times in a row, and the only real replay value being either fucking around in the sandbox or trying for S-Ranks.

 

[Nokterian]

legion is nothing but rehash...

Biggest shitpost i have seen this year.

 

[mickcenary]

TIL that I'm incredibly happy that I couldn't give two hoots about Deus Ex's story and am only in it for killing everything with stealthy silenced headshots.

 

[Caipirinha]

There's nothing like Deus Ex. Even with all of it's faults (narrative, jank, smaller hubs), Human Revolution was right up there with my favorites of last gen. It was so refreshing to have freedom of approach, and taking the time to explore every piece of the environments created just felt so right.

Mankind Divided is one of my most anticipated games in years. Even story complaints can't derail the hype. I wish it resonated better in critical reviews but there are so few games that feel special anymore that I'm super excited.

HR doesn't hold a light to the original, but then neither does almost anything else released in the last 15 years and at least it tried so.. In this dystopian present we live in that's the best we have.

 

[Nemesis_]

Can anybody tell us anything about Breach? Is it something that I play with someone else or is it just a score attack mode?

 

[Aztechnology]

Human Revolution was littered with problems. The narrative had terrible pacing issues and comes to a lame half conclusion in an undercooked, kitschy climax against a poorly developed antagonist. The quality of writing and characters varies widely. The final stage was rushed and half finished, leans on dumb zombie-like opponent tropes, as bigger plans were cut as further elaborated on by the developer commentary. The boss fights were all terrible and failed to accommodate the diversity of Deus Ex play style builds. XP bonuses and rewards were insanely skewered in favour of stealth, unbalancing the game. There was almost always an easy vent path path around your problem, so much so they joked about this issue in the commentary. Aggressive combat felt off no matter your choice of gun and augs. The energy system was badly envisioned and didn't make sense in play. There was no reason to not pour points into hacking as it was a crazy versatile solution to every encounter and borderline essential to explore the narrative's deeper background lore. The game's release was bloated with dumb pre-order junk, including missions and weapons. It had a rough development, the engine was tough to work with, and numerous arcs/stages/hubs/missions got cut. It looked technically dated as hell, art direction aside. It was delayed a handful of times and still didn't wrap up as nicely as it should have.

And yet it remains one of my favourite games of last gen, one I've played through ~5 or so times (counting the director's cut), and overwhelmed me in how accurately it faithfully captured the essence of Deus Ex even if in practice it isn't as narratively expansive, mechanically rich, or systematically deep as the franchise's glorious roots. Human Revolution rarely if ever offers the kind of scope Deus Ex did at its best. But it was still a very, very faithful sequel.

Maybe Mankind Divided isn't the sequel to Human Revolution it could have been. Maybe it had huge development issues, and maybe some dumb mistakes were made again that should have been learned from the latter title. I already know I'm going to be disappointed by the lack of hubs. And an under cooked, shortlived story and climax is lame given they admitted these problems were in HR.

But fuck it. There's still nothing out there like Deus Ex, because this dumbass industry seems to think these kinds of games don't warrant investment (or are too expensive, unsafe, I don't know). And while there's nothing wrong with dipping into reviews and reading impressions from those you trust and letting that temper your expectations and/or change your purchasing habits, it's fucking stupid to let these spearhead spiralling cynicism and disappointment for a first-hand experience you haven't even played. Quality isn't binary. Experience isn't either. Artworks are the sum total of parts and an experience can end horrendously shitty and still leave you with fond memories. A to Z, not A to B. And even then what you feel, and the extent to which, isn't necessarily going to align perfectly with what you read before hand.

The citation of Mass Effect 3 is a great personal example, actually. Do you know how much I fucking hate the ending of that game? I could write a goddamn encyclopedia of hate and disappointment for what I felt, and more importantly why. The negative emotional resonance that turd has within me is borderline overwhelming. And yet I still adored almost everything in that game up until the end point, bought and loved all the DLC, and put something like 200 hours into the fucking dope as hell multiplayer. It's the best shittest game ever.

Maybe Mankind Divided will be the best shittest Deus Ex. That'll be interesting.

I feel the exact same way, well put.

 

[Cave Johnson]

HR doesn't hold a light to the original, but then neither does almost anything else released in the last 15 years and at least it tried so.. In this dystopian present we live in that's the best we have.

We're living in the real Deus Ex sequel where the one true developer will save us.

 

[pa22word]

If there were more games like Deus Ex, people would care a lot less about Human Revolution, but alas. I'm in the same boat, where I think HR was like a 3/5 game, but it was exactly the type of game I want to play more of.

And Dishonored is like someone made a Thief, then someone else made a bunch of powers without considering the level design or balance. Also decent, but like Human Revolution it gets by because the industry isn't putting out better games of this kind.

Approaching Dishonored like a thief successor is folly. The game is blatantly a Deus Ex game, and frankly a much better one than HR.

 

[Lakitu]

Someone needs to spoil me, I don't really care about spoilers.

Does the game hint at

Spoiler

another location towards the end? Lots of chatter I've heard seems to indicate that the game feels like it's been cut in half.

 

[Krappadizzle]

practice it isn't as narratively expansive, mechanically rich, or systematically deep as the franchise's glorious roots. Human Revolution rarely if ever offers the kind of scope Deus Ex did at its best. But it was still a very, very faithful sequel.

That's exactly how I felt. I didn't beat it multiple times like I would have with Deus Ex or any other similar RPG, but I did enjoy my runs through it. I'm glad to get more of HR, but I want more of what the original DE did in any of my games than just a HR 2.0. I won't say no by any means, but I do wish the series tried to be more than what it's become. I'm glad Arkane is around to meet me in that middle ground between what I used to love and what it generally accepted these days.

 

[dark10x]

Hmmm, interesting backlash. Having spent an hour with it, I was loving it and dying for more. An abrupt ending sucks, sure, but that shouldn't ruin the rest of the experience.

HR doesn't hold a light to the original, but then neither does almost anything else released in the last 15 years and at least it tried so.. In this dystopian present we live in that's the best we have.

As great as the original is, it still has weaknesses. AI is very poor, animation is awful, the actual act of firing a weapon is not satisfying, and the whole thing just feels super clunky. It more than made up for that with its richness in a million other areas but at least the act of playing Mankind Divided or HR feels more satisfying.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

Hmmm, interesting backlash. Having spent an hour with it, I was loving it and dying for more. An abrupt ending sucks, sure, but that shouldn't ruin the rest of the experience.

For more people a bad abrupt ending can ruin the whole ride though.

Imagine watching a romantic movie with really deep characters you grow to care about and just when the guy is proposing a guy runs up and stabs them both, then the movie ends.

 

[VanCityGamer]

For more people a bad abrupt ending can ruin the whole ride though.

Imagine watching a romantic movie with really deep characters you grow to care about and just when the guy is proposing a guy runs up and stabs them both, then the movie ends.

Ehhh that's so different. A completely insane ending to a 2-hour movie (all story) vs. an abrupt ending to 20 hours of a very fun game (gameplay and story coexist). It blows my mind that people would have all their fun somehow "erased" due to a weak ending.

 

[dark10x]

For more people a bad abrupt ending can ruin the whole ride though.

Imagine watching a romantic movie with really deep characters you grow to care about and just when the guy is proposing a guy runs up and stabs them both, then the movie ends.

...but that's a movie. The entire point is the story. That's not the case with a game.

 

[Moff]

I'm certain I will still love this, but my expectations are down a bit, it won't be as fantastic in every way like I hoped. Dishonored 2 will probably be my GOTY now, don't disappoint us, Harvey Smith. I'm glad we get both of these franchises.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

Ehhh that's so different. A completely insane ending to a 2-hour movie vs. an abrupt ending to 20 hours of a very fun game. It blows my mind that people would have all their fun somehow "erased" due to a weak ending.

So you're saying more like the abrupt ending of the sopranos? Where it didn't sour the experience of rating it highly but it's still mocked and parodied?

 

[SlasherJPC]

I've been doing a side quest that's just taken me all over the hub, still not done. Also one moment invloved a bank, there was probably tons of various ways to play that objective out. I was impressed. I must have spent 5 hours so far doing the first few mainn story missons and side quests.

 

[flipswitch]

Hmmm, interesting backlash. Having spent an hour with it, I was loving it and dying for more. An abrupt ending sucks, sure, but that shouldn't ruin the rest of the experience.


As great as the original is, it still has weaknesses. AI is very poor, animation is awful, the actual act of firing a weapon is not satisfying, and the whole thing just feels super clunky. It more than made up for that with its richness in a million other areas but at least the act of playing Mankind Divided or HR feels more satisfying.

Are you playing it on PC?

If so, what settings and how does it run.

 

[VanCityGamer]

So you're saying more like the abrupt ending of the sopranos? Where it didn't sour the experience of rating it highly but it's still mocked and parodied?

I've actually never seen the Sopranos so I have no idea. But I'm not sure it really needs to be compared to TV or movies. It's a very fun game that should give people 20-30 hours of excellent gameplay with a decent main quest story and an abrupt ending. And it has some excellent self contained side quest stories.

 

[texhnolyze]

How about Mass Effect 3?
The gameplay is actually good and the MP is considered as one of the best last gen. But that ending still made people hate it with a passion.

 

[Deadbeat]

So you're saying more like the abrupt ending of the sopranos? Where it didn't sour the experience of rating it highly but it's still mocked and parodied?

It would be more akin to the last episode never airing.

 

[Sinatar]

Approaching Dishonored like a thief successor is folly. The game is blatantly a Deus Ex game, and frankly a much better one than HR.

Yea it's actually easier to play as balls out action man in Dishonored then it is in HR. No matter what build and weapons you use, you always feel like you're being punished and playing wrong when you get into a gunfight in HR.

Going bananashits in Dishonored on the other hand is fun as fuck.

 

[Yoshi88]

Spent over 20 hours so far. Took 4 hours alone to

Spoiler

infiltrate a bank

for a side mission.

No kind of ending will negate, that so far I had even more fun than with HR

 

[nOoblet16]

Those who have played over half the game, or even completed, please just in spoiler tags tell me if most game takes place in Prague or other European settings?

I loved the Hong Kong setting of HR, but honestly if most of MD takes place in a European setting, I'm out until GOTY Edition release.

Don't ask me why, just personal preference, but I don't like European settings in games. It always feels drab and unexciting.

Spoiler

Prague is the only hub and you have two versions of it day and night (looks great at night). There are other levels though. But I have to say you are wrong because a lot of the game is indoors where there's really no distinction between European and others. Plus this is a cyberpunk setting first and foremost, and European second...if they didn't use the name Prague it could be set anywhere...even in a fictional city.

There is enough variation in environment in the missions themselves that one hub doesn't feel disappointing.

 

[flozuki]

...but that's a movie. The entire point is the story. That's not the case with a game.

If you build a narrative (and touch all the interesting stuff DE generally pinpoints to) you should end it properly. We are not talking about a Jump and Run here, this is Deus Ex! That said if you are fine with that ending that is totally ok. Not everyone will hate the ending as much as a lot of us were already alarmed that the end is pretty underwhelming. I still was pretty disappointed but I don't know how I would have reacted without any knowledge about it^^

 

[moerser]

For more people a bad abrupt ending can ruin the whole ride though.

Imagine watching a romantic movie with really deep characters you grow to care about and just when the guy is proposing a guy runs up and stabs them both, then the movie ends.

i'd watch that and i would like that ending.

also, while i think a good ending of course adds to the overall experience, i'm still hyped at what will come until said end.

 

[nOoblet16]

Approaching Dishonored like a thief successor is folly. The game is blatantly a Deus Ex game, and frankly a much better one than HR.

Just because it allows you free reign on killing or stealth does not make it closer to Deus Ex than Dishoboured....there are other points to consider, all of which Dishonoured falls short on when drawing comparison to Deus Ex.

Dishonoured is closer to thief than Deus Ex. Why?
Because there is no non linearity in the quest design (not talking about level design). It also lacks environmental detailing in the sense that half of Deus Ex is going around collecting things and reading up of the world via mails/pads/NPCs. It also lacks a hub based world and ofcourse it lacks the conversations. That's what makes Deus Ex...not just freedom in combat. And oh...you can't blow open door a single door...that's one thing that would disappoint Warren Spector actually.

 

[giapel]

Approaching Dishonored like a thief successor is folly. The game is blatantly a Deus Ex game, and frankly a much better one than HR.

Exactly. Dishonored wasn't meant to be a Thief game. You play as an assassin and being slightly overpowered is par for the course.

 

[Fledz]

I'll judge it as a half baked sequel and ME3 tier disappointment when I have fucking played it and not when the pre-release internet echochamber decides to fixate on the most negative reviews as universal acceptance that the Deus Ex sky is falling.

Amen to that. Also worth pointing out that us masterrace overlords are listening to a bunch of PS4 console peasants. I mean, wtf do they know?

Spoiler

I'm not actually serious. Don't hurt me.

 

[Acorn]

So I had pretty bad game breaking glitch. Thankfully PS+ cloud save files save me and only had to redo an hour's worth of gameplay. Got scared for a while because even my oldest save file led me to this glitch, didn't want to have to start the game all over again.

Hmm has the update came out yet?

 

[Sinatar]

Because there is no non linearity in the quest design (not talking about level design).

Not true. All the main missions have multiple ways to resolve them.

It also lacks environmental detailing in the sense that half of Deus Ex is going around collecting things and reading up of the world via mails/pads/NPCs.

Have you... played dishonored? There are books full of lore and world building like every 2 fucking feet. There are tons and tons and tons and tons and tons of them. Like an absurd amount actually.

It also lacks a hub based world

Ok yea... you haven't played Dishonored.

 

[Pixieking]

All the "Dishonored is a Deus Ex-style game" is a bit bizarre, considering the story complaints being leveled at MD.

Dishonored may have the mechanics of Deus Ex, but one of the issues with the Deus Ex franchise is that it's the only FPS cyberpunk game with RPG elements out there. Dishonored is, what, Steampunk with RPG elements? It's not like we're comparing CoD/BF/CS:GO and saying that there's one objectively better modern-setting FPS multiplayer game. If you want cyberpunk-influenced FPS, you're stuck with Deus Ex... Which is a pretty poor state for the industry to be in, when you look at all the bloody zombie survival and MOBA games out there.

 

[nOoblet16]

Not true. All the main missions have multiple ways to resolve them.

It is absolutely true. I am not talking about level design. I am talking about quest design. How you could do one before the other and it could lead to consequences, or that you could do something even before you are told about it. How you could miss a conversation with an important character but run into them later and the game would take that into account. How you could completely end up getting a quest or not depending on your decisions made previously in another quest. That is non linear quest design.

Have you... played dishonored? There are books full of lore and world building like every 2 fucking feet. There are tons and tons and tons and tons and tons of them. Like an absurd amount actually.

How much of it is pertinent to plot or sub plot btw? I concede on the lore building bit as it's been years since I played the game but that's the distinction I am making perhaps...I didn't remembere that about Dishonoured but I did for DE.

Ok yea... you haven't played Dishonored.

Do you even know what a hub based world actually is?
Being able to go to a "base area" to get a quest from there and then move to another mission area via boat is not really hub based design wise. It's just going from one place to another.

 

[Atraveller]

CDKeys is sending out keys.

 

[APZonerunner]

How about Mass Effect 3?
The gameplay is actually good and the MP is considered as one of the best last gen. But that ending still made people hate it with a passion.

The thing about Mass Effect 3, I'd argue, is that the opening and ending are fairly rubbish but the journey in the middle is arguably the best slice of Mass Effect ever. The 20+ hours in the middle are great, the hour at the beginning and two at the end aren't.

 

[Ascenion]

Ehhh that's so different. A completely insane ending to a 2-hour movie (all story) vs. an abrupt ending to 20 hours of a very fun game (gameplay and story coexist). It blows my mind that people would have all their fun somehow "erased" due to a weak ending.

I wish I knew you back in 2012, we could've quelled the Mass Effect 3 backlash as it was totally unwarranted. Or maybe I'm just weird. To this day I still don't even have an issue with the original non extended cut endings.

 

[shintoki]

CDKeys is sending out keys.

So I decided to give them a try. LOL. The CDkey is fucking printed and scanned in.

 

[Sumio Mondo]

Well this topic sure turned into a mess. Let's wait until we get to the game ourselves to play, aye?

 

[Atraveller]

So I decided to give them a try. LOL. The CDkey is fucking printed and scanned in.

They are from retail copies.

 

[Mifec]

CDKeys is sending out keys.

They also include all of the dlc except for the steam exclusive dota 2 announcer pack.

So I decided to give them a try. LOL. The CDkey is fucking printed and scanned in.

yup that's how they're so cheap.

 

[shintoki]

They are from retail copies.

Makes sense, I just found it hilarious.

 

[Lego Boss]

Well this topic sure turned into a mess. Let's wait until we get to the game ourselves to play, aye?

Amen to that. A piece of serenity amidst the chaos.

 

[brickarts295]

Hmm has the update came out yet?

As far as I know yes, its 1.02 the day one patch.

 

[Angel_DvA]

CDKeys is sending out keys.

Haven't received mine...

Edit: for the one that received them, do you have the standard or deluxe edition ?

 

[Rotch Crot]

Lol. GAF sure can fall into the slippery slope of catastrophic thinking.

Im sure the game will actually be quite good. But probably not a revolution. (Huehuehue)