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Deus Ex 2 : IW - A Review

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AGampher

Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2001
Location
Kansas
Perhaps they thought we wouldn't care if we paid $50 for an underdeveloped game. :-/

Pros:

1. Deus Ex's interactive world (i.e. pick-up/move furniture, open containers).

2. Deus Ex's Biomod upgrade system.



Cons:

1. 18 fps out of the box (on 640 x 480 resolution) on a 2.0+ GHz/1GB pc3200/9700pro system.

2. I actually had to TWEAK the default.ini file to get the game to run smooth enough to see that I was in a room and not watching a slideshow.

3. The game is a DIRECT port from the X-Box. There is even a Vibrate check-box in the game options menu (people may tell me that's for those of you who use a gamepad, but that's around .000006% of gamers, so you know it's from the X-Box menu).

4. The biggest problem in my opinion: The Save and Load features. This game has the WORST save and load system than I have seen in YEARS. First off, there is no quicksave/quickload. This in and of itself is unacceptable for DEUS EX 2. I mean, the whole point of Deus Ex is that you quicksave/quickload for multiple options in dialog/actions! Secondly, if you DO try to save before every option in the game (i.e. dialog, opening a locker, etc...) and then try to load that save, the loading takes at LEAST a minute and a half. This would be alright if I were running a sub-par machine. Not only am I using the machine listed in number 1, I also have a pair of Raptors in RAID 0 and am using the FULL INSTALL of the game. It takes almost 3 WHOLE MINUTES to get from my DESKTOP to when my save game has completely LOADED. In my opinion, the save/load features of this game are enough to make me want to go back to Best Buy and beg for them to give me ANYTHING to take it back. The game is un-playable (if you want to have fun) in its current state.

5. I can't run the game in anything above 640 x 480 (800 x 600 in some small areas) without an EXTREME loss of performance (we're talking running at 5 - 6 fps) as noted in number 1. Because of this, the heads-up display takes up a good 1/3 of the playing screen. 33% taken up by something that could easily have been hidden at the push of a (now non-existant) button. This is an obvious result of the quick X-Box to PC port.

6. The game has been "dumbed down" to allow 8 - 10 year olds to play and understand the game. I have had multiple conversations that follow the guidelines of:

Alex D: How do I pass the wall?
Random: You could either blow it up, climb it, or find another way around it.
Alex D: Thanks!

Pathetic.

7. The original open-ended play and "feel" of the original is, to put it simply, absent from the game. They have catered to the X-Box crowd, not the PC.


Synopsis:
Do not purchase this game unless there have been patches released that deal with the above problems. The gameplay potential is there (albiet without the original Deus Ex feel as it feels like a CHROME knock-off) but the technical problems stand in the way of an enjoyable gaming experience. This is NOT the sequel that so many people have been waiting for. This is, in my opinion, a stand-alone game created in the same fictional world as the original Deus Ex, but is NOT Deus Ex 2.

The "feel" of the original has been lost.



*Edit* - Grammar and other, similar, non-essential things. :D
 
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Ti4200 here, XP1600+ @ 1.75Ghz

I get 29FPS on average @ 800x600, using MAX detail, and turning on ALL visual setting in the default.ini file. In rooms with heavy shaddow use, such as multiple ceiling fans, it falls down to 15FPS (absolute lowest); looking into a wall I get 50+FPS. To enjoy this game fully 9700Pro or higher is defenatelly required. People who still complain about 'lagginess' with high end cards, should consider turning off mouselag in the use.ini

Anyways, this game is such a bad console port it is not even funny. All the ini's are still customized for Xbox. For example, in the ini's it sais things like "Value X for Xbox, Value Y for PC; Value=X" and so forth.
The dialogue is made for the young generation that we have these days, who grew up playing pokemon. It is simply sickening how retarded, Ion Storm, thinks console gamers are; they give you tips that my cat would even know.

Basically I think that this game was totally butchered for the Xbox.

The funniest thing is that the game looks awful by todays standards, at max setting with such horrible framerate, the only good thing going for it, is nice effects like EMP granades, sweet design of droids, and nice use of shadows.

Also the levels are TINY!! To go from one place to another you have the loading screens which absolutely kills the mood.

My verdict: if you liked the demo, buy it, you'll love the game. If you hated the demo, wait for a patch, or until your friend gets the game, and try it at their place.


Some screens:

1.jpg

6.jpg

7.jpg



Edit: To the above poster, if you dont like the hud beign in the center, the way it is, move it to the outer side of the screen like I did.
-Open default.ini
Find the following line:

;this FOV is for the HUD only. On the XBox, we need to keep all HUD elements within 10% of the edges.
;FOV__d=68 ;68 is good for the PC version
FOV__d=61

-Change FOV__d=61 to FOV__d=70

More tweaks: http://66.193.119.177/index.php?showtopic=206212

Some Funny stuff: http://66.193.119.177/index.php?showtopic=205704&st=36
 
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