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First time playing the original Deus Ex! (startrek.website)
submitted 1 week ago by LoreSoong@startrek.website to c/pcgaming@lemmy.ca
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People have been talking about this game my whole life and, Im finally going to take the time to try it since I just got it in the steam sale. Also recently many references are being made to draw parallels our current situation many people state that this game "predicted everything!".

Any tips, tricks or external mods I should know before getting into it that will improve my experience or should the game be played as is? for reference I just purchased the Deus Ex GOTY edition

what do you rate this game overall? If I enjoy this game, are the sequels worth playing? If so which ones? What would you rate the sequels?

Spoilers are "okay" if they are required to answer any of my above questions but try to keep them minimal or at least tag the comment with a Spoiler warning. general discussion is okay too! Thanks for your input!

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[-] pyre@lemmy.world 13 points 6 days ago

this was one of my favorite games for a long time. i disagree that it predicted everything; i think people retroactively assign predictions to it the way they do for horoscopes.

on the contrary, i think it aged poorly, though not at all of its own fault. the problem is that it was supposed to be ridiculous—the game world is essentially the answer to "what if every conspiracy theory was true?" and it was fun to explore at the time. but after the rise of right wing conspiracy nuts and their spill into the mainstream and even governments, it doesn't hit the same.

now it feels like what a right wing nutjob would write. again this is not at all the fault of the game, but it feels weird now because it's like you're playing qanon's game.

this is sort of a similar phenomenon to Don't Look Up, in my opinion. i believe at the time it was conceived the movie was supposed to be a ridiculous over-the-top satire, but by the time it was released the right wing went so insane that people just thought it was too on-the-nose.

[-] LoreSoong@startrek.website 2 points 6 days ago

That's funny, Its crazy that so many over the top works satire become reality. Your example also reminds me of Idiocracy the Mike Judge movie. Ill have to check that out too, I haven't even heard of Don't Look Up till now.

[-] slykethephoxenix@lemmy.ca 3 points 5 days ago

Oh man. I remember playing this game as a kid. It was awesome. I should.play it again.

[-] NelDel 5 points 6 days ago

Played through Deus Ex earlier this year with the Lay D Denton (female protag) mod. It's amazingly integrated & gave such a fun spin on the existing game

[-] LoreSoong@startrek.website 3 points 6 days ago

Sweet, might have to give that a spin. Is it a total story rework or just a replaces the MC? with stat changes and skills etc?

[-] NelDel 1 points 5 days ago

Model replacement, voice acting update (uses line stitching for existing npc voices - I didn't notice anything that drew me out of it), and a fully voiced protagonist. She does a great job! Voice Showcase

[-] Nomad_Scry@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 6 days ago

I'm bad at video games so I had to use some cheats/mods to finish, but it was worth it.

[-] LoreSoong@startrek.website 1 points 6 days ago

no offense, but was It a puzzle problem or reactions and movement? Ive been known to miss the most obvious puzzle solutions so I might have to cheat a bit as well assuming I get frustrated enough.

[-] Nomad_Scry@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 6 days ago

Reactions. I liked playing stealth but there came a point where I couldn't figure out how to avoid the fire fights and then I just died and died and died.

[-] Cevilia 12 points 1 week ago

Don't bother putting points in Swimming.

[-] LoreSoong@startrek.website 3 points 1 week ago

the swimming comments are so confusing everyone is giving different opinions and not explaining lol.

[-] Cevilia 8 points 1 week ago

It's kind of a meme from way back when the game was new. Swimming was a deeply polarising skill. The main benefit to the swimming skill was being able to stay underwater for minutes at a time, which sounds incredibly useful as a way to open up alternative entrances and more exploration. But... there were very few places you'd actually get the chance to use it.

[-] LoreSoong@startrek.website 3 points 1 week ago

thank you, I might have leveled swimming and just waited for a section where itd finally be useful lol. worst case scenario Ill find the alternate paths on a second playthrough

[-] Broadfern@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago

When you’re done with your first playthrough, get Revision and The Nameless Mod.

I believe Revision is available on steam but if not, both are on ModDB.

Also, don’t be afraid to explore, learn your play style (it’s meant to be stealth heavy but run-and-gun is also an option), and don’t sink all your skill points into swimming lmao.

The tutorial (“training” option in the main menu) is pretty fun and will get you familiarized with all your basics and tips pretty nicely.

I may have strong nostalgia glasses on but the mechanics still hold up really well and it’s still one of my favorites of all time. I have it on at least 3 platforms and regularly gift it to friends/family when it’s on sale.

I’ve played some of the 4th game but it’s not the same feel really, more akin to Watchdogs ime. The second game got review bombed on release but seems like a decent game from what I’ve heard from other fans. I have it but haven’t played it yet, probably should lol.

Thanks for reading my text wall 😅 /gen

[-] justOnePersistentKbinPlease@fedia.io 4 points 1 week ago

Human Revolution suffers tremendously from the corporate decision to outsource the boss fights. To the point that you have to level up an fps character or the first fight is hell.

As i recall the devs themselves said they regret that decision.

[-] ganryuu@lemmy.ca 2 points 6 days ago

Didn't they end up adding stealth and/or hacking options for dealing with the bosses with a later patch? Director's cut maybe?

[-] LoreSoong@startrek.website 3 points 1 week ago

does the story and game play make up for this shortcoming? also with that in mind would it viable to play a full run and gun play through on my first go of that game?

[-] justOnePersistentKbinPlease@fedia.io 3 points 1 week ago

The issue is more that the regular mission gameplay encourages stealth and nonlethal takedowns. And does so exquisitely.

Then all of which are completely useless against the bosses.

[-] LoreSoong@startrek.website 3 points 1 week ago

gotcha maybe i just cheat at the bossfights lol godmode etc

[-] justOnePersistentKbinPlease@fedia.io 2 points 1 week ago

Understand that you can absolutely go in guns blazing and have a great time.
The missions all have multiple paths to completion.

[-] LoreSoong@startrek.website 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

~~Is that also true for early game? other players were calling it borderline impossible without proper weapon skills and even then the early game makes it difficult~~

Edit: im dumb. I replied to this thinking it was a stand alone comment in my replies inbox... my bad for the confusion.

I might just get Human rev as well, people seem to generally enjoy it. even if its not as good as the original.

[-] Coelacanth@feddit.nu 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

This thread was talking about Human Revolution, which is the third Deus Ex game and a prequel.

[-] LoreSoong@startrek.website 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

my bad I replied thinking I knew where i was. its 4am for me lol saw this in my replies and just responded without thinking. Thanks!

[-] LoreSoong@startrek.website 4 points 1 week ago

I'm asking for everyone's ted talk on the game, this was more than reasonable lengthwise.

I usually skip tuts so again this was very helpful. not sure what Is meant by the swimming comment but I'm guessing that's an inside joke Ill understand later. my play style Is usually exploration and movement based. I'm always looking for nooks and crannies for bits of lore or resupplies. from what you said I might have to put in multiple play-through to really get the full experience, as well as trying your modding suggestions.

there is definitely something to be said about nostalgia goggles but to be honest going back and playing the games from my childhood (and older titles like this) there's just something missing from modern gaming that makes it feel mildly soulless. my next game on my backlog is Thief, and I just recently replayed the original Half-Life so All aboard the nostalgia train. o7

I appreciate your input on the more recent titles. Im even more skeptical now since a fan such as yourself hasn't felt the urge to continue the series the game probably stands on its own, and any addition may hinder or sour the original experience.

[-] Die4Ever@retrolemmy.com 8 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

For your first playthrough, use Zero Rando. GMDX and Revision change the game a lot.

https://mods4ever.com/project/DXRZeroRando

Also we have !deus_ex@lemmy.cafe

[-] LoreSoong@startrek.website 2 points 1 week ago

Odd, another user just stated that GMDX is more or less just a graphics and QOL overhaul. I might just have to read through the changes and decide for myself. I purposefully havent looked this stuff up myself to avoid spoilers, I might just have to bite the bullet.

[-] Die4Ever@retrolemmy.com 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

GMDX has a huge number of gameplay and balance changes. Here are some of them: https://deusex.fandom.com/wiki/Give_Me_Deus_Ex_(Mod)

https://videogamegeek.com/thread/1831032/review-of-gmdx-mod-which-aims-at-modernizing-deus

I can try to grab some excerpts without spoilers...

GMDX offers new player mechanics, refined AI behavior, reworked weapon mechanics, rebalanced RPG elements, enhanced artistic direction, expanded level design, overhauled audio design, new interactions and simulated effects, improved user interface, and hundreds of bug fixes.

Messing with the design of Deus Ex may quickly hurt the experience. And that is what GMDX does.

In early areas, the changes that GMDX makes are minor, which is the reason for my early positive feeling on GMDX. In later areas, however, there are radical changes. The aim seems to have been to increase the difficulty. And it succeeds at that: the difficulty of GMDX is certainly quite a lot higher than the difficulty of Deus Ex. But higher difficulty does not make for a better game. That is particularly true because of the reasons why the game is more difficult with GMDX.

[-] LoreSoong@startrek.website 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

yeah you might be right, the entire new mechanics section might be more than what im looking for. and this line alone in the review "However, my overall impression is a negative one. GMDX unbalances Deus Ex from being a fun, accessible game to being a struggle." Might have to save that for a 2nd or 3rd playthrough

[-] Coelacanth@feddit.nu 4 points 1 week ago

@Die4Ever@retrolemmy.com is our resident DX expert, I have nothing much to add other than: listen to his advice.

[-] LoreSoong@startrek.website 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

dang bros got credentials hes the creator of a randomizer mod! very cool! didnt know my post was going to attract the big wigs. definitely will weigh his points heavier. although I definitely got the feeling he was a bit more versed in the game based on the fact that he gave me sources to check and even helped me by posting excerpts to avoid spoilers.

[-] witty_username@feddit.nl 4 points 1 week ago

I'd like to add a question of my own:

Does anyone have any recommendations when running the game under proton?

And with a steam controller?

[-] LoreSoong@startrek.website 3 points 1 week ago

Ironically I'm also a Linux user I will update the post or message you directly(whichever you prefer) If i find any launch options that will optimize the experience. I don't expect issues since the game has a plat rating on protondb https://www.protondb.com/app/6910

cant help you with the steam controller part since I use mouse and keyboard but usually some dedicated fans create profiles for games+different controllers that you can add through steam.

[-] tenacious_mucus@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 week ago

Neat! That game has been on my wishlist for a long time, i still keep passing on it whenever it’s on sale…one day i’ll actually pull the trigger. It’s nice reading all these replies about various mods and things keeping the game ‘current’!

[-] LoreSoong@startrek.website 4 points 1 week ago

Im glad im not the only one getting value from this, I hope others that haven't given the game a shot pop in and ask questions I haven't considered or just appreciate the fact that everyone has been super helpful. it speaks to the Deus Ex community as a whole. I was half expecting comments like "why do you need our input? just play the game." , instead "Neat!" Indeed.

[-] ramble81@lemmy.zip 4 points 1 week ago

Definitely get GMDX. They just released a new version a couple months ago. Lots of gameplay tweaks and a serious overhaul of textures. Definitely makes it worth playing.

[-] LoreSoong@startrek.website 1 points 1 week ago

awesome! looking for stuff just like this. out of curiosity Will reading the game play tweaks prior to playing spoil anything? also are there any major changes from the original works or is it purely aesthetic/QOL? Im worried im going to have a skyrim situation again where modders are just adding/changing things that do not fall within those categories.

[-] ramble81@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 week ago

Shouldn’t spoil anything and if you go with the defaults you’ll get pretty much the stock story just with better graphics and QOL tweaks. It’s been a couple years since I last played it but was getting ready to do another run through with the newest version.

[-] LoreSoong@startrek.website 2 points 1 week ago

Im getting conflicting info on this, another user is telling me that GMDX changes too much. Probably just going to have to read the changes for each suggested mod. Im just worried im going to read something that might otherwise have been a very interesting moment within gameplay.

[-] BrundleFly2077@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 week ago

Yeah. Don’t do it, man 🤣 ZeroRando set to the “first time playthrough” QOL stuff sounds like it’ll do you fine.

Don’t try to modernize it to much, just accept it’s a product of its time and get it to run properly on your system. It’s amazing. You’ll get used to the jank and you’ll love it.

[-] LoreSoong@startrek.website 3 points 1 week ago

Im thinking I might only mod if I run into issues. From what everyone is telling me, the game is SOLID with issues like you said that are "a product of its time" i think I can handle that.

[-] Die4Ever@retrolemmy.com 3 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

If you really want to go full vanilla, I noticed you're on Linux so it actually runs ok there. But you'll still want Vanilla Fixer for the more modern renderer, launcher, and high frame rate fix.

https://mods4ever.com/project/DXRVanillaFixer

There are some huge bugs in the vanilla game though (Vanilla Fixer only does compatibility fixes not gameplay fixes). For example if you start a new game while in a game your inventory will become seriously broken. Before starting a new game you either need to restart the program, or enter the training first and start the new game from there (because starting training clears your inventory).

Also vanilla does NOT have autosave. When the game says SAVING when traveling maps that's actually only for the purpose of traveling back to the old maps and you cannot load from that if you die. Get used to that quicksave button or rebind it, but also make hard saves just in case!

Also vanilla will not allow you to save during infolinks (radio calls). Not a huge deal for a first time playthrough if you aren't rushing.

[-] LoreSoong@startrek.website 3 points 6 days ago

After reading everyone's comments again, I think Im going to drop in your zero rando mod it seems like it has the same vanilla fixes and the type of very light QOL I'm looking for. my apologies for being flippant I was quite tired yesterday.

Thanks for your contributions to this game and then commenting on my thread as with seemingly zero expectations of recognition from me or anyone else. I probably wouldn't have noticed had Coelacanth@feddit.nu not called you out. kinda badass not gunna lie.

[-] Die4Ever@retrolemmy.com 3 points 6 days ago

Haha thanks, have fun with it! Deus Ex is good for many playthroughs even without mods, hundreds with mods.

this post was submitted on 19 Aug 2025
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