Brainy Gamer's Vintage Game Club picks Deus Ex for Sept. '08

doctorfrog on 26/8/2008 at 23:35

I've put this post here in the GenGame forum, since some here may not frequent the near-dead Deus Ex area. Mods, please don't move this thread, or at least wait a day or two.

Brainy Gamer Vintage Game Club - September, 2008 - Deus Ex

For those interested in an excuse to play this excellent game again amongst newbs and the nostalgia-fogged, the loosely confederated (http://www.websitetoolbox.com/mb/brainygamer) Brainy Gamer community has chosen Deus Ex to be the next game to be played through in a single month as a group. This the second game chosen by this community, the first was (http://www.websitetoolbox.com/mb/brainygamer?forum=121815) Grim Fandango.

Link to post: (http://www.brainygamer.com/the_brainy_gamer/2008/08/vintage-game--1.html)

If you're anything like me, you often miss the chance to play a game when it's new and exciting, and you find yourself avoiding spoilers until you've finished it. Corny things like game clubs like this give you the opportunity to re-experience a classic game like Deus Ex the way movies used to be enjoyed: on a mass scale, all roughly at the same time. As the blog post above details:

Quote:

We all have busy lives, so the club requires nothing but your interest to join. If you decide to start a game with us, but can't continue it - or if you post a comment but can't return to follow up, no big deal. The club is just a framework for bringing us together. Join in, drop out, come back...whatever. We're just here to have fun and broaden our knowledge and awareness of important games.

Get Deus Ex ready and loaded by September 1, and (http://www.websitetoolbox.com/mb/brainygamer) join the fun!

As the blog post above details, Deus Ex can be had freely on the GameTap service, or for cheap on Steam.

Inline Image:

http://i37.tinypic.com/wtzreu.jpg

(http://www.brainygamer.com/the_brainy_gamer/) The Brainy Gamer is a blog and podcast that I've recently discovered that is run by a college professor and video game enthusiast. Like the (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/) Escapist and (http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/) Gamers With Jobs (which also has an excellent podcast), he seems interested in both a deeper discussion of exploring the meaning of games and popular culture, as well as dealing with the conflict between being a responsible adult and still holding onto an adolescent fascination with blowing things up on video screens. Recommended for those interested in intelligent and/or pretentious game discussion.

Who's in?

Jashin on 27/8/2008 at 02:21

It hurts to read their comments, particularly the guy who gave up cus the game didn't meet his preconceptions. I wanna knock him on the head and tell him to learn the game with an open mind.

To be honest I gave up the first time I tried it too - gun didn't do pinpoint damage, interface was overwhelming, etc - all preconceived notions from other games at the time. God was I an idiot, and because I was such an idiot I wanna hogtie this guy and thrash 'em ever more for being a deaf mute to true innovation.

Deus Ex was a victim of the times, people with their primitive minds back then were not ready. Mirror's Edge want to do a first-person-non-fps? Guess what chum, Deus Ex was way ahead of ya.

Nice poster BTW.

The_Raven on 27/8/2008 at 02:24

Deus Ex was hardly the first game of that type, you know?

Jashin on 27/8/2008 at 02:33

The only one that matters really. I played Thief also and Thief really does have elements that are simply esoteric. One has peripheral elements that are difficult cus they have to be (to interface the rich features that in turn cater to completely different gameplays), the other has core elements that can never have mass appeal without some kind of overhaul (sneaking around in the dark is not blockbuster material to begin with). This is also part of the reason why I argue on behalf of Thief 3. Granted the level sizes aren't encouraging, but a lot of it really does help to bring the thief experience to a bigger audience.

As for System Shock 2, well, its main man is still making games.

I wouldn't be here at a forum dedicated to singleplayer gaming if not for Deus Ex; I'm a competitive multiplayer. DX is one of a kind.

The_Raven on 27/8/2008 at 02:54

Quote:

The only one that matters really.

Jashin on 27/8/2008 at 03:05

Okay okay not the only one :cheeky: But you get the point.

And yes, I'm in. I oughta run through it once on my new rig anyway.

ZylonBane on 27/8/2008 at 03:37

From the Brainy Gamer forums--

Quote:

Once the hilarious dialog ends I have to pick my weapon of choice and am encouraged to try and find a back door, instead of charging ahead like a rampant gorilla with guns. I'm in a dock and there's a stairway that goes down into the water, so I figure that's the way to find a back door. [...] So now I start swimming in search for... something, anything really. The place is huge but luckily there are some invicible walls. Perfect, it's always great to not know where the limits are. Super.

Oh. My. God. Instead of heading up the ramp, this idiot jumped into the water and blindly swam around for god-knows how long. Aiiiighghhhh.

Jason Moyer on 27/8/2008 at 04:27

Quote Posted by Jashin

the other has core elements that can never have mass appeal without some kind of overhaul (sneaking around in the dark is not blockbuster material to begin with).

The first 2 Thief games were best sellers many times over.

ZylonBane on 27/8/2008 at 05:03

Quote Posted by Jason Moyer

The first 2 Thief games were best sellers many times over.

WTF? Think about what you just typed there.

henke on 27/8/2008 at 05:16

So... is Grim Fandango up for free download somewhere?

Quote Posted by ZylonBane

Oh. My. God. Instead of heading up the ramp, this idiot jumped into the water and blindly swam around for god-knows how long. Aiiiighghhhh.

Well Deus Ex is supposed to be kind of an open-ended game, they say. So what's wrong in trying to find an alternate entrance instead of charging in through the only door in sight? One which is likely to be guarded. You'd think.