Deus Ex Alpha

I want to know what you like most about the game's levels.

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My favourite parts are anything to get to Juan Lebedev. The series of levels are just fantastic with notable moments such as the subway errands, mole-people, sewers with the falling platforms, both airports. Fantastic levels with a lot of outcomes.

Knights Templar Cathedral, very vertical level where the player stereotypically might have obtained a high level in the speed enhancement skill. Fun level and a good boss.

The Hong Kong area in general, I just really like the zone.

The very first level was a huge favourite of mine, the place that started it all, it only got better from there

Battery Park and New York. It was just so well designed with so many outcomes already thought up by the dev team for JC Denton to respond to (especially the scenes at the Ton between Sandra and Mr. Renton)

I actually loved the Paris level set. The atmosphere was creepy, yet pretty, and mysterious. ESPECIALLY the mansion.

The Ocean labs were the most immersive levels for me. But the voice acting in the Vandenburg level after the AI's merged and Bob Page makes his demands are fantastic.

Paris Chateau, Catacombs were scary as hell.

RECLAIMER wrote:the voice acting in the Vandenburg level after the AI's merged and Bob Page makes his demands are fantastic.

Agreed. Bob Page's voice acting was superb especially upon the closing levels, the lines were finely executed and delivered throughout his transmitted blackmail to Vandenburg. The megalomaniac boasting and revelations he delivers later on are also fantastic.

99_endgame4 LOL ...BEST MAP EVA O YEA YEA YEA YEA.....

..... I joke.


Catacombs. Reminiscent of Tomb Raider 3's India (or was it south pacific?) tunnels in terms of creepiness.

As much as i genuinely do love Deus Ex (and it is still among my top 3 favourite games believe it or not), there were no "WOW" moments on recent replays. I was a kid (approx 13/14) when I first played DX (indeed, it was the first game I ever properly owned or played) so it was ALL rather "wow".

By "wow" factor I mean stuff comparable to, say, F.E.A.R.'s spooky bits, System Sgock 2's SHODAN sequence on deck 4, HL2's citadel stuff etc etc....

On a recent replay with HDTP and New Vision (and new pc/speakers/fuck-off 24" monitor) I particularly enjoyed a few areas more than others:

Liberty Island
This map was my first ever experience of playing a 3d shooter (not that I'd call it a shooter now I know a bit about gaming) so was understandably awe-inspiring. Even on my recent replay I found it interesting. Liked the "back way in", loved all the hidden stuff and informative-yet-funny convos I could have with the NPCs, and especially loved my predatorial perving mission in the ladies toilets!

VersaLife
The whole versalife complex is awesome, and the MJ12 labs level 2 etc. Obviously talking point is the entrance hall to the labs. I found the level repetitive in terms of gameplay, but graphically and atmospherically cool.

Hong Kong (all)
Loved the market, although the voice-acting SUCKS. The canals and Tonnochi road have some interesting secrets and immersive gameplay, I could literally "hang around" in those levels for hours on end (I even still find the occasional thing I didn't know about!)

Shit, gotta go, probably won't finish this post but nevermind, I'm sure others have more interesting insights


~Shin.

The Paris section, especially the cathedral level. Everything done perfectly with exceptional music and tension. The whole Helios/Daedalus merging scenario as you went to the metro was a mind fuck as well.

ESPECIALLY, when you pick up that damn phone in that little office complex..

EEekekkgghhh fackkk.. It was so creepy.

Versalife song was the best next to the Area51 music after you penetrate the bunker. Or the music when you get killed in Paris. Beautiful.

The music in DX was brilliant in general IMHO. Also had a giggle dismantling the songs in ModPlug Tracker and reading Alex Brandon's bits 'n' pieces in the tracks.

Music gets fucking annoying now, though lol. Especially playing DXMP_Smuggler!

Also liked the AI prototype in Everett's place.

I turn off the music in multiplayer. That's an aspect of the game that fits best with the story.

I'd have to say Liberty Island aswell for the countless times I've played through it on the demo.

Other then that, the MJ12 lab was awesome fun as a kid. Messing around with the greasels and bum in the cell

As for map design... There's no real favourite. Everything is quite awesomely done for the engine it's on.

I still think DX is dull compared to, say , UT. I know UT users a slightly different engine but I don't think Unreal 1 was modified particularly well for DX if I'm honest.

Still the most awesome game ever lol

I agree, the combat and graphics pale to most FPS games around that time and is one of the uglier Unreal Engine 1 titles, everyone knows this.

There was a lot of conflicting to what Deus Ex was to be, I understand in a public forum Harvey and Warren spoke out about little groups who wanted to focus more on the RPG, stealthy, more action etc and there was two lead designers conflicting eachother's ideas (which eventually became just Harvey I believe) which caused Warren's head to burst, he doesn't recommend it.

DX1 is truly a beautifully crafted mess.

Lol, that it most definitely is.

I think the engine made it work pretty well and the artistry of it can be appreciated by fans all the more through the SDK, so that we can actually see what Clay Hoffman did to make the cut scenes and map architecture

Little subtle things like the font and typical camera positioning in conversations were great. Playing DXIW makes me appreciate such finer details from the original. Sick of looking at chests.