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Comment by ehnto | Hacker News Reader

I am currently playing Mankind Divided and have been reading into the art direction from interviews with the art director.

I just love the world they have created and the way they utilize it to tell the story. One of their ethos is "show don't tell" and you can see they have really taken it to heart. The locations tell the story just as well as the dialog does.

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You simple cannot compare Deus Ex 3 and 4 with Deus Ex 1. Deus Ex 1 is a much different and better game, a lot of thought went into it, the player can do so much more it's not even funny. No other game with Deus Ex in the name comes even close. Play Deus Ex 1 first and come back later, though some may never get into DX1 because the graphics hasn't aged that well.

We used to play Deus Ex 1 in a pair. The game was so different for each player and their playing style that it never got boring. We completed the whole game in this way.

One highlight that I remember was the explanation of mass surveillance being a replacement for less religion in a society. In the past people censored themselves because God was always watching. It was hoped that people would continue to censor themselves because Echelon was always recording and datamining.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1b-bijO3uEw

This was an optional cut scene and not part of the main story -- my friend found this, I never got this cut scene when I played.

I agree that Deus Ex 1 is so special that anything after does not compare. This does not belittle the sequels, its just that the original was so good.

"God was a dream of good government" is a very interesting idea to ponder.

If you'd like more to ponder, the formation of the Roman Catholic church may be worth exploring.

Eastern Orthodoxy, with its "symphonia of powers" caesaropapism, is equally interesting IMO.

This was the most memorable dialog in the whole game for me. An incredible game with many things that make you think.

Also: "everytime someone talks about DX1, someone else will install DX1 again" most likely applies here :)

"Some people just don't understand the dangers of indiscriminate surveillance" @1:24. This games was so ahead of itself.

Oh I wasn't comparing the game itself, but the franchises art style and story telling has really flourished with 3 and 4 I feel.

I have played all 4 and loved each one, the charm and freedom of the first may not have been reached with it's successors but I feel like 3 and 4 at least really were fantastic games in their own right.

Totally agreed. It doesn't seem to be a popular opinion among hardcore fans of the first game but I think Eidos are really doing a fantastic job with the franchise.

Sure, the games are flawed ("press a button to pick an ending", immersion breaking boss battles, game breaking launch day bugs, silly DLC and pre-order bonuses) but the world and story they've built are absolutely spot-on. People seem to be quick to forget that the original had its fair share of flaws as well.

There is also the generational difference in cultural references: G. K. Chesterton VS 4chan.

Haven't played the sequels yet (I'll probably grab Mankind Divided now it's on Linux), but I recall that something very like "press a button to pick an ending" was a prominent feature of the first Deus Ex.

Then again, the original had a bunch of other little flaws, but none of them were really dealbreakers.

DX1 is surprisingly empty and small when you play it today. There was a lot there that isn't in the newer games, but a lot is also missing.

Small? The map of DX1 are bigger than DX2 and DX3. A lot is missing? Yes, in DX3/4 a lot of the features of DX2 and especially DX1 are missing, like all the interaction with physical world objects, persistent world - the newer games feel like rushed and no love was invested on little details, every map feels so static. And the maps have just a few NPCs in DX 2 and 3, compare it to GTA V and Watch Dogs 1 - that's how a up-to-date Deus Ex could look like, modern graphics, open world gameplay with hacking and free movement in missions and better story - yet DX3/4 have a boring small story arc, compared this to DX1 with its world spanning story.

It's too bad they didn't follow that for the story/social commentary though. The latter ended up being so hamfisted and shoved down your throat it was almost comical, and that's coming from a "bleeding-heart lib'rul" like me.

The stories and themes in HR and MD are certainly ambitious compared to most games - unfortunately the writing simply isn't up to the task. I don't know whether it's due to lack of skill, prioritization, resources, or perhaps courage to really say something original or controversial. Sheldon Pacotti's DX1 script, in comparison, is something truly special and comparable to some of the best SF literature there is. And that, starting from the pretty ludicruous premise that most conspiracy theories are actuall true!

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