Ash, I've been playing GMDX since v8.0 release date (yes, I chose replaying Deus Ex instead of starting Underrail), and by far I'm greatly enjoying it (recently got to Hong Kong
).
I had very high expectations because of what it's seen in the trailers, and yet I'm pleasantly surprised by how much GMDX actually improves the game. The AI overhaul is practically a godsend (seriously, it fixes what I considered the biggest flaw in DX), the stealth is more satisfying and viable than I imagined (improvements in NPC behaviour and sight/sound features work wonders), mantling was a much needed ability which makes exploration and movement a lot more fun and adds much to the sense of freedom (it combines perfectly with the novelties in level design and stamina statistic), skill/perk system improvements are nice (I haven't experimented much with them, but it obviously takes care of several inconsistencies that caused serious balance issues. I'm specially fond of the changes made to the Hacking skill) and every new detail in terms of simulation and atmosphere helps to offer a better "feeling" overall (original Deus Ex was painfully unrealistic despite its innovations, I was so happy to see actual efforts dedicated into such small aspects of the game, like item interaction, sounds, and animations. Simple, yet effective stuff).
Changes in level design made me raise an eyebrow at first, but they've ended up being the second best thing from GMDX in my experience. I'm not someone who usually enjoys replaying his favorite games, but revisiting Hell's Kitchen and Wan Chai with all the new stuff is much more entertaining than I initially thought. I would complain that a bit too many of the rewards for exploring are just a bunch of credit chits, but this is a small issue as most of the new loot is perfectly fine.
There is also the "not so great" aspects, which I'll try to summarize:
- The game crashes a lot, usually when too much is happening at the screen (big gunfires and explosions). I also suffered performance issues, possibly due to New Vision HD textures.
- I'm finding GMDX a bit too easy at Medium difficulty level. I chose that one because I didn't consider myself a "DX veteran", so I would say it's my fault (that, or maybe I was misled by the Installation Guide).
- I noticed some strange noises during conversations, like sound interferences that affected voice acting in an annoying way.
- Text fonts sometimes disappearing or becoming downright unreadable.
- LAMs and Scuba Gears are maybe too scarce. I don't know if it was directly intentioned, but those are the resources I have most trouble finding.
- A lot of the colored boxes are now empty. Is this also intentional? Now that I think about it, it's possible that all the wooden planks and broken pieces don't allow me to see the stuff that's inside the crates.
- I miss an inventory screen for corpse-looting. I don't know why JC has to pick up everything automatically from bodies, and I think a System Shock-like interface would be a good idea (I don't know if it would work in Deus Ex, though).
Can't think of anything aside from that nitpicking.
Finally, I would like to personally thank you for improving an amazing game whose potential almost nobody in the industry seemed to appreciate. I also consider myself an "immersive sim" enthusiast, and it's very nice to see an actual advancement from the best we got in the subgenre (nowadays, people just think of Thief, Deus Ex and SS as walking simulator prototypes, without realising the importance of good non-linear level design, competent mechanics, emergent gameplay, etc). It's a shame that this is getting so little attention, despite being an important step forward in a dead school of design. I wish everyone was making games like Deus Ex again (and that Looking Glass was still around), but sadly I think this is the closest thing we'll ever get from that, so have a big brofist from here.
