Deus Ex

[Vuk]

Very few games count as art, though, even from that era. Besides DX (which I have yet to play), I can only really think of two games, both from the adventure genre: Grim Fandango and The Longest Journey. Perhaps Another World, just for its visionary visuals (yes, I did just make that alliteration), though it isn't from that period.

And the thing is that the industry has only gotten more dominated by a couple giant publishers, who have to cope with game development processes that are exponentially more expensive than they were back then. So isn't that vision a bit naive? Also because there were plenty of publishers and developers who churned out plenty of mediocre and crap games back then. You shouldn't romanticize the period, much as you'd like to. I mean, don't get me wrong -- I have the same feeling that you do, that in the late 90s and early 2000s the best games of all time were developed, and that there was generally a greater will to experiment than there is now. But I'm not sure if that's just me being jaded, not to mention nostalgic for my childhood, or if that's objective truth.

I think you are forgetting Thief and Thief 2.

Sure, you had mediocre and crap games, but you do now too. You had many more good games back then than you do now.

[The Wizard]

Ion Storm also made Anachronox, a true blue cult classic if there ever was one. Anybody know if it was any good?

I think you are forgetting Thief and Thief 2.

Sure, you had mediocre and crap games, but you do now too. You had many more good games back then than you do now.

I have yet to play Thief, too, though you're probably right. But I don't think you can actually say the proportion of "good" to "bad" has changed. Perhaps creativity has suffered in mainstream gaming, but I don't know if the same can be said for the amount of good games. Mostly because I don't know if that's just me (and the fact that due to a crappy PC I haven't played many of the major releases of the past 5 years) or not.

You also gotta remember that at least in some cases, creative and unique games that are classics in their own right, sometimes even works of art, were such commercial flops that nobody dared to take a leap of faith again. Grim Fandango, after all, was a major reason the adventure gaming genre was eclipsed. Even if it was a work of art. That was the flipside of this period: production costs were rising, but many of the classics developed then could not cover them through sales.

[Vuk]

Ion Storm also made Anachronox, a true blue cult classic if there ever was one. Anybody know if it was any good?



I have yet to play Thief, too, though you're probably right. But I don't think you can actually say the proportion of "good" to "bad" has changed. Perhaps creativity has suffered in mainstream gaming, but I don't know if the same can be said for the amount of good games. Mostly because I don't know if that's just me (and the fact that due to a crappy PC I haven't played many of the major releases of the past 5 years) or not.

You also gotta remember that at least in some cases, creative and unique games that are classics in their own right, sometimes even works of art, were such commercial flops that nobody dared to take a leap of faith again. Grim Fandango, after all, was a major reason the adventure gaming genre was eclipsed. Even if it was a work of art. That was the flipside of this period: production costs were rising, but many of the classics developed then could not cover them through sales.

Yes, art does have to appeal to the public, and if it doesn't and flops, then you learn your lesson for that game. You still have to be willing to take risks though. Also, one of the reasons that production costs have went so high is because game companies have been trying to hide the lack or depth in their games behind shiny visuals (which often do not help to make the game world look any more realistic or natural). Their priorities are wrong, and they treat humans like fish who are easily distracted with something shiny that moves a lot. Sure, you got a lot of kids like that, but I refuse to believe that majority of PC gamers would prefer shiny visuals over a deep, engaging game.

[frogbeastegg]

Ion Storm also made Anachronox, a true blue cult classic if there ever was one. Anybody know if it was any good?

I loved it, IMO it is the best thing Ion Storm produced by a very long way. Been wanting to replay it for years but couldn't due to compatibility woes. It was smart, inventive, amusing, and a whole lot of fun. At the time it was cinematic in a new way, with camera angles and cuts given a lot of attention. The plot contained a few good surprises, and was coherent enough that fans made a successful hour long movie out of it. It wasn't too combat heavy IIRC, and battles were turn-based so you had full control of your party. Some people dismissed it because it had a few JRPG stylings - their total loss.

GoG.com now has it for $5.99, fully functional on modern PCs. Go on, you know you want to. You get an entire planet in your party, and an old man whose special attack involves talking people to death with his boring life story ...

I have yet to play Thief, too

Gah! GoG.com again.

[Fragony]

I have yet to play Thief

You wut

sigh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppV2EMfbk0w <- intro to get in the mood

[The Wizard]

Gah! GoG.com again.

You wut

sigh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppV2EMfbk0w <- intro to get in the mood

Let me rephrase... I've played it, but I never got beyond the second level. Plus I was in my early teens so barely got an inkling of the story

I've been playing a lot of golden oldies that I never got around to back in the day in the past months (KOTOR, The Longest Journey, Grim Fandango, Beyond Good & Evil, and now Deus Ex itself) anyhow, so I might as well add Thief to the list.

[Vuk]

Let me rephrase... I've played it, but I never got beyond the second level. Plus I was in my early teens so barely got an inkling of the story

I've been playing a lot of golden oldies that I never got around to back in the day in the past months (KOTOR, The Longest Journey, Grim Fandango, Beyond Good & Evil, and now Deus Ex itself) anyhow, so I might as well add Thief to the list.

You won't regret playing Thief. It is, as Britt Reid would so delicately put it, 'the balls'.

[Fragony]

You won't regret playing Thief. It is, as Britt Reid would so delicately put it, 'the balls'.

^- this man speaks the truth. Graphics will grow on you, I love them even if they are butt-ugly. Why oh why didn't they just optimise the Dark-engine for Thief 3 is beyond me, especially if you see what the absolutely rabid fanbase managed to squeeze out of it. If you like the game you are in luck, as there is a wealth of lovingly crafted fanwork. Some are so good that they were hired (awesome that the makers actually play the fanwork)