My Nameless Mod (for Deus Ex) Review:
Deus Ex is a great game a game that to this day has been unsurpassed in terms of narrative, cross-genre gameplay, and non-linear exploration. All it takes is the mere mention and somewhere someone will start dusting off their old disk and begin installing it. Unfortunately, there are very few games that have come since DX that pack as much punch even the sequel was a pale imitation (at best) of the first game. Which is why 10 years after its release I am glad to have what I consider to be the unofficial official expansion pack to DX sitting on my hard-drive.
The Nameless Mod is a meta-fictional game set in the cyber-punk influenced Forum City where all the inhabitants are avatars of real people sitting in front of a computer screen glazed look in their eyes and drool slowly dripping down their chin, mindlessly chomping down Doritos and slugging back Cola as they immerse themselves into the rich world that is Forum City.
Upon hearing about this mod years back I was unsure if Off-Topic Productions would be up to the task of making the complicated scenario resonate with the target audience. As the years rolled by and a few trailers were released I became less sure and ultimately forgot about this mod as games like Morrowind, and Knights of the Old Republic began to take my time. Fortunately though I may have let it slide to the very back recesses of my mind Off-Topic Productions kept chipping away at TNM and ultimately when I remembered its existence it was only a short matter of days before its release.
What stands out most with this fan-project is the sheer amount of voice overs recorded for it that sound polished and professional for the most part. Some voice overs do sound undeniably like they were recorded on a cheap computer mic, however this works to the advantage of the setting adding further credibility that these are just people sitting in front of their PC (some with better equipment than others). The acting itself is very engaging and I found I listened to most performances as opposed to just mindlessly clicking through it as I read.
Most of the sound used in DX remains the same though some additional sound files have been recorded which blend seamlessly into the game. One area where the sound system received a significant upgrade is the in-game music which has been upgraded to use Ogg format which allowed OTP to use recorded music over the original DX sequenced music. The all original score that has been recorded for TNM is reminiscent of the original Deus Ex soundtrack while sounding more dynamic due to the inclusion of more natural instrumentation throughout.
The team went nuts with additional art assets for this game so expect to see tons of new models, textures, weapons, particle effects like rain, etc. most of the art designed for this game fits other than an odd model here or there that seems out of place. Visually this game looks slightly better than Deus Ex using the default settings however there are a few things out there that can help you get better milage out of your graphics. I use New Vision, Enbseries, and H.D.T.P. to help enhance TNM. Deus Ex was never really pretty but thanks to the improved texture size and updated render engine it is still very engaging.
You play as Trestkon who is back after a few years away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The setting is often bizarre, surreal, and legitimately funny reminding me equally at times of Blade Runner, Anachronox, Southland Tales, and a few other post-modern oddities blended with the traditions of the Deus Ex universe. It pokes fun at recent pop-culture and world events, and even though much of the commentary plays second fiddle to the main story arch, character development, and gameplay it is a welcome addition for the game universe often lending to the many hilarious moments in the game.
The level design focuses on being detailed to the point of obscurity in all of the key mission locations (much more so than the original DX campaign). The city levels are also very detailed (with consideration to the size of them) though they feel a bit empty once you get to know the streets. The game world is suitably dark & foreboding while incorporating nice use of light and shade throughout its many locales dont expect to be lurking in the shadows all the time. My favourite moment came about half-way through when you get to see the daylight.
There are several new upgrades to the gameplay interface. The simplest yet most effective is the flashlight upgrade, which came in handy quite a bit throughout the campaign. The computers have gone through massive upgrades as well including a working chat client, classic arcade games, and an in-game print function which is genius for anyone who knows what it is like to read emails while hacking DX. Although the actual hacking procedure remains the same there are a couple new hacking puzzles during the course of the campaign.
From beginning to end each campaign took me about 20 hours complete. It starts off very quick and by the half-way mark you might think you are close to finishing the game. However I found that it continues to build from this point up to the conclusion with a surprising amount of closure for a game. Like Deus Ex this game also features several different paths through each objective so there is tons of re-playability even if you have beat both campaigns. Each campaign is led by the alliance you choose and the developers are pretty grey on who is good and who is bad leaving the player to make the big decisions.
While initially The Nameless Mod was released with a handful of bugs most of these have been fixed with the latest patch. I am extremely pleased to have something that will keep Deus Ex on my hard-drive for at least another decade or so. If you are looking for a great game to play over this summer do yourself a favor and download The Nameless Mod.
9.5/10