A show that I am hyped about

With a new season of anime releases coming up, I feel obliged, as a person with an opinion and an online journal, to voice out my opinion of shows I am looking forward to. 

So, the number of shows I am looking forward to is... one actually. Despite my distaste towards hype, I can get hyped for a couple of things and the subject matter of this post happens to be ONE of them.

Which ONE? I think you know the ONE. Yes, that ONE. The ONE that pre-aired and looks really good. The ONE coming out in a month that starts with the number ONE and ends with the number made when ONE is subtracted with another ONE. The number does not consist of ONE numeric figure. Say, notice how I keep repeating the number ONE? 

.....

Yes, it is One-Punch Man.

Credit of cover art goes to Myanimelist and http://cdn.myanimelist.net/images/anime/12/76049l.jpg

Why this anime and not the rest of the line-up? Well, it is mostly due to the pre-aired episode that was released which showcased what to expect. It was entertaining from start to finish for me. 

[Full disclosure: I have been following the manga lately; the Murata version to be precise since translations of ONE's version have been rather slow and I have caught up with current releases a couple of times already...]

One-Punch Man is an adaptation of the manga/Japanese comic of the same name which tells the story of the titular One-Punch Man, Saitama. Saitama's main hobby is being a superhero who fights crimes and regularly stops world-destroying threats on a daily basis. His main problem: He became too strong, thus making his hobby boring. As his life goes on, he meets a cyborg named Genos and joins an association of heroes with similar, but lesser, powers than him. With regular threats appearing on a daily basis, will Saitama ever find the one opponent that will give him a challenge?

What made it?
The premise itself is quite simple to explain and provides an abundance of ways to make it entertaining. This is the story of the most over-powered individual attempting to live a superhero life in constant boredom. As a result, we get to watch entire action set-pieces Entire battles that would take up several episodes in basic shounen or action anime end in seconds with Saitama around. The pre-aired episode displayed this regularly in the first major battles that introduces the premise. Reading the manga, there is often a contrast that appears when major battles occur. During these battles, the normal heroes are often at the brink of death when facing these threats and when these battles take place, they are akin to the classic fights of normal anime. Then, Saitama appears and ends the battle with one punch. This constant contrast often provides entertainment while showcasing the power of its protagonist in hilarious ways that is rather endearing. With its premise of an overpowered superhero facing world-ending threats, it is up to the source material to see how far can it can go with a ridiculous premise like that though it will be entertaining to see how far can the author/animation studio can go with its premise.
The main character is prominently featured in the released episode and from what has been shown, Saitama might become a character I actually like. Here is a man who becomes a superhero for the sake of his hobby and as a result of his training, has becomes overpowered to the point where nothing poses a challenge. His constantly bored expression heavily contrasts with the other characters of the series who wear appropriate expressions and often brings in good comic relief. The second-to-last fights in the pre-aired episode hint at a deeper character to Saitama as he seemingly faces a force that poses a genuine threat to him. When that happens, Saitama winds up showcasing more emotions and drive that wind up characterizing him as someone who has genuine intentions but lacking the enthusiasm to motivate him. Having caught up to the Murata version and ONE's latest chapter, I am rather excited to see how Saitama will be portrayed as there is an additional layer to this disinterested and over-powered superhero.
The fights were entertaining in the comedic sense. The pre-aired episode presented a typical super-villain in 2 fights and each of them ended with one punch from our disinterested protagonist. It made me laugh, or at least grin, whenever a long monologue by a villain winds up being interrupted by a person who seems to have heard that same speech over and over again. The second-to-last one however was something different. 
WARNING SOME SPOILERS ABOUND!
In this fight, Saitama appears to encounter enemies that pose a genuine challenge. During that sequence, there is an art shift and actual build-up in the soundtrack that created the intensity needed to be drawn into the spectacle with actual clashes between foes. This, for me, is rather significant since the only fight scenes in recent anime shows I have been drawn into consists of only one show and it is not Fuh Stuh Nut (UBW for you newcomers); it is instead the recent adaptation of Fate/Kaleid. When I watched this one fight in One-Punch Man, I felt a rush as the fight became intense and even though it was brief, I was pumped to see how it would proceed. Fuh Stuh Nut, for all of the fancy spectacle and animation, did not even feel intense for me, save for a few bits I actually liked, and I was instead bored out of my mind as they filled the majority of the fights with overly short animations and awkwardly placed speeches that barely showed any actual clash. One-Punch Man, in that one fight sequence, surpassed Fuh Stuh Nut in terms of intensity in that short timespan for the fight.
Once again I must stress that this is a show that is mainly about comedy. The premise of One-Punch Man already sets up the many jokes based around Saitama's overpowered nature and based on the pre-aired episode, one can tell that Saitama will have full awareness of how dull it is to be excessively overpowered. From the manga, there are other jokes and gags that form as a result of new characters introduced to the story and from Saitama's casual 'does not give a fuck' attitude. I am hoping that Madhouse is able to fully adapt the source material and give the audience an entertaining show with well-written comedy and amazing battles filled with intensity even if they end immediately when Saitama shows up. The pre-aired episode gives a very promising impression on the anime with comedy gags adapted well from the source material and being an adaptation that seems mostly loyal to the source material. It helps that Saitama's default appearance is perfectly adapted from the source material (Murata's version from the looks of it).

Personal opinion:
Honestly, I am hyped for the show seeing as One-Punch Man is a very entertaining manga and could work well as an entertaining flick to alleviate the mundane weekends. This does not mean I will be blind to flaws to the show and will try not to be blinded by hype. While the pre-aired episode looks good, this does not guarantee its quality for the entirety of its run (see Fuh Stuh Nut with a very good prologue episode before losing that quality and becoming an average adaptation (though better than Deen at least). Madhouse has done well in making shows however so I have some optimism that exists amidst my cynicism. I will make mini-posts for each episode when they air and I get free time from my schedule. So, here's hoping Madhouse delivers and avoid the mistakes of Ufotable.

[P.S: If you are wondering about my negative opinion of Ufotable, see my previous post on Fuh Stuh Nut: The Adaptation of Wasted Potential (to clarify, I am referring to the UBW adaptation by Ufotable)(http://subjectivelybiasedrants.blogspot.com/2015/06/fate-stay-night-unlimited-blade-works.html). I am open to discussion via comments though I probably will not reply immediately.]

S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadow of Chernobyl

For the past 4 weeks, I have been balancing my gaming time between Wasteland 2, Terraria and the game in the title. I have finished the latter of the 3 and feel that it is time to voice my opinions on it. To put it lightly, S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadow of Chernobyl is a must play for any avid PC gamer that can tolerate Dark Souls as this game is the FPS equivalent of Dark Souls. I bought the entire S.T.A.L.K.E.R series (which includes Clear Sky and Call of Pripyat) on GoG during their sales (75% if I recall) and it is worth a full-price purchase in my honest opinion though I recommend purchasing during sales to save money (Contrary to the views of pre-order obsessed individuals (excusable for those who buy collector's editions with physical merchandise of actual value), people need to save money as it does not grow on trees.)

(Source of image and shamelessly taken from: http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/4500/header.jpg?t=1422033497 and http://store.steampowered.com/app/4500)

S.T.A.L.K.E.R Shadow of Chernobyl tells the tale of the Marked One, the player character, who was found and rescued off the wreckage of a truck in Chernobyl's Zone of Alienation where a second incident at Chernobyl had altered the Zone tremendously, spawning mutants and space-time anomalies of varying nature and lethality. These anomalies have also spawned artefacts that are of great value for scientific communities due to their peculiar effects. As a result, many individuals have entered the Zone with various motives in mind. The Marked One is one of such individuals that exist in the Zone and your motives are decided by your decisions. The only goal you have is a note on your PDA that tells you to kill Strelok. Who this is and why he has to die along with the mysteries of the Zone are up to you to find out.

What makes it

Challenge is something that should not be negated or removed from most gamse. When playing a game, challenge is needed sometimes to motivate the player to try again with a different mindset and tactic. S.T.A.L.K.E.R knows this and lives by this creed with high difficulty being a default in every level of difficulty. I played this on medium and before I got my hands on better gear, I was getting my ass handed to me by regular bandits with good grenade accuracy and an A+ in flanking tactics. The enemies of this game are smart enough to know the values of flanking and strategic grenade lobbing while having decent accuracy that often leads to my death. This game eschews classic FPS tenets by having no regenerating health (a positive in my opinion), requiring some level of skill with weapons (or at least, learn how to compensate for one's lack of skills with these weapons) and being able to waste ammunition. In S.T.A.L.K.E.R, any player will quickly realise how important bandages and medkits are when you realise that you can bleed to death and that a well-placed shot will result in a large loss of health or even death. The player also learn that using iron sights is not simple and that it is usually better to go for a confirmed shot at a centre of mass rather than going for the perfect headshot every time and risking your life unless necessary. In addition, ammunition has weight (like Fallout New Vegas' hardcore mode) but having a large amount is vital for survival which creates a dilemma every time you find a stash full of ammunition. As a result, typical FPS tactics of shooting wildly while relying on regenerating health and nearby ammo drops tend to fly out of the window. The game is hard but fair as any situation can be countered with a different approach to combat. A fire-fight with a large number of enemies may be handled with a shotgun and a lot of energy drinks,  a rifle with a scope or even a well-thrown grenade with a good pistol to finish off stragglers. It is also rather easy to learn the basics of the game though the challenge from there is finding the strategy to not die as fast. The game is like Dark Souls in the sense that it is both hard and fair to players and this is the main reason why I like this game a lot. Most FPS games nowadays seem to be too easy especially in the single-player unless you play multi-player. So having a game that is challenging in a genre that has grown stale in the single-player aspect is a very good trait. In summary, the game is challenging but fair and easy enough to figure out the ropes.
Immersion is an important aspect to any good game. A game that can immerse the player in the crafted world and allow said player to craft their experiences while giving them the challenge that does not go against canon is a very good game and can make up for flaws (such as outdated aspects, limited user interfaces, reliance on too much reading and others I can't recall right now). S.T.A.L.K.E.R is able to create this through its difficulty. Rather than playing as a walking metal box with a camera for a face, the player is a vulnerable human being albeit with similar platforming problems as the walking metal boxes. Once again, the lack of regenerating health helps as it emphasizes the dilemma of any traveller in a conflict-filled wasteland (albeit without the space-time anomalies and the mutants); whether you have more bullets or more healing supplies. In-game, I found myself dreading night-time travels due to the flash-light being a dead give-away in hostile territory and also due to my own fear of dealing with in-game monsters. Once I got decent night-vision gear however, I was more willing to travel as I was finally able to see those mutants that I was never able to see due to their speed. The difficulty of the game enhances the experience as you wind up feeling like an average human in a hostile world rather than a random super-soldier and as a result, little achievements such as bringing in high value loot to a trader feel like actual achievements for the player and navigating out of difficult fire-fights become crowning achievements without any achievement notification beeping in. The rewards in-game wind up giving the player in real life a form of relief and joy especially if it leads to a good Tunder or an SVD.

Intriguing locales exist in the many places of the Zone. Amidst the ruins of Chernobyl, the typical bandit encampment, neutral settlements and faction bases can be found, explored and looted with varying degree of reactions to each action. Other locales that can be found in S.T.A.L.K.E.R would be mutant nests, abandoned Soviet villages and old laboratories. While these seem like simple and typical locales, the Zone's anomalies and the inherent intelligence of the enemies of the game makes these more interesting sights as the approach to take when visiting such locales can vary depending on the presence of the two. When exploring the surface locales, the normal sandbox exploration style comes into mind with a lot of roaming and fast-paced shooting when the stealth approach fails though given more depth with actual NPC interactions when 2 rival factions meet and are forced into conflict with each other along with the presence of anomalies to make things more interesting to explore. The laboratories and the interior of buildings provide tight and narrow corridors where either a controlled fire-fight or a survival horror experience takes place depending on the hostiles present. These laboratories, as part of the plot, contain documents that detail more about the experiments that took place before the second incident; providing hints that there was more to the second disaster than a mere nuclear accident. In a nutshell, S.T.A.L.K.E.R provides the usual post-apocalyptic locale that is enhanced by the unique features of its own setting and possesses a backstory that will maintain interest in the game, if the player is not too busy dying a lot.

What breaks it

Difficulty can affect whether someone will continue playing a game as a hard game may be dropped due to the required investment to learn. S.T.A.L.K.E.R is a difficult game as a result of intelligent AI, the human constitution of the player character, the damage being relative to the location of the shot and the scarcity along with the weight of resources. Due to that difficulty, it has a steep learning curve that will deter casual players seeking out a short game for a brief evening or day of entertainment. I list this as a disadvantage as it is difficult to recommend this game to people who do not play games regularly though I will stress that those that can stick with the difficulty will learn that the difficulty of S.T.A.L.K.E.R enhances the game.

Awkward jumping is a staple for most first-person shooters as proven by the many corpses of Gordon Freeman and Faith Connors that cover the floors of most bottomless pits. The platforming mechanics of this game, like most first person shooters, are not revolutionary and are prone to odd collisions. I distinctly recall missing simple ledges due to the sudden imprecise jumping. Thankfully however, moments where jumping becomes necessary are far and few in appearance while tending to be optional as a ladder or staircase is usually nearby.
Bugs and glitches can harm any good game and may even ruin the experience if not fixed. In my own playthrough, I underwent a few crashes and freezes but these faded away over time and as a whole, I had a relatively bug-free playthrough, though that could be the result of installing the S.T.A.L.K.E.R complete mod (http://www.moddb.com/mods/stalker-complete-2009) that came with bug fixes. I have heard of game-breaking bugs and glitches in unpatched versions without fixes applied so I pre-emptively sought out fixes before playing. This may vary and my advice when getting S.T.A.L.K.E.R; seek out the fixes.

Personal opinion:
I came to this game having heard good things about it and not doing any reading up about the actual game. I left the game very satisfied for having been challenged to think like an actual combatant with no power armour in a hostile location rather than a muscle-bound automaton who regenerates lost health like Deadpool during a Friday night out. S.T.A.L.K.E.R is a good game for avid shooters seeking challenge with hybrid RPG elements while wanting to see another post-apocalyptic landscape with its own back-story and tales. Aside from the few early crashes and some frustration from dealing with enemies with armour-piercing rounds, the challenge was surmountable though full disclosure here, I was playing on medium difficulty. I do want to replay this on hard once I have completed all three games. Readers who are currently waiting for Fallout 4 should check out this game if they enjoy the post-apocalyptic setting.

Summary:
What makes it?
Challenge
Immersion
Intriguing locales  
What breaks it?
Difficulty
Awkward jumping
Bugs and glitches


P.S: Sorry for the lower quality of this post. I am recovering from a fever that lasted 2 days so I am rather sluggish mentally as of now.

No posts this week

I have a bad fever so no posts this week. I will return to the realm of redundancy later but for now, I'll say this:

HAZE PLEASE GO AWAY!

The best Fate anime of all time

As I mentioned in my fanboy rant of Fuh Stuh Nut, I have experience in dealing with the Nasuverse. Full disclosure: I am not an expert in the franchise and can be wrong on my interpretations (plus I am not a member of the Beast's Lair forums). However, I have watched several shows linked to the Fate series and completed the Fate/Stay Night visual novel while reading up a bit on Tsukihime. I have come up with two candidates for the best Fate anime though upon further pondering, I have chosen the one in this post. The first runner-up is Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Ilya for having high quality content in terms of action, comedy and alternate interpretations (with fanservice to market the show to the... other side). The best one, in my honest opinion which I will not hesitate to repeat, however is.... (drum roll please) 

Carnival Phantasm:

Credit to: (http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/carnival-phantasm/images/25511446/title/artwork-photo)

Carnival Phantasm is a comedy series based around the Nasuverse where most characters are able to have fun, go nuts and take a break from the dark and dreary reality that is the Nasuverse. The most prominent characters of Carnival Phantasm tend to be from the Fate series or the Tsukihime series (which never got an anime sadly despite claims to the contrary) though the specials do bring in others such as Kara no Kyoukai and some from the more obscure works (and NOT Kyoukai no Kanata). The anime itself appears to be influenced (if not based on) the gag manga series Take Moon and All Around Type Moon (do not quote me on this, I don't really know though I can verify Take Moon at least)). So, I will proceed to justify why this is the best Fate anime to air aside from Kaleid (that's another story) while listing some flaws that I can remember from my repeated viewings (seventeen marathons if I recall correctly). 
Note: I know this is more like a Type Moon anime than a Fate anime but bear with me, there is not a lot of options to watch animated Fate adaptations aside from the sublime Kaleid, the disappointing Fuh Stuh Nut or the abominations by Deen (and I'm sure hentai specials do not count... I think). Besides, the Fate characters have equal prominence to the Tsukihime characters (if not more at times).

What makes it:

http://moarpowah.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/carnival-phantasm-fate-stay-madness.png and
http://moarpowah.com/2011/08/24/first-impressions-carnival-phantasm/

Entertainment value is important for any comedies and Carnival Phantasm delivers often with alternate character interpretation, bizarre comedic situations, re-interpretation of key moments and enough recurring gags to keep Type Moon fans and regular viewers entertained throughout the course. Even the basic humour is entertaining for the character reactions and exaggerated gags that is filled in the show. Any Type Moon fan or those familiar with it will thoroughly enjoy the many running gags that are linked to the characters that exist in the Nasuverse. Personally, I usually watch clips of this show or Poyopoyo Kansatsu Nikki (a show about the world's first spherical cat) whenever I get bored during a loading screen due to the short length (less than twenty minutes usually) of each episode. This is a good thing as it does not overstay its welcome and is able to deliver the amount of content it should give.

http://anime.astronerdboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Carnival-Phantasm.jpg and
http://anime.astronerdboy.com/2015/11/so-i-started-watching-carnival-phantasm.html

Characters are essential to the Nasuverse seeing as their popularity sells most of the products (especially their cash cow: Saber). Each has an established character and traits that provides their motivations with expanded materials introduced to expand on these characteristics while explaining the origin of said characteristics. Carnival Phantasm uses these established characters and places them in a gag series while creating scenarios where their characteristics would shine. In this series, we see what people would actually think of Gil's attitude when the threat of death is minimal at best along with more of Saber's human traits, the relationships of the characters (seemingly based around Hollow Ataraxia) and ultimately, the what-if moments where a character is placed in that situation. Each character has their most prominent trait used to create gags that any Type Moon fan can enjoy and do not happen to be snobs that demand constantly dark and depressing story-lines all the time. 
(Note: If you are, go slither back to Urobochi, you darn mood-killers. Stay away from Expelled from Paradise as well, the bitter-sweet moments would ruin your emo boners.)

https://coubsecure-a.akamaihd.net/get/b121/p/coub/simple/cw_timeline_pic/b5dc4c441f6/5e694556f703f1b40a3af/big_1440255303_image.jpg 

Being a lighthearted adaptation is a positive thing to feature when dealing with the Nasuverse. While the setting is not completely grim like an Urobochi work, it is often grim and dark at times with serious story-lines (if the slice of life and romance aspects did not force their way in like a bad smell) that involves a lot of deaths and emotional breakdowns. So to have an entire anime focused on being lighthearted while being able to take the piss out of itself is a nice contrast. By being a lighthearted comedy, Carnival Phantasm becomes a relief to regular viewers of Nasu's works. Indeed, I spent countless hours laughing at Gil-fans who worship the ground he walks on due to parodies like these that make gags around his character and actually being aware of his character flaws such as immense pride, being summoned in an age where humanity appeared to be stagnating and constantly underestimating threats due to said pride. This is a series that is not afraid of turning some of the interesting and awesome characters into the butt of jokes or making them into bigger butts. While the Nasuverse is interesting due to Nasu having put a lot of work into world-building and establishing the principles of said universe, it gets a grim to a point that it induces apathy at times (which is what happened to me when I was reading Heaven's Feel) and so, I needed some relief (which the VN awkwardly gave in the form of said slice of life and romance aspects in the middle of a war hurting the pacing for some readers). Carnival Phantasm eschews the grim and harsh nature of their universe to make it fun for people to enjoy and the aforementioned nature is brought in to further the cause of comedy.

http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/typemoon/images/f/f6/Cafe.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20110829190825

Compared to the other works of Nasu and Type Moon, Carnival Phantasm happens to be easier to get into in comparison to other works. While it is still difficult to get into Carnival Phantasm for a normal viewer, this light-hearted take on the Nasuverse is a lot easier to get into as it has basic humour that relies on basic comedic elements such as exaggerated slapstick, snide remarks and bizarre situations that could get a chuckle. Compared to other works in the Nasuverse, this requires less reading as compared to other works like Fate, Tsukihime and Kara no Kyoukai which require a  bit more research and investment to get into. If you were to go into forums or discussions, you will often find people discussing who was the best waifu or arguing why Gil is the most powerful anime character of all time (he is not and stop mixing up his ship's speed with his actual walking speed!). These discussions never end as people either never did the necessary reading or only uses the wiki as their source of information. Carnival Phantasm requires less of that for SOME newcomers. While I do call this a positive, this is a mixed bag as some knowledge of the Nasuverse is required to fully enjoy this series which I will discuss in the later section.

What breaks it

http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/28300000/Carnival-Phantasm-tsukihime-28304569-638-361.jpg

While I did say that Carnival Phantasm is easier to get into, this does not mean that it can allow for immediate access. To get most of the jokes, viewers are required to know about the Nasuverse or have a basic understanding of said universe. Most viewers would tend to be Fate fans who will be confused at the presence of Shiki, Arcueid and Ciel along with other side characters (Satsuki, the ever unfortunate) that do not have prominence. Another confusing point is the gags that Hollow Ataraxia made popular appearing once in a while. Caren's sadism and Bazett's relationship with Lancer requires knowledge of the context. For maximum entertainment, knowledge of the context is often required and while some viewers can laugh at the basic gags (the best incarnation of Saber for instance), others will simply look on quizzically like a four year old looking at a porn magazine. Actually, the reactions of viewers would be like a four year old looking at a porno, they may simply like the pictures because it looks good or be confused or be aroused.

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3NXAM8fbDUE/hqdefault.jpg and
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NXAM8fbDUE

Sadly, Carnival Phantasm does not use a lot of characters in the Nasuverse to its fullest. I guess this is a result of new games and movies being released (creating licensing issues), the works being too irrelevant to be used or new works were only produced too far in the future for actual usage by the show. Prominent characters from Fate like Shirou, Saber, Rin, Ilya, Archer and Lancer often appear for gags while others only get solitary and sometimes, short segments in special episodes (Sakura being a prominent example). This also occurs for the Tsukihime characters as antagonists and other prominent characters only get short segments to themselves. I guess at the time of airing not all the characters have become famous to have a segment to themselves. So, we never saw an episode that animates the segments from All Around Type Moon where Saber, Arcueid and Shiki Ryougi (different from Shiki Tohno from Tsukihime for the curious) interact and acknowledge their roles as main heroines of their respective works (Ryougi is the actual main character of the Kara no Kyoukai light novel series). I could be wrong about this statement though.

Credit to MyAnimeList and user royaldocks for this picture
(the thread it resides in is locked: http://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=1444132&show=200)

Personal opinion:
I am unable to think of more justifications as I am working on a drowsy brain at the moment. I can say that, as a Type Moon fan, Carnival Phantasm is well worth a watch to see your favourite characters be involved in the funniest situations along with getting the in-jokes that are well known throughout the franchise. This show may be a hit or miss for most viewers but anyone who declares themselves a Type Moon fan (or watches Fate) should give this a watch at least once while waiting for the Heaven's Feel movie, the next episode of Fate Kaleid or even the ever-distant Tsukihime remake. The running gags that exist throughout the Nasuverse along with gags that are in-line with canonical character traits make this a show for almost any Type Moon fan. I wish that a new season of Carnival Phantasm is made someday to make new jokes on the new materials based around Type Moon franchises. I highly recommend Carnival Phantasm for any Type Moon fans and if you disagree, no worries. It's your own opinion. 


Note: Just to clarify again, I state why I like something with detail (the degree may vary) usually to allow readers to see if their opinions are similar to my own and whether we have similar tastes. If we do and you find something you like thanks to these opinions, cool. If not, nothing wrong with a different opinion. Just don't force it down my throat.

What makes it:
Entertainment value
Characters 
Light-hearted adaptation

What breaks it

Required to know about the Nasuverse

Does not use a lot of characters in the Nasuverse

P.S: Saber Lion is the BEST Saber of all time and no arguments will change my mind!

(Shameless taken from and full credits to: http://www.zerochan.net/Saber+Lion and http://static.zerochan.net/Saber.Lion.full.1149790.jpg)

Liberty Island (a look at the first level of Deus Ex)

I recently finished Deus Ex(PC and a port on the PS2, Deus Ex: The Conspiracy) as a stealthy technical pacifist (only killing members of the Conspiracy) and seeing as Mankind Divided (which I am looking forward to) is on the way, I'm going to make a second playthrough where every hostile individual is fair game and for this level only, I am only allowed to kill with a crowbar. (Extra note: For this playthrough of mine, the other levels require me to kill them with melee weapons or via indirect means.) I will describe, with dark images, the main positive aspects of Deus Ex. The mods I'm using are New Vision (http://www.moddb.com/mods/new-vision) and Kentie's launcher (http://kentie.net/article/dxguide/). (It may not show on the screenshots here). If you are playing Deus Ex on PC using modern PCs, these mods are highly recommended (if not compulsory to play said game). This is not going to be a visual walkthrough (there is a superior pre-existing visual walkthrough available via the link provided and numerous Let's Plays online (http://www.visualwalkthroughs.com/deusex/deusexwalkthrough.htm).

Let's begin with the first level, Liberty Island.

This will be my JC Denton who comes with a tan formed by a tanning bed accident. As you can tell, I have utilised the Pistol skill exploit to give myself an unfair advantage. Unlike Yahtzee's Deus Ex song, I picked Rifle and Computer though out of loyalty, I did not pick Swimming (I am not doing a speed-run after all).

The opening cutscene to Deus Ex that spoils some of the early twists. As a veteran Deus Ex player, I am very familiar with the cutscene and can accurately tell what the speakers mean though I will not to avoid spoilers for newcomers. Not every moment in the cutscene will be here seeing as Youtube is available to peruse said cutscene. As for the pictures, there is a grim world that awaits me in this playthrough.

Welcome to Liberty Island and it seems that Steam's screenshot system does not capture New Vision's enhancements. This means that the reader will see how the unmodded game looked like around 2001.

Above, the reader can see the Infolink at work as it provides exposition, advise, information and blocks all attempts to quicksave. As seen in the picture, there is a wooden crate and a crowbar sitting side-by-side like the best of friends. Students of the Gordon Freeman class for opening wooden crates would no doubt figure out the best course of action.

Nearby to these crates are a staircase that leads under the platform. Lying below are these two crates that did not pray hard enough for JC not to notice them (or in this case, recall their location from previous playthroughs). This is probably the first hint to players that there are hidden items throughout the level and the game.

Above is a conversation with JC's brother, Paul who apparently had the same accident. I do like the fact that the player can directly influence Paul's appearance. The conversation eventually leads to Paul asking the player to choose one of three weapons to use and seeing as I played this before, I pick the one weapon that does not spawn on Liberty Island.

  

Here's a classic Deus Ex dilemma. Two opponents ahead and I have limited ammunition along with an untrustworthy skill level in Pistols. How do I minimize harm to myself while taking out both targets and preventing wastage of ammunition?

What is not pictured here is the location of the crate with the gas grenade inside. Thanks to it, I am able to take both opponents out with a crowbar and minimal health loss. Creativity is something that the game encourages to compensate for the RPG elements that have significant effects on gameplay(i.e a special operative being unable to shoot the broad side of a barn without putting some skill points into the appropriate gun skills). Additional solutions in such situations can include a fire-extinguisher, pepper spray or even a riot prod. This allows experimentation with the game and allows for differing playthrough rules (i.e non-lethal, only melee kills, only allowed to kill using firearms etc.)

To clarify, the above pictures depict me missing a shot (my skill level is only Trained at best) and being forced to rely on the allied bot on the docks. These little exploits are always fun to use which is something that is encouraged by the skill based system.

Throughout the game, there are dialogue options for the player to select. Certain dialogue options do benefit the player with more items to use or a clue to progress in the level.

Due to selecting the violent dialogue option for the trigger-happy soldier, I was given a code that most former members of Looking Glass Studios would recognize (along with fans of the works produced by said studio).

Observe the unconventional method to opening locked crates. As it turns out, explosives make a good substitute for lockpicks. Any player of Deus Ex should know the value of keeping some LAMs (Lightweight Attack Munition) at hand. Alternatively, one could also use a TNT crate to do the same thing. Once again, Deus Ex grants the player the freedom to choose the master thief routine or the Michael Bay approach.

Here is another example of using the environment against the enemy, namely luring a hostile NPC into the patrol path of a foul-tempered security bot.

Here is another example of dialogue options. In this case, Harley Filben is more than willing to give a key to the front door (which is pointless in my usual approach to this level)

Below the waters lies a sunken ship with a locked trapdoor. The picture depicts a TNT crate that I purposely moved into the shot. Remember what a rocket did to that locked crate?

Now this was a little tricky as key positioning and movement are required to get the TNT crate into position. The funny thing here is, judging by the difficulty in moving the crate under the water, the method I'm employing may not have been intended or should have been difficult to attempt.

Voilà! The door is open and the supplies in it are ripe for the taking. This is one example of exploration being awarded as a new player may not even see the boat beneath the waters (I think there is a line of dialogue hinting at it but I am not sure).

What was not pictured here was my near death by drowning. Luckily, a closer glance at this marked crate reveals some medbots that can heal me back to full-health. Full disclosure, I only know about this place thanks to finding it in a previous playthrough and prior to that, from a hint in a guide on GameFAQs.

Before finding the medbots, I went looking for supplies in a bunker. There are crates at the end of that bunker but my problem is the electrical arcs from this broken power box. The game appears to imply that I use a multi-tool to fix the power-box but multi-tools are a precious commodity, especially in the earlier levels. This is where the freedom of experimentation comes into play again.

I am sorry that the pictures are very dark but in actual gameplay, I was trying to conserve bio-electricity and using the light augmentation would have drained it. Using the forklift depicted in the second screenshot and the box in the third, I am able to jump onto the forklift and bypass the electricity by merely hoping onto the power-box itself.

Full disclosure: This took multiple tries as the pepper spray sometimes did not work. As seen in the third picture though, the approach was successful. The game often rewards creativity by allowing players to conserve resources that might be used normally. In this case, a simple pepper spray was able to stun all 3 targets allowing for a follow-up that involved a crowbar and a re-enactment of the first levels of Half-Life. No pistol ammo was used here.

These are the two main ways into the statue (aside from a super-jump exploit). I normally use the front door since it allows me to reach Gunther (a captured mechanically augmented soldier) quickly and allows me access to a turret. The crates take you closer to the main objective and I guess a speed runner could find some use with the back entrance.

One thing I like about Deus Ex is the keyboard input of passwords and codes rather than giving you an automated input. This adds more immersion as the player is involved in the process. Later levels require the player to piece together incomplete passwords from clues gathered around said levels which forces players to think about potential solutions or workarounds. Like I said before, I never needed the front door key since the security console can open the door for you.

There are two ways into Gunther's holding area. The doorway covered with laser trip wires or the ventilation shaft. I usually check the vent for supplies first before disabling the lasers.

Not pictured here is the TNT crate I shot to destroy the tripwires and the three guards I killed with a crowbar.

The humanoid mech in that room is Gunther Hermann, a source of show-stealing gags that fans will remember for years to come. Before I speak to him...

I discard my pistol at the side here. Before you ask, I have a reason for this and it has nothing to do with suicidal overconfidence.

The conversation leads to Gunther requesting you for a weapon. Refusing to do so will make him less friendlier with you in the early stages but the pistol is a very useful weapon and usually, most players have added upgrades to the trusty firearm. So, I took a third option and opted to hand over a measly combat knife to him. 

One nice feature of Deus Ex is the flavour text that occasionally pop up whenever you find a certain locale or object with your mission control providing comments that are within their established characters. New Vision also cleaned up the texture on the Liberty Island Sign here which is a nice addition.

Once again, two guards and I really wanted to conserve my supplies. The halls are lined with gas grenades planted as mines... An idea comes to me.

Voilà! And all I lost was some feeling in my left leg...

Meet the leader of the NSF (National Secessionist Forces) group here, Leo Gold. He looks unhappy to see me (at least that's what I think since he does not show any actual emotion on his face...)

Another dialogue choice (as I will refer to these from now on). I can choose to kill him out of spite or take him in alive and concious. Since I want to complete the mission properly (and avoid being killed as shown by my low health in the above picture), I take him in alive. 

Here is an augmentation canister. A basic collection system for ability progression though the abilities are useful for opening up options for the player.

For a terrorist leader, Leo is quite articulate. Something I have not depicted here is the intelligent conversations between the NSF forces, hinting that these terrorists are rational individuals and that there is something more underlying their motives for fighting. 

Since I am playing a homicidal JC Denton, I decide that I want this soldier's assault riffle (the explosive rounds I can get later on are useful for the excessively dutiful lock).

Here is a picture of me killing Leo just to hear Alex chastising me for my homicidal nature.

The fact that the game actually allows for these courses of action is amazing in itself. But there's more to it than that.

Here is an instance of the game acknowledging your in-game actions, a feature in role-playing games that I really like a lot.

The canister provides the two abilities: Microfibral Strength or Combat Strength. I usually go with the former as the ability to move large crates around is more useful to me as an explorer rather than the ability to hit someone harder.

One thing I realised here after a third playthrough is the different conversations that can arise from your actions. Here, Paul is chastising my high body count but in a non-lethal run, he praises me instead. He will also call you "a complete jackass" if you kill Leo after he surrenders.

When the power drops, go in and go in and go in like the US Marshals and his three daughters, and we lose the vaccine! (The Malkavian mod is a gem...)

This is the pay-off for killing that soldier. The game is smart enough to recognise your actions and call you out for it. It was always amusing to experiment around to find the hidden dialogue that your actions may trigger.

E-mails like these help remind the player that there is a living world that takes place in-game with new messages that appear at later stages. Not pictured here is Gunther's e-mail that adds a lot of depth to his character while highlighting some human flaws to the homicidal mech.

 Ah Gunther... Don't ever change...

 A quotable phrase by JC Denton. More will follow as you progress through the game...

Hello, Shannon! This will have consequences that the game actually notes in later stages.

This e-mail here is very useful to figuring out everyone's login and password. Most players will take note of it. I usually write it all down or take a photo of it with my phone.

 What is this? A fourth level to the UNATCO base? I'm sure it is not too important...

Similar to my murder of that soldier, my moment as a pervert was acknowledged by the game. It is always amusing to hear this line every time I replay Deus Ex.

One thing I have not shown is where skill points go. At this page, the player will be able to decide on areas to specialise in. This can vary throughout multiple playthroughs thus adding replay-ability. Since this playthrough will consist of melee kills only, you can guess what I choose. 

Another thing I failed to show is these ATMs. Using details found by exploration, a player can take money from other accounts. While this may seem heartless and cruel, you could argue that the unlawful confiscation of finances is used to ensure the effectiveness of a field agent. Alternatively, just accept the fact that you are a dick.

And now we set off! (unless you own a pirated copy that was never cracked) To the rest of the game and it never stops being good!

Personal opinion:

If you consider yourself a gamer or play video games regularly, this is a must-try at the very least and usually, is a must have. If there is a sale on Steam or GoG, GET THIS GAME! 

This is one of my top 5 games of all time due to how easy it is to get into (compared to System Shock 2), how interesting the story is (with the themes explored) and how fun it is. I could go on and on about what makes this game so good but if I did, I will probably be quoting so many game review websites and reviewers so instead, I will let the reader search for these critiques instead. A new playthrough is never boring and despite the modern graphics and certain improvements of Human Revolution; I consider this to be the best Deus Ex game of all time (Invisible War only gets a participation certificate at most). Despite some of the positive news I have heard about Mankind Divided, I highly doubt Mankind Divided can surpass Deus Ex but I welcome it to try. If it does, I will sing praises from the top of the KL Twin Towers to ensure all of Malaysia will hear it before panicking upon recalling my fear of heights.

Edit: The recent Mankind Divided pre-order campaign has soured my opinion of Mankind Divided entirely. The introduction of tier-based rewards for pre-orders only seems to encourage pre-order culture (as most pre-order rewards tend to do) which is upsetting to me as most people that buy into hype will pre-order and thus will encourage such behavior in other companies (while potentially allowing it to evolve for the worst). The system used by Mankind Divided sadly is worse than the typical pre-order scheme. The act of forcing limitation into one's pre-order copy (the tier 1, tier 2 and tier 4 awards) means that even with a pre-order, one is limited based on the options they chose and prevents access to the other content. Worse still is their idea for an ultimate reward for pre-orders: the game being released 4 days earlier which is rather pointless since people can be patient (or at least rational with their hype boners). The lack of a figure to show how much is actually required for each tier certainly does not help seeing as a percentage does not indicate much at all. This is a bad practice that merely seeks to incentivize pre-orders and trick gamers into buying a product that has locked content while possibly lacking in quality and content. I hope that Square Enix (who I suspect to be the main instigators for this bloody awful pre-order campaign and hopefully not Eidos Montreal (the actual developers)) will retract this campaign and proceed normally with basic pre-order bonuses that are not locked away content. Sadly, a world where that happens is probably not this world and thus all I can do is boycott Mankind Divided until the so-called 'Director's Cut' edition shows up on sale. For a better coverage of this fiasco, I recommend viewing the videos on this matter by Jim Sterling or Totalbiscuit. All I'm doing is voicing my disapproval of this campaign and my jaded opinions of Mankind Divided. I know that opinions will differ (and I have seen enough comments that reflect this) so feel free to express your opinions in the comments below.

The sad fact is that even if like-minded individuals do the same as me, it may not guarantee the failure of this campaign. If Square does this kind of behavior more, I may even expand this boycott to all Square Enix games and even I know the futility of that.

Edit to edit: Good thing Square Enix grew a brain! I guess this world is salvageable after all! No more pre-order campaign. Just a basic one that gives all the benefits to the relevant editions...