Deus Ex Revision Mod

Do I agree with every change Deus Ex Revision made to the original design of the game? No. Instead I find it better to view Revision in the same way as other map-centric TCs like Nihilum, Zodiac, and 2027. A mod to be played after having experienced the original. An alternative version to contrast against vanilla Deus Ex. A lot can be learned about what makes Deus Ex work by comparing the vanilla maps with Revision. This modification is just a different experience, not something to be seen as a replacement for the original game. Despite this I do appreciate the amount of work that has gone into Revision. Since its initial release Revision has received many updates adding a large amount customization to the game along with continued changes to the various maps. For instance, if you are like me and cannot stand many of the HDTP weapon models, these individually can be switched back to their original vanilla versions. This process of adding customization and tweaking the maps is still ongoing. A big point of contention for some is that the "normal" gameplay setting is actually a modified version of the Human Renovation patch/mod. However I have read that they plan on adding an even more faithful vanilla gameplay setting in the near future. Personally I actually prefer Human Renovation when playing the vanilla Deus Ex maps. It alters gameplay in small ways that make sense and features a lot less radical changes than what you will find in mods like Shifter. Some seem to forget that Revision was released for free. The mod was locked into Steam for so long due to the original deal that the modders worked out with Square Enix. Aspects of this mod required the team to actually work with Square Enix for legal reasons in order to get the mod released at all. It should be noted that the GOG release is 100% DRM free. GOG Galaxy is only needed if you care about achievements, the game and mod can be installed separate from GOG Galaxy and do not require it.

Most of these low ratings are not very descriptive so I will fill in the gaps. Two things about this mod pissed off these nostalgic Deus Ex fans: 1) It used to be Steam exclusive. 2) This is the big one: level design changes. The layout of some of the levels has been altered. Subjective level design layout changes aside, Revision is a massive objective improvement over the base game in nearly every way. As for these level design changes, most of them are for the better. They add detail to places where the base game is sorely lacking, areas that are empty in the base game that shouldn't be. Other level design changes are artistic IMPROVEMENTS, like VersaLife headquarters which went from looking like a rather generic office building to something fittingly high end and high tech. But it is true that Revision also makes unneeded changes to the layout of several levels, such as Chinatown. Not better or worse, yet people throw a hissy fit just because a change was made. Keep this in mind. The negativity is not because these changes are bad (they aren't), it's just because they were made in the first place but it's actually not a big deal. Some of these changes are unneeded and don't improve or worsen the game, that's that. I prefer Biomod since it adds vaulting (climbing any ledge like the Thief games). Revision's balance is far better than the base game particularly on Realistic mode. GMDX is a very similar mod with more configuration options and no changes to level design layout. I do recommend GMDX v9 instead for the additional configuration options, its improved sound effects, and its more versatile augmentation tweaks.

Play the original vanilla game first. This mod is very well done and help those who are looking for an updated game version with more modern mechanics, the problem is that for make that possible had to make some changes. Play it, is really good and you won't probably come back to the original game after that, that is why it's so important you play the original first, live the classic charm ;)

Choose original Deus Ex or one with GMDX mod. This is not worth it playing it even if it's free. They've changed too much of the coherent original game into out-of-place chaos. The original feel is gone. There are mods that add much more to the game while simultaneously enriching its feel. This Revision is just a disaster. Take a look at the original intro sequence versus this one, it reflects Revision very well. The original intro sequence portrayed the world situation very well, looked epic, serious and very intriguing. Revision revisioned the intro sequence to look out of place, hard to understand and casual. It's hard to even comprehend how they've managed to make it so bad without trying.