THE BEST MOD EVER - DEUS EX: THE NAMELESS MODTHE BEST MOD EVER - DEUS EX: THE NAMELESS MODI'm sure everyone here is aware of Deus Ex. Right? Right!? The best game ever made, basically. Known famously as the "grandaddy" of immersive sims, the original Deus Ex, published by Ion Storm in 2000, knocked players socks off with its complex emergent gameplay, allowing players to tackle situations in any way they fit. Whether you're sneaking, shooting, or throwing potted plants around, Deus Ex gives you a little bit of everything, all in a dystopian cyberpunk conspiracy plot where it always feels like shit is going down. Deus Ex has been reverred for decades and is still widely regarded as one of the best games ever made. But you already knew that, didn't you?
Yeah, yeah, Deus Ex is awesome. We get it. Quite frankly I don't even know why I made an introduction paragraph, it's fuckin' Deus Ex! Then again, the game is pretty old, so I suppose someone reading this would need a briefing. Either way, we all know where Deus Ex stands in videogame history and why it's so awesome. Deus Ex is an absolutely unforgettable experience that could never be recreated by anyone... Right?
Mods have been a staple in videogames for a very, very long time. There's nothing else that can extend a game's lifespan quite like putting the players in the developers' shoes. There have been many stories of a rag-tag group of passionate fans banding together to create an unforgettable modding experience, or a complete dumpster fire. Entropy: Zero 1 and 2, Portal Stories: Mel, examples of mods that are so incredibly amazing they directly rival or even surpass the vanilla experience. Not like there aren't stinkers, either. A lot of stinkers. Making mods is hard, especially total conversions, which is basically when you're making a whole new campaign, and since technically anyone can make a mod, the quality can vary. I wouldn't consider that a problem though. Stupid mods are awesome too, and there's a joy in creating just for the sake of creating. Deus Ex has a fairly dedicated modding community. Browsing the game's ModDB page presents a wide variety of modifications, ranging from custom models, multiplayer maps, and, of course, total conversions, one of which is the subject of this here review: The Nameless Mod, created by Off Topic Productions. Originally created in 2009, and given a complete overhaul in 2023, this is a mod which, by some ungodly miracle, happens to be as good as the original Deus Ex.
Uh oh. I was scared that the header would ask that question. Unfortunately, Deus Ex: The Nameless Mod sounds really lame when you describe the main synopsis, so you'll just have to trust me that it's awesome while I copypaste the synopsis off of the ModDB page and paraphrase it a little:
"In Forum City, the Internet is serious business. As its name implies, the city is the physical embodiment of Internet forums and bulletin boards. Everywhere there are factions scheming to increase their reach, or even wrest control of the city itself. Were it not for a peacekeeping triumvirate of invulnerable Moderators the city would quickly plunge into chaos. Unthinkably, a Moderator has disappeared, and panic is gripping the city. With the remaining Moderators spread far too thin, the lawless have found themselves with the freedom to prey upon others. You are called upon to silence the discord."
TL;DR Anthropomorphised internet forums, moderators help the city from falling into chaos, moderator is kidnapped, shit gets fucky wucky.
I know, that sounds a bit lame. Anthopomorphised internet where moderators are these cool action superheros is a little bit stupid. But it's not like it's trying not to be dumb. The mod knows that its entire core concept is pretty silly when you think about it, and it doesn't try to make you think otherwise. The writing is very campy - characters will make dumb jokes, and make silly references, but there's still a conflict and they know when to get real. Shit is going down, just like in Deus Ex - it's just that the conflict is happening in the physical embodiment of internet forums.
To anyone else who asks that a silly-yet-serious indie project about the internet created in 2009 is awfully similar to the topic of my previous review, please keep quiet as we get into the nitty gritty.
Well, it's Deus Ex. But MORE.
Of course it's gonna play pretty much just like Deus Ex - it's a mod for the bloody thing. But that doesn't mean its without its own little bells and whistles. For example, your player character, Trestkon, learned to throw hands. Fists are a skill now, so if you haven't gotten any weapons on you, or you just like punching things, you've got that option.
This isn't the only thing that The Nameless Mod introduces. It also features some new mechanics, such as lower-tech cameras in which you need to knock out the security guard watching the footage to deactivate. You can also find an ability that lets you view the augmentations that a character is using, something that I missed in my original playthrough.