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    E.Y.E: Divine Cybermancy

    Game » consists of 2 releases. Released Jul 29, 2011

    Based on the roleplaying board game, A.V.A, E.Y.E: Divine Cybermancy is an FPS-RPG set in a "dark cyberpunk world."

    E.Y.E. Divine Cybermancy (New Deus Ex-inspired FPS/RPG on Steam)

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    Egge

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    Edited By Egge

    How about a brand new Deus Ex-inspired FPS/RPG hybrid with fast-paced shooter action, a ton of stats and skill-related customization options as well as a grim, stylized sci-fi aesthetics? And four-player co-op for the entire campaign? Well, somehow obscure French independent developer Streum On Studios have managed to release precisely that game, and it's available on Steam right now for the pleasingly midrange price point of around 18€.

    As one might expect in the case of a small team developing a hugely ambitious title like this, E.Y.E. does not feature the most technically impressive, accessible or polished gameplay you're likely to experience in a 2011 game, but my initial impression from the very first hour or so is that this is a promising product from a team which clearly knows exactly what fans of PC games like Deus Ex really want from their FPS/RPG hybrids. While its absurdly over-dimensioned maps, awkward text-heavy dialogue and somewhat obtuse character development system will not charm everyone, if you're into this type of game this could be well worth a look.

    Read some cautiously optimistic coverage of the game from Rock Paper Shotgun's Jim Rossignol here

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    Egge

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    #1  Edited By Egge

    How about a brand new Deus Ex-inspired FPS/RPG hybrid with fast-paced shooter action, a ton of stats and skill-related customization options as well as a grim, stylized sci-fi aesthetics? And four-player co-op for the entire campaign? Well, somehow obscure French independent developer Streum On Studios have managed to release precisely that game, and it's available on Steam right now for the pleasingly midrange price point of around 18€.

    As one might expect in the case of a small team developing a hugely ambitious title like this, E.Y.E. does not feature the most technically impressive, accessible or polished gameplay you're likely to experience in a 2011 game, but my initial impression from the very first hour or so is that this is a promising product from a team which clearly knows exactly what fans of PC games like Deus Ex really want from their FPS/RPG hybrids. While its absurdly over-dimensioned maps, awkward text-heavy dialogue and somewhat obtuse character development system will not charm everyone, if you're into this type of game this could be well worth a look.

    Read some cautiously optimistic coverage of the game from Rock Paper Shotgun's Jim Rossignol here

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    STUVNING

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    #2  Edited By STUVNING

    I read the article on RPS and I'm quite interested, will have to give it a go sometime. Just picked up Vampire: Bloodlines again so now's not a good time I guess.

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    Karkarov

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    #3  Edited By Karkarov

    Played around on it a bit today.  It isn't bad but it isn't so much a spiritual successor as it is a more FPS inclined Deus Ex.  The biggest issue I have with the game so far is weapon swaps are horrendous on the mouse wheel, the writing has alot of issues with translation, enemies seem psychic as they notice you from 100+ yards away unless you crouch walk everywhere, and the story is sort of dropped on you.  Otherwise it is okay.  It is clear from the beginning you get alot of story choices even if you don't care a ton at first about what is going on, the controls are mostly solid, and you have a ton of customizing options on your character, from gear load out, to stats, to special upgrades of all sorts.  
     
    Think Deus Ex with better graphics, weaker story/writing/voice acting, but better gunplay.
     
    I doubt DE:HR has anything to be worried about but it is still a solid game so far especially considering the small indie developer thing and reasonable price point.

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    Egge

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    #4  Edited By Egge

    @Karkarov: DE:HR has a lot to worry about in any case but I mostly agree with you on EYE being Deus Ex + better shooter mechanics, which is great in my view as DE's gunplay was always kind of rubbish (much like a lot of other individual aspects of that game).

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    BeachThunder

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    #5  Edited By BeachThunder

    Alright, I'll add to my wishlist :o

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    ahoodedfigure

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    #6  Edited By ahoodedfigure

    When I first saw this I thought it had something to do with Chaos Space Marines or something. The art style is interesting, if a bit confusing thematically.
     
    I read elsewhere, too, that it has big blocks of text. It shows effort, but how many people tend to read these things? I like a good story but I tend to be impatient if the text just blasts in front of me without the game giving me a bit of a library feeling. Like when I'm investigating something or reading a book in Morrowind I take the time to read, but if it's not presented well or the context for learning isn't there, I get irritated.
     
    Story stuff in large text blocks should sort of come later, I think. Maybe some clarification to start, to get the player in the right mindset (if possible), but I guess I don't find it that enthralling because I know that the game isn't really about reading text anyway.

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    Egge

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    #7  Edited By Egge

    @ahoodedfigure: I dislike all forms of text-based storytelling and lore accumulation in games (unless we're talking Zork, PS:T and similar IF-oriented titles, of course, in which text serves a very different function), but so far I've not had to bother much with the text in EYE. There's a hub area in the game which has an actual physical library/archive where you can go and read stuff about the world, but I haven't felt the need to so.

    The biggest problem with the text is rather that it's poorly written and poorly translated (I believe it's both and not just the latter, sadly), so people expecting a strong narrative won't find what they're looking for in EYE. The game is all about character customization, accommodating different play styles and, to a lesser extent, about experiencing a somewhat underproduced but nonetheless stylistically interesting game world (which has indeed been described as Warhammer 40,000 + Deus Ex).

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    SomeDeliCook

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    #8  Edited By SomeDeliCook

    I'm trying really hard to get into this game, but its not happening. First thing I did was turn off the ugly color correction, which helped a bit, but the game just feels so boring from the get go. Having to sit through tons of tutorial videos just to get things explained when a simple text box telling you how to do things would've sufficed,

    I also haven't given the game much of a chance just yet, nor have I actually had time to put into it. But these are initial impressions about 2 hours into it.

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    MeierTheRed

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    #9  Edited By MeierTheRed

    Just wanted to shed some light on the developers inspirations for this game, as its not only inspired by Deus Ex. Here is a list of the games they where inspired by: 
       
    The games:

    • Xcom 1 & 2
    • Syndicate 1 & 2
    • Wipe Out
    • Doom 1,2 & 3
    • Our free release Syndicate black ops
    • Severance
    • Mount & Blade
    • Omnikron (Nomad Soul)
    • Vietcong
    • S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
    • Space hulk
    • Deus Ex
    • Fallout
    • Left 4 Dead
    • Team Fortress 2
    Source, and a list of other inspirations as book, music ect. can be found here.
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    Egge

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    #10  Edited By Egge

    @pornstorestiffi: That's a pretty self-confident list, there; implying that the player can actually find elements from all of these very different classics in Streum's final product. But, to be fair, with the possible exception of Severance (or maybe that's because I haven't checked out the melee combat in EYE much yet?) I can sort of see at least a hint of every title on that list in the game. XCom might be a stretch as well, though. In any case, I still think Deus Ex is by far the most obvious point of comparison here.

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    #11  Edited By Egge

    @SomeDeliCook: I think this is the kind of game in which having to sit through text boxes and tutorial videos is something which must really excite the player on a deeply personal level if he or she is going to get something out of the experience. As for myself, I have my doubts about whether I have the dedication to stats and skills as well as the sheer scientific curiosity needed to delve into the nuances of the gameplay mechanics, but suffice it to say that it's not a game which players are going to be able to wrap their heads around after a few hours of gameplay (or even an entire playthrough, as experimenting with different classes and play styles seems to be the big draw here).

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    MeierTheRed

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    #12  Edited By MeierTheRed
    @Egge said:

    @pornstorestiffi: That's a pretty self-confident list, there; implying that the player can actually find elements from all of these very different classics in Streum's final product. But, to be fair, with the possible exception of Severance (or maybe that's because I haven't checked out the melee combat in EYE much yet?) I can sort of see at least a hint of every title on that list in the game. XCom might be a stretch as well, though. In any case, I still think Deus Ex is by far the most obvious point of comparison here.

    Agree, they had some high expectations for this game i think, and i can't say if they managed to pull off any of it as i haven't played the game my self. I have only seen videos and screenshots of it. And from that and reading the link to the Rock Paper Shotgun article,  i'm afraid it looks/sounds like they are biting off way more than they can chew.
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    Rhaknar

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    #13  Edited By Rhaknar

    this game came out of nowhere and it looks cool, but is it multiplayer only or the single player is fine? Im always hesitant of games that have 4-packs on steam, since it seems they are more inclined to be played with... 4 people :P

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    #14  Edited By Egge

    @Rhaknar: The game works perfectly fine in SP, and although I imagine the actual shooter parts could be really fun with other players I don't know how well the entire campaign works as an MP experience. There's a lot of individual fiddling around with menus, inventories, stats, skills and level-ups, which might get tiresome if you're trying to keep a certain pace to the game session. Someone made the comparison to Borderlands and there might be something to that; personally I'm a huge SP-only Borderlands fan but if you're used to playing a game like that together with other people that might likewise turn out to be your preference in EYE...

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    oraknabo

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    #15  Edited By oraknabo

    I was excited by the RPS coverage, but there's already a lot of pretty negative response on the Steam forums. It looks OK though and I'll probably get it at some point either way.

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    #16  Edited By Egge

    @oraknabo: Well, keep in mind that the Steam forums aren't exactly known for insightful commentary; especially not when it comes to complex genre-defying and independently produced games like E.Y.E. However, those reactions are certainly a good indication that the game's general lack of "AAA-ness" (i.e. state of the art graphics, fancy level geometry, intuitive gameplay mechanics, comprehensive tutorials and handholding etc.) is going to scare a lot of people off, partly for entirely legitimate reasons. You really have to be into the specific kind of gameplay this game offers to enjoy the game, and the average Steam forumite who've put a few hours into it don't tend to fall into that particular category (that said, there are quite a few "this game is great" threads there, as well...).

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    zaglis

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    #17  Edited By zaglis

    This totally needs a QL.

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    #18  Edited By Egge

    @zaglis: Agreed: this is pretty much the perfect game for Dave to scare the living daylights out of Ryan and Jeff with. Also, the GB crew would have an absolute field day with the hilarious subtitle "Divine Cybermancy" [sic?] alone... ;)

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    Rhaknar

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    #19  Edited By Rhaknar
    @Egge said:

    @Rhaknar: The game works perfectly fine in SP, and although I imagine the actual shooter parts could be really fun with other players I don't know how well the entire campaign works as an MP experience. There's a lot of individual fiddling around with menus, inventories, stats, skills and level-ups, which might get tiresome if you're trying to keep a certain pace to the game session. Someone made the comparison to Borderlands and there might be something to that; personally I'm a huge SP-only Borderlands fan but if you're used to playing a game like that together with other people that might likewise turn out to be your preference in EYE...

    ive only ever played borderlands as a SP game, so thats good news for me
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    AhmadMetallic

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    #20  Edited By AhmadMetallic

    that actually looks quite good

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    ArbitraryWater

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    #21  Edited By ArbitraryWater

    Seems pretty cool, although it does seem to have that overzealous kitchen sink mentality character of ambitious indie projects. Not going to pick it up now, as my backlog is currently and ominously growing every time I seem to set foot outside the house, and that backlog even includes Invisible War. While that game is apparently the spawn of satan n' such, I feel like I have to know exactly how they screwed up so bad (or, from what I've played so far, exactly how much the internet tends to exaggerate the flaws of any given disappointing sequel). Nonetheless, consider this on my radar. I'll wait for the inevitable sale I guess.

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    Egge

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    #22  Edited By Egge

    @ArbitraryWater: To the contrary, I feel part of EYE's charm is precisely that it tries to do so much at the same time in an era when it seems that almost everything actually released - as opposed to various hopelessly unrealistic mod plans which never gets further than pre-alpha stage - by a small and/or independent development team tends to be the result of a very disciplined, focused and conceptually limited project (and typically ends up being a physics-based puzzle game of some kind). EYE is rough, obtuse, even strikingly immature in a lot of ways but it's astonishing how the finished game incorporates clearly recognizable elements from games as varied as Deus Ex, Left 4 Dead, Omikron and STALKER. It's both painfully evident and completely unbelievable that it was made by a small inexperienced team of just ten guys.

    As for Invisible War, that sad story of that game is rather mundane and doesn't deserve any demonic connotations. The game merely suffered from uninteresting writing and pretty blatant console-ification (i.e. adjustements to controls, graphics engine and level size to make the game technically feasible on the first Xbox's modest hardware). The game's not a disaster by any means but the final product is simply bland, forgettable and frankly unnecessary in ways you certainly couldn't accuse the flawed but interestingly absurd first game in the series to be.

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    UnrealDP

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    #23  Edited By UnrealDP

    Been playing it for a few hours now and i just can't get over how crazy source mod it is, i feel like im playing on a garrys mod server. Other thatn that the game seems cool, but im not so into the picking up fatal wounds thing, it kinda detracts from doing anything crazy since im too scarred that i'll pick up a fatal wound.

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    Darkraven

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    #24  Edited By Darkraven
    @Egge: lets get a quicklook from the GB crew heh?
     
    yo GB, grab this one up for a looker!
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    zaglis

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    #25  Edited By zaglis
    @UnrealDP said:

    Been playing it for a few hours now and i just can't get over how crazy source mod it is, i feel like im playing on a garrys mod server. Other thatn that the game seems cool, but im not so into the picking up fatal wounds thing, it kinda detracts from doing anything crazy since im too scarred that i'll pick up a fatal wound.

    Yeah, what makes it more seem like Source mod are the reused sounds, animations and crappy AI behavior from HL2. Seriously, how much time it would have taken to find another free splash, metal, etc sounds

    Only game that doesn't feel like a Source mod IMO is Vindictus.
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    MeierTheRed

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    #26  Edited By MeierTheRed
    @oraknabo said:
    I was excited by the RPS coverage, but there's already a lot of pretty negative response on the Steam forums. It looks OK though and I'll probably get it at some point either way.
    Yeah was on the forums earlier today, and its kind of a mixed bag of impression you get from there. Hope GB does a quick look of it.
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    fisk0

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    #27  Edited By fisk0  Moderator

    I haven't bought the game yet, as I've heard of issues with ATi cards, which is what I have, along with a wide selection of bugs. I'll probably wait until the first patch is out, or until there's a wider selection of reviews and impressions to gather information from. It's definitely a fascinating game, which I want to purchase if only to support anyone who's still making games like these.

    As for games in the style and it's inspirations, I'm not really sure about their list. My impression is that it is much less Deus Ex than Shadowrun (the original setting, maybe especially the Sega Genesis game) and Perihelion: The Prophecy, though you can certainly see some visual influences from stuff like Deus Ex, Wipeout and Syndicate, but mostly Warhammer 40k.

    The religious/magical stuff seems a lot more like the techno/cyber-fantasy settings of Shadowrun, WH40k and GURPS Cyberpunk than the William Gibson-esque Deus Ex or Syndicate styles of near future dystopic sci-fi.

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    Karkarov

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    #28  Edited By Karkarov

    The setting and atmosphere are ripped from Deus Ex as well as alot of the gameplay, but all the character concept and "cybermancy" is shadowrun through and through.  No offense to the list but I have been playing 4-5 hours now and I am not getting a "mount and blade" vibe ;p.  I think that is more a "games we like" list than an actual list of games that inspired and or served as ground work for this one.

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    #29  Edited By ahoodedfigure
    @Egge: Strange. There are people out there who would probably edit and fluff up that stuff FOR FREE just to get their name attached to a game.
     
    Well, I would, anyway.
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    fisk0

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    #30  Edited By fisk0  Moderator

    @ahoodedfigure said:

    @Egge: Strange. There are people out there who would probably edit and fluff up that stuff FOR FREE just to get their name attached to a game. Well, I would, anyway.

    Having lent a bit of help to a few indie projects, I'd say there's no shortage of people saying they want to help, but very few who'd actually commit to help as much as is needed to get a big project running. Sometimes it's probably even best to have a small team working in a closed environment to get stuff done, as when you make the project too open, you may end up with lots of people saying they'll fix textures, create models, music and sounds that just never finish what they said they'd do, halting the development process while the devs are waiting for those resources that never show up.

    The same is pretty much true for alpha and beta testing, lots of people want to get in just so that they can try the game, thinking it's some kind of demo, and then never submit any bug reports, and then just disappear.

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    ahoodedfigure

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    #31  Edited By ahoodedfigure
    @fisk0: I've worked for indie projects too. I guess I was saying while we're rare, we're out there, wink wink :)
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    benpicko

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    #32  Edited By benpicko

     I watched Nova and Seamus play on YouTube. It looked alright.

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    owl_of_minerva

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    #33  Edited By owl_of_minerva

    As an FPS-RPG hybrid that is heavy on the shooting aspect, it's a good thing they got the shooting mechanics down - so many indie games have interesting ideas but stumble when it comes to execution. Most of the games flaws besides some bugs lie in translation and poor explanation of the numerous systems. I'm enjoying the game a lot so far, although I don't feel I've fully understood the mechanics yet; been just learning by doing as the tutorials are not very illuminating.  I like the game so far and would recommend it, there aren't enough genuine stabs at shooter-RPG hybrids or worked-out science fiction settings.

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    edfromballarat

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    #34  Edited By edfromballarat

    if you don't like the micromanagement of deus ex, the gunplay of halflife, the rusting source engine or user mods in general, this is not for you. This is one for the PC nerds, and we love it so far!

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    Tennmuerti

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    #35  Edited By Tennmuerti

    This seems to be way more of a shooter then Deus Ex (at least from your video and from the trailer on Steam), which is kinda turning me off.

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