Deep computer games?

[Lazybones]

Neverwinter Nights, mostly because of the toolset. Building games is, to me, more "deep" than playing them... although I still enjoy playing.

 

[Aaron L]

Homeworld. I still havent beaten it, and I still play it often.


Everquest was my life for 4 years. So sad.

 

[Orius]

Interesting that there's been little mention of strategy games -- which is actually what I had in mind when I posed the question.

I'll give a mention to Impressions Games city builders — Caesar III, Pharaoh, Zeus: Master of Olympus, and Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom. If I hadn't gotten a copy of Zeus for Christmas as a gift a few years ago, I probably wouldn't have noticed these games. I can't say how much time I've killed on these games trying to build the perfect city. I like Zeus' gameplay more, but I Pharaoh offers a more satifying challenge.

 

[Thanee]

Desperados!!!

Bye
Thanee

 

[Elemental]

What's are the deepest computer games you ever played?

Depth meaning the level of involvement or, possibly, complexity. What games really challenged you to think, and left you feeling like you really achieved something?

Carl

Deus Ex, when you end the game in a unique position where you can change the world. The people who have been on your side are urging you towards three different, exclusive courses of action, each with it's own ending (spoiler).

Spoiler

You can destroy the communications hub of the world, ensuring nobody else will ever be able to exert tyranny over all of humanity by information control and destroying the possibility of large-scale society.

You can accept the offer of the AI to merge with it in place of the villain, and become a post-human benovolent dictator who restores order to the world.

You can kill the villain and leave the communications network intact. The Illuminati take it over and assume shadow rulership of the world, with you as one of their number.

I picked the second ending first.

 

[Tharian]

Wow. Given everyone's responses to Planescape:Torment, I may actually have to unwrap the game and try it out. I remember picking it up as a used game several years ago, but I never even took it out of the shrinkwrap.

I've been trying to find a game that would suck me into its own world. Maybe this game will do it. I'll give it a try when I need a break from visiting family over the next couple of weeks.

 

[krunchyfrogg]

Wow. Given everyone's responses to Planescape:Torment, I may actually have to unwrap the game and try it out. I remember picking it up as a used game several years ago, but I never even took it out of the shrinkwrap.

I've been trying to find a game that would suck me into its own world. Maybe this game will do it. I'll give it a try when I need a break from visiting family over the next couple of weeks.

I just started, and while the world is a little weird, it's a lot of fun.

 

[Jarrod]

Deus Ex and System Shock for the FPS genre. Deus Ex is an _amazingly_ open ended game; someone beat it without using any inventory items at all. No killing people, just sneaking by. Wow. System shock is just freaky.

Thinking games... Ultimas 4 and 5. 4 was a revolution in the goal of the game, and 5 was simply huge.

And I still enjoy pulling out Thief.

 

[Asmor]

Deus Ex and System Shock for the FPS genre. Deus Ex is an _amazingly_ open ended game; someone beat it without using any inventory items at all. No killing people, just sneaking by. Wow. System shock is just freaky.

Thinking games... Ultimas 4 and 5. 4 was a revolution in the goal of the game, and 5 was simply huge.

And I still enjoy pulling out Thief.

In Planescape Torment, if you have high enough mental stats (I'd assume Wisdom is the key), you can beat the final boss by talking to it.

I have to agree with Deus Ex, though, that's one of the few "open-ended" games that really does feel open-ended, as opposed to just being forced to pick one of a couple paths. Back when it came out, I remember talking with a friend about it and we both did things very differently and achieved very different results.

 

[Welverin]

Likely one of the numerous rpg's (Ultima's 6, 7, 7 pt2, and Underworld in particular) and the first two X-COM's.