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Game 35 Deja Vu II Final Rating

I was feeling very disgruntled when I completed Deja Vu II. So much so that I thought it best to take a couple of days off before writing up the Final Rating post in case the last few unhappy hours discoloured the entire gaming experience. Now that the crankiness has subsided (a bit), I still don’t think it’s going to rate very highly, but I’m interested to know where it rates in comparison to the other MacVenture games. Let’s find out!

Puzzles and Solvability
I really was enjoying the puzzle aspect of Deja Vu II until about three quarters through. Prior to that I’d had to work hard to make progress, but the solutions were found through logic and thoroughness, rather than any sort of blind luck (or assistance). I did miss the envelope hidden within the vacuum cleaner bag due to what I consider to be unfair misdirection, and applying the magnet as a fifth floor elevator button is certainly difficult, but neither of these puzzles was unsolvable. Unfortunately, things went pear shaped towards the end, with absolutely no guidance as to what’s required of the player. Even though I was on the right track myself, I was continually put off the scent after receiving no responses to my attempts at getting the mob bosses to take each other out. Even when I’d read all of Zenic’s hints and spoilers, I still found it extremely difficult to finish the game, to the point where I could almost call it unsolvable. I say almost, because I imagine someone with a lot of time on their hands and a penchant for self-harm might find success eventually unassisted. It wouldn’t be much fun though! I would have given the game at least 4 (probably 5) for the first three quarters, but the horrible conclusion means I can’t go higher than 3.
Rating: 3


Interface and Inventory
I’ve never liked the interface used in the MacVenture titles. If I didn’t complain about it much while playing, I guess that has more to do with me simply being used to it than any improvements. The small area at the bottom of the screen for dialogue means the player forever has to expand the window to read conversations in full. The exits system works well enough, but is only there due to the inadequacies of the graphical interface. The action interface is also clunky, particularly when every click counts (literally), making the player click multiple times to do simple tasks. Finally, there’s the inventory. Man, do I hate the inventory system in these games! The idea isn’t actually a bad one, allowing the player to drag items into the inventory and organise things as they see fit. Yet the small amount of space available (without overlaying the critical parts of the screen) and the necessity to keep items within other items makes for a really frustrating and at times game ending experience. It would all be more bearable if the player was given time to actually organise things, but taking time out to do that generally results in the time limit coming to get them. I gave the interface a 3 for the first game, but its five years later now, so it gets a 2.
Rating: 2


Story and Setting
Any game that starts in exactly the same way as its predecessor better have some decent surprises up its sleeve! Deja Vu II feels like a rehash, with the player waking up after being knocked out, then catching a cab around Chicago collecting items for no apparent reason, before finally trying to put it all together towards the end. Sure, there’s Las Vegas to explore too, but that’s made up of only three locations. Letting the player gamble in the casino there was an obvious yet nice touch I guess. As for the story itself, maybe it’s my lack of crime story experience that made putting things together so difficult, but I still don’t understand how I was supposed to gain a clear idea of the correct path towards the game’s conclusion. I read all the ledgers and letters multiple times, but just couldn’t make much sense of it. As mentioned above, even if I had of figured out with any certainty what I was supposed to do, there was no indication while playing that the time had come to plant evidence rather than to look for more, nor was there any indication of where stuff should be planted. I’ve already punished the puzzles category for this, but the story category also has to be held accountable. As a final note, I think the first game benefited from the main character gradually regaining their memory. The sequel has no such device to forgive the confusion generated throughout.
Rating: 3


Sound and Graphics
There is very little sound to speak of in Deja Vu II, which is really disappointing. Sure, the small amount of effects there are have of a much higher quality than they had in the original, but given everything previously sounded like a dying animal behind a wall of white noise, that’s not saying much. We’re in 1990 now, so I’ll have to punish games that make no effort when it comes to music and sound effects. The graphics however are ok. One of the things that made all the other MacVenture games so daunting was the low quality CGA graphics, which made the required pixel hunting all but impossible at times. I never had that problem this time due to the superior VGA graphics, and while I always wished that the main window would have filled more of the interface, each item is attractive and detailed enough not to draw much criticism. There’s next to no animation though, so Deja Vu II didn’t really push the envelope on the technology front. I gave the first game a 2, but pixel hunting through entirely blue and pink screens was like scratching my own eyes out. I’ll say 4 for this one, but that’s very generous.
Rating: 4

Environment and Atmosphere
The environment in Deja Vu II is so similar to the one found in the first game, that it often just feels like a graphical upgrade. It doesn’t help that the game starts in exactly the same way as the first one, and that a fair portion of it occurs in and around Joe’s Bar, with exactly the same locations and angles. I’d been looking forward to seeing St. Louis, New York and Los Angeles, but as the game went on, I realised I was going to be limited to very few locations across only Chicago and Las Vegas. Given the game involves trying to get out of a very sticky situation within a harsh time limit, with goons constantly on the watch, there should be heaps of atmosphere. I felt very little, which I can only put down to the constant restores, the sound deficiencies, and the lack of clarity around what I was supposed to be doing at any particular point. The laundry is a good example of a scene that should have been exciting, with the player having to escape from captivity and then probe the area without being recaptured, but the huge amount of trial and error involved just made it a chore to get through, with no easily-discernible payoff.
Rating: 4


Dialogue and Acting
One positive thing I can say about Deja Vu II is that the language used is fitting for the time and genre. There’s plenty of gangster talk, with threats and slang all over the place. This use of slang at times made it hard for me to figure out exactly what authors of certain documents were getting at, but a quick search on Google confirmed my opinion on each occasion. The downside to all this is that pretty much every character comes across as thicker than Glottis. “Wow, lookit that, Moose. A letter to the Big Boss, and a pitchuh of him too!” Oh well, who wants smart goons anyway! The room and item descriptions are fairly well done, with a nice mix of relevant info and humour, although nothing stood out as particularly funny throughout. I gave the first game a 6, but there’s no doubt it was a step up from the likes of King’s Quest at the time. In 1990, it’s not so impressive, and is treading the same ground the first game did five years earlier.
Rating: 4

• Genre Support Award – 5 CAPs – For announcing a new adventure game release on GOG
• True Companion Award – 20 CAPs – For playing along and finishing
• Genre Support Award – 5 CAPs – For announcing a new adventure game sale on GOG
• Request for Assistance Award – 20 CAPs – For giving me no less than nine hints that I needed!
• Technical Assistance Award – 10 CAPs – For informing me of the patch for Deja Vu II
• Shining Award – 10 CAPs – For finding my Shining reference
• True Companion Award – 20 CAPs – For playing along and finishing (or near enough)
• Kickstarter Award – 10 CAPs – For announcing a new adventure Kickstarter campaign
• Play List Correction Award – 5 CAPs – For informing me that the game order was incorrect
• Future Prediction Award – 5 CAPs – For telling it how it will be in the year 3245 AD
• Iron Maiden Award – 5 CAPs – For figuring out the band that played Deja Vu
• SCUMMVM Version Award – 10 CAPs – For telling me again (and being right) that I have an old version
• Reader’s Choice Award...um...Award – 10 CAPs – For coming up with a great new category
• Atlantis Award – 20 CAPs – For solving my Atlantis riddle
• Chambermaid of Sci-Mutant Dada Award – 5 CAPs – For drinking while surfing
• Sponsor Award - 20 CAPs - For sponsoring the blog with free games
• Genre Support Award – 5 CAPs – For announcing a new adventure game release on Steam
• Game Giveaway Award – 10 CAPs – For giving a game away, even if no-one wanted it
• Kickstarter Award – 10 CAPs – For announcing a new adventure Kickstarter campaign
• Genre Support Award – 5 CAPs – For announcing a new adventure game sale on GOG
• Thieves Guild Membership Award – 5 CAPs – He knows why
• Genre Support Award – 5 CAPs – For announcing a new adventure game release on Steam
• President of the Theodore Defence Club – 5 CAPs – For sticking up for Theodore’s everywhere
• Fur Balls Unite Award – 5 CAPs – For taking on one of the greatest battle-cries known to man
• Myotonic Kitten Award – 5 CAPs – I shouldn’t laugh, but I did!
• Cash Collection Award – 20 CAPs – For explaining how I could pick up all the chips in the casino
• TAG Trooper Award – 10 CAPs – For reading through all 250+ posts on the blog to get up to speed
• Genre Support Award – 5 CAPs – For announcing a new adventure game sale on Steam
• The Golden Question Award – 10 CAPs – Finally someone asked me!
• The Longest Journey Award...um...Award – 10 CAPs – For coming up with a great new category name
• Psychic Prediction Award – 10 CAPs – For predicting the score I would give Deja Vu II (closest)
• Genre Support Award – 5 CAPs – For announcing a new adventure game release on Steam
• Genre Support Award – 5 CAPs – For announcing a new adventure game release on Steam
• Feels Like I’ve Been Here Before Award – 5 CAPs - For figuring out which Iron Maiden song I referenced
• Typo Pickup Award – 5 CAPs – For picking up an important typo in my Year That Was post