Introduction

Dues Ex is one of those few games that successfully meshes gameplay aspects of different genres together. At first it may look like just another FPS, but upon further inspection, you’ll find out that there is much, much more to it.

The game takes place in the near future. A bleak and dismal place, with a huge aggravating gap between the poor and wealthy. In this world, your either extremely rich, or a bum. The few wealthy people live in their protected penthouses way above the dangerous city, where everyone else struggles to survive. As if that wasn’t bad enough, there is also a plague called the Gray Death, which is killing many people every day. There is a cure called Ambrosia, however, it is very limited, and is only distributed to the wealthy.

You play as JC Denton, brother of Paul Denton, both agents for UNATCO. UNATCO is a coalition owned by the UN that protects against terrorist activity. With the Gray Death rampant, and paranoia high, it’s the perfect time for international attacks. A terrorist group called the NSF has hijacked a boat carrying a shipment of Ambrosia. They claim that UNATCO is making the Gray Death for their own profit.

This is where you come in. Following in your brothers footsteps, and fitted with special augmentations, as JC you must stop the NSF. However, nothing is really as it seems in Deus Ex. Pretty soon you’ll start to wonder who the real enemy is.

Presentation

The game presents itself nicely for the most part. The atmosphere and menus give it a futurist style that is very convincing. However, poor quality graphics and some slow down and choppiness diminish from the experience. Menus are really easy to navigate through, though.

Graphics & Sound

The only real gripe I have with Deus Ex goes in this category. Deus Ex is a port if a PC game, and to my knowledge is least one year old, possibly older. Needless to say, the game isn’t much to look at. Blocky textures, choppy animation, and laughable cut scenes are really a drag, considering the game is so good. The sound is decent, nothing special. The usual sound effects of a gun firing, very average voice acting, and boring music. Although these problems are annoying, it doesn’t really take much away from the game itself.

Gameplay

This is where the game really shines. Like I said earlier, Deus Ex mixes together different gameplay elements: first person shooter action, puzzle solving, and RPG elements. The RPG elements are the most innovative part of the game, not to mention the killer app. JC is equipped with tiny nanomachines, which enhance his strength, vision, and other traits. You earn experience points after finishing various tasks, such as completing a mission, finding a hidden room, and even character interaction. You can deposit these points into things like computer hacking, handling heavy artillery, even your lock picking skills. You can upgrade pretty much anything that fits your playing style. There are a wide array of weapons for your killing pleasure, but if you play the game a certain way, you might not even kill anyone at all. That’s the freedom of Deus Ex. If you want, you can be like a stealthy peacekeeper, crawling through vents and disposing of guards with low-tech weapons like batons and riot-prods. Or, if you’re more the hands on type, you can go storming in with your guns blazing. The choice is yours. The game does reward you a bit when you’re less lethal, but if you prefer to be Rambo, don’t sweat it. Another thing that comes into play are your special nano-tech abilities, which range from regenerating health to making a spy drone. You can even brighten your vision to flashlight-like proportions on the sneaky night missions.

Another point where the brilliance of the game shows is the level design. Each mission has multiple ways of completing it. For example, in one mission, you must infiltrate the statue of liberty, where the terrorists are hiding. You could go to meet a guy who knows the keypad number to get in, however, if you take this route, you will be subject to some nasty firepower, so be ready to take some damage. But if you’re the sneaky type, you could find a back way into the statue. This will save you some health, but takes longer. Keep in mind that’s just one of the many, many possibilities of this game. The amount of freedom you get is extraordinary. And remember you can always talk to the locals to get advice, important info, and maybe even buy some ammo off of them. Also keep in mind there are various notes, newspapers, and books scattered around that could contain some of the information you need.

Controlling through the levels is a breeze with the control schemes they give you. Finding one that suits you shouldn’t take long. I didn’t even want a custom setting, because the second one was easy to control. The only bad part is, switching through weapons and/or nano-tech machines can be cumbersome and downright annoying at times. Stick to it though, and you should be fine.

Lasting Appeal

This won’t be a game you’ll be playing ten years from now, but its definitely worth finishing at least a second time to see what you may have missed the first time. The world of Deus Ex is huge, and you’ll no doubt miss a few things. Right now I’m actually playing through the game again with the non-lethal stealth approach, just for the hell of it.

Conclusion

Despite the outdated graphics, Deus Ex, with it’s genius level design, feeling of freedom, and deep gameplay easily makes it one of the most innovative and down right enjoyable games of the year.