Deus Ex is a landmark of gaming history and what many consider the best PC game ever made. Years ahead of its time and revolutionary in both design and depth, this action RPG delivers an unrivaled level of choice and player influence.
In the year 2052, the world teeters on the brink of collapse; massive corporations rule the roost, commanding national governments to do their bidding and a deadly virus known as the Grey Death is ravaging the population. Enter JC Denton, an augmented agent of UNATCO; initially his goal is to take down deadly terrorists, but he eventually goes rogue to unravel a dark conspiracy. With themes of social control, mass-surveillance, the fear of terrorism and corruption in organisations, the plot and wider world is filled with fascinating questions that can easily tie into our own society.
Of course, it's the core action that impresses the most; from a first-person perspective, you're let loose in intricate, multi-tiered levels with a set of objectives. The developers took account of nearly every possible scenario, adapting dialogue and other factors. When compared to newer entries in the series, there are very few limitations on the player when it comes to exploration and finding inventive solutions in this debut entry.
There are so many tools, routes and options in every main. See a door? Blow it up, pick the lock or hack the door panel. Enemies in your way? Kill them, knock them out or simply sneak by. Security cameras or laser tripwires in your way? Break the systems or switch them off. Deus Ex balances out these choices with a hefty amount of resource management and this goes hand-in-hand with the skill and augmentation systems.
Broadly, the gameplay is split into stealth, combat, light platforming and item interaction and depending on your approach, the level of each will change accordingly. For combat, you can use the ballistic defence upgrades while for stealth, the cloak and silent running upgrades will enhance JC's ability to stay out of sight. You're thoroughly rewarded for exploring every nook and cranny with extra skill points, hidden areas and top-ups to your inventory.
The game does show its age in places. Sometimes the enemy AI can break over itself and taking on enemies directly does lead to clunky moments. Swinging and missing enemies with melee weapons, explosives that land short and some inconsistencies with the augmentations can get in the way on occasion. Some of the smaller side objectives do feel disconnected from the main narrative as well, such as assisting citizens in New York. Deus Ex begs for a remake, but the one in production from Aspyr Media remains stuck in development hell.
Even more than twenty-five years later, Deus Ex remains deeply engaging, powerfully prescient and endlessly replayable. The level design along with all the different ways to complete objectives are superb and the story is filled with intrigue and reactivity. It may be pretty janky and buggy in places, especially when it comes to direct combat, but the title is a must-play for everyone.
