Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7290 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Sold Out Software
• Released on: 2003-03-28
• Platforms: Windows NT, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows Me, Windows XP

Amazon.co.uk Review
Developers Ion Storm owed us something pretty special and futuristic shoot, spy and stalk-'em-up Deus Ex more than makes up for the disappointment of Daikatana. Deus Ex is set in a nearby future where a deadly virus ravages the world's populace, terrorists are bent on exposing corrupt governments and conspiratorial elites are ready to wade in and wreak havoc. You play a techno-enhanced agent tasked with getting to the bottom of it all without cashing in your chips.

Immediately noticeable is the attention to detail; there's no end of objects and characters to interact with--too much, were it not for the consequences that arise from almost every interaction. Such random actions as killing a guard or "accidentally" walking into the ladies' toilets can significantly affect mission outcomes. The best game will result from stealthy inch-by-inch exploration and you'll be glad you did.

Considering that Deus Ex has gameplay in bucketloads, it could look like Commander Keen and get away with it. Thankfully though, the Unreal engine does a more than passable job of rendering some beautiful locations and although models may look a little blocky compared to games using more sophisticated engines, the minor flaws melt away as the game gets going.

By no means a perfect title, Deus Ex, as its name implies, has come from nowhere and lifted the FPS role-playing adventure out of its hybrid quagmire of genres. With a richly detailed story and great visuals, it boasts a seamless, technically accomplished and truly engrossing game world for those wanting to flex so much more than just their trigger fingers. --Tae Mawson

Customer Reviews

DANGEROUSLY ADDICTIVE
"Deus Ex" is an FPS which incorporates large elements of role-play, strategy and adventure. It's also the best game I've ever played and equally good on the PC or PS2.

The story begins in the near future, when society is on the verge of total collapse while powerful individuals and organisations conspire behind the scenes to achieve world domination. You are agent JC Denton and start the game working for UNATCO (a United Nations anti-terrorist force)....

What I like most about the game is that you always have a huge number of choices to make. Most FPS games involve navigating a number of levels in which you have to find a few secrets and/or complete a particular task while shooting whatever gets in your way. In "Deus Ex" you always have primary goals to accomplish, but there's invariably at least 2 or 3 different routes or methods to achieve them, each with its own pluses and minuses. There are also secondary goals which you usually learn about by meeting a particular person and agreeing to help them in some way - which you can decide to go for or not.

You also have a formidable selection of lethal weapons to choose from - but you're limited to carrying just 4 so you have to decide which you're most comfortable with. And acquiring a weapon is only the first step - because you then have to develop the necessary skills to use it effectively. Later on you also get the opportunity to upgrade and customise the weapons you've chosen with various add-ons. So to begin with it will sometimes take you several shots to bring down an enemy, but by the time you've mastered and modified your weapons to the max you can point and shoot with much greater accuracy.

It's also just about possible to go through the entire game without killing anyone, in fact it's often preferable to stun opponents with a non-lethal weapon or use stealth to avoid detection. There's also an array of other skills you need to develop (lockpicking, computer hacking, disabling security systems etc)....

And as JC Denton happens to be a human being who's been enhanced by the very latest in bioengineering technology, you can also acquire nanoaugmentations and install them to improve various aspects of your strength, endurance and combat abilities.

Throughout "Deus Ex" you are repeatedly confronted with "either/or" decisions which can potentially change the course of the game. For example, on your 3rd mission as a UNATCO agent (by which time you're already having severe doubts about the organisation you're working for) one of your goals is to kill a rebel leader - which you can easily do. But on the other hand - you can also decide to disobey orders and let him live, in which case a fellow agent arrives to finish the job - unless of course you decide to kill the agent. What you choose to do has repercussions later on....

You can also meet and interact with a huge number of people (with whom you can generally be as kind or ruthless as you like - or you can often choose to ignore them), you can play with many of the objects you see all around you just for the hell of it (televisions, phones, microwaves etc), and you can even smoke, drink and take drugs (although it won't do you much good).

You find yourself constantly trying to work out who the good guys are. Although you need to make alliances with various people during the game, you can never completely trust any of them because they're also to some extent working against each other and could just be using you for their own ends. And for a long time it's not even clear who you're fighting against. Every time you think you've worked out what's going on, something invariably happens to make you question whether you're doing the right thing, and there always seems to be a fresh surprise waiting around the next corner....

There are 3 possible endings depending on who you finally decide to join up with - you choose who wins - and personally I really liked this, but gamers who prefer a spectacular "big bang" type of ending after killing all the bad guys might be disappointed.

The game does have a few flaws - the graphics look a little dated, there's not as much action as I initially expected and the combat is not as realistic as in other games I've played - but these are very minor quibbles in view of the awesome experience of the game as a whole.

"Deus Ex" also has unparalleled replay value - there are so many different ways to get from beginning to end that you can return to it time after time and it won't be the same twice. I've never played a game which has kept me so hooked for so long and can't wait for DX2. Great stuff!

Trust no one. Question Everything.
For me, there are certain PC games I own that I occasionally get the urge to go back and play over and over again regardless of how old they are. Deus Ex is one of them-THE one. The graphics are not everything but the storyline is. I've still yet to come across a game that gripped me so intensely leaving me wanting to continue and discover the truth that lurked ahead. It certainly kept me occupied for my 6 week summer holiday a few years back and even now, certain memories of when I first experienced it come flooding back.

The game itself-I'm sure you've heard many a review explaining the plot background, character development and the real world locations you'll get a chance to visit along the way, whether it is Liberty Island, Hong Kong, Paris and more. The aspect of the game I particularly enjoy the most is the completely non-linear approaches you can take whenever a problem arises (terrorists most usually being the problem for the first part of the game).

I also believe that the sequel did not do so well on its release because it lacked something the first game held so much of-the sense that the world around you is very real and is always moving wherever you were in the game. This is achieved with the use of books, newspaper articles and e-mails you can access scattered everywhere your travels take you.

And trust me when I say you'll be taking part in real conspiracies, severe consequences and intense action role-playing when you purchase this masterpiece of a game.

Deus Ex - a different kind of first-person game, good after all this time
As others have commented 'Deus Ex' still stands out from among so many first-person games. It is getting old, but that is not really noticeable as the engine is pretty sophisticated for the time. Whilst it will satisfy those who like running around shooting people and genetically-modified creatures, you can really tailor how people react to you by your behaviour. My brother plays this and is a gamer who creaps around using non-lethal weapons whereas I slaughter allcomers and so the reaction of other characters to our versions of the hero is very different. The story is interesting, set a short way into the future. However, its plot around terrorist activity and government agencies, plus nano-tech and genetic modification seems to become more relevant on a daily basis. How you interact with the game also depends on which options you select, not just skills but also cybernetic implants, e.g. if you go for underwater breathing different routes are open to you compared to if you go for enhanced strength. The shifting loyalties are an intellectual challenge too, and along the way you are exposed to questions which will get you thinking about the contemporary world. This is probably the only game reviewed in newspapers like 'The Guardian' and on the BBC website for its political content as much as its gameplay and it is interesting to see a political counterbalance to the software put out by the US military. There is a sequel 'Invisible War' only on DVD, which never seems to have sold well, but maybe it was suppressed?! Having played 'Deus Ex' you are liable to give more credibility to conspiracy theories. Buy and enjoy this game.