Absolutely one of the best experiences in gaming. The mastery and expansion of the Immersive Sim genre's core tenants in this game are so satisfying and addictive. Often, games get reviews like "you will spend hours on this without realising" which may be true. But with Deus Ex, you --will-- spend HOURS playing without realising. This game is as addictive as crack.
The open levels, with all their secret passages, nooks, hovels, and buildings, are fascinating to explore, despite their small size when compared to contemporary games. The seemingly endless routes and solutions for problems, coupled with the extreme customizability of your skills and augmentations, create a new and refreshing playthrough, every time.
The plot, beat by beat, is a little cheesy, but if you embrace that cheesiness, you'll have lots of fun. You have a real sense of forging a path against the evil conspiracies of this world. In a time when Deus Ex and real-life are starting to merge in certain aspects, there is great catharsis in destroying the capitalist elite and conspirators who seek to control us. But greater than the plot is the world-building itself. Every location has factions and groups with certain ideals and outlooks. Often, you can overhear their conversations and compare their outlook with your own.
As a political person, the exploration of corporate dominance and small governments is as fascinating as it is scary. There's a bit in the Lucky Money bar where the player character and a bartender can debate about small governments, "big" governments, corporate dominance, and freedom in an inherently unjust system. Rarely before and rarely since has a video game thematically delved into societies, governments, and ideologies in such a fascinating way.
If you enjoy customisable player stats and a game where freedom of choice is a core gameplay tenant in every level, you MUST play this game. I can confidently say, without any doubt or fear of sounding like a cliché, that this is one of the best video games ever made.
The open levels, with all their secret passages, nooks, hovels, and buildings, are fascinating to explore, despite their small size when compared to contemporary games. The seemingly endless routes and solutions for problems, coupled with the extreme customizability of your skills and augmentations, create a new and refreshing playthrough, every time.
The plot, beat by beat, is a little cheesy, but if you embrace that cheesiness, you'll have lots of fun. You have a real sense of forging a path against the evil conspiracies of this world. In a time when Deus Ex and real-life are starting to merge in certain aspects, there is great catharsis in destroying the capitalist elite and conspirators who seek to control us. But greater than the plot is the world-building itself. Every location has factions and groups with certain ideals and outlooks. Often, you can overhear their conversations and compare their outlook with your own.
As a political person, the exploration of corporate dominance and small governments is as fascinating as it is scary. There's a bit in the Lucky Money bar where the player character and a bartender can debate about small governments, "big" governments, corporate dominance, and freedom in an inherently unjust system. Rarely before and rarely since has a video game thematically delved into societies, governments, and ideologies in such a fascinating way.
If you enjoy customisable player stats and a game where freedom of choice is a core gameplay tenant in every level, you MUST play this game. I can confidently say, without any doubt or fear of sounding like a cliché, that this is one of the best video games ever made.