Deus Ex (video game)

Deus Ex
Developer(s)	Ion Storm Inc.
Publisher(s)	Eidos Interactive
Designer(s)	Warren Spector, Harvey Smith
Composer(s)	Michiel van den Bos Reeves Gabrels
Engine	Unreal Engine
Platform(s)	Mac OS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2
Release	NA June 22, 2000 (WIN) NA July 7, 2000 (MAC) EU September 27, 2000 (WIN) NA March 25, 2002 (PS2) EU May 24, 2002 (PS2)
Genre(s)	FPS / RPG
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer

This article is about an interactive computer and video game. For the dramatic device from which its title is derived, see deus ex machina.

Deus Ex (abbreviated DX) is a science fiction first-person shooter/computer role-playing game developed by Ion Storm Inc. and published by Eidos Interactive on June 22, 2000. Receiving almost universally positive reviews from critics and general industry acclaim, the game was a frequent candidate for, and winner of Game of the Year awards.

Set in a dystopian world during the 2050s, the main storyline follows rookie "United Nations Anti-Terrorist Coalition" (UNATCO) agent JC Denton as he sets out to combat terrorist forces which have become increasingly prevalent in a world slipping ever closer to chaos. As the plot unfolds, he becomes increasingly immersed in a deep and ancient conspiracy, encountering fictional versions of groups such as Majestic 12, the Illuminati, and Hong Kong Triad gangs along the way. Ultimately, Denton comes to discover the truth about this conspiracy, and its ultimate goal of world domination.

The game was quite successful commercially and remains among the top selling computer role-playing games. As of May 17, 2006, Deus Ex was #19 in top selling Mac RPGs at Amazon.com. First published for personal computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system, Deus Ex was later ported to the Macintosh OS, as well the PlayStation 2 game console. Loki Games worked on a Linux version but the company went out of business before releasing it.

A sequel to Deus Ex, titled Deus Ex: Invisible War, was released in December 2003 for both Windows, and the Xbox video game console. A second sequel, titled Deus Ex: Clan Wars was originally conceived as a multiplayer-focused third game for the series. After the commercial performance of Deus Ex: Invisible War failed to meet expectations however, the decision was made to set the game in its own universe, and it was eventually published under the title Project: Snowblind.

Gameplay

Built on a modified Unreal Engine, Deus Ex combines two mainstream game genres, the first-person shooter and the role-playing game. It features multiple endings, a story that reacts to the actions of the player, and emphasizes tactical combat. The player takes on the role of protagonist JC Denton, a nanotech-enhanced operative for the "United Nations Anti-Terrorist Coalition" (UNATCO). These nanotech enhancements serve as the explanation for some of the main role-playing-like elements of the game.

Deus Ex was originally conceived as a single-player only game, and the original PC and Macintosh versions of Deus Ex did not include multiplayer functionality. Support for multiplayer modes was included with subsequent patches however, and it is now included with all new copies of the game. Servers are provided for three game modes: advanced team deathmatch, basic team deathmatch, and deathmatch. Only five maps, based on levels from the single-player portion of the game, were included with the original multiplayer patch, but many user-created maps have been made. The PlayStation 2 version does not offer a multiplayer mode.

First-person shooter elements

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Deus Ex is a first-person shooter with many elements of computer role-playing games, such as customizable skills and abilities.

The player sees the world through the character's eyes, and interacts with the environment primarily through hand-held weapons and devices. Gameplay is broken into levels and maps, each with a set of objectives that must be completed before the player can progress into the next area. Generally speaking, each progressive level contains more difficult enemies and more challenging puzzles, but also gives the player access to more powerful weapons.

When the player engages in combat, the game tends to reward a tactical approach. As the player will often encounter enemies in groups, the use of cover, strafing, and "hit-and-run" tactics becomes important. Charging head-on into a room is ill-advised, and will usually find the player out-numbered and out-gunned. It is still possible, however, to develop a character's skills and augmentations to create a tank-like combat specialist with the ability to deal and absorb staggering amounts of damage. In fact, certain non-player characters will praise or criticize the main character depending on his use of force, incorporating a moral element into the gameplay.

Like Tom Clancy's Rogue Spear, Deus Ex makes use of a dynamic targeting reticule to reflect the difficulty of shooting on the run or with an unfamiliar weapon. The reticule expands while the character is moving or shifting his aim, and slowly shrinks to its original size once the character stops. When using ranged weapons, the round can strike anywhere within the reticule, meaning that, even if the center of the reticule is on-target, the player can still miss if he or she hasn't taken the time to let the character's aim steady. How quickly the reticule shrinks depends on the character's proficiency with the equipped weapon, the number of accuracy modifications added to the weapon and/or the level of the Targeting augmentation. For instance, if JC's skill in rifles is 'Untrained', he must typically wait between seven and ten seconds before firing to ensure a clean take-down, while if he has 'Master' rifle skill such a task would take notably less time.

Deus Ex offers twenty-four different weapons for the player to use, from the lowly crowbar and riot baton to laser guided anti-tank rockets and assault rifles. Both lethal and non-lethal weapons are available. Genre staples like the pistol, shotgun, and sniper rifle are present, along with more unique weapons like flamethrowers, plasma weapons, and a nanotech sword. The player can also make use of numerous weapons of opportunity, such as fire extinguishers.

Role-playing game elements

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The item inventory screen

In a departure from the FPS genre, though, Deus Ex draws heavily upon systems and themes more commonly found in role-playing games. As the player accomplishes different objectives, he or she is rewarded with "skill points" that can be used to enhance the character's abilities in eleven different areas. This allows the player to customize the character's strengths and weaknesses. A player who prefers combat might use his or her skill points to increase his proficiency with pistols or rifles, while one who enjoys stealth would focus on lockpicks and computers. There are four different levels of proficiency in each skill, with the skill-point cost increasing for each successive level. While there are ample opportunities in the game to earn points, it is impossible for the player to reach the highest level in more than a few skills in one play-through without the use of cheat codes, the game's debug mode, or exploitation of glitches.

Investing in one of the five weapon skills improves the general handling of any weapon within that group. The player can increase his or her proficiency with heavy weapons, pistols, rifles, melee weapons, and demolitions. Certain weapons encumber the character when equipped, decreasing the player's speed and agility to represent the difficulty of wielding large, heavy armaments. A high skill level in a particular weapon group counter-acts this encumbrance, while decreasing the difficulty of aiming while maneuvering. Such superhuman capabilities are explained in-game as resulting from nano- and mechanical-augmentation, which enables enhanced humans to exert considerable force with great dexterity for extended periods of time without fatigue.

Players are further encouraged to customize their character's through the use of nano-augmentations, cybernetic devices that enhance the character's natural abilities. While the game contains eighteen different nanoaugs, the player can only install nine. Each augmentation must be used on a certain part of the body. Furthermore, the player can only install a certain number of augmentations in each part of the body: one in the arms, legs, eyes, and head; two underneath the skin; and three in the torso. This forces the player to choose carefully between the benefits offered by each augmentation, and allows them to further tailor the character to their own needs. For example, for the arms, the player must choose between boosting their strength in hand-to-hand combat or their ability to lift heavy objects.

Weapons can be customized in a similar manner. Numerous modifications can be found or purchased throughout the game, and used to improve a weapon's characteristics. The player can add scopes, silencers, and laser sights; increase the weapon's range, accuracy, and magazine size; or decrease its recoil and reload time. Not all modifications are available to all weapons, however. The rocket launcher cannot be silenced, for example, and recoil cannot be reduced on the flamethrower.

In a further nod to classic RPG elements, interaction with non-player characters forms a much greater aspect of gameplay than in most traditional first-person shooter games. When the player selects most non-enemy characters, the game will enter a cutscene-like third-person conversation mode where the player advances the dialogue by selecting JC's exchanges from two to three possibilities. The player's dialogue choices often have a substantial effect on both gameplay as well as plot, as NPCs will react it different ways depending on the selected answer (i.e. being rude to someone will likely encourage them to refuse to provide assistance).

Open-ended gameplay

The multiple ways to get past obstacles

Gameplay in Deus Ex is largely open-ended. GameSpot's review explains the various options available to the player. "Deus Ex is quite long for an action-packed first-person game", it states, "but even so, most of its situations present you with two or three possible solutions." Objectives can be completed in numerous ways, including stealth (akin to Thief), long-range sniping, heavy frontal assault, dialogue, or engineering and computer hacking. This level of freedom requires that levels, characters, and puzzles be designed with significant redundancy, as a single play-through of the game will miss large sections of dialogue, areas, and other content. Because of this open-endedness, Deus Ex is often compared with System Shock, one of the first FPS/CRPG hybrids. Together, these factors give the game a great degree of replayability, as the player will have vastly different experiences depending on which methods he or she uses to accomplish objectives.

Deus Ex is unusual among first-person shooters in that it can be played almost entirely without the use of simulated violence; in fact, it is possible for a player to complete the game having killed only one major character and few or no generic enemies. It is also possible to finish the game without using any weapons, currency, or the nano augmentations featured in the game.

Plot

Setting

Template:Spoiler Deus Ex takes place in a dystopian future in a world that draws heavily upon the cyberpunk genre. This dark setting is further enhanced by the fact that the entire game takes place at night, a backdrop which adds to its atmosphere of conspiracies and stealth. The game contradicts itself in several instances regarding the exact year in which the events of the story take place, but information in the sequel Deus Ex: Invisible War reconciles this inconsistency via retroactive continuity, placing the events of Deus Ex in the year 2052. Most of the game takes place in fictionalized versions of real-world locations, including New York City, Hong Kong, Area 51, and Vandenberg Air Force Base.

The plot of Deus Ex depicts a society on a slow spiral into chaos. A lethal pandemic known as the "Gray Death" ravages the world's population, especially within the United States, and has no cure. A synthetic vaccine, "Ambrosia", which is manufactured by the company VersaLife, nullifies the effects of the virus, but is in critically short supply. Because of its scarcity, Ambrosia is available only to those deemed "vital to the social order", and finds its way primarily to government officials, military personnel, the rich and influential, scientists and the intellectual elite. With no hope for the common people of the world, riots occur worldwide, and a number of terrorist organizations have formed with the professed intent of assisting the downtrodden, among them the National Secessionist Force of the US and a French group known as Silhouette.

In order to combat these threats to the world order, the United Nations has greatly expanded its governmental influence around the globe. The United Nations Anti-Terrorist Coalition is formed, with the intent of maintaining peace internationally and combating the world's ever-growing number of terrorist groups. It is headquartered near New York City in a bunker beneath Liberty Island, placed there after a terrorist strike on the Statue of Liberty.

Synopsis

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JC Denton (right) meets up with his brother Paul on the docks of Liberty Island.

Note: Given the nature of the gameplay of Deus Ex, there are several small plot points which the player may, or may not encounter depending upon their actions within the game. In the interest of simplicity, this synopsis will concentrate almost exclusively on the main, unavoidable plot thread of the game.

At the start of the game, the player assumes the identity of JC Denton, a nano-augmented UNATCO agent. An optional tutorial explains the basic game mechanics by way of a training course, but the game-proper begins on the docks outside UNATCO Headquarters.

The NSF has infiltrated Liberty Island, fortified a position within the Statue of Liberty and stolen several canisters of the rare Ambrosia. Agent Denton is ordered to break the terrorist siege and capture their leader, Leo Gold. Gold is found hiding on the statue's observation platform, and surrenders immediately. An impromptu interrogation reveals that the Ambrosia is no longer on Liberty Island, but has been moved via boat to Battery Park. Soon after the interrogation, UNATCO troops arrive to detain Gold, and JC returns to UNATCO Headquarters.

After a debriefing by UNATCO Director Joseph Manderley, JC is paired with Agent Anna Navarre and instructed to continue his search for the Ambrosia. His brother Paul is dispatched to handle NSF operations in Hell's Kitchen. Manderley suggests the NSF have moved the Ambrosia to nearby Castle Clinton. After securing the vaccine, JC reports back to Agent Navarre only to discover new orders await. Terrorists have seized a subway station, and taken several hostages.

Agent Denton deals with NSF forces in the station, then moves to assist his brother in Hell's Kitchen. After discovering the NSF fortress and destroying an electromagnetic pulse generator protecting it, JC is told to rendezvous with Agent Hermann. A black helicopter (piloted by a friend of Paul's named Jock) meets the two agents, and returns them to UNATCO headquarters.

Again, JC is instructed to meet with Director Manderley. When JC arrives at his office, Manderley is busy with a mysterious visitor, later revealed as FEMA Director Walton Simons. After Simons leaves, the Director orders JC to locate a NSF plane being prepared for shipment of another canister of Ambrosia. Agent Denton's investigation leads him from contact to contact, until it is determined that the plane involved in the Ambrosia shipment is owned by wealthy NSF sympathizer Juan Lebedev. The plane is hidden at LaGuardia Airport.

File:GrayDeathSufferer.jpg

JC Denton encounters a victim of the Gray Death in Battery Park

Agent Denton locates the plane, but his brother is waiting for him in the hangar. Paul reveals he has been working with the NSF, that the Gray Death is a man-made virus, and that UNATCO is conspiring to control the supply of Ambrosia for the benefit of a secret group of elitists. He asks JC to speak with Lebedev to convince JC of the truth of his claims. Agent Navarre arrives as JC boards the plane, and orders him to kill Lebedev. The Ambrosia is recovered, and JC returns to UNATCO headquarters. There he learns that both he and Paul have been fitted with an emergency nanotech "killswitch" which will destroy them internally within twenty-four hours, and that Paul's has now been activated. JC is then ordered to head to Hong Kong to assassinate Paul's contact there, a man named Tracer Tong. Just when JC is about to leave, however, he receives a distress call from Paul.

Returning to Hell's Kitchen, JC meets with his brother. Paul further explains his reasons for defecting from UNATCO, and asks him to help the NSF and Silhouette by sending a distress signal from their base in the area. Agent Denton does so, learning more of the unsettling truth about UNATCO along the way. Walton Simons immediately discovers JC's defection, informs him that his killswitch has now been activated as well, and orders UNATCO troops to apprehend him. Denton attempts to escape the city with the help of Jock, another UNATCO defector, but is captured.

When JC revives, he finds himself in a prison cell in an unknown bunker. A mysterious entity calling itself Daedalus contacts JC, and attributes the facility to a secret and malevolent organization called Majestic 12. With Daedalus' help, JC locates his brother (dead or alive) and escapes the facility. The front entrance of the base is actually a restricted area of UNATCO's Headquarters. Agent Navarre confronts JC as he attempts to exit the bunker (or not), but he eludes her. He boards Jock's helicopter, and flees for Hong Kong.

Before they can land in Hong Kong, they are intercepted by Majestic 12's paramilitary forces who disable the controls of the helicopter and force it to land at a secret hangar. The plan fails when JC locates the computer console controlling the helicopter, and reactivates its engines and weapons. He finally arrives in Hong Kong where he searches for Tracer Tong, Paul's friend and member of the Luminous Path Triad. Before the Triad will assist him, JC is asked to perform a favor for the Luminous Path. He infiltrates the apartment of Majestic-12 agent Maggie Chow on a mission to retrieve the experimental Dragon's Tooth energy sword and end a feud with the rival Red Arrow Triad.

File:MJ12SecretLab.jpg

JC Denton infiltrates a Majestic 12 laboratory hidden beneath VersaLife headquarters.

With the feud resolved, JC is allowed to meet with Tracer Tong who deactivates his killswitch. Tong asks JC to retrieve technical information about the Dragon's Tooth sword from the basement of the VersaLife building. JC breaks into a secret Majestic 12 laboratory beneath the building and uploads the schematics to Tong. It is revealed that VersaLife, a front for Majestic 12 operations, is manufacturing the Gray Death, which is caused by a nanovirus. JC returns to the labs, retrieves plans for the virus, and destroys the universal constructor used to produce it.

Analysis of the virus reveals that at least part of it was developed by the Illuminati. On Tong's orders, JC and Jock leave for New York to meet Stanton Dowd, a member of the Illuminati. Dowd gives JC more information about the Gray Death, Majestic 12, and its leader, the billionaire businessman and philanthropist Bob Page. He then gives JC instructions to destroy a ship transporting the virus to New York. JC is taken by the black helicopter to the shipyard where the ship is docked, and scuttles the vessel. Jock then flies JC back to meet with Dowd, who tells JC that the virus had originally been developed for augmentations; Majestic 12 had stolen the plans and converted it into a weapon. Dowd also provides information about Parisian Illuminati leader Morgan Everett. After avoiding a Majestic 12 ambush, JC flies to Paris.

In Paris, Agent Denton rendezvous with Silhouette members hiding in the catacombs below the city. They assist him in locating Nicolette DuClare, daughter of the late Illuminatus Beth DuClare. Using a computer beneath the DuClare Chateau, JC makes contact with the Illuminati leader. Everett asks JC to infiltrate a Knights Templar cathedral that has been taken over by Majestic 12 and retrieve more information about the Gray Death. While attempting to upload the information, JC is confronted by Agent Hermann. He defeats the mechanically-augmented agent, and completes the upload. Everett gives JC further instructions to meet his assistant, who transports JC to the Illuminatus' residence.

Everett sends JC to Vandenberg Air Force Base, to meet with members of X-51, a group of former Area 51 researchers. Agent Denton arrives to find the base under siege by Majestic 12, but successfully eliminates their forces. He meets with Gary Savage, leader of X-51, who requests his assistance in activating their own universal constructor. An attempt to retaliate against MJ12 by giving Daedelus access to the restricted military network backfires, as Bob Page is able to neutralize the rogue AI by fusing it with his own AI, Icarus. Bob Page then contacts Dr. Savage and tells him Majestic 12 is holding his daughter Tiffany hostage. Page demands parts from X-51's constructor, and promises to kill Savage's daughter if he doesn't comply. The lead researcher asks JC to rescue his daughter, and JC departs for the location Page has designated for their exchange. Once there, he defeats the Majestic 12 troops, and returns Tiffany to her father.

With the Savages reunited, Agent Denton is sent to an off-shore research base being used by Majestic 12 to complete the mission Tiffany had been assigned. The scientists of X-51 need additional blueprints from the underwater laboratory to complete their universal constructor, and JC infiltrates the facility to retrieve them. Upon arrival, he discovers the laboratory in shambles and the genetic experiments roaming loose due to sabotage by an Illuminati double-agent. Denton battles through the crumbling structure and locates the schematics. He uploads them to the X-51 computers and begins his escape, only to find that Bob Page has intercepted the communication, enabling him to build another UC. He has also sent his right-hand man, Walton Simons, to kill him before he can escape the facility. Simons fails to do so, allowing JC to meet Jock and Dr. Savage at the helicopter.

Savage delivers bad news. Majestic 12 has activated a nuclear missile and is preparing to launch it at the Vandenberg labs. Jock flies Agent Denton to the missile silo, where JC manages to reprogram the targeting data, aiming the missile at Majestic 12's secret base at Area 51. Soon after the missile detonates, JC leaves for Area 51, intent on putting the final nail in Majestic 12's coffin.

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In one of three possible endings to the game, JC merges with the Helios AI to become the benevolent dictator of the world

As he navigates the underground bunker, Agent Denton uncovers evidence that he and his brother are the products of genetic engineering, created from scratch to be perfect nano-augmented soldiers. He also comes across a number of additional clones still being "grown", genetic siblings to Bob Page, Walton Simons, and the Dentons themselves.

Page's goal is finally revealed. The Grey Death allowed him to expand government authority while field testing the constructor. Forcing the integration of Icarus, his consolidated AI, with Daedalus, the rogue distributed AI, created Helios, an entity with the ability to dominate the global communications network using the Aquinas Router, a centralized monitoring system. Helios is able to tap into the combined power of the network, making it more powerful than any one computer. All that remains is for him to augment himself with the technologies he developed and tested in Simons and the Dentons, and integrate himself with Helios, giving almost total control over nanotechnology. With his technology he can create objects (including living things), use telekinesis, be able to watch anything going on in the world; becoming omniscient, omnipotent and immortal: nothing less than a man-made god.

JC is contacted by Tracer Tong, Morgan Everett, and the Helios Artificial Intelligence. All three factions ask for his help in foiling Page's plans at godhood and fulfilling their own final objective, and JC is forced to choose between the three as he plunges deeper into the base. Everett offers Denton the chance to bring the Illuminati back to power by defeating Bob Page and using the technological wonders of Area 51 to rule the world with an invisible hand. Tong seeks to plunge the world into a second Dark Age by destroying the global communications hub within the base, preventing any one individual or group from taking control of the whole world. Helios wishes to merge with Denton, and rule the world as a benevolent dictator with infinite knowledge and reason. JC's decision determines the course of the future, and brings the game to a close. Template:Endspoiler

Literary and popular culture allusions

Name etymology

The title "Deus Ex" is derived from the Latin expression deus ex machina, literally meaning "god from the machine", i.e. "a person or event that provides a sudden, unexpected solution to a story" (referencing the practice in Greek drama of using a machine rig to lower an actor playing a deity down to a stage, quickly resolving a drama). Warren Spector, executive producer for Deus Ex, has stated the name was both meant as a reference to the various factions in the game who aspire to god-like powers, as well as a dig at the typical video game plot, which tends to be laden with "deus ex machina" artifices and other poor script writing techniques.

What the JC initialism in the protagonist's codename, JC Denton, means is unclear. The story itself makes no references to what the initials stand for. Harvey Smith, lead designer for Deus Ex, has stated that originally JC was supposed to be a descendant of Jesus Christ; however, Warren Spector has said the name "JC" was chosen for its unisex qualities when the developers were still planning to let the player choose the gender of the main character.

Fiction

Deus Ex features a text-reading system which allows the player to read terminals and notes, as well as excerpts from newspapers and books found in various locations within the game level. These various bits of media serve a variety of purposes, from providing the player with useful gameplay information (such as a needed keycode), to the advancement of the plot, to the creation of atmosphere and metafictional irony. It is this last aspect which is most prevalent in the novels found in Deus Ex, with excerpts usually providing self-reflexive commentary on the player's current situation. Such real-life works as The Man Who Was Thursday by G. K. Chesterton, Sun Tzu's The Art of War, and Shakespeare's Richard III are all referenced in this way.

Along with these is Jacob's Shadow, a work of fiction created by Chris Todd, one of the writers for the game. It is attributed to the fictitious author Andrew Hammond (in homage to crime writer Andrew Vachss). The first chapter displayed is Chapter Twelve with a subsequent six other chapters (fifteen, twenty, twenty-three, twenty-seven, thirty-two and thirty-four) which portray the cyberpunk themes of the game in the style of William Gibson. The book appears to be a violent, spiritual journey of a man named Jacob as he searches for a woman, whose name we never learn, through a city described as 'Hell'. A chapter from a "sequel" to Jacob's Shadow, titled Jacob's War, can be found in the game's sequel Deus Ex: Invisible War.

A number of other more subtle references also permeate the game, with The Man Who Was Thursday protagonist Gabriel Syme's name appearing in the hotel register at the 'ton Hotel, along with the names of fellow literary characters Gully Foyle, Oberst Enzian, Smilla Jasperson, and Hippolyta Hall.

Allusions are also incorporated into computer security passwords and e-mails encountered during the course of the game. An instance of this is the code "reindeerflotilla", a password originally used in the classic 1982 science fiction film TRON. Another is an email found on Paul Denton's computer contains a notice from a movie rental company. It mentions the fictional movies See You Next Wednesday and Blue Harvest. "See You Next Wednesday" is a reference to the famous signature appearing in most of John Landis' films, while Blue Harvest was the code name used during the filming of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. One of the emails found on a computer in Hells Kitchen has a sender by the name of Marci Playgrond, a possible reference to the post grunge band Marcy Playground.

This practice also extends to the ubiquitous key codes found in most levels of the game, with examples including the first door-code in the game being "0451", "an allusion to System Shock's allusion to Fahrenheit 451" according to Harvey Smith; the code "8675309" used in the super-tanker level as an allusion to the Tommy Tutone song "Jenny"; and "1997" in one of the levels set in Hong Kong being a reference to the year that city was transferred from British to Chinese rule.

A "Lord Brinne" tombstone found in the Paris Cemetery level is actually a memorial for the real life Bill Iburg, an RPG fan and regular of multiple forums who died in 1999.

Real world parallels

Although the story of Deus Ex is based on real world themes and events, a few fictional elements of the game world have seemingly spilled over into reality since the game's release in 2000.

During sections of the game where the New York skyline is visible in the background, the two towers of the World Trade Center are noticeably missing. Harvey Smith has explained that due to texture memory limitations, the portion of the skyline with the twin towers exists in the game's data files but had to be left out of the final game, with the other half mirrored in place of it. According to Smith, during the game's development, the developers justified the lack of the towers by stating that terrorists had destroyed the World Trade Center earlier in the game's storyline.

Reception

Critical response

Deus Ex received numerous positive reviews, attaining a "90" (universal acclaim) in both the Metacritic and MobyGames aggregate scores. Many critics praised the game's adept blending of genres, varied gameplay, expansive environments, ambitious and layered storyline, and its high replayability. Reviewers were impressed by the game's narrative, and often mentioned its use of dialogue and back-story to improve the overall experience.

"The title has a great storyline, full of intrigue, back-stabbing, secret agendas, political struggles, and social commentary that is so powerful that it will surely overpower the free time of its players. It doesn't matter what style of game you prefer -- action, RPG, or tactical combat -- since Deus Ex has enough of each of those to please even the most prejudiced user."

Still, the game is not regarded as flawless, and several reviewers noted weaknesses in the gameplay. GameSpot reviewer Greg Kasavin, though awarding the game a score of 8.2 of 10, was disappointed by the security and lockpicking mechanics. "Such instances are essentially noninteractive", he wrote. "You simply stand there and spend a particular quantity of electronic picks or modules until the door opens or the security goes down." Kasavin made similar complaints about the hacking interface, noting that, "Even with basic hacking skills, you'll still be able to bypass the encryption and password protection . . . by pressing the 'hack' button and waiting a few seconds." Kasavin also complained of Deus Ex's relatively sub-par graphics, blaming them on the game's "incessantly dark industrial environments."

Reviewers and players also complained about the size of Deus Ex's save files. An Adrenaline Vault reviewer noted that, "Playing through the entire adventure [he] accumulated over 250MB of save game data, with the average file coming in at over 15MB." Such a large file size was especially problematic, considering the smaller capacity of hard drives at the time of the game's release.

Awards and Greatest games lists

Deus Ex has earned a number of awards and many nominations, including over a dozen Game of the Year and/or best in its class awards. This includes ones from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, IGN, GameSpy, PC Gamer, Computer Gaming World, GamePen, Gaming Age, FiringSquad, and The Adrenaline Vault, among many others. Deus Ex was also awarded "Excellence in Game Design", and "Game Innovation Spotlight" at the 2000 Game Developers Choice Awards and won in the "Computer Innovation" and "Computer Action/Adventure" categories at the Interactive Achievement Awards. It has additionally received many Best Story accolades, including first prize in the 2006 Gamasutra "Quantum Leap" awards for storytelling in a video game.

Deus Ex has appeared in a number of Greatest games of all times lists and hall of fame features, placing in the top thirty for most, and in the top ten for many. This includes numerous IGN 100 Greatest Games of All Time lists, GameSpy's Top 50 Games of All Time, 25 Most Memorable Games of the Past 5 Years, and Hall of Fame, numerous PC Gamer Top 50 PC Games lists, Yahoo! UK Video Games' 100 Greatest Computer Games of All Time, GameFAQs' Top 100 Games of All Time, IGN's Top 100 games, and in the Top 5 Shooters list at Flicker Gaming.

Versions and Mods

Deus Ex has been re-released in several iterations since its original publication, and has also been the basis of a number of mods developed by its fan community:

Game versions

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The PlayStation 2 release, Deus Ex: The Conspiracy, features graphically improved pre-rendered introduction and ending sequences.

The Deus Ex: Game of the Year Edition, as well as containing all current game updates and a software development kit, includes a separate soundtrack CD and a page from a fictional newspaper which features prominently in Deus Ex titled The Midnight Sun, which recounts recent events in the game's world. However, some distributions of said version were released before the last patch. They do not include the soundtrack CD, and contain a PDF version of the newspaper on the game's disc.

The Macintosh version of the game, released shortly after the PC version, was shipped with the same capabilities and can also be patched to enable multiplayer support. However, the publisher, Aspyr Media, did not release any subsequent editions of the game or any additional patches. As such, the game is only supported in Mac OS 9 and the "Classic" environment in Mac OS X, neither of which are compatible with Intel-based Macs.

A port of the game, titled Deus Ex: The Conspiracy, was also released for the PlayStation 2 game console, on March 25, 2002. Along with pre-rendered introductory and ending cinematics which replaced the original versions, it features a streamlined interface with auto aim, and improved graphics and motion captured character models. Some levels were changed and chopped down into smaller areas separated by load-screens, due to the memory limitations of the PlayStation 2.

A sequel to the game, entitled Deus Ex: Invisible War, was released in the United States on December 3, 2003, and then in Europe in early 2004 for both the PC and the Xbox game console.

Modding

Main article: Deus Ex mods

The Deus Ex game engine lends itself to modification by fans of the game thanks to the release by Ion Storm of the Deus Ex software development kit (SDK). Such mods can have a variety of purposes, including making the game more or less difficult, increasing the variety of weapons available to the player, or even completely changing the graphics and storyline of the game. The Deus Ex SDK was initially released on September 22, 2000, almost exactly three months after the publication of the game. According to the initial announcement press release, the SDK consists of the actual software tools used to create the game.

Film adaptation

A film adaptation based on the game was originally announced in May 2002 by Columbia Pictures. The movie was being produced by Laura Zisken, along with Greg Pruss attached with writing the screenplay. Peter Schlessel, president of production for Columbia Pictures, and Paul Baldwin, president of marketing for Eidos Interactive, stated that they were confident in that the adaptation would be a successful development for both the studios and the franchise. In March 2003, during an interview with Greg Pruss, he informed IGN that the character of JC Denton will be "a little bit filthier than he was in the game." He further stated that the script was shaping up to be darker in tone than the original game. A theatrical release was scheduled to occur sometime in 2006. It was purported that Willem Dafoe would star in the film, though his role was not specified. The Internet Movie Database reported that production was cancelled in May 2004, but the film profile is no longer listed. IGN, however, listed it in their Games-to-Film Frenzy II in October 2004 and is curiously still listed as "in development" in their Games to Film listing.

Soundtrack

Deus Ex was widely praised for its melodious and ambient music which incorporates a number of genres, such as classical, jazz, and techno. The soundtrack of Deus Ex was extolled by critics for aptly complementing the gritty and haunting atmosphere predominant throughout the game.

All listed tracks were composed by Alexander Brandon, Dan Gardopee, Michiel van den Bos and Reeves Gabrels. A compact disc of the Deus Ex soundtrack was only included in the "Game of the Year" edition and is not available for separate purchase, but all tracks are readily available on the internet. Originally only thirty tracks were included with the re-release, with tracks thirty-one through forty-one considered as extras.

During play, the music will change to a different iteration of the current song based on the player's actions. For instance, this usually occurs when the player attempts to kill an ally, starts a conversation, engage in combat or transitioning to the next level. Like the OST, these tracks are also found on the internet.

1. "Main Title" - 02:24 2. "Intro Sequence" - 02:23 3. "Liberty Island" - 05:26 4. "UNATCO" - 05:12 5. "Battery Park" - 04:42 6. "NYC Streets" - 04:15 7. "Lebedev's Airfield " - 03:14 8. "Airfield Action " - 01:10 9. "Enemy Within" - 01:48 10. "Desolation" (Hong Kong Canal) - 02:26 11. "The Synapse" (Hong Kong Streets) - 04:37 12. "Hong Kong Action" - 00:59 13. "Majestic 12 Labs" - 01:50 14. "Versalife" - 03:48 15. "Naval Base " - 04:59 16. "Paris Streets" - 01:18 17. "DuClare Chateau " - 06:42 18. "Paris Action" - 01:24 19. "Return to NYC" - 01:34 20. "Oceanlab" - 01:35 21. "Ocean Action" - 01:24

22. "Oceanlab Complex" - 01:48 23. "Vandenberg" - 03:46 24. "Begin the End" (Bunker) - 01:41 25. "Area 51" - 02:22 26. "Ending 1" - 01:15 27. "Ending 2" - 01:18 28. "Ending 3" - 01:50 29. "The Illuminati" - 02:38 30. "DX Club Mix" - 03:00 31. "Training Room" - 02:03 32. "NYC Bar" - 05:10 33. "Hong Kong Helipad" - 03:30 34. "Hong Kong Club 1" - 04:56 35. "Hong Kong Club 2" - 02:57 36. "The Nothing" - 03:17 37. "Paris Club 1" - 02:49 38. "Paris Club 2" - 04:31 39. "Paris Cathedral" - 03:36 40. "Conspiravision" - 05:38 41. "Paris Cathedral Conversation" - 00:54

See also

• Deus Ex: Invisible War
• Project Snowblind
• Warren Spector
• JC Denton

External links

• Official page on Eidos site
• Planet Deus Ex - The official GameSpy network website for Deus Ex. No longer updated
• Deus Ex Gaming - A fan community website
• Behind the Scenes Look in the Making of Deus Ex
• Template:GameFAQs
• Deus Ex at MobyGames
• Deus Ex at IMDb
• Deus Ex at MusicBrainz
• Deus Ex - Project HDTP; a High Definition Texture Package for the original Deus Ex game.
• An individual analysis of Deus Ex - Includes commentary on the game's script and compiled excerpts from 'The Man Who Was Thursday' and 'Jacob's Shadow'. Also includes a copy of Warren Spector's post mortem on Deus Ex (this is linked from its original source below).
• Warren Spector's post mortem on Deus Ex published on Gamasutra (December 6, 2000). To view this you must log into the provider's site.