The previous two blogs have been regarding conspiracy theories – Illuminati; Men in Black and Majestic 12. Part of my new fascination with these things comes from The X Files; but really it was because of the game that took me 8 years and 4 computer updates to eventually complete: the original Deus Ex.
Released in 1999, it was so ahead of its time, it was unreal. Eleven years later, it can still kick the crap out of various other cyberpunk themed FPS/RPG games. Oh wait, there still aren’t that many around! LOL (okay, there’s Bioshock, but yeah…)
Here’s my spoiler free plot summary: 2052. Civilization is in near collapse and the world economy is in chaos. Deadly diseases are decimating the world’s population and terrorist factions compete for power as governments crumble. My kind of world, basically 🙂 The player takes on the role of JC Denton, a “nano-aug” (nanotechnology-augmented) anti terrorist agent, with the ability to utilize superhuman abilities. These can be chosen and upgraded by the player, and the way they are utilized ultimately determines events in the game. The player must learn to employ stealth; gun play; critical thinking and strategy where appropriate in each mission. One must question everything and trust no one.
The rest of story is mind blowing, covering various topics ranging from corrupt organisations (FEMA is one such target) to conspiracy theories such as the Roswell cover up; Majestic 12; the Illuminati and the men in black, among many others. It is also scarily real in some instances. But I’m not telling you any more. Buy it and play the game to get the rest of the story.
I am not exaggerating when I say that this game has it ALL. For it’s time, the graphics were mind blowing. Sure the character animation was occasionally questionable (with characters continually breathing in and out when talking), but the scenery – recreated from actual maps; blueprints and photographs – and the gun animations could not be faulted. The weapon handling has never been better realized in a PC game, either. Upgrades and modifications can be bought for firearms for ease of wielding, and the player can earn skill points to improve ease of tasks such as lock picking; electronics; administering medicine; use of environmental appliances and handling of certain types of weapons. This enables the player to develop a compelling alter ego, and life becomes easier. Yay 🙂
It’s already sounding better than Half Life! 😉
The action is as intense or as scarce as the player wishes it to be. Personally, I find that killing most people and destroying most stuff is the more fun approach to playing the game, but it is down to player discretion. It is actually possible to complete the game having killed nobody (aside from a few necessary evils). Stealth is also a frequent aspect of the game, as is the employment of strategy and careful planning of action. No matter what situation one can find oneself in, there’s always a secondary path to the goal.
The voice acting for non playable characters is a bit strained and at times completely ridiculous – particularly in the Hong Kong level, but honestly, this just adds to the fun. At any rate, the main character’s voices are perfectly realized, especially that of the characters of JC Denton; Paul Denton (JC’s older brother) and secondary main bad guy Walton Simons – who is the most charismatic and cold blooded villain this side of Albert Wesker. The musical score is sublime and breathtaking, drawing influences from all genres. No other theme tune (buy the game and see what I mean) or background music could have set the mood for the game better.
I tend to become slightly lost for words when I talk about this game, and I probably haven’t managed to do it justice. It is a shoot em up; stealth; RPG; strategy and life simulation game all rolled into one; complete with a postmodern backdrop and kick-ass cyberpunk story line to boot. I’ll leave you with a list of cool and funny things that the player should try out in the game.
- Going into the ladies toilets
- Throwing pottery; potted plants; lamps; bins and bin bags at people
- Destroying seats that people are sitting on
- Breaking windows
- Going for a random swim
- Hacking ATMs and laundering money
- Taking “zyme” (a futuristic opiate drug)
- Getting pissed on alcohol
- Hitting people with a crowbar
- Flushing toilets
- Flushing urinals
- Stealing people’s food from their table
- Stealing alcohol from behind bars
- Travelling by air vents
- Breaking into lockers
- Breaking into houses
- Stopping mid mission to read a book or a newspaper
- Shooting tramps
- Shooting tramps with a crossbow, loaded with poison darts
- Stabbing/ hitting tramps with melee weapons
- “Sniping” (shooting people with a scoped gun from about 100-500 paces away)
- Paying to get into a nightclub, killing the cashier when you’re inside and looting their corpse for your money
- Talking to anybody you want, just to see what they come out with
- Listening in through locked doors in the ‘Ton Hotel ( you can hear some interesting stuff through certain doors)
- Gunning down MiBs, and watching them explode
- Stabbing and hitting dead bodies until they explode
- Encrypting certain characters’ kill phrases, and watching them explode
- Using explosives to break down doors
- Hacking into security systems; then turning cameras off and and setting turrets on people
- Accidentally killing people on your side to loot their bodies for ammo
- USING A LIGHTSABRE!
It’s up to you, but just remember: your destiny is in your hands. Deus Ex (full phrase: “Deus Ex Machina,” Greek) means “God Through the Machine.” You are God, and your PC is the machine you operate through. How you complete the game is a matter of choice. There are 3 possible endings to the game, too. Buy the game, close the blinds and become JC Denton. The future is what you make it.
10/10
benk8319 