Deus Ex

Deus Ex is a cyberpunk role-playing action game that combines features of FPP shooters, stealth games and RPGs. The game was developed by Ion Storm Austin studio, a branch of company founded in 1997 by legendary John Romero. The main designer of the game was Warren Spector – the co-creator of such renowned series as Ultima and Wing Commander. The game was released in 2000 on PCs and Macs, but the first concept of the game was released by Spector almost six years earlier, just after releasing the famous System Shock. In 2002 the game was ported to PlayStation 2 under a slightly changed name Deus Ex: The Conspiracy.

Plot

The story of Deus Ex takes place in year 2052, in a dystopian future consumed by a mysterious disease called the Gray Death. In the wake of an economical crisis, among corruption, terror, and falling morality, many predict a near end of the world. During the game, the players assume the role of agent JC Denton who, while fighting terrorism, discovers a trail of a mysterious conspiracy aimed at taking over the world. Soon he discovers that nothing is as it seems and his head becomes filled with questions and doubts. Since he cannot trust anyone or count on help of old friends, Denton is alone and his actions might determine the fate of the humanity.

Mechanics

Action of Deus Ex is non-linear and it can be shaped by decisions made by the player. During the game one will travel through a large world which consists of areas of New York and Paris based on aerial photos (the player will also visit Hong Kong). The action is shown from a first-person perspective and it combines features of a role-playing, shooter and stealth games. During the game player will explore places, complete various missions, speak with NPCs and complete sequences in which he must remain undetected or face various opponents.

High interactivity of the surrounding world is among the game’s most prominent features. Most of the common items found in the game can be used in various ways (for example to distract a guard). NPCs have their own artificial intelligence and they can react in various, often unpredictable ways to player’s actions. Like in classic RPGs, there is an advanced character development system available in Deus Ex. As the game progresses and player gains new skill points, he can equip Denton in 9 (of 18 available) nanotechnological augmentations that allow for example opening electronic locks, hack computers, faster regeneration, or better combat skills. Weapons can be freely modified by installing scopes, suppressors or various recoil and range modifiers into them. Depending on decisions made by the player during the game, Deus Ex can end in three alternative ways.

Game modes

Due to the specifics of the gameplay, Deus Ex was a title available only for single player. However, in response to fan’s demands, the Ion Storm developers implemented a multiplayer mode and added it in updates to the game. It allows playing in three game modes: Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and Basic Deathmatch. The battles can take place on five maps taken from the singleplayer mode (however, thanks to the SDK released in the patch it is also possible for players to create their own maps). This option is available only in PC version of the game.

Technical aspects

Deus Ex released for PC and PS2 uses a modified version of Unreal Engine, technology created for the cult game released in 1998 by Epic Games. In Ion Storm’s game the engine was improved with light effects and item physics.

Last updated on 21 April 2015