By Xbolt
Hello everyone!
This summer marked the 25th anniversary of the release of my favorite game of all time: Deus Ex.
The game is widely acclaimed for its deep narrative, player choice, and blending of stealth, combat, and RPG mechanics.
Deus Ex is my favorite game because not only is it fun to play (it is), but it also has a gripping story that provides some actually very intelligent commentary on our modern society.
Most of the time, I despise political commentary in my entertainment media because it’s always so ham-fisted, poorly written, and juvenile. But Deus Ex‘s commentary is thought-provoking and aimed at intelligent adults instead of talking down to the player like they’re stupid.
Deus Ex was created by the Austin branch of John Romero’s controversial studio Ion Storm, led by Warren Spector.
The game is set in the year 2052. It’s a gritty dystopian future where technology, human augmentation, and conspiracy theories collide.
Deus Ex came out in 2000. Many of its themes became even more relevant in the post-9/11 world, and still today. I didn’t play it for the first time until 2010, but it’s been my #1 favorite ever since.
The game takes place in the midst of a deadly viral pandemic: the Gray Death. There is a vaccine, but it is rare. You play as JC Denton: a technologically-augmented secret agent recently hired at the United Nations Anti-Terrorist Coalition (UNATCO). The story is an intense spy thriller as you work to track down a group of terrorists that stole a shipment of the vaccine.
In a world shaped by technology, power, and secrets, the truth is rarely simple—and your choices matter more than you think.
