At a Glance
Expert’s Rating
Pros
- Well-plotted
- Elaborate, dynamic story line
Cons
- No multiplayer option
- Vast resource requirements
Our Verdict
Deus Ex’s designers have borrowed successfully from the X-Files school of storytelling — a long, overarching story line broken into smaller episodes — to make a game that will keep you occupied for many hours. As an agent for an antiterrorist coalition, your goal is to ferret out and retrieve a purloined plague antidote. You can play Deus Ex as a shoot-’em-up or as a sneakier game, avoiding guards instead of blasting them into their component electrons. The choices you make throughout the game — even trivial ones — affect how the plot continues. The graphics are good, there’s plenty of gadgetry, and the levels are large — but the compelling story line is what makes Deus Ex a truly great game.