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Deus Ex: Invisible War

PORTIONS OF THIS REVIEW APPEARED IN THE SEATTLE TIMES

I never played the original Deus Ex. While widely lauded as one of the best games of the time, I just never got around to playing it. After seeing the sequel in development back at the 2002 E3, I was definitely more than interested. As development progressed, I was definitely going to be looking at this game upon its release.

One of the things that Deus Ex: Invisible War does, right from the start, is grab the player with the story. Building on the ending from the original game, the sequel takes place approximately 20 years later – taking place in the world that JC Denton had helped to create in Deus Ex.

That’s not to say that intimate knowledge of the events in Deus Ex are necessary to enjoy or even play this entry is required. There are historical blurbs that appear during the load screens that give players background. The story unfolds organically as well to provide players with enough story and information to keep them interested.

Somebody at Ion Storm obviously has read some Jonathan Letham. The vision of the not-quite-near-future presented in Deus Ex: Invisible War is very reminiscent of his, and other literary works that murk up the crystal ball peeking forward in time.

Starting out with conspiracies on both ends (working for and against you) can lead to some shaky decision making. Not sure who to believe, the player will start out as a trainee transferred from the Chicago branch of Tarsus Academy to Seattle following what appears to be a terrorist attack.

Players start out under attack (again) in the gameplay department, but are told everything is fine, and that’s the general idea of Deus Ex: Invisible War – don’t trust anybody, and don’t always take things at face value. The Order is out to take down the Tarsus Academies, and Alex D (the central character) is caught in the middle.

Well, middle isn’t exactly the right word, as there are more groups vying for… hm, maybe I’m saying too much.

Billie, another “trainee” that was “rescued” from Chicago starts out with you in Seattle, where you were evacuated to. Shortly after it’s made clear that The Order is attacking, she sets out on her own. Then, we get into one of the major gameplay mechanics – biomodification. Without getting into too much as to why Alex D is able to genetically enhance vision, strength, or even mask a thermal signature, suffice to say that it’s not just as simple as a single one time upgrade. Picking and choosing what to load, what to use, and what to shop for can make for some interesting abilities and choices.

This, then, leads into the “open ended” gameplay. Players are given the choice of how not only to resolve individual situations (guns blazing, stealth, bribe, etc.) but those actions will affect what happens later on in the game.

Talk to a member of the Order. Maybe even be recruited and begin working for them. Maybe you follow orders and attempt to rescue the scientists, maybe you’re inclined to begin working for the WTO and rooting out corruption in Seattle.

Each situation is different, often offering multiple solutions. Naturally, there is the “guns blazing” approach. You can find a way to sneak through the ventilation shafts and bypass security. You can bribe somebody for the key. Or, you could knock the people unconscious. Yes, that’s right, you can take people out without killing them. Deus Ex: Invisible War is the FPS with a moral stand (if you want to take it).

While many of the various missions are elective, they can contradict or compliment each other. Often various factions will have their own agenda that Alex D becomes part of, and how that gets sorted out is up to the player. Choosing an alliance isn’t as clear cut as one would think. Each of the groups have their advantages and disadvantages, but ultimately, players are making up their own mind with whom to align.

There are more groups other than the WTO and The Order. The WTO acts as the official … government – no, that’s not quite right…. but it will suffice. The Order is the religious group whose ideology is at odds (increasingly so) with the WTO and Tarsus. The SSC is a private security force for hire, the Omar have their own agenda and goals, other corporations will try and bend Alex D to their will, and brushing up on some history (the crusades in particular) may be helpful in knowing who the Templars are.

There are plenty of primary characters to interact with, often times with multiple conversation options. While talking to a local crime lord (how you get there is part of the gameplay variety) you can either be all huffy and take a position of antagonism (and get yourself killed) or you could bribe your way to further the story.

Of course, you could also just go in and throw a grenade in the office.

While the story is wonderful, keeping the player wondering what will happen next, it’s the multiple paths and options that really make the game shine.

That’s all just in Seattle, wait until you get out of town – and yes, there are choices for how to go about doing that as well.

Another standout feature is the audio. It’s possible to sneak up and eavesdrop on people and listen in on their conversations. Whether it’s a couple of guards talking about the evening’s events or a couple of patrons in the coffee shop

On a side note, somebody obviously has a sense of humor, and has read Moby Dick. In a game that makes a statement about big corporations, taking a jab at Starbucks may seem obvious, but it’s done in such a way that many gamers just won’t realize it.

Back to the audio…

Walking makes less noise than running, and scaffolding makes more noise than carpet. This is a universal law, not just for you, but for everybody else in the game. This proves very useful when sneaking about.

The voice acting can range from good to rather stiff. The game is rather dialogue heavy so there was bound to be some mis-steps. It doesn’t detract from the gameplay however.

The game looks really good – graphically, it’s one of the better Xbox games out there. There’s not a lot to say, since Deus Ex: Invisible War performs pretty much as one would expect a game of this caliber to at this point in the console lifecycle.

Character models are distinctive, environments are good, though sometimes a little flat, and nearly every object is interactive. There are a few too many empty boxes taped shut however. The rats however, are a nice touch.

Inventory is one of the very few areas that Deus Ex: Invisible War doesn’t quite shine. There could have been a bit more streamlining – it’s very easy to arm and equip a weapon, but not to put it away. Sure, it’s not hard to do, but it’s just a bit more cumbersome than it should have been. (And couldn’t Alex carry more than this if he’s so enhanced?)

To have to find this area to nit-pick really says something about the overall quality of the game. A game that reads like a classic mystery novel is something of a rarity. The heavy emphasis on story makes Deus Ex: Invisible War stand out as it is. The multiple resolutions to each problem presented also take the game to another level. Having the option to not kill also makes this one of the better offerings available today. Finally, the shift in emphasis away from a straight FPS style to more exploration and problem solving makes Deus Ex: Invisible War a must own for any adventure gamer.

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Posted by Daniel "monk" Pelfrey on Dec 2nd, 2003 and is filed under Reviews, Xbox Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can post a comment, or trackback from your own site.

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