Deus Ex: Invisible War

Few games push so firmly at the envelope, and Deus Ex?s powerful charms make it easy to forgive a few flaws.

The tag ?best?game?ever? is frequently plastered on Deus Ex: The Conspiracy with justifiably fervent ardor, so to say that expectations are high for Deus Ex: Invisible War is just a wee bit of an understatement. Like the first game, Invisible War is a model of excellent game design, mixing a vast, gripping story with truly open-ended gameplay. If you can think of a way to solve a problem or tackle a goal (within reason!), you can do it, and the game?s scope and sense of freedom are exhilarating.

The pickiest of this series? hardcore fans will find a few things to be bummed about?and rightly so. But Invisible War?s flaws don?t prevent it from shining brightly as one of the year?s best games.

After the Collapse
It?s been 20 years since JC Denton ended the conspiracy in the first Deus Ex, and you now play as Alex D, a clone of JC who?s augmented with nanotechnology biomodifications that grant ?superpowers? like invisibility cloaking or computer hacking. The absorbing sci-fi story line evolves in layers, twists, and turns that sweep you up in a complex struggle between government and religious factions.

The gameplay?s loaded with choices?how to achieve your goals, which of the huge number of side quests to pursue, and even where your sympathies lie. Invisible War really makes you ponder your moral choices in a thoughtful way. The game is crafted to allow you to decide however you like, providing a dizzying number of paths and an astonishing feeling of autonomy.

The way that you can interact with almost every object in the world is also impressive. If a vent?s blocked, heave the offending barrier aside; if it?s too dark, turn on a light?all mundane stuff that makes the world seem to breathe. At times, though, when you fling furniture that careens about like a pinball, the physics feel too exaggerated.

The Light Side Visually, the game?s environments and lighting are very sharp. The level of detail in some areas is worth pausing to admire, as is the way that light moves and responds realistically. The character faces and animations, though, often look clumsy and outdated. On the audio side, Invisible War delivers slick sound effects and a staggering amount of well-acted dialogue, though it doesn?t offer as many options as Knights of the Old Republic did.

Invisible War?s controls make it easy to interact with this complex game. The item management is particularly innovative and streamlined, although the amount you can carry is painfully skimpy.

Resistance Is Futile
Some unfortunate technical issues crop up. The frame rate is sluggish at times, and while it?s not a serious problem, it definitely sucks. The load times between areas are long and frequent, too, and it really feels like the game needed another month or two of polishing.

Hardcore fans who idolize the first Deus Ex will also discover their share of disappointments. The compression of skills and augs into biomods robs the game of some of its rich depth, and combat is a more primary focus of the gameplay. The web of consequences for your actions and decisions also seems less complex and less compelling. Perhaps it was an attempt at more mass-market appeal, but the result is that the game is a bit too oversimplified and doesn?t reach the same lofty, godlike heights of the original. That said, it?s still vastly better than 99.9% of the other games out there today, and with properly calibrated expectations, you?ll find that Invisible War is a brilliant game that will captivate you like few others can.?Air Hendrix

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