Video games had come a long way by the year 2000. Games such as Castle Wolfenstein and Doom popularized the first-person shooter genre, Metal Gear defined stealth based action and Half Life and Unreal elevated the idea of a continuous storyline for gaming. Even yet, it is likely that nobody was prepared for what game designers Warren Spector and Harvey Smith along with software company Ion Storm had up their sleeve.
In June of 2000, Deus Ex hit the video game world running with glowing reviews and amassing an enviable list of awards, including most of 2000's Game of the Year awards. Set in a future world where shadowy government agencies, multi-national corporations and secret societies battle to control the world, the game follows the character of JC Denton -- a government agent with a host of bio-modifications that give him special abilities -- as he investigates and takes on the various powers that be.
While the graphics and the game play itself was top notch, what set Deus Ex apart from all that had come before was its branching game play and extremely developed storyline. With settings all around the world, the player was given the option of choosing which "missions" they wanted to complete. And those choices would eventually help or hinder the player, depending on the situation. The scope of the game's story was so in-depth that it could allow an average gamer weeks of game play.
As well, unlike previous games where players could carry unlimited supplies and weapons, Deus Ex forced a certain realism where players could only carry a certain amount of equipment at any given time. Thus, to complete certain levels, a player may be forced to drop unnecessary equipment in favor of other weapons or tools. As well, weapons could be modified to take on special characteristics (i.e. scope, silencer, EMP rounds, etc.) thus increasing the level of choice to the player. The same was true for the bio-modifications, which gave the user a whole host of impressive capabilities (i.e. thermo vision, stealth movement, remote control drones, etc.).
Very few games have come close to matching what game designers Spector and Smith achieved with Deus Ex. Deus Ex remains one of the most respected titles in gaming history with good reason.
In June of 2000, Deus Ex hit the video game world running with glowing reviews and amassing an enviable list of awards, including most of 2000's Game of the Year awards. Set in a future world where shadowy government agencies, multi-national corporations and secret societies battle to control the world, the game follows the character of JC Denton -- a government agent with a host of bio-modifications that give him special abilities -- as he investigates and takes on the various powers that be.
While the graphics and the game play itself was top notch, what set Deus Ex apart from all that had come before was its branching game play and extremely developed storyline. With settings all around the world, the player was given the option of choosing which "missions" they wanted to complete. And those choices would eventually help or hinder the player, depending on the situation. The scope of the game's story was so in-depth that it could allow an average gamer weeks of game play.
As well, unlike previous games where players could carry unlimited supplies and weapons, Deus Ex forced a certain realism where players could only carry a certain amount of equipment at any given time. Thus, to complete certain levels, a player may be forced to drop unnecessary equipment in favor of other weapons or tools. As well, weapons could be modified to take on special characteristics (i.e. scope, silencer, EMP rounds, etc.) thus increasing the level of choice to the player. The same was true for the bio-modifications, which gave the user a whole host of impressive capabilities (i.e. thermo vision, stealth movement, remote control drones, etc.).
Very few games have come close to matching what game designers Spector and Smith achieved with Deus Ex. Deus Ex remains one of the most respected titles in gaming history with good reason.