Gameplay 2

Story and AI

The story is great – you’re thrust right into the middle of things and forced to muddle your way through with little information to start off with. The player really feels like he has been a coddled child suddenly thrust into the real world after a prolonged absence. At the end of the game, everything ties neatly together and there are four absolutely amazing ways to end the game.

The AI is actually quite impressive – a marked improvement upon the original. The problem is that when most gamers look back on Deus Ex, they recall its great AI when in fact there was no such thing. Any game that has human beings or other otherwise intelligent creations running around immediately has higher expectations placed upon it – we expect the figures that look like humans to act like humans. If these were zombies or green squares and red triangles, we’d all be impressed – but they’re not, they are “human”. The most obvious failings of the AI are when it comes down to spotting player actions and reacting properly. After you snipe a target, another might come in to investigate, look around, raise alarm… and after a while settle down, in order to be sniped in turn. This really isn’t how things would happen with real humans, but it’s also what makes the game playable.

Although we may complain about the relative lack of immersiveness in Invisible War compared to Deus Ex, it’s still a deeper, fuller world than most. Talk to the pop star holograms in the game, and pick a side in the coffee shop war to get an idea of the side plots that really flesh things out.

Problems?

The puzzle game approach of the designers to Deus Ex is a little too obvious. The only truly legitimate criticism we can level at the gameplay is that it is very clearly a game and the choices are too obvious. That’s not to say the plot is poorly implemented, the problem is the way the level design works. Look hard enough, and you’re bound to find the “sneaky” path, and there’s very little reason why you shouldn’t sneak rather than fight. As stated earlier, Invisible War is a better game, but it’s a much less immersive experience than Deus Ex.

Minor complaints would definitely include pushing the scarcity of resources too far. The SMG and other weapons with a lot of ammo consumption for the damage they deal (more, when you consider missed shots which are likelier with an SMG than a sniper rifle), are really not worth it at this point. In essence, this means that an action-heavy method of play doesn’t really work since you’ll run out of ammo or health very quickly. Given that Deus Ex is about freedom of choice in the way you play, this isn’t good for the game.