Deus Ex 2: Invisible War

it has its flaws i wont lie and say it doesn't but it doesn't deserve half the crap people give it its actually a really fun game if you can over look some of the flaws

Yes, it's a diluted follow-up to the original Deus Ex set in bite-size locales. Yes, it does seem as if the developers went above and beyond the call of duty (pun intended) to make the game more accessible to casual players, resulting in a Saturday-morning romp through the Deus Ex universe. But no, it is not as bad as some would have you believe. In fact, I would say that it is better than many of the ho-hum cookie-cutter first-person bullet fests that so many of the "hardcore" PC monkeys love more than their own right hands. It's true that this entry in the series traded some grit for gleam, and swapped some of the clunky complexity for a bit of fairly condescending simplicity. However, it is most definitely NOT a bad game, despite its flaws and questionable design choices. It was clearly built with the limitations of the original XBOX in mind. However, for ten bucks, you get a quirky, yet thoroughly entertaining shooter/rpg and a gentle introduction to the cyberpunk culture of Deus Ex--that is, if you need one.

Deus Ex is one of the greatest games to ever be released. Deus Ex 2 is not. However, that doesn't mean this sequel is a bad game. Much of the criticism the game has received can be attributed to failed expectations. Strip away those expectations and what you have is a fun game with interesting powers, decent graphics, and multiple methods to achieve your goals. Don't expect to be blown away, but if you want a fun game, this one is above average.

I know haters gonna hate, but I actually really enjoyed Deus Ex: IW. It has faults for sure, but I found the game overall more fun and replayable than DE1. In fact, DE2 was pretty innovative at the time with the way it handled upgrades and storytelling. Gameplay-wise, it paved the way for Bioshock. Similarities are everywhere, from the simplified upgrades (very much like plasmids) to the tighter corridors, condensed inventory, and more action-packed gameplay. Deus Ex 1 was more complex behind the hood, but the action itself wasn't the most exciting. The ragdoll physics in DE2 (which was still a new idea at the time) often made things hilarious, and really made you feel a sense of power as you grew stronger. Everything was streamlined so you could focus more on the action in front of you, and less on your inventory screen. Story-wise, I found it far more interesting than DE1. I don't often replay games, but I played through DE2 twice, because of its multiple paths. Whereas in Deus Ex 1, most of the choices you made had more to do with the gameplay than the story, in DE2 you could dramatically change the story and alter your path--and there were plenty of opportunities to do so. If you only played DE2 once, you were missing out on a lot of content.

This is, despite the general critical opinion, a mostly worthy sequel to Deus Ex. The problem is there's just not enough of it. It clocks in at maybe 15-20 hours of gameplay if you're lucky, and the atmosphere just isn't as dark and edgy as the original. That said, what there is is worth checking out. The choices you can make are as earth-shaking, the NPCs are arguably more gripping, and frankly I think Alex Denton is a better protagonist than JC Denton. (I'd certainly rather go bar-hopping with Alex. JC strikes me as having a large stick up his...never mind.) Given the GOG price is usually ridiculously low, check it out. You won't be disappointed with the bang for your buck.