Other reviews have emphasize Deus Ex's gameplay, I want to emphasize its story. The writing in this game and some of the literary devices used is on par with some of the finest works of literature. The game's writing is like Shakespeare, in the sense that the dialogue seems content to spout crude jokes one moment, then suddenly slam you with insightful commentary the next. This is a game where your boss will call you out for workplace sexual harassment when you accidentally walk into the woman's washroom while exploring, then a different character will comment on the use of tax codes to deprive individuals of their wealth and consolidate that financial power towards powerful corporations. Here are some quotes that I can recite from memory - The West, so afraid of strong government, now has no government, only financial power. - The checks and balances of democratic institutions were made, precisely because human beings saw how unfit they were to govern themselves. - When government surveillance and intimidation is called "freedom from terrorism" or "liberation from crime", freedom and liberty have become words without meanings. Deus Ex is undeniably a work of literature, that has become more and more relevant, as our own present reality grapples with the issues of accountability, data privacy and artificial intelligence, and the overriding of rule of law by financial power.
