As the title suggests, this is a console game. It was built for the OG Xbox first and foremost. In fact, it was the very first immersive sim ever built with consoles in mind, as only Arx Fatalis preceded it but was built for the PC and then had to be pared back in some ways to fit on console. Deus Ex Invisible War is the first true immersive sim built for console. So with that in mind, that's how I'll judge it. Judging it as a PC game in the same way you'd judge Deus Ex doesn't make much sense. The original Deus Ex could still be argued to this day as the greatest PC game ever made, so the fact that Invisible War doesn't live up to it as an immersive sim or a PC game should have been expected. First off, you'll probably have to mod this version of the game. The Xbox version has a pretty bad frame rate but is generally smooth from a technical standpoint. There aren't many bugs to speak of. The same can't be said for its PC port. As for the game itself, it's very good. Especially when you compare it to many console games at the time of its release. It's very unique in comparison to many of them. If you're coming from Deus Ex, expect a pared back immersive sim experience. Some of the design decisions attributed to its console origins don't even make sense in that context. The universal ammo system isn't something you'd see on console shooters at the time, so Ion Storm went a bit too far even for consoles in that situation. But ultimately, every scenario you find yourself in this game will have multiple ways through, which is what I personally think matters the most when it comes to a game like this. And though the play spaces are smaller, Ion Storm clearly went for density. Invisible War is a dense experience and it doesn't outstay its welcome either. The story itself is very much worthy of the series and has a far better presentation than the original Deus Ex. In the end, this is a console game and that isn't a bad thing. IW is absolutely worth playing.
Many years ago, I played Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords for the first time with the RCM mod. I had only originally played it once on the OG Xbox when I was young but its quality kind of escaped me. But playing it with the RCM mod was a new experience and when I finished the game, I felt like the weight of the world lifted off my shoulders in the best way. I bring this up because that sense of relief is the kind of feeling I chase when I begin a playthrough of any new RPG. Pillars of Eternity was the first game I ever bought on GOG. It's been almost a decade and I've played through it many times. The most recent being late last year. It gave me the same feeling it gave me after I finished my very first playthrough. The same feeling KOTORII gave me. Like I had been on a very long journey and could now finally rest. I can't stress this enough when I say that's a rare feeling. I've played many RPGs and only a select few have given me what felt like a satisfying conclusion. Pillars of Eternity is the kind of game that most people won't finish. It's far too grounded for a fantasy RPG that its bound to bore a lot of people in its early game. They're doing themselves a disservice by not experiencing everything after. One of my biggest pet peeves of CRPGs in the last decade is the obnoxious self aware quirky humor. It feels like every recent CRPG has it. It's not unique. It's not funny. It's boring. The same feeling a lot of people will get from Pillars because it doesn't have that so called "personality." But it's that lack of obnoxious personality that has only let it age so gracefully over time. It's not trying to be self aware or funny. It's trying take you on a journey and it lets you feel that weight. If you give the time the game asks of you, that weight will be lifted in the end and you'll never forget how you felt when it happened. The best RPGs are like that.
