The Red Strings Club is a very unique game. A mishmash of mechanics and almost minigame like sections, it should, by all accounts, by an uncohesive mess; and yet it works. Every single segment helps build the larger story and unearth more of the game's mystery, and the mechanic for each portion stays just long enough for you to get the hang of it and love it; before moving onto the next thing before it gets tiresome. The world and characters are fascinating, and we only get a gimpse. Although there are some larger social messages the game tries to convey, it is ultimately up to the player make up their own mind about them and these decisions even affect the story. CYBERPUNK POTTERY: When I read on the store page that this game would have a pottery section I just about spit out my coffee. I am a big geek, so I seek out just about every cyberpunk everything I can get my hands on. The idea of 'cyberpunk pottery' was so absurdist and hillarious I knew I had to buy this game. But in the game it is played (almost) totally straigh, and believe it or not it actually works. It's fun, unique, and requires you to make tough decisions that affect the story in the last sequence. Bartending: Easily the best part of the game. Serving different drinks to play off of emotions to gather information from customers is fun, and somewhat uniquely difficult. I messed up more than one section, but still had an awesome time. Makes me want to replay the game! Phone-Phreaking: The part of the game originally designed in the old demo for the game, titled 'Super-Continent ltd'. A very fun little detective portion with some unique voice impersonation mechanics. Probably my second favorite sequence, even if by the end I was just rubbing voices together to see what worked. Mechanics: 5 Stars. Fun, short, and unique. Story: 4.5 Stars. Brief, interesting, choices mattered. Characters: 4.5 Stars. Interesting, detailed, and fun to drink with. Art style: 5 stars. Gorgeous game. Great aesthetics.
It is strange that a game that is so obviously a product of it's time can be so timeless. Soaked in the paranoid conspiracy theories of the '90s, Deus Ex manages to perfectly capture the mystery and feel of the classic X-Files series, mix it with pulp cyberpunk inspired by William Gibson's work, and to form this into one of the greatest action RPGs, nay the greatest game, of all time. And this is no action game with RPG elements, this is an RPG through and through; much like it's predecessor System Shock 2. This game does not hold your hand, you are free to play the game how you want to, with all the consequences that might entail. You can be a stealthy sleuth who leaves his enemies unharmed, moving about the masterfully crafted levels undetected. You can be a manly rambo killing everything in his wake. Graphically it could use a bit of a facelift, but the gameplay and story are enough for anyone to look past it and sink into the world it creates. My sole complaint is that it should not be Game of the Year Edition. It should be the Game of Every Year Edition.
