Deus Ex™ GOTY Edition

For context: I played DX and DX2 for the first time in 2024, so nostalgia wasn't a factor for me. Didn’t expect the same production values or level of refinement from HR or MD, but all core mechanics were already in place and the lineage clear to see. GMDX did smooth out some of the rougher edges and made it a supremely playable experience even today, though granted HR and MD generally do everything just a little bit better (as they should as AAA releases). Most levels were very large with few loading screens in between to interrupt the action (unlike DX2), with multiple ways to accomplish one’s objectives through stealth, combat or both. I really did enjoy the large degree of player freedom, but the game certainly didn’t do any handholding! It was up to me to figure out how to solve any given objective and manage my resources very thoughtfully as they’re very scarce in GMDX. Almost softlocked myself on multiple occasions because of that, but discovering a way to progress regardless felt very rewarding. Navigating numerous environmental hazards or around them added to the feeling of tension and danger in face of overwhelming enemy opposition. No minimap either. While I was free to pick whichever perks or augmentations I wanted, it appeared to be a good idea to specialize in one or two areas due to the increased difficulty overall in GMDX and limited number of skill points. Guess it also made more sense from a narrative point of view. While I could question some of the story points as being a little over the top (HR and MD were more subtle and believable in their representation of conspiracies), it didn’t detract from my experience and was immersed from start to finish. Voice acting wasn’t all that great, but dialogue was delivered in a much more natural fashion than DX2. Sour points: the poor gunplay, lack of enemy variety and almost-instakill bullshit like plasma weapons or alien death rays. Otherwise a fantastic old school RPG experience worth your time.

What can you say? When someone even mentions Deus Ex you get this crippling, overwhelming urge to play Deus Ex. In Deus Ex you play JC Denton and you can put all your points into Swimming because in Deus Ex you want to be an olympic-class swimmer. Deus Ex is called an immersive sim and if you want to be immersed in the world of olypmic swimming then Deus Ex has you covered. Deus Ex is still hecking fun to play, there's no doubt about it. Sure, the graphics certainly don't hold up and if you want to play as a lady nano-infused, trenchoat wearing, sunglasses at night badbutt then you gotta mod it, but that's fine, Deus Ex is worth it (and it's not even that hard to mod). Deus Ex is a game that every game after is based on. Even DOOM, the dad of DOOM-likes saw the future and copied Deus Ex. Every game is a Deus Ex-like in my book. So really, if you like modern games and have 1 dollar to spare, buy Deus Ex. Even playing Deus Ex for 10 minutes you will see what all the hubbub is about and the dollar to minutes played would have paid for itself ten times over. Deus Ex gets 4 stars because you can't raise Swimming to Grandmaster. Deus Ex.

I love the feel and atmosphere of the game, it hits all the marks on those repsects. One of those games you play with the lights off, cup of coffee, and blanket. HOWEVER, leaving this here for those that might struggle with running this game. Make sure to install both revision files. When you do go to whatever folder you saved game files to, go to Deus Ex GOTY>Revision>System>Revision.exe. The base game insta crashes with no error code and after messing with it seems to be tied to sound related hardware and fullscreen mode (probably cause most peeps have modern pc). So if you open the .exe in the goty system folder is gonna do this. Giving it 4 stars instead of 5 because the game has 0 functionality without the revision files and it should just be baked into the game being sold here. I guarantee if you got any refunds its because people probably just downloaded the base game and it crashed.

For some, what I write will mean a lot. For some - probably nothing. In my opinion Deus Ex' storyline and gameplay is second to, and only to, System Shock 2. If you have tried neither, get Deus Ex, you probably won't regret it. If you loved SS2 and haven't played this game - it'll be as similar an experience as it can be.

Many people may be afraid to play this game because of the old age, however, I played Deus Ex for the first time roughly 3 months ago. Did it still stand up? The answer is a resounding YES. Deus Ex has activated its Nano Augmentations and has leaped into my list of favorite games of all time. The story is still amazing, the gameplay is fresh, you're rewarded for being intelligent. Want to run and Gun? Do it, you certainly can. Want to be a non-lethal sneaky agent who doesn't get caught and doesn't resort to killing? Do it. Want to be a sadistic "Equip a flame thrower and burn everything between me and my objective" All the more power to you. The game has almost no boundaries on play styles. Even know I have looked up lets plays and I see things done in completely different ways that I had. The depth the game has is really amazing, and it never truly has gotten old. If you can get passed the old graphics (which really aren't that bad, and they sort of add to the dystopian atmosphere), you'll have a game that has truly stood up to the test of time, slapped it around, and proudly plants its (nano augmented) boots firmly on the ground, where it will remain.