In a troubled future on the verge of collapse, you play as JC Denton, a cyborg rookie in the UN's anti-terrorism unit. A lethal virus is sweeping the globe, and as you hunt the terrorist group that stole a shipment of the cure, a shadowy conspiracy involving the UN, secret societies, and even JC’s brother gradually emerges. The involving gameplay mixes first-person combat with quest-style adventuring. A strong RPG component adds another layer as you build up JC's skills (hacking, lockpicking, weaponry, and so on) and nanotech augmentations (muscular strength, lung capacity for swimming, radiation resistance, and more). You also manage a sizable inventory of weapons and gadgets. Deus Ex's startling depth is a huge part of what makes it so compelling. There are tons of different paths through this game, and depending on which skills you develop and how you approach each mission, you can wade through with guns blazing, slip quietly through the shadows, or even become that rarest of creatures, the master hacker/swimmer. The world you interact with is also dazzlingly deep. The briefest conversation or interaction can have implications that affect you later, you’re rewarded for exploring every nook and cranny, and the characters aren't just cardboard dummies with one or two lines of speech. Truly, it's a big, long game. While Deus Ex certainly isn't without its flaws, none are even remotely crippling. As in Red Faction, the tedious load times as you move between areas are a mild annoyance, and lame A.I. sometimes makes combat ring false. The serviceable graphics miss a golden opportunity to make this game unstoppable, but the audio scores big with a massive amount of well-acted dialogue. Condensing a keyboard into a controller is never an easy task, but Deus Ex slickly pulls off everything from inventory management to strafing. The original PC version of Deus Ex was a huge hit, and this outstanding port deserves to achieve that same status. For PS2 gamers who are new to the series, it’s absolutely one of this spring’s must-play games.
