The Deus Ex series is one of my favourite gaming universes. I have played Human Revolution and Mankind Divided quite a few times and I consider the former one of the best games ever made. They are masters of their genre’s goal: immersion, whilst being exceptionally well written in their themes of corruption, discrimination and what it is to be human. With recent affairs of Square Enix selling the franchise off to the dreaded Embracer Group and Embracer subsequently canning development on the most recent title, it is unlikely we will see a conclusion to the story of Adam Jensen, or any new game at all.

As upsetting as this is, I recently decided to try out where the franchise began. Back in 2000, the original Deus Ex released. It follows agent JC Denton of the United Nations Anti-Terrorist Coalition (UNATCO) but he has a series of nanotech enhancements that make him more than human. It is set after the events of the Adam Jensen game with Human Revolution is set in 2027 and this is set in 2052. In 2052, the world is essentially crippled and corrupt beyond measure. There is a catastrophic class divide with the rich living without worry and the poor struggling to stay alive, all of which is helped by a global pandemic called the ‘Gray Death’ that threatens everybody (sound familiar?). After a conspiracy emerges amongst UNATCO, Denton is on the run and crosses paths with his former employers, the mysterious Majestic 12 and even the Illuminati.

So the setup is fantastic to say the least and the plot that carries on is no different. Denton is sent across the world doing various infiltration missions and uncovering the corruption that threatens the world. The themes this game puts across are incredibly topical in todays world and it does offer a scary reflection of a possible future. A good example is a plot point that concerns Ambrosia, the cure for the Gray Death, being reserved for the rich elites and those on the streets just being left to suffer. A clear reflection of the rich making each other richer and only supporting those around them. The world of Deus Ex is a bleak one and it is scary to see our own society mirrored at times in a universe full of pessimism.

Doom and gloom aside, it helps this game is phenomenal to play. Along with the likes of Thief (1998)and System Shock (1994), this was one of the founding fathers of the immersive sim. The likes of Arkane’s games (Dishonoured, Prey etc.) or the S.T.A.L.K.E.R franchise simply would not exist in the same capacity if not for these games. Immersion is key and that is done in many different ways. We’ve already discussed the setting and how that hits all the necessary beats of familiarity but the gameplay systems are arguably even more important. This is the vessel through which the player will exist in the world after all and Deus Ex nails this too.

Choice and the ability to approach things in multiple different ways is the critical thing that Deus Ex just gets so right. It sounds simple but it is the most integral element to the overall immersion. I appreciated that unlike the Adam Jensen Deus Ex games, there is no penalty for killing people. In those games, you are given an arsenal of brilliant weapons and abilities to use and yet there is no incentive to use them. You get so many more experience points for being a ‘smooth operator’ or being a ‘ghost’ and getting through the mission with your hands clean. There are no repercussions for this in the gameplay for Deus Ex but there are nods from a few characters to your use of excessive force. It gives a more moral weight to the people you kill and it is more on your impactful on your conscience rather than your actual progression.

Progression is done by skill points which you acquire through completing primary and secondary objectives, whilst also getting bonuses for exploration and smaller actions. These can be put into many different categories including weapons proficiencies, lockpicking and computers, amongst others. Like any RPG, this just makes you better at these things but it allows you to mould Denton to how you want to play. A more bloodthirsty player may dump points into weapons proficiencies to get more damage and handling capabilities and just gun down anybody they see. Somebody a bit more calculated may rank up their electronics and lockpicking so all they need less multitools when hacking and less lockpicks when breaking into lockers or previously inaccessible rooms. These are two extremes but nothing is locked off and anything can be upgraded at any point so players’ Dentons can have multiple different unique combinations. These skills are the groundwork for how a player will approach a level and it is a joy to go round a corner to be demanded of a certain skill and have the exact capabilities to do so.

25 years on, age has not caught up to Deus Ex as much as most games of its era. The controls are very easy to use and incredibly responsive. I also had no glitches at all in my 27 hour playthrough and that is a rarity in today’s gaming space. The optimisation was probably the biggest problem but that is understandable for its age. In high density areas, the framerate did slow a decent bit but that is simply the trappings of modern hardware rather than a slight on the game itself. Even outside of its technical aspects, this is a marvel that was ahead of its time. The open sandbox spaces with so many different approaches to each mission are still outstanding to this day. Being dropped into each mission always brings about the question of ‘how am I going to do this?’ and it does not hold your hand in doing so. You have an objective, how you complete it is on you. There may be an image of a map or something if you are lucky but other than that, you will have to discover your own path which is exactly as it should be. Games nowadays need to cease the constant mollycoddling and adopt this approach because this is true immersion.

I am very glad I went back and played this as it took me aback seeing how innovative this was for a game made in 2000. After 25 years this game has finally reached me and after enjoying the later games in the franchise, I am glad I could see where it all began. A brilliant game in a spectacular franchise and I really do hope we get another one eventually.