DEUS EX 2: INVISIBLE WAR GAME REVIEW

What is it about grown men and our toys? At Christmas, I got a state-of-the-art PC game called Deus Ex: Invisible War (pronounced DAY-US EX) and have to guiltily admit that I love it. The futuristic game has phenomenal graphics, a convoluted story line full of twists and turns, a hefty weapons arsenal, a dark and surreal setting, alternative music, and even a go-go dancer – albeit a holographic one. Games are reflections of their societies and thus Deus Ex 2 also offers us an interesting look into our own culture.

The original, Deus Ex, was Game Of The Year in 2002. Invisible War, just released in December 2003, has been highly anticipated. Set in the year 2050, it has been about 15 years since the collapse of the world’s economy and thus much of the world’s social structure. Instead of political governments, corporations run the world through a group calling itself the WTO. However, there are other major players trying to take control, most notably a group called The Order who wants to rule from a zealous religious angle and another group called The Templar Knights who are fanatically opposed to technology. Complicating things further is a shadowy group called the Illuminati. Terrorism is rampant and the underworld has carved its place via groups like The Omar who sell banned weapons on the black market.

The storyline is complex and compelling and playing the game feels like you’re playing in a mystery novel or thriller. You are cast as the character Alex D., a bio-modified person who has been trained as a mercenary to protect the WTO’s corporate assets. At the game’s beginning, you are in Chicago when it gets hit by a terrorist attack. You manage to escape to Seattle before Chicago gets obliterated. In Seattle, you begin to get acquainted with the various major groups who all want you to do their bidding. So, here you are, trying to make sense of everything that’s happening, trying to get more information, trying this strategy and that strategy, attempting to get through the game wherever it leads. Deceit and treachery are everywhere. You have moral decisions to make…strategies to consider. Should you shoot your way in to get to your objective? Or, would you get more information if you walked in and discreetly queried the room’s occupants?

Invisible War is all about choices. It’s part first person shooter and part role playing. You could approach the game from a shooter’s angle but then lots of characters come out of the woodwork to blast you back and others are downright uncooperative. You could approach it from a non-violent approach and sneak everywhere and try to just hack into security systems and ATM’s. The game is very long and I still haven’t finished it. So far, I’ve traveled to Seattle, Cairo, and Antarctica with who knows how much more to go. And, I have no idea where it’s all taking me. Just trying to call the shots where I see ‘em.

Your character, Alex D., can be male or female. Like I said earlier, you are a bio-modified person; somewhat akin to the Six Million Dollar Man. You have been modified via nanotechnology and have some super-human characteristics. As the game progresses, you have opportunities to buy upgrades. Some upgrades include invisibility, robot domination, super-strength, or stealth. You’ve got all kinds of fancy weapons like a boltcaster, rocket launcher, shotgun, mag rail, mines, grenades, sniper rifle, flame thrower, and more. My favorite is the spiderbomb. A spiderbomb is thrown at an adversary’s feet and unfolds into a mechanized spider that throws out electrical voltage at the opponent. You’ll need all of the fancy weapons because you’ll be up against all sorts of enemies from security guards to all types of robots and security systems.

Technically, the game is superb. It has excellent 3D graphics with extensive detailing and shadow effects. Everything from carpeting to robots looks exquisite and realistic. The background music blends well throughout gameplay and the holographic go-go dancer’s music is contemporary alternative. Sound effects are really cool too. Altogether, it’s well-conceived and thorough and is reminiscent of Star Trek’s completeness. It’s suggested audience is 17 and over.

Deus Ex: Invisible War requires a hefty computer running at least Windows 98 SE with a P4 1.3 Ghz or AMD Athlon equivalent and 256 MB of RAM. You’ll also need 2 GB of hard disk space, a 4 X CD-Rom drive, and at least a 32 MB graphics card with Direct X 9. Those are the minimums. There is also an Xbox version.

In conclusion, folks, like many of today’s computer games, please don’t allow your younger children to play Deus Ex. Sure it’s just a game but it is chock full of adult material not suited for kids. Subjects like terrorism, cock-fighting, go-go girls, dingy bars, corporate greed, and religious fanaticism abound in these games. Not to mention all the shoot-em-up stuff. Monitor your kids’ computer time and get them out of the house to spend time with them. Don’t let the computer be a babysitter. With that said, for adults, Deus Ex: Invisible War is a great game. Awesome graphics and player options. Unique sci-fi theme. Lots of repeat playability. Enjoy!