Deus Ex is a computer game released in 2000 by Ion Storm with story elements of cyberpunk. Set in a dystopian world during the year 2052, the game combines the action elements of a first-person shooter with the character development and interaction of a role playing game. Its name is derived from the Latin expression deus ex machina, meaning "a person or event that provides a sudden and unexpected solution to a story", or literally, "god from the machine". These most obviously refer to the game's protagonist JC Denton and the cybernetic themes of the game. Also, Warren Spector (producer of System Shock), one of the game's designers, has stated the name was a dig at most video game plots, where heavy "deus ex machina" artifices and other poor script writing techniques can be seen.

The game is built based on a modified Unreal engine and Deus Ex is seen as having a mixed gaming genre. The game featured environments often drawn from real locations. It was also notable for the complex tactical possibilities, where players could choose many different ways of achieving evolving goals, from stealth (akin to Thief) and long-range sniping, to all-out combat with various heavy weapons, to character interaction and use of objects in the environment.

Deus Ex's plot drew together several current conspiracy theories into a narrative with characters having a deeper development than those of most FPS games. It also presented a philosophical dilemma in its conclusion where the player is given a world-altering choice.

The game's level of detail astounded the gaming world. As an example, one of Deus Ex's central topics is nanotechnology, the main character JC Denton is augmented by symbiotic microscopic computers called nanites and the game contains an impressive amount of literature on nanotechnology and defines its science quite accurately. Many allusions to classic literature and influences (predominantly Neal Stephenson's The Diamond Age and Snow Crash) can be found throughout the game environment. These details encourage the player to replay the game to discover and learn more about the world of Deus Ex.

The game was hailed by many critics and users as a significant step towards a "reality simulation", as one of the first games to truly pioneer the effect of moral choices, and one of the only games in existence based on violence to offer a non-violent alternative; killing is not a necessary part of Deus Ex.

A sequel, Deus Ex: Invisible War, was released in the United States on December 3, 2003. As of mid-2003, plans for a Deus Ex movie were in the works. Spider-Man producer Laura Ziskin was on board for the movie, but no other details were given at that point. However, according to the Internet Movie Database, production of the movie has been cancelled. No further details were given.

External links

Official websites

• Deus Ex official website

In-game material

• The end game quotes
• Conversation scripts
• Inventory images
• nuwen.net - Deus Ex - Includes in-game text (such as e-mails, books, and data cubes)

General information

• Planet Deus Ex - Fan Community Website
• The Deus Ex "Continuity Bible" from gamespy.com
• Deus Ex Information Page
• Deus Ex Gaming
• Deus Ex Machina
• List of links related to Deus Ex
• Timeline of events in the game
• Game FAQ guides
• DXEditing - Fan Modification News Portal