Deus Ex | |
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Genre(s) | Action role-playing, first-person shooter, stealth, Immersive sim |
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Publisher(s) |
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Creator(s) | Warren Spector |
Writer(s) |
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Composer(s) |
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Platform(s) | |
First release | Deus Ex June 23, 2000 |
Latest release | Deus Ex: Breach & Deus Ex: Mankind Divided – VR Experience January 24, 2017 |
Deus Ex is a series of cyberpunk role-playing video games, set during the mid 21st century. Focusing on the conflict between secretive factions who wish to control the world by proxy, and the effects of transhumanistic attitudes and technologies in a dystopian near-future setting, the series also includes references to real-world conspiracy theories, historical mythologies and philosophies, and provides a commentary on capitalist values and division in society. The first two games in the series were developed by Ion Storm, and subsequent entries were developed by Eidos-Montréal, following Ion Storm's closure. The Ion Storm games were published by Eidos Interactive, and all Eidos-Montréal media was published by Square Enix until 2022, when ownership was sold to Embracer Group.
The series consists of six games: Deus Ex (2000), Deus Ex: Invisible War (2003), Deus Ex: Human Revolution (2011), Deus Ex: The Fall (2013), Deus Ex Go (2016) and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (2016). The series has been generally well-received by critics and sold over 14 million units worldwide.
Deus Ex chronology |
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2026-2027 – Icarus Effect |
2027 – The Fall |
2027 – Human Revolution ( The Missing Link ) |
2028-2029 – Black Light |
2029 – Mankind Divided |
2052 – Deus Ex |
2072 – Invisible War |
Note: given the freedom of choice found within each game, the section below only gives the general outline of the world and the individual plotlines.
While each game has a distinct story, they are all set within the same world — an Earth of the future that has evolved into a dystopian cyberpunk society. In this setting, several organizations compete for overall control of the world. [1] Several of the societies mentioned or shown are inspired by real-world and invented secret societies and conspiracy theories. The one constant through the series is the Illuminati, although FEMA, Majestic 12, and the Knights Templar are also featured. The main characters in the series possess artificially acquired superhuman abilities, called "augmentation".
Deus Ex takes place during 2052, [2] while the world is facing a crisis caused by a mysterious nano-virus called the Gray Death. In the midst of the crisis, JC Denton, a nano-augmented rookie agent for the United Nations Anti-Terrorist Coalition (UNATCO), is sent to eliminate terrorist cells, but ends up drawn into the various schemes of rival factions and secret societies, who are responsible for the epidemic. Once he arrives in Area 51, Denton has the choice between neutralizing technology and plunging the world into a second dark age, [3] allying with the Illuminati, [4] or merging with an advanced AI so as to impose a benevolent dictatorship. [5] Invisible War takes place twenty years later, after a massive economic depression and period of war called the Collapse [6] that was indicated by Denton's actions and a combination of possible events from the first game. [7] The game's protagonist, Alex D, a clone of Denton, is drawn into a conflict between two seemingly opposing factions, and learns of conspiratorial factions which seek to drastically change the world, including JC Denton: Alex can perform missions for any of them, and eventually becomes able to choose which organization should rule the world.
Human Revolution is set in 2027, twenty-five years before the first title, where corporations have extended their influence past the reach of global governments and the development of bio-mechanical augmentation by a few elite and powerful companies threatens to destabilize society. The game follows Adam Jensen, the security chief for bio-tech company Sarif Industries. After a devastating attack on Sarif's headquarters, which leaves him near death, Adam is forced to undergo radical augmentation surgery, and he becomes embroiled both in the search for the attackers and the political and ethical repercussions of augmentation technology. The Fall is a parallel story, set after the spin-off novel Icarus Effect. [8] It follows the story of Ben Saxon, an augmented former British SAS mercenary, who is on the run from his former employers, a group of augmented mercenaries that play a crucial part in the plot of Human Revolution. [9] Mankind Divided is set in 2029, two years after the events of Human Revolution in a world dealing with the consequences of the previous game's events. Regardless of the choice made by Adam at the end of Human Revolution, the Illuminati have twisted his message and augmented individuals are persecuted and feared. A disillusioned Adam works with an international taskforce (hinted to be a precursor to UNATCO in Deus Ex) designed to stop the rising wave of terrorism brought on by the disenfranchised and desperate augmented while working to uncover the perpetrators of the events that led to the current state of the world.
A unifying element across the series is the combination of gameplay styles from several different genres, including action role-playing, first-person shooter and stealth. [10] [11] [12] Role-playing elements are mostly linked to augmenting the character in a specific way, spending skill points to create characters that can be focused either on stealth or combat, or a balance of the two. [13] Player choice is a key feature of the series, with the actions of the player character affecting both the world around them and the way non-player characters (NPCs) react to the character: depending on which faction they belong to, NPCs might praise and be helpful, chastise, ignore, or even attack them. [10] This emphasis on player choice is most evident in Invisible War, where players can choose the gender and skin color of the main character before starting, and have the option of running quests for and allying with four possible factions within the game. [14]
2000 | Deus Ex |
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2001–2002 | |
2003 | Deus Ex: Invisible War |
2004–2010 | |
2011 | Deus Ex: Human Revolution |
2012 | |
2013 | Deus Ex: The Fall |
Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Director's Cut | |
2014–2015 | |
2016 | Deus Ex Go |
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided | |
2017 | Deus Ex: Breach |
The original Deus Ex was conceived by Warren Spector in 1994 under the working title Troubleshooter. [15] The main drive behind Deus Ex was Spector's growing dislike for straight fantasy or science fiction video games, and the desire to create something new and different. [16] In an interview, he stated that he wanted to emulate the immersive playing styles of games like Ultima Underworld . Eventually, after being rejected by both Origin Systems, the company with which he was working at the time, and Looking Glass Studios, Spector's project was picked up by Ion Storm. According to Spector, they asked him to "make the game of [his] dreams". [17] The title Deus Ex was meant to both represent aspects of the plot in the game and to poke fun at the design techniques that were prevalent in the majority of games at the time. [18] The game's influences included Suikoden , [19] Half-Life and GoldenEye 007 . [20]
The second game in the series, Invisible War, was unveiled at E3 2002. [21] The designers chose to allow the players to choose which gender their player character would be, an idea conceived for the original game. [22] [23] After the release of Invisible War, Ion Storm started pre-production for a Deus Ex prequel twice, but neither came to fruition. [24] This period saw both Harvey Smith, the main designer for Deus Ex, and Spector leaving Ion Storm in 2004, with the former citing health problems [25] and the latter saying he wished to pursue his own projects. [26] Later, because of restructuring at Eidos Interactive, Ion Storm was closed down the following year. [27] A multiplayer-focused third game titled Deus Ex: Clan Wars was originally being made at Crystal Dynamics, but because of the commercial underperformance of Invisible War, it was distanced from the Deus Ex series and renamed Project Snowblind . [28]
Human Revolution was announced in 2007 under the working title Deus Ex 3. [29] The game's creation was handled by Eidos-Montréal and the developer's parent company Square Enix, whose Visual Works department created the CG movies for the game. [30] The game became the first entry in the series to receive downloadable content in the form of The Missing Link, an extra episode designed to fill a narrative gap in the game. [31]
The Fall was announced in 2013, for iPhone and iPad. Set within Human Revolution's timeframe, the game was created by the previous game's core team and a team from mobile phone developer N-Fusion. [9]
Mankind Divided was announced in 2013 (untitled at the time) when Eidos-Montréal announced that they were working on a new title in the series for PC and next-gen platforms, and that it would be the first part of a larger, transmedia project called Deus Ex: Universe. [32] [33] It would be revealed in 2015 with its official name accompanied by an announcement trailer. [34]
In January 2017, it was reported that a planned sequel to Mankind Divided was cancelled. [35]
In November 2022, Jason Schreier of Bloomberg News reported that Eidos-Montréal was in the "very very early" development stages of a new Deus Ex game. [36] In January 2024, he reported that Embracer Group had cancelled this game, which had been in development for two years. [37]
CBS Films has acquired screen rights to Deus Ex, after Eidos was purchased by Square Enix. [38] An announcement was made for a film adaptation of Deus Ex: Human Revolution in July 2012. [39] [40]
In 2015, Adrian Askarieh, producer of the Hitman films, stated that he hoped to oversee a shared universe of Square Enix films with Just Cause , Hitman, Tomb Raider , Deus Ex, and Thief , but admitted that he does not have the rights to Tomb Raider. [41] In May 2017, the Game Central reporters at Metro UK suggested that the shared universe was unlikely, pointing out that no progress had been made on any Just Cause, Deus Ex nor Thief films. [42]
Human Revolution inspired a tie-in comic book, a spin-off novel, [43] and action figures. [44] Alongside the announcement of a next-gen entry in the franchise, Eidos-Montréal announced Deus Ex: Universe, a multimedial project involving video games across all platforms, books, graphic novels and other unspecified mediums. [32]
Deus Ex Go is a mobile game for iOS and Android systems developed by Square Enix Montréal, released in 2016. It is a puzzle-based game in the same fashion as Square Enix Montréal's previous mobile titles, Hitman Go and Lara Croft Go . [45]
Game | Metacritic |
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Deus Ex | (PC) 90 [46] (PS2) 81 [47] |
Deus Ex: Invisible War | (PC) 80 [48] (Xbox) 84 [49] |
Deus Ex: Human Revolution | (PC) 90 [50] (PS3) 89 [51] (X360) 89 [52] (WIIU) 88 [53] |
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided | (PC) 83 [54] (PS4) 84 [55] (XONE) 83 [56] |
Deus Ex: The Fall | (iOS) 69 [57] (PC) 45 [58] |
Deus Ex Go | (iOS) 81 [59] |
Overall, the Deus Ex series has been generally well-received by critics, with the games' storylines and freedom of choice being the main point of praise.
The first game won multiple awards from various video game publications, [60] and was lauded by critics at the time, although its graphics came in for some criticism. [61] [62] [63]
Invisible War was also well received, but did not enjoy the success of its predecessor, with many elements of its gameplay and story being targets for criticism, but many praising its branching gameplay and the high level of paths the player could take through the story. [64] [65] [66] [67]
Human Revolution received high critical praise, with many reviewers praising the open-ended nature of the game and the weight of social interaction on the outcome of events. [68] [69] [70]
The Fall was more mixed to negative, with praise going to the game's attempt to bring the Deus Ex universe to a portable platform, but many other aspects coming in for both praise and criticism. The PC version was criticized for being a bad mobile-to-computer port. [71] [72] [73] [74]
Sales as of September 2011:
As of May 2022, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Director's Cut, and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided have sold over 12 million units combined. [77]
Deus Ex is a 2000 action role-playing video game developed by Ion Storm and published by Eidos Interactive. Set in a cyberpunk-themed dystopian world in the year 2052, the game follows JC Denton, an agent of the fictional agency United Nations Anti-Terrorist Coalition (UNATCO), who is given superhuman abilities by nanotechnology, as he sets out to combat hostile forces in a world ravaged by inequality and a deadly plague. His missions entangle him in a conspiracy that brings him into conflict with the Triads, Majestic 12, and the Illuminati.
Deus Ex: Invisible War is a 2003 action role-playing video game developed by Ion Storm and published by Eidos Interactive for Microsoft Windows and Xbox. It is the second game in the Deus Ex series. The gameplay—combining first-person shooter, stealth, and role-playing elements—features exploration and combat in environments connected to multiple city-based hubs, in addition to quests that can be completed in a variety of ways and flexible character customization. Conversations between characters feature a variety of responses, with options in conversations at crucial story points affecting how some events play out.
Ion Storm, L.P. was an American video game developer founded by John Romero and Tom Hall, both formerly of id Software. Despite an impressive pedigree and high expectations, the company only produced one commercial and critical success, 2000's Deus Ex.
Warren Evan Spector is an American role-playing and video game designer, director, writer, producer and production designer. He is known for creating immersive sim games, which give players a wide variety of choices in how to progress. Consequences of those choices are then shown in the simulated game world in subsequent levels or missions. He is best known for the critically acclaimed video game Deus Ex that embodies the choice and consequence philosophy while combining elements of the first-person shooter, role-playing, and adventure game genres. In addition to Deus Ex, Spector is known for his work while employed by Looking Glass Studios, where he was involved in the creation of several acclaimed titles including Ultima Underworld, Ultima Underworld II, System Shock, and Thief: The Dark Project. He is employed by OtherSide Entertainment, where he was part of the development team for the stalled System Shock 3. He is currently working on a new immersive sim based on an original intellectual property.
Hitman is a stealth game franchise created by Danish developer IO Interactive. The player controls the contract killer Agent 47, who travels the world to assassinate various targets who are assigned to him.
JC Denton is the player character and protagonist of the first-person role-playing video game Deus Ex and a supporting character in its sequel, Deus Ex: Invisible War. He is voiced by Jay Anthony Franke in both games. Denton was created by Deus Ex director Warren Spector. In his twenties, Denton begins the first Deus Ex as a new graduate of UNATCO, and a prized nano-augmented agent. JC is initially dedicated to his duties, but is influenced by his brother, fellow nano-augmented UNATCO agent Paul Denton.
Project: Snowblind is a first-person shooter video game developed by Crystal Dynamics and published by Eidos Interactive for PlayStation 2, Xbox and Microsoft Windows. The game follows soldier Nathan Frost, who is enhanced with nanotechnology following injuries on a mission and sent against a military regime known as the Republic. Players control Frost through a series of linear levels, using enhancements both in combat and to manipulate security devices such as cameras. The online multiplayer allows up to sixteen players to take part in modes ranging from team-based to solo battles.
Thief: Deadly Shadows is a stealth video game developed by Ion Storm for Microsoft Windows and Xbox that was released in 2004, on May 25 in North America and on June 11 in Europe. It is the third video game in the Thief series.
Eidos Interactive Limited was a British video game publisher based in Wimbledon, London. Among its notable franchises were Championship Manager, Deus Ex, Hitman, Thief, and Tomb Raider. Domark was founded by Mark Strachan and Dominic Wheatley in 1984. In 1995, it was acquired by software company Eidos. Ian Livingstone, who held a stake in Domark, became executive chairman of Eidos and held various roles including creative director. Eidos took over U.S. Gold in 1996, which included developer Core Design, and merged its operations including Domark, which created publishing subsidiary Eidos Interactive. The company acquired Crystal Dynamics in 1998, and owned numerous other assets. In 2005, parent Eidos was taken over by games publisher SCi. The combined company, SCi Entertainment Group, which was briefly renamed Eidos, was itself taken over by Square Enix in 2009.
Deus ex machina is a Latin term meaning "god from the machine", and is used to indicate a person or event which provides a sudden, unexpected solution to a story.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution is an action role-playing game developed by Eidos-Montréal and published by Square Enix's European branch for PlayStation 3, Windows, and Xbox 360 in August 2011. A version for OS X was released in April 2012. The game is a prequel to the original Deus Ex (2000) and the third installment in the Deus Ex series. The gameplay combines first-person shooter, stealth, and role-playing elements. It features exploration and combat in environments connected to multiple city-based hubs, in addition to quests that grant experience and allow customization of the main character's abilities with items called Praxis Kits. Conversations between characters feature a variety of responses, with options in conversations and at crucial story points affecting how some events play out.
Eidos Interactive Corporation is a Canadian video game developer based in Montreal and part of Embracer Group. The studio was founded by Stéphane D'Astous in 2007 under SCi Entertainment. It became part of Square Enix Europe in 2009 and CDE Entertainment in 2022.
Thief is a series of stealth video games in which the player takes the role of Garrett, a master thief in a fantasy steampunk world resembling a cross between the Late Middle Ages and the Victorian era, with more advanced technologies interspersed.
Deus Ex: The Fall is an action role-playing video game developed by N-Fusion Interactive under the supervision of Eidos-Montréal. A spin-off of the Deus Ex series, the game was published by Square Enix's European branch for iOS in 2013. Android and Windows versions released in 2014. The gameplay—combining first-person shooter, stealth and role-playing elements—features exploration and combat in Panama City and quests which grant experience and allow customization of the main character's abilities.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is a 2016 action role-playing game developed by Eidos-Montréal and published by Square Enix for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in August 2016. Versions for Linux and macOS systems were released in 2016 and 2017, respectively. The game is the sequel to Deus Ex: Human Revolution and the fifth installment in the Deus Ex series. The gameplay combines first-person shooter, stealth and role-playing elements. It features exploration and combat in environments connected to the main hub of Prague and quests which grant experience and allow customization of the main character's abilities with Praxis Kits. Conversations between characters have a variety of responses, with options in conversations and at crucial story points affecting how events play out. Players can complete Breach, a cyberspace-set challenge mode, in addition to the main campaign. Breach was later released as a free, standalone product.
Deus Ex Go was a 2016 turn-based puzzle video game in the Deus Ex series by Square Enix. The player uses a touchscreen to move Adam Jensen, a protagonist from the cyberpunk-themed series, as a puzzle piece through a board game while avoiding obstacles and manipulating the environment. In-keeping with the main series, Jensen can hack environmental features such as turrets and platforms to bypass and eliminate enemies. The game follows the format of Hitman Go (2014) and Lara Croft Go (2015), in which Square Enix Montréal distilled major motifs from the games' respective series to fit turn-based, touchscreen, puzzle gameplay. New to the Go series, Deus Ex Go introduced an in-game story and puzzle creation mode. Deus Ex Go was released in August 2016, for Android and iOS platforms to generally favorable reviews. The game was later ported to Microsoft platforms. Critics wrote that the game successfully captured the cybernetic dystopia of the Deus Ex series and the brain teasing puzzles of the Go mobile game series. But compared to the other entries in the Go series, reviewers considered Deus Ex Go's to be less creative, with a lackluster story, less visually interesting aesthetic, and shorter length.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution – The Missing Link is a standalone downloadable episode for the action role-playing stealth video game Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Developed by Eidos Montréal and published by Square Enix, it was released digitally worldwide in October 2011 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360. Later releases of the main game made The Missing Link available on OS X and Wii U.
Adam Jensen is a character from Deus Ex, a series of action role-playing video games. He is the main protagonist and playable character of Deus Ex: Human Revolution (2011) and its sequel Mankind Divided (2016), developed by Eidos-Montréal. He also features as a character in associated media. As security chief for leading tech corporation Sarif Industries, he is crippled by a mercenary attack, prompting Sarif Industries to extensively implant him with advanced artificial organ "augmentations" without his consent. Human Revolution follows his investigation into the attack, leading him into conflict with the Illuminati secret society. In Mankind Divided, he works with the anti-terrorism group TF29 while acting as an agent for a group opposing the Illuminati.