If you haven't yet managed to download the 140MB Deus Ex demo (and I imagine most of you modem users haven't), then you are truly missing out on something that could, no, will be great. Ion Storm's third game, created by Warren Spector could vary well be the savior they so desperately need after two flops, Dominion, and the recently released Daikatana. Using a modified version of the Unreal engine, Deus Ex is an Action/RPG, which in my point of view could very well be the next Half-life.

The demo gives the player both the training mission, and the first "level" of the game, which is designed by Harvey Smith and set at the Statue of Liberty, which apparently has been "occupied" by terrorists for some bizarre reason. Your character, a biomechanicaly enhanced police officer must infiltrate the statue, save your buddy who has been captured, and then proceed to capture the terrorists' leader at the top. While this all sounds very cliché, it's actually quite interesting as there are multitudes of different ways you can accomplish this task. Do I go for the direct frontal assault, or do I sneak in from the rear? Or do I perhaps try and disable all of their defenses by hacking computers, and then go in?

The interface is best described as a combination of Unreal and Thief. You still can use the same mouse/keyboard combo almost everybody is used to, as well as using the right click to interact with the environment. There are tons of things you can do to/with the environment. For example, you can flush the toilet, turn off and on faucets, and you can even walk right up to pigeons, and they'll chirp and fly away - much like they do in real life. It isn't perfect though, you can't interact with absolutely EVERYTHING as originally touted, and otherwise I'd be able to pee on the terrorists after I shot or tranquilized them. Oh well.

Next >>