Metascore
90 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 28 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 28
  3. Negative: 0 out of 28
  1. 100
    Moody and atmospheric, compelling and addictive, this is first person gaming in grown-up form, and it truly is magnificent.
  2. For a complete package of plot, style, depth and action, few games rival "Deus Ex."
  3. Near-perfect in every conceivable way, "Deus Ex" is pure gaming ambrosia. As in food of the gods, not tinned rice pudding.
  4. 100
    Cheesy voice-acting by minor characters is the only real flaw here.
  5. If you're looking for one of those rare experiences that affects your mind, body and soul in ways only the greatest of releases can, look no further than "Deus Ex" -- it will consume you.
  6. 100
    The story is gripping from beginning to end.
  7. 100
    Are you a fan of conspiracy theories? Is the Grey Death a manufactured plague? Have you perchance heard of the Illuminati, or the clandestine Majestic 12 group? In that case, you've found the right game. It may not answer all those questions, but it certainly pushes the right buttons.
  8. This is an incredibly well done game, with a multitude of possibilities, and one of the greatest replay values I've ever witnessed in a game since at any time during the game you have to say to yourself, "I wonder what else could have happened back there."
  9. This is the kind of game hard-core gamers dream of.
  10. Just as "Half-life" and "Unreal" revolutionized the action genre, Deus Ex takes us to the next step and ushers in the Age of the Interactive.
  11. 94
    With all of the plot twists and branching character paths, this is one game that you'll definitely want to play through after you finish...again and again and again...
  12. Deus Ex has raised the standard for first person adventure games with its open ended design, and seamless integration of the story into the game play.
  13. A must-own...a rare and rewarding game for fans of the genre. [Sept 2000, p.82]
  14. It is, as a game, everything you could ask for... and it's absolutely a blast to play.
  15. An amazingly well put together role playing adventure that is easily one of the first candidates for game of the year.
  16. "Deus Ex," Spector's latest epic, raises the bar once again with a twisting storyline, ingenious character development system and a linear game that somehow manages to feel open-ended.
  17. 90
    Blending RPG features seamlessly with action elements and wrapping it all up with one of the better narratives to grace a PC game.
  18. Compelling, great to look at, and a whole lot of fun to play. The options package gives the gamer solid control over the elements of the game and the storyline builds with each mission completed.
  19. As good as any other espionage thriller out there, "Deus Ex" is bolstered by a fantastic storyline.
  20. Despite a few small complaints about inconsistent AI or disappointing Direct3D performance, this is a tremendously entertaining game.
  21. 88
    You'll come away from Deus Ex with the sense that you could actually be a real anti-terrorist agent in UNATCO. Well, maybe. I wouldn't advise quitting your day job.
  22. A blend of action and stealth, "Deus Ex" brings you a great package of features and excellent replayability.
  23. Though the game uses Epic Games' Unreal engine, which was once lauded for its exceptional visual quality, "Deus Ex" is actually a fairly bland-looking game because of its incessantly dark industrial environments.
  24. Oftentimes brilliant, sometimes frustrating, and always riveting, "Deus Ex" could be game-of-the-year material if not for its many glaring flaws.
  25. Its claims to be a truly interactive experience are wishful thinking, it’s still a pretty linear game. Although there are different ways to accomplish things, the ultimate goal remains much the same.
  26. A good game for people who like to immerse themselves in their play, but is definitely not for casual gamers.
  27. The storyline is immediately absorbing, and is a nice break from the typical run 'n' gun first-person shooter.
  28. Every time your character is killed and you restart the game, you have to sit through a seemingly endless series of movies that re-establish the plot.
User Score

Universal acclaim- based on 422 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 7 out of 175
  1. JohnH
    10
    Easily the single best FPS/RPG/Adventure hybrid, this game set the standard for next-generation RPGs a decade ago (a standard which, sadly, few have approached since). With gameplay mechanics that found the magic balance between player skill and character attributes, intricate-yet-accessible character customization (skills, augmentations, weapon customization, limited inventory forcing you to choose equipment suited to your play style), and a strong multi-linear (generally linear plot with multiple routes from start to 3 similar-but-narratively-distinct endings) story that invokes some of the most popular global conspiracy theories of the post-cold-war West, Deus Ex adapted the RPG genre to the FPS interactivity model in a way fans of both genres can appreciate (particularly impressive with respect to RPG fans). The graphics and audio (short loops for ambient sound, rudimentary environmental audio, short soundtrack) are dated, though well-implemented, and the AI scripting is more-or-less the 3-D version of Space Invaders AI (all guns blazing and weave as you CHARGE!), but even today the game is fun and engaging. In fact, despite having played through the story a dozen times or so, I'd gladly shell out another $50 for the same plot and mechanics on a contemporary rendering engine with slightly tweaked AI scripting; I've always wondered why the sequel(s? I haven't checked-up on DX3 recently) decided to mess with a winning formula when they could have kept all of the mechanics and simply made new stories on next-gen engines. Anyway, I can't recommend this highly enough. Full Review »
  2. I still remember walking around the streets of chinatown, and hearing that hilarious accent, I **** loved this game! Your review must be at least 150 characters long. Full Review »
  3. 10
    Best Game ever when you know that not even the people who made it, cannot even repeat the same level of genius that this game is. It is truly one of kind in terms of level design, story, atmosphere, characters and things that are not even seen in other games. Whenever somebody mentions the name of this game people reinstall it back onto their computers, but in my case I always keep it installed on my PC to remind me how amazing gaming can get. Full Review »