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Deus Ex: Invisible War

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5.9 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 44 critic reviews
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Based on 96 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Eidos Interactive

Developer: Ion Storm

Genre(s): Role-Playing Game, First-Person Shooter, Action, Adventure

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Release Date: December 2, 2003

Summary

Fifteen years following the events depicted in the multi-award winning "Deus Ex," the world is just beginning to recover from catastrophic depression. As an elite anti-terrorist agent, you must fight numerous militant factions bent on violently reshaping the world to suit their own agendas. Using high-tech gadgetry and futuristic body modification (or biomods), you are granted near superhuman powers. Travel the globe while uncovering fiendish plots of world domination. Unmask the conspirators, while uncovering the shocking truth behind your own origins.

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GAMES: Deus Ex

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Also On The Web: ActionTrip Interview GameSpot Preview GameSpy Preview IGN Preview Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

GamePro

Not only the proverbial sequel-better-than-its-original, but it’s also deep, challenging, and intelligent on a level that action games usually don’t reach.

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Game Informer

Players can influence the way every action, subpolot, and mission plays out to an uparalleled degree. [Jan 2004, p.152]

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Games Radar UK (Pre-2006)

Yet again, more than the sum of its parts. Immersive, story-driven brilliance. [PC Gamer UK]

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Gamer's Pulse

More so than any other game, it allows complete player-driven gameplay in the progression of the story and character development.

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VideoGamesLife

The gameplay might be simpler, the setting more clichéd and the duration shorter, but the ideals of the old ‘Looking Glass Aesthetic’ remain intact. If you care about this, you’ll love Invisible War like your own child.

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GameSpy

A must-play for anyone looking for a fun, intelligent action/adventure game. Is it as great as its forebear? I'll say no. That said, Invisible War is still an excellent sequel to Deus Ex, which, while lacking its scope, smooths over many of its roughest edges and provides a decent conclusion to the current story arc. [Note: GameSpy's revised 5-Star conversion scale - see site]

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IGN

Sure, some people will say that the game's made too many concessions to convenience -- no more skills and one kind of ammo spring to mind -- but all this means is that you have fewer concerns distracting you from the main point of the game, your experience making decisions within the game's story.

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GameZone

While there were a few problems, like AI issues and boggy framerates, Deus Ex: Invisible War is still a worthy successor to the original.

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Total Video Games

One of the most captivating and thoroughly polished titles in recent times. It’s not perfect, however anyone who has an interest in well-crafted Sci-Fi storylines a la "Minority Report" will find themselves completely captivated with this game.

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netjak

Like its predecessor, DX2:IW is stunning both in technology and in design, and should be required playing for anyone interested in the evolution of gaming.

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Boomtown

Judged on its own merits, Invisible War is a great example of a game that offers meaningful freedom of choice, that rewards different approaches and that creates a coherent, intelligent world wrapped up in a very well paced and expertly written plot.

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Quandary

All in all, Deus Ex:Invisible War proffers an intriguing storyline, powerful presentation, and relentless execution, delivering it all with a punch.

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GameBiz

The master of storytelling and gameplay excellence.

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Loaded Inc

Some purists may cry foul with the dropping of the skill feature and the new HUD design but overall, fans of the first game should be happy that Invisible War maintains the same level of storyline depth and open-ended gameplay that the Deus Ex name is known for.

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PC Format

Had Deus Ex 1 not existed this would’ve been a godsend. But…

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Next Level Gaming

It is quite easy to write about the few design missteps in Invisible War but I’ve found it hard to explain the magic it has to grab you in and not let go.

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ActionTrip

It's hampered with a number of issues that originally wouldn't have existed if only the game was designed with the PC in mind. But even as it is, Deus Ex: Invisible War is an intelligent, mature and engrossing project that deserves the attention of every self-respecting shooter/adventure game fan out there.

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TotalGames.net

PC game-heads will be outraged at the dilution of this franchise by its console leanings, but there is still a great adventure and gripping story to be enjoyed.

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FiringSquad

A better game than Deus Ex, but it’s a lesser experience. It is far less ambitious, not as complicated and about a third as long.

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Gamer.tv

An exceptional game, especially on Xbox where the original didn’t exist, but its eclectic plot could prove too much for novices while its AI vices and repetitive gameplay devices will likely annoy the hardcore PC fraternity.

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PC Gamer

With the right hardware, Invisible War offers a thought-provoking, multi-layered journey with a side order of free choice. [Jan 2004, p.81]

Game Over Online

The game's edges have been softened for the mass market. Many of the original's complexities have been watered down for easier consumption. Because it takes place so much further into the future, it also loses some of the familiarity.

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Gamer's Hell

It has been said that you’re supposed to be able to finish the game without killing anyone, but I can promise you that you’re in for a world of frustration if you try that yourself.

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games(TM)

Early flaws give way to a masterpiece. The game's countless interweaving pathways will stand out as one of the year's most impressive design achievements, offering a mind-boggling array of routes while readjusting the world to the player's action. [Mar 2004, p.108]

GameSpot

It's certainly a bold undertaking that delves into some philosophical and science-fiction territory that most games wouldn't dare touch, and though it may not be a superior game to its predecessor, on its own merits it's a great and original experience that's well worthwhile.

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Yahoo! Games

The game offers unparalleled variety and choice in the actual gameplay. The non-intrusive design sets just as much of a precedent as did Deus Ex, which is a joy to realize. The game feels a bit short -- especially considering how much choice the player is given -- and the presentation values could have been polished up more, but it's an experience like no other.

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GamerFeed

Some of the AI responses seem pretty stupid. Enemies don't appear to be very good at fighting, and will generally stand in place to shoot you. They won't duck behind cover or retreat.

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Times Online

The game is built sublimely, with an excellent interface and crisp, rounded sound effects that grip the attention.

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PC Gameworld

A somewhat disappointing, but fun sequel.

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PC Arena

If you liked the original Deus Ex or you thought it was just a tad too convoluted, Deus Ex – Invisible War would make a fine addition to your Sci-Fi gaming library.

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Computer Games Online RO

I’m utterly disappointed by Invisible War. And nothing makes me madder than knowing what a masterpiece it could have been, if it was developed only for the PC (as it should have been in the first place) and THEN ported to XBOX.

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Xequted

The game's A.I. seems a bit lacking as well, primarily in the way that no one really seems to care whether or not Alex blatantly relieves them of their material wealth and/or rather expensive supplies and weaponry.

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Game Revolution

The ability to explore and choose how you want to approach each obstacle is great, albeit a bit simpler this time around. It’s also much shorter, clocking in at around 15 hours, but again, you can play each level in various ways.

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Play Magazine

If only more games attempted to create such a smart, bold place of fantasy. [Jan 2004, p.46]

Edge Magazine

Ultimately, Invisible War is a very fine game spread too thin. It's a game that's made the effort to name the cat in the secretary's desk photo but not to make jumping work properly, that bothers to script loving exchanges between insignificant NPCs but pits you against clumsy and stuttering AI. [Feb 2004, p.94]

Adrenaline Vault

I prefer to think of Invisible War as a flawed diamond rather than a better-than-average lump of coal, as the sheer depth of its storyline and superb graphical quality make up for a multitude of shortcomings.

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Worth Playing

It's frustrating, though. There are so many great ideas on display in Deus Ex: Invisible War, but the implementation is spotty at best.

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Game Chronicles

You’ve got a beautifully rich, engrossing sci-fi conspiracy story that suffers abbreviated cinematic story development. You’ve got a very cool RPG with futuristic upgrades, weapons and items that is hampered by a poorly designed interface.

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1UP

The end result is a good-if-you're-into-it, poorly performing, but interesting social experiment that seems more geared toward determining how players will react to certain situations than challenging them in new and exciting ways to accomplish tasks that are fun and engaging.

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GameShark

A game that is less than its originator, in almost every way.

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Computer Games Magazine

When matched up against the complexity and challenge of similar PC titles like "TRON 2.0," the compromises made in the name of console game design are painfully evident. [Mar 2004, p.67]

Computer Gaming World

Invisible War's mechanics are often repetitive and frustrating, but the choices you make are not, which helps keep things interesting even when you're unlocking yet another door with another multitool for the upteenth time. [Mar 2004, p.72]

Gaming Age

Besides there being a complete lack of interesting characters to interact with, Invisible War’s plot unravels pretty quickly.

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eToychest

It absolutely defines mediocrity.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 5.9 (out of 10) based on 96 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Luke M gave it a9:
As a huge fan of the original game that picked this up late I think I managed to avoid bloated expectations and after reading a few reviews I knew it was a different kind of game. I would agree with the statements of most people , the world wasn't as big and the story in some ways less complex but the atmosphere was amazing, as if you had been dropped into Blade Runner/Code46. especially the Cairo level standing out to me with nice touches throughout. a complex thrilling game with a bit too much fan boy backlash that sunk it.

David W gave it a3:
Very disapointing and frustrating game. Completely unbalanced combat. You are either up against weak and incompetent opponents or over-powered Paladins that you cannot fight because there is not enough ammo available in the level to take them down...so the only option is to run past them to the next area. All the levels are cramped and poorly designed. The AI is non existent; there were loads of times I thought "the AI should not be allowing me do this" or "why is that turret not firing at me? what kind of security is this?". The only feature I like is the option to choose whether to kill or render unconscious you opponents. Generally a pretty crap game overall IMO.

Sean W gave it a2:
Every bit as awful as you've heard, and a complete travesty on an absolutely brilliant original game. The good news is at least this seems to have spelled the end of Harvey Smith's burgeoning game-destroying, I mean game-designing career. I have never despised an individual game developer before, but his ham-handed ruination of Deus Ex was enough to do it. He should be flipping burgers instead, which he's far more suited to (although I wouldn't count on him being able to stick to the complex recipe required of most basic burgers). Hope DX3 is enough to erase this garbage from our collective memories.

Biv gave it a4:
There's several areas that killed the game for me - most notably the atrocious level design. It's definately pretty for it's time, but everywhere is signposted in neon lights that don't actually give off any light. Pictures float where they haven't been aligned to the walls properly. There are holes in the scenery. Doors open in the wrong direction. Everywhere feels cramped and any sense of exploration is absent. Apartment blocks with only four rooms. 'Outdoor' areas that are actually enclosed in 40 foot-high walls. The first moment of disbelief was searching in Make Ballistics for a high-security lab that holds a prototype weapon - it was actually just around the corner from the reception desk. If not bad enough, the short corridor leading up to it ends abruptly before you ascent a short ladder to a balcony, where the lab is located. That's right, no stairs or elevator, a ladder inside a corporate building! This kind of junk should have never got past the planning stage. That said, there is glimmers of the opposite - the Cairo Arcology being notable and use of dynamic lighting. Encounters can be equally awkward. It seems that everyone wants to pour out every ounce of sensitive information they hold when bumping into them for the first time. Even worse, these are often in massive, monotonic paragraphs making these easily forgettable. These issues wouldn't be so bad if the core game mechanics were in place, but the game is shackled in shoddy AI, useless currency, and an almost unlimited supply of multi-tools and health kits to be found in every corner. Below average - another Daikatana. Exactly the sort of game that if purchased after release full price would leave people bummed and swayed toward piracy - and that sucks for all concerned.

Jim F gave it a5:
I am absolutely a Deus Ex lover; I have played the original game many many times, trying every single possible path to the finish. When a sequel came out, I was delighted to hear it, and bought it as soon as I could. Invisible War is a perfectly adequate game; it certainly is fun for a good while, and its freedom of choice gives it (at least to me) great play value. However, it has several elements which take away from its gameplay value considerably. First of all, and most noticeably, the engine is a load of baloney. It worked quite well for Thief 3, but it just makes everything in IW look terrible. Quite honestly, I think that they were looking a little bit ahead of their time; I don't think that the world was quite ready for full real-time dynamic shadowing. On today's hardware, it is perfectly playable, but on the hardware at the time, you had to have a pretty good graphics card to get any kind of decent performance. The second huge issue was the universal ammo system. I truly believe that whoever came up with this system should lose their job; it was a terrible idea, in that it drastically changed the ideas most players have about "ammo conservation". You couldn't save up good ammo to use on a boss or tough situation, because the ammo was all the same; you might use up all your ammo with the pistol before you actually need to bring out the big guns. And, it led to a homogenization of the weaponry which was really bothersome; all the weapons look exactly the same! There's no variety! Though difficult to explain in detail, I think most players will understand what I mean when I say that the universal ammo system really bites. Lastly, the greatest issue in the gameplay: the user interface. To put it bluntly, IW has possibly the worst UI of any video game that I have ever played. It looks bad, it takes up half the screen real estate, it makes things like, oh I don't know, different types of ammunition, completely impossible. The bad UI also made impossible certain elements which made the original DX so great, like keypad entry, or the original hacking system. Though the other elements are possibly forgivable, the terrible UI makes IW simply a pain in the butt to play. There are many other little things, as well; seasoned DX players certainly will miss the distinction between lockpicks and multitools. There are no more skills or skill points, which takes away an entire RPG dimension from the game. The storyline is pretty terrible. The bottom line is this: IW could have been really, Really good. With more modern technology, DX could have been taken into a whole new direction that would have made the game even better than it already was (which is really saying something!). But, instead, a series of bad design choices systematically destroyed everything good about the game, and turned it into a sub-par, even-less-than-mediocre sequel which left a bad taste in everyone's mouth. Invisible War is quite a disappointment to the seasoned DX player.

Ithikial gave it an8:
Though not the brilliance of the first, IW is still a quality game in it's own right with an ongoing story in a world that feels it is a carry on after the event from the Deus Ex. The gameplay is what let the game down compared to the first. It's still good but when compared to the first game it isn't in the same league.

NotSoAngryGirl Someone gave it a6:
"A game people either love or hate" - well, I think they love and hate it for all the right reasons. Brainless, heartless, but not gutless - it's pretty much a straight SciFi-FPS with a DX story, fun to play if you skip all the boring, badly acted conversations (if it weren't for those looong level loading times!). The new augmentations are a real improvement, but I'm missing a really difficult setting - the enemies are as brainless as in the original DX. And nobody has come up with a "hardcore" mod for it. We have yet to see whether DX3 continues the trend, but it's funny how the Tomb Raider series has become obsessed with "character", while Deus Ex is heading the opposite way. To explain the "brainless" part in DX2: You don't get different story threads or conversations based on choices you make, the secondary NPCs have only 1-liners, there are no computers to hack or secrets to uncover, and the whole DX moral framework is missing - so what you end up is a dumbed down version of the almost living world DX1 created. DX2 isn't remotely in the same league as its predecessor, but it is better than the Matrix sequels 2-3 compared to The Matrix. It has a strong storyline that adds an interesting twist to the plot - to kill JC - and a new brand of enemies that DX3 will use too, the biotech-haters aka "Templars" (I think it would have done both DX1 and 2 a lot of good to rely less on ancient mythology, it just sounds so ridiculous). DX fans have to accept to the fact that great things rarely come in series, the classic Star Wars and Alien X-logies excluded. I don't doubt that installment 3 will disappoint in some ways, too. Hopefully it will take the series into new territory.

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Deus Ex: Invisible War

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