Released in 2003 by Ion Storm Inc and Eidos Interactive Deus Ex: Invisible War was the long awaited sequel to the award winning Deus Ex and unfortunately it could not live up to it's predecessor but more on that later. Deus Ex: Invisible War takes place ten years after the events of the original Deus Ex. The world has plunged into darkness with the collapse of the information networks of the past which was the new dark age ending from the first game. The World Trade Organization has restored some semblance of order and has become a police force of sorts that is battling against the The Order Church which is the unification of all previous religions into one. You play as Alex D. or later revealed as Alex Denton that has just survived the destruction of a Tarsus Academy in Seattle where you have spent the last 5 years of your life and this is where the game begins.

Pros:

Improved graphics

Deus Ex: Invisible War is leaps and bounds ahead of it's predecessor in presentation than Deus Ex. Everything looks better, the character models are smoother, the lighting has improved and the voice-overs are much better than what they were in Deus Ex. The menus have been streamlined and are incredibly easy to access in game.

Biomod improvements

While you do have less biological modification slots than in the previous game, six instead of twelve the biomods are divided into two types: passive and active. Passive biomods are always active and they do not consume your energy. Active biomods need to be activated to be used and they consume your character's energy when used. Also there are upgrade canisters meaning when you collect another biomod canister you can upgrade an existing one or replace it with a new power and one the fly no less.

Cons:

Simplified story

Deus Ex was all about the story it was a major part of the game. The original game's story was a wild ride that left you on the edge of your seat wondering what would happen next. Invisible War simplifies it's story to the point where there is no suspense and you could possibly guess the ending of at the game halfway through playing it. This game focuses on combat rather than story which adds a slight improvement to the combat but it comes at a cost that is too great for the series.

No skills

Deus Ex had skill points that you could divide up into different categories that would determine how your character handles situations aside from your biological modifications. Invisible War has done away with this but it did turn one of the skills into a biomod which was hacking and you can't even be selective with the things you hack either!

Overall I would rate this game a five out of ten it's not bad but it's not good either. You should pick up Deus Ex for the PC or Deus Ex: The Conspiracy instead.

Learn more about this author, Don Emery.
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