Deus Ex: Invisible War

 PC
User Score
6.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 350 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 139 out of 350
  2. Mixed: 132 out of 350
  3. Negative: 79 out of 350
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  1. egn
    Mar 12, 2013
    6
    I /want/ to give this title a better score, but I just can't. While it has better graphics and the combat dynamics are improved over the original Deus Ex, It still is missing a lot in the area of...depth and choice. the choices presented in this game are generally false and ring hollow in the long term. They don't matter much. Play styles don't matter much either; every (tiny!) levelI /want/ to give this title a better score, but I just can't. While it has better graphics and the combat dynamics are improved over the original Deus Ex, It still is missing a lot in the area of...depth and choice. the choices presented in this game are generally false and ring hollow in the long term. They don't matter much. Play styles don't matter much either; every (tiny!) level is more or less the same formula, kill the bad guys and get the Macguffin. Did I mention the levels are tiny? Overall it was a big disappointment compared to the masterpiece of Deus Ex. Also, this game does NOT run well at all on modern PCs; the way the engine works is very...odd...and there is a constant switching of open windows for every area transition that is undergone in this game; of which there are very many, because as I said the levels are TINY. If you are a fan of the series, or want to see where things have gone after the events of DE1, then this game is worth checking out. But on it's own merits, there are really better choices out there.… Expand
  2. SolidSevchinko7
    May 30, 2013
    6
    Instead of being the one of the best sequels of all time, this game succeeds in being the most disappointing sequel ever made. There is almost no cause and effect like in the original title, no weight in your choices. Everything in this game feels rushed, from the dialogue, the story, the graphics, the controls, even the HUD and item screens. It wasn't worth the wait, nor would you missInstead of being the one of the best sequels of all time, this game succeeds in being the most disappointing sequel ever made. There is almost no cause and effect like in the original title, no weight in your choices. Everything in this game feels rushed, from the dialogue, the story, the graphics, the controls, even the HUD and item screens. It wasn't worth the wait, nor would you miss much if you skipped it and went right into Human Revolution.… Expand
  3. NotSoAngryGirlSomeone
    Feb 15, 2009
    6
    "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 "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.… Expand
  4. RogerB.
    Sep 18, 2004
    6
    - picked up from the budget basket - great story & graphics - patch 1.2 needed for decent framerates Would give 8 points but: the game wouldn't work on a benq dw1600 dvd drive because of copy protection (DVD version only)! Beware! It's a shame that this hasn't been given atention by Eidos! Running on a cheap lite-on dvd rom works okay however.
  5. hodub
    Aug 9, 2012
    5
    I've only recently played through Deus Ex: Invisible War, and, after completing the first Deus Ex game as well as Human Revolution, this one was disappointing in comparison. Its Havok v2.0 physics engine mitigates the low score, since it's one of the first games to utilize ragdoll physics - the engine on which Valve's Source engine was based. But as far as gameplay is concerned, the mapsI've only recently played through Deus Ex: Invisible War, and, after completing the first Deus Ex game as well as Human Revolution, this one was disappointing in comparison. Its Havok v2.0 physics engine mitigates the low score, since it's one of the first games to utilize ragdoll physics - the engine on which Valve's Source engine was based. But as far as gameplay is concerned, the maps are small, the missions are unexciting, and the controls are somewhat confusing. The universal ammo system is a terrible idea - if you run out of ammo for one gun, you run out for all of them. Some of the characters from the first Deus Ex game return, but there's no feeling of intimacy with any other characters in the game. You still have the option to choose different paths and endings in the game, but it does little to enhance gameplay experience. The first Deus Ex game is superb, the third one is also quite good, but don't feel like you're missing much if you wish to pass this one up.… Expand
  6. Sirwootalot
    Mar 16, 2011
    6
    Enjoyable but terribly shallow - like going into the kiddie pool as an adult. The levels are atrociously tiny and the art direction looks like a saturday morning cartoon in the worst way possible, but there's just enough plot and other fun mechanics (biomods, scavenging, etc) to keep it worth playing.
  7. AndrewC.
    Apr 4, 2007
    5
    Compared to the first game this one is just terrible. It was too simplified, the story was boring compared to the first, and it feels a good bit shorter/easier. It's a game made for the Xbox, and it shows.
  8. Tubie
    Oct 23, 2010
    6
    Sometimes sequels work others they don't. This game is a shame because of how good the original was. I still have hopes the upcoming game does justice to how great the original was.
  9. Pneuvo
    Aug 29, 2011
    7
    Unlike many other PC players of this game, I enjoyed this quite a bit. It is hard to take issue with most of the criticisms, so why did I enjoy it (I still do, actually)? It may be a measure of how much I wanted the story to continue. I wanted to hear Paul and JC again. A junkie going through withdrawl doesn't quibble about the quality of his fix, he just wants his fix!
  10. JimF
    Jul 25, 2009
    5
    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 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.… Expand
  11. whitespider999
    Feb 14, 2012
    7
    A huge step down from the original deus ex. It's hard to believe that it's even by the same developers. There is still an interesting story, and there is some options. Unfortunately the world is tiny, and the lack of larger hub style, gameplay approach laden levels/worlds makes this less of a deus ex game, and more of a deus ex spin off. A good game? Absolutely. Holds a candle to deus exA huge step down from the original deus ex. It's hard to believe that it's even by the same developers. There is still an interesting story, and there is some options. Unfortunately the world is tiny, and the lack of larger hub style, gameplay approach laden levels/worlds makes this less of a deus ex game, and more of a deus ex spin off. A good game? Absolutely. Holds a candle to deus ex and human revolution? Not even vaguely.… Expand
  12. A.D.
    Apr 4, 2004
    5
    All right.
  13. DarioD.
    Aug 24, 2006
    7
    A good game for those who've never played the first one, but if you've played DX1, you simply won't get over how terrible this is in comparison, and what a giant leap backward it is. Again, it's a good game, but difficult to enjoy if you're a fan of the original.
  14. Mrdude
    Jan 7, 2004
    7
    Not as good as the previous one, which is what a lot of people are saying why? 1)they removed the hacking skill - and along with it the fantastic ability to read other characters private emails - one of the best ways the original fleshed out its fantastic story, and the reason I upgraded my hacking skill the highest first I wasted blackmarket biomods on the hacking biomod thing, expectingNot as good as the previous one, which is what a lot of people are saying why? 1)they removed the hacking skill - and along with it the fantastic ability to read other characters private emails - one of the best ways the original fleshed out its fantastic story, and the reason I upgraded my hacking skill the highest first I wasted blackmarket biomods on the hacking biomod thing, expecting to be able to do the same, but no 2)The size of the environments is reduced (levels really are tiny compared to the original) - i'd rather not have the fancy lighting in lieu of larger environments than the original - because lets face it - the lighting does little more than look cool - it doesn't affect the gameplay a great deal 3) the story wasn't as good as the original the choice of endings wasn't as good as the original - I chose to kill everyone, simply because none of the other choices had any appeal to me at all.… Expand
  15. PeterK.
    Mar 26, 2004
    7
    Far less than DX1. This should have been better! Visual interface clutter and reduce functionality, GFX requirements means lower resolution and less appealling. simplistication of plot and maps, lack of variety in objectives, no real conflict to complicate player choices, idiotic requirement to be an administrator before playing game, no cheat (except immortality, I like to root about Far less than DX1. This should have been better! Visual interface clutter and reduce functionality, GFX requirements means lower resolution and less appealling. simplistication of plot and maps, lack of variety in objectives, no real conflict to complicate player choices, idiotic requirement to be an administrator before playing game, no cheat (except immortality, I like to root about once I finished the game without cheating), some elements suggests incomplete implementation (holographic displays with click-to-use but nothing happens). I am sure than given enough time I could think up more.… Expand
  16. [Anonymous]
    Mar 2, 2008
    7
    Though nowhere near as deep as the original, and suffers from a few over-simplifications even for a console shooter, the game still provides a pretty good experience where player decisions matter, and shooting guys is fun.
  17. Brumbek
    Dec 28, 2012
    7
    Although clearly inferior in depth to Deus Ex 1, Deus Ex 2 is a must play simply because it is a direct continuation and resolution of the Deus Ex story. The story and characters are as good as DX1, but the gameplay is dumbed down, with incredibly small levels. Everything feels compacted, like you are in miniature versions of buildings and locations. Then again, the story is more tightlyAlthough clearly inferior in depth to Deus Ex 1, Deus Ex 2 is a must play simply because it is a direct continuation and resolution of the Deus Ex story. The story and characters are as good as DX1, but the gameplay is dumbed down, with incredibly small levels. Everything feels compacted, like you are in miniature versions of buildings and locations. Then again, the story is more tightly paced than DX1, which could meander at times. So yes, the gameplay isn't great, but the story is worth it. Play it once and move on; you need to find out how the awesome DX1 story finally resolves itself.… Expand
  18. Oxcart
    Apr 29, 2012
    7
    DX:IW is a chronological sequel to the original Deus Ex...but that's where it ends. Where the original game was an exhibit of outstandingly balanced gameplay, ingenious mechanics, and exemplary writing, DX:IW nearly completely lost sight of all of it. Writing was thin and with a minimally-engaging plot and stilted dialog, made worse by generally mediocre voice acting. Graphics, despiteDX:IW is a chronological sequel to the original Deus Ex...but that's where it ends. Where the original game was an exhibit of outstandingly balanced gameplay, ingenious mechanics, and exemplary writing, DX:IW nearly completely lost sight of all of it. Writing was thin and with a minimally-engaging plot and stilted dialog, made worse by generally mediocre voice acting. Graphics, despite mechanically improved over the original, are poor; while the original DX suffered from old technology and limited polygon counts, it nevertheless created a visually arresting gameworld through creative use of what it did have to work with. DX:IW had access to better technology and while textures looked better and objects smoother, the overall effect seemed weaker than the original. The blame from this can be laid at the feet of parallel development -- the simultaneous design requiring the system be technologically dumbed-down to survive on a console killed it. Worlds are small, load screens are frequent, and scene-setting -- the placement of elements in the world that one would expect to see and, thus, improve the realism and feel of the game world -- nearly nonexistent. The console development impetus also resulted in an inexcusable compromise of the game's core design: choice. The option to go stealth, combat, or anywhere in between was largely eliminated, turning DX:IW into a more ineffective run-and-gun requiring (and allowing) little finesse. Players of the original Deus Ex frequently complained bitterly that the game had been dumbed down and rightly so; compared to the original, DX:IW is a weak, watered-down, unfulfilling game that seems to exist only to keep the name flag flying. But, taken on its own, DX:IW isn't an awful game. On its own merits, DX:IW does allow for some creativity in planning and flexibility in strategy -- not as much as its predecessor and definitely not as much as is successor -- but enough to distinguish it from a basic run-and-gun. In short, worth a pick-up from the bargain bin (where it can still occasionally be seen) or from eBay.… Expand
  19. jcasetnl
    Jul 1, 2013
    7
    It didn't quite fill the Deus Ex shoes. It's basically Deus Ex lite. The story is still interesting and the graphics get a nice update, but in every other way it's a notch below its older brother. The game mechanics, exploration and atmosphere all seem diminished somehow. On its own, it's still a worthy title and anyone into cyberpunk style games will like it.
  20. Tomle1202
    Feb 19, 2022
    7
    Despite suffering from poor optimization and a plethora of questionable design choices, Invisible War elevates itself with thought-provoking themes that prove to be as relevant as ever.
  21. Skizzzo63
    Sep 22, 2016
    7
    I liked this game; I even played it twice (something I seldom do). So don't trust all the complaints, get enough info and judge for yourself.
    Yes, it's not as good as the original Deus Ex. It's simpler, easier, more straightforward; it's like a "kiddish" version of DX. But it's still fun, and it offers more choice and complexity than most games. I loved planning my strategy and executing    I liked this game; I even played it twice (something I seldom do). So don't trust all the complaints, get enough info and judge for yourself.
    Yes, it's not as good as the original Deus Ex. It's simpler, easier, more straightforward; it's like a "kiddish" version of DX. But it's still fun, and it offers more choice and complexity than most games. I loved planning my strategy and executing it with style (even repeating a level to try different approaches). It's a game where thinking is more important than shooting.
    In short, if you don't expect it to be "DX2", you'll be likely to enjoy it.
    My main complaint is that it's too easy: even on the hardest difficulty, short after the beginning you have most weapons and enough biomods to not worry about enemies: you just have to be careful and plan your strategy, and you'll suffer minimal damage (unless something takes you by surprise - and it happens).    … Expand
  22. Matseb2611
    Mar 30, 2015
    6
    I am kind of disappointed with this installment in the Deus Ex franchise, and not because of the content of the game. The content is fine enough. Visuals are beautiful, music that I've heard so far is nice, and the non-linear Deus Ex approach to tasks is definitely there.

    It's just the way the software is put together is bad. The levels are broken into lots of smaller sections, with    I am kind of disappointed with this installment in the Deus Ex franchise, and not because of the content of the game. The content is fine enough. Visuals are beautiful, music that I've heard so far is nice, and the non-linear Deus Ex approach to tasks is definitely there.

    It's just the way the software is put together is bad. The levels are broken into lots of smaller sections, with constant loading screens in between. Sometimes to get from one area of town to another, you'd have to go through 3 loading screens. That's not fun at all and horribly breaks the immersion. To add to the wound, the game crashes at times for no obvious reason at all. I am now unable to make progress because of that.

    It's a pity really, because the game seems promising and decent enough. Not quite up to the same standard as the original and Human Revolution, but reasonably good enough aside from the crashes and loading screens. Unfortunately in its current state, I can't give it a higher score.    … Expand
  23. keefbaker
    Oct 31, 2013
    7
    While enjoyable this feels like Deus Ex lite. Most of the interesting mechanics have gone and the characters are not even close to the standard of the original. shame.
  24. Amsheagar
    Jul 26, 2016
    6
    Deus ex is much better game than Deus ex: Invisible war. There is worse skill system and gameplay. I didnt like the menu, inventory, quest, map system. This is boring and hard game, i hate i always ran out of ammo. I cant reccomend the game, only for the deus ex fans.
  25. DiegoParedesHD
    Aug 1, 2020
    7
    Muy buena segunda parte de la saga deus ex.
    En esta ocasion el juego se ha simplificado bastante ya que el juego fue pensado desde su creacion para salir en pc y consolas a diferencia del 1 que habia sido pensado 100% para pc.Aun asi esta versión de Pc es muy buena y no suele dar problemas.
    En cuanto la historia no es tan buena como la del 1
  26. Broyax
    Apr 14, 2023
    5
    J’y ai d’abord joué sur Xbox à sa sortie en… 2003 ! mes souvenirs en sont un peu flous… je crois que ça ramait un brin, voire même un peu plus que ça… et les temps de chargement étaient nombreux et longuets ! j’ai toujours la Xbouse certes mais le lecteur déconne assez… régulièrement comme sur la plupart des Xbox, pour ne pas dire toutes (déficience de l’âge et fiabilité… lamentable).J’y ai d’abord joué sur Xbox à sa sortie en… 2003 ! mes souvenirs en sont un peu flous… je crois que ça ramait un brin, voire même un peu plus que ça… et les temps de chargement étaient nombreux et longuets ! j’ai toujours la Xbouse certes mais le lecteur déconne assez… régulièrement comme sur la plupart des Xbox, pour ne pas dire toutes (déficience de l’âge et fiabilité… lamentable). Quoique… j’ai eu aussi le coup sur ma PS2 Slim ! du jour au lendemain !

    Il reste heureusement la version PC (j’ai une version boîte !), laquelle marche étonnamment bien sur Windows 7-64, mis à part le fait qu’il est impossible de jouer avec une manette (ça fait chier) et que le jeu est en 4/3. On peut monter jusqu’en 1280×960 avant que l’interface ne devienne minuscule… et on gagne les 60 im/s.

    Lex voix sont évidemment en anglais et je m’étonne du doublage un peu… bâclé : tout le monde débite son texte à une vitesse ! comme s’ils avaient tous un train… ou un avion à prendre. C’est bizarre. En tout cas, le jeu est d’une stabilité exemplaire et sans aucun bug… sauf à la fin, lors de la mission finale où selon les choix que l’on peut faire, on peut se retrouver bloqué…

    A noter qu’il y a surtout une « bonne fin » seulement… car les autres s’avèrent éminemment decevantes ou ridiculement négatives. Bien que ce second Deus Ex offre des possibilités d’infiltration intéressantes, il arrive tout de même un peu trop souvent que l’on doive se battre… sans autre choix apparent puisqu’on se retrouve surpris, pris en embuscade pour ainsi dire ! c’est dommage et ça peut être emmerdant si vous n’avez pas un arsenal adéquat… ou au moins une ou deux capacités utiles à cet égard.

    A part ça, l’histoire tient à peu près la route, à part une ou deux révélations abusées… et l’ambiance cyberpunk reste excellente avec moult gadgets et ‘bio-modifications’ disponibles. L’interface et la maniabilité ne posent aucun souci, même au clavier et à la souris… bien que personnellement j’ai en horreur ces dispositifs dans les jeux… sauf bien sûr dans les jeux de stratégie en temps réel ou assimilés. Mais bon, pour ce que je joue à ces merdes, je m’en tamponne un peu.

    Invisible War reste en tout cas un jeu agréable mais qui pâlit tout de même un peu trop régulièrement à côté de son aîné… ça manque d’alternatives dans l’exploration des niveaux, lesquels sont de toute façon souvent trop étriqués, c’est le moins qu’on puisse dire.    … Expand
  27. Babutto
    Sep 11, 2020
    7
    Pros.:
    - variety of gameplay options: stealth-hacks, tank modes;
    - augmentations variety (even though worse than DE); - the story develops the previous story. Even though on a cheaper scale. The choices you made previously are useless; - character development. Cons.: - the story is much, MUCH simpler; - always lack of ammo. The physics are dumb (ammo always underbodies, need to    Pros.:
    - variety of gameplay options: stealth-hacks, tank modes;
    - augmentations variety (even though worse than DE);
    - the story develops the previous story. Even though on a cheaper scale. The choices you made previously are useless;
    - character development.

    Cons.:
    - the story is much, MUCH simpler;
    - always lack of ammo. The physics are dumb (ammo always underbodies, need to throw them away);
    - the inventory limitations;
    - augmentations are simple and again very-very inconvenient. Speed and heal are the best;
    - the game gives the chance to choose any end up till the end of the game. That's not cool, because it just repeats the same idea of the first game. Not a bright one, btw;
    - music. It's just nothing. In DE the music was iconic. Here you barely notice it.

    This game develops DE. But everything seems kind of cheap and simple. Instead of making the game more complex, even more story oriented, the developers just exploited the predecessor. It is not a bad game though.    … Expand
  28. behemod12
    Jun 28, 2021
    5
    oyun eski olduğu için pc de tam uyumlu çalışmıyor çıktıktan sonra save dosyalarını siliyor bundan önceki oyunda olmamıştı hikaye oynanış vb. zamanına göre iyiydi şimdi çok götürürmü bilmiyorum
  29. petrkozak13
    Sep 28, 2022
    7
    I avoided this game for almost 20 years because I heard it's awful. Finally I played it in 2022 and yes, in comparison to the first game it's bad. But in general, Invisible War is a fun game that still feels like Deus Ex and I feel like lot of modern games are way worse than this one.

Awards & Rankings

48
#48 Best PC Game of 2003
11
#11 Most Discussed PC Game of 2003
41
#41 Most Shared PC Game of 2003

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 44 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 44
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 44
  3. Negative: 0 out of 44
  1. Total Video Games
    90
    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.
    Read full review
  2. PC Gameworld
    80
    A somewhat disappointing, but fun sequel.
    Read full review
  3. eToychest
    50
    It absolutely defines mediocrity.
    Read full review
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