Deus Ex

 PC
Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 28
  3. Negative: 0 out of 28
Buy Now
Buy on
  1. Eurogamer
    100
    Moody and atmospheric, compelling and addictive, this is first person gaming in grown-up form, and it truly is magnificent.
  2. Quandary
    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.
  3. Games Radar
    100
    Near-perfect in every conceivable way, "Deus Ex" is pure gaming ambrosia. As in food of the gods, not tinned rice pudding.
  5. Adrenaline Vault
    100
    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. GamePro
    100
    Cheesy voice-acting by minor characters is the only real flaw here.
  7. FHM
    100
    The story is gripping from beginning to end.
  8. Daily Radar
    100
    For a complete package of plot, style, depth and action, few games rival "Deus Ex."
    All this publication's reviews
  9. PC Gameworld
    98
    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."
  10. Gamer's Pulse
    96
    This is the kind of game hard-core gamers dream of.
  11. Electric Playground
    95
    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.
  12. FiringSquad
    94
    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. IGN
    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...
  14. PC Gamer
    94
    A must-own...a rare and rewarding game for fans of the genre. [Sept 2000, p.82]
    All this publication's reviews
  15. Game Revolution
    91
    It is, as a game, everything you could ask for... and it's absolutely a blast to play.
  16. Gaming Age
    91
    An amazingly well put together role playing adventure that is easily one of the first candidates for game of the year.
  17. CheckOut
    90
    "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.
    All this publication's reviews
  18. Hot Games
    90
    As good as any other espionage thriller out there, "Deus Ex" is bolstered by a fantastic storyline.
  19. Computer Games Magazine
    90
    Despite a few small complaints about inconsistent AI or disappointing Direct3D performance, this is a tremendously entertaining game.
  20. Spank!
    90
    Blending RPG features seamlessly with action elements and wrapping it all up with one of the better narratives to grace a PC game.
    All this publication's reviews
  21. GameZone
    90
    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.
  22. GameSpy
    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.
  23. Da Gameboyz
    84
    A blend of action and stealth, "Deus Ex" brings you a great package of features and excellent replayability.
    All this publication's reviews
  24. GameSpot
    82
    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.
  25. CNET Gamecenter
    80
    Oftentimes brilliant, sometimes frustrating, and always riveting, "Deus Ex" could be game-of-the-year material if not for its many glaring flaws.
    All this publication's reviews
  26. TotalGames.net
    80
    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.
  27. Armchair Empire
    80
    A good game for people who like to immerse themselves in their play, but is definitely not for casual gamers.
  28. Happy Puppy
    75
    The storyline is immediately absorbing, and is a nice break from the typical run 'n' gun first-person shooter.
  29. Cincinnati Enquirer
    75
    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.

Awards & Rankings

7
#7 Best PC Game of 2000
2
#2 Most Discussed PC Game of 2000
4
#4 Most Shared PC Game of 2000

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
9.2

Universal acclaim- based on 1559 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,419 out of 1559
  2. Mixed: 76 out of 1559
  3. Negative: 64 out of 1559
  1. whitespider999
    Mar 2, 2012
    10
    You know what should truly sell you on deus ex? Reading the negative reviews on metacritic. Then cross-compare them with the positive reviews.You know what should truly sell you on deus ex? Reading the negative reviews on metacritic. Then cross-compare them with the positive reviews. Then add a dash of common sense and ability to analyse and read between the lines. Now, onto the actual review. Deus ex - has been my favorite game for the past 12 years. And I play a lot of games. Why? It's sure visually aged poorly, it's kind of clunky. So surely that means I deduct a few points right there? No. Deus ex is the true definition of a masterpiece, it gives you true options - options that the lesser masterpiece human revolution can't even match. It still stands alone as something incredible - the only problem is that now people have to look past the age (if they are coming in fresh). Each hub (or sectioned level) offers hundreds possible 'ways' to achieve a simple goal. Let me explain - It's like this; there is a simple thing you need to do. You need to infiltrate a building and get past all the guards in the building so you can download an important document (this is hypothetical). Now, there are about 10-15 different 'ways' you can get into the building and each 'way' has branching 'options'. So options, lead to options, lead to options. You take choice 5 out of 15 and go through the sewers instead of the top, no strike that - you decide going above ground is best, so you get a crane and lower the shaft so you can sneak across onto the roof - no strike that, you decide to go full force and shoot everyone in your path - no strike that, you decide to go to the building manager and get a keypass, now when you open the caravan that the manager is in, it has cameras inside it, so you hack those cameras to work for you. You then threaten the manager with information you have on him, that you picked up off a nearby computer - then you walk past the guards and enter the keypass into the door slot. You walk strait in, and decide to open a vent that leads you to the roof, in which you plant explosives that might distract the guards. You walk up to the heavily guarded entrance to your objective - and you remotely detonate the explosive, all the guards run towards the threat and you walk into the room. Problem solved. Now, that thing you did was one of a few hundred things you could have done to achive that same 8 minute objective. Now you have 30 hours of incredible globe trotting, storytelling, twists turns, cities, exploration - all with that very level of freedom options. It's mindblowing. That's what you need to understand when you boot up deus ex and see some janky graphics and blocky models. No, this is not just 'some first person shooter' dig deeper. And find one of the true miracles of gaming. This game needs a 999/10 score made specifically for it. Masterpiece is a painful understatement. This is a revolution in gaming that never took off. So far ahead of it's time that nothing else can quite match it. I truly hope the developers of human revolution make another deus ex game - because I think they had the right idea. They did not 'quite' pull off 'deus ex'. But I have a feeling they are heading towards something great. And that's promising.… Full Review »
  2. JohnH
    Apr 21, 2010
    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, 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 »
  3. ftftl
    May 25, 2011
    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 trulyBest 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 »
See all user reviews »