love the first Deus Ex – which I played initially on PlayStation 2. The mixture of story-driven and freeform gameplay coupled with RPG elements was sublime. Ion Storm has a lot to live up to; while it took a slightly different path, I’m a happy camper.

For the uninitiated, the Deus Ex series is like a first-person Knights of the Old Republic. You get various missions to take or refuse, and you have choices over what to say in conversations with NPCs. While KOTOR limits you in what you can do, especially in "safe" zones, DX lets you go wild. If you want to kill anyone, it’s your prerogative to do so. There are definitely consequences, but the choice is there.

Thanks to stellar new physics, Invisible War gives you even more freedom than before. Tossing objects (and people) will come into play more than once for solving missions. It’s also extremely entertaining to do things like toss two bodies into questionable positions; or push flaming barrels into NPCs to light them on fire, then laugh giddily as they run around ablaze.

Of course, you play Deus Ex for the adventure, not the goofiness. This game is loaded with more conspiracy theories than a whole season of X-Files. The drama starts almost immediately, and you’re always faced with at least two choices of who to side with. You can seesaw between them or just stick with one. I won’t ruin anything here, but you’ll definitely see the return of old friends and creatures – most rooted in real-life truth. Also, plot twists may occur when you’re not in the area, giving a living-world vibe that’s quite cool.

Invisible War is a methodical game, unlike most titles that adopt a first-person perspective. Patience is required, but rewarded. The lighting and environments are amazing, and the slow pacing masks a questionable framerate. I would’ve liked more face models, but character garb is highly detailed.

The first Deus Ex was heavy on the RPG elements – giving you experience for performance and letting you craft a skill set. Invisible War isn’t nearly that in-depth. A multi-tool does the job of a lockpick and security-cracking device; hacking is only available as a biomod; and there are no experience points. These things are a bummer to depth-junkies like myself, but make the title more accessible to casual gamers.

The biomods are the only thing you can really upgrade, but they rock. Make yourself virtually invisible to people or bots, heal yourself without medkits, or enhance your strength. Black-market mods are more devious, but I won’t waste the surprise for you.

Titles like Invisible War are why video games are the superior entertainment medium. You mull over puzzles, weigh ethical dilemmas, and ponder the universe. At least, that’s what I do. Even if you just plan to shoot stuff and sneak around, it’s a darn good time.  

MATTHEW KATO   8.75 When the first Deus Ex came to the PlayStation 2, it was dated because the PC version was already old. Now with the Xbox version also a priority, there is little reason for it not to be highly polished. In many places, the game shines brightly. The lighting system is brilliant, and several times I used foes’ shadows against them. This is combined with a world that is replete with interactive objects. When you realize that almost any object you pick up can be useful, you understand the depth here. This extends to the story choices you make, which are just as numerous as Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Despite the work put into these elements, the game lags behind in its combat. The AI is often stupid, and battles were less than thrilling when the framerate chugged. Still, I highly recommend this game, as it puts so much at your fingertips.