Deus Ex: Invisible War

Only a few years ago, many publications were declaring Ion Storm's masterpiece, Deus Ex, the game of the year.  So many journalists were enthralled by this game that an actual "Game of the Year" edition of the game hit store shelves after a short time.  Yes, the game did have its problems, but with so many stunning (especially at the time) innovations, you can imagine the amount of hype that's built up over the years in anticipation for the sequel.

The original game was great, with its blend of first-person-shooter and RPG elements.  The game was easily as much of a decision-making game as it was a gun-shooting game.  You could be as stealthy as you wanted; staying in the shadows, hacking computer systems, sliding by security cameras - it's probably possible to beat the game without wasting a single ammo clip.  Of course, it was also possible to run in, guns blazing, tearing up every bad guy in the vicinity.  The ability to choose your missions and who you wanted to help also created an intense, dramatic storyline that really felt like you were a part of.  New here also were different hit points designated for different body parts.  There were also some nifty "bio-mods" which gave you the ability to exercise a variety of special powers.  There were bio-mods for cloaking, strength improvement, health regeneration, invisibility to electronic devices, and so forth.  Some really cool stuff was introduced in this game.

In many ways, Invisible War is actually a letdown.  Gone are body-part specific hits.  Bio-mods don't seem as impressive this time around, due in part to the fact that most of them are re-used from the original game - and the original ones are still the most useful.  And in a strange move, each weapon no longer has a specific type of ammunition; when you pick up a clip of ammo, that same clip will now fuel your pistol, shotgun, and sniper rifle.  This takes some of the fun out of preserving certain guns' rare ammo, and can also present a problem if you're the sort of guy who likes to unload all his pistol bullets before moving onto his shotgun, or so forth.

While we're at it, I might as well get some other annoyances out of the way.  The AI is a bit crude and really doesn't react realistically all of the time, especially compared to the fabulous AI found in games like Halo.  The framerate is also an annoyance.  It rarely seems to stay at a solid 30, and it likes to dip down quite a bit.

Thankfully, even with all of these problems, Invisible War is still a largely fun and expansive title.  What may be missing in gameplay innovations is made up for with the fun storyline that encourages you to take different paths and try to side with certain organizations to see what happens.  There are some really interesting things that happen throughout the game's plot, which certainly kept me interested in playing "just a little more."  I really do like the atmosphere of each of the different areas in the game, too.  They're very immersive. 

It can also be argued that some of the game's "watering down" is actually a process of "simplification" for the consoles.  Only having one particular type of ammo keeps things really simple.  The lack of specific body parts means that you only need to pay attention to one important health bar.  The interface is also significantly cut down from the previous game, too.  Up to five weapons can be seen on the left side of the screen, and five bio-mods on the right side of the screen.  By tapping 'X' you can jump into your inventory, or the 'B' button will cycle through your five weapons on the main screen.  You can also use the D-pad and the 'A' button to cycle through these little menus.

The 'A' button is used for interacting with just about everything in the game, too.  You can turn on lamps, open cupboards and refrigerators, or simply pick up a pillow and throw it on the floor if you like.  The physics system is really cool, and even though every object seems to weigh about as much as Styrofoam, it is really cool to see objects flip and bounce and nudge other objects like in real life.  It definitely helps add to the immersion, even a little bit.

The graphics in the game are pretty darn nice.  They're extremely detailed, with sharp textures and smooth curves.  The lighting is a little hit or miss: the volumetric lighting found in ventilation systems and a lot of the differently lit rooms is really cool, but sometimes other lights don't look so hot (no pun intended).  Your flashlight, in particular, looks rather pathetic.  It's much too bright, but it only centers on a very solid circle in front of you, and looks rather awkward.

Sound is quite good, and I have no real complaints about it.  The music is nice throughout, and can really kick in and get you moving during the times it needs to.  Sound effects are nice, with appropriate bells and whistles.  Voice-overs are really the star here, though.  Everything is spoken out loud, and the acting is really pretty good.    You really won't have to worry about turning down your volume while playing this game.

All in all, Invisible War is a solid sequel to a great game.  It's nowhere near as amazing as the original was in its day, and some of the things that were simplified are arguably an unfortunate thing.  However, with its good storyline, nice production values, and good gameplay, Invisible War is totally worth a look.  If you were a fan of the original, and can keep yourself from getting angry at some of the design decisions, you'll really dig it and its cool story.  Check it out if you feel encouraged; just don't expect it to stun you like the original may have.

Gameplay: 8.0

Though it's still really solid and definitely kept me entertained the whole time, a few complications (or lack thereof) made the game feel a little more shallow than the original.

Graphics: 8.5

The only thing dragging down these sharp, detailed graphics is the somewhat stuttery framerate.  It's largely bearable, but annoying.  The core graphics and art, however, are nice and immersive.

Sound: 9.0

There's no reason not to like listening to this game.  There are lots of great tunes playing in the background, and good sound effects compliment everything.  The voice acting is fantastic, though, and really shines.

Concept: 6.5

Deus Ex: Invisible War lacks much true innovation if you compare it to it's predecessor.  However, it's still quite a bit more interesting and different than most other games out there.

Difficulty: Medium

Four difficulty settings should ensure that newbies and hardcore fans have a challenge that suits them!

Overall: 8.4

There's an unfortunate lack of improvement in the gameplay here, but it seems that the gameplay of the first was so good that it could be simplified and still be very enjoyable.  The storyline is lots of fun, and the production values hold up very well for the most part.  Fans and newcomers should have a lot to like, and as long as you don't expect to be blown away, you should have a good time with this title.