Deus Ex is one of the cornerstones of PC gaming. Alongside Half-Life, Myst, Doom, Civilization, and the other best PC games, Deus Ex spearheaded not just new standards in storytelling and choice, but the entire immersive genre. Without Deus Ex, there might be no Dishonored, no Prey, no latter-day Hitman games, not to mention the sequels Invisible War, Human Revolution, and Deus Ex Mankind Divided. To say that Eidos’ and Ion Storm’s 2000 original had an impact on PC gaming would be a dramatic understatement, and now you can own Deus Ex – as well as the sweeping Deus Ex Revision mod – for just 86 cents.
Today, we’re used to the idea that our choices in games can have meaningful, narrative implications. The idea of choosing between stealth and gunplay, dialogue and violence, has also become commonplace, as well as stories and worlds that dabble in real-world issues. Back in 2000, however, all of these ideas were still taking shape, and it was Deus Ex that helped give them a further, more tangible form.
As nanomachine-enhanced super soldier JC Denton, you travel around the globe combating a sinister, Illuminati-style cabal of industrialists and power players. Imagine that every conspiracy theory you’ve ever heard was true – that’s the pitch of Deus Ex, and if you haven’t experienced this vital slice of gaming history already, or just want an excuse to go around again, now’s the time.
Do you go in with full force, or take it stealthily? Do you resolve conflicts using guns and nanomachine augmentations, or attempt to defuse them through dialogue?
Complete with a wonderfully catchy synthesizer soundtrack, Deus Ex also comes with a free copy of Deus Ex Revision, which adds high-definition textures, new character models, new gameplay modes, and improved rendering. You can get the complete package for just 86 cents / 69p here.
Alternatively, if you want to keep the nostalgia flowing, take a look at some of the other best old games you can run on PC. You might also want to try some of the best story games ever made.