''Deus Ex: Invisible War'' is a 2003
action role-playing
An action role-playing game (often abbreviated action RPG or ARPG) is a subgenre of video games that combines core elements from both the action game and role-playing genre.
Definition
The games emphasize real-time combat where the player h ...
video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
developed by
Ion Storm
Ion Storm, L.P. was an American video game developer founded by video game industry veterans John Romero and Tom Hall, both formerly of id Software. Despite an impressive pedigree and high expectations, the company only produced one commercial ...
and published by
Eidos Interactive for
Microsoft Windows and
Xbox
Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the ...
. It is the second game in the ''
Deus Ex
''Deus Ex'' is a series of role-playing video games, set during the mid 21st century. Focusing on the conflict between secretive factions who wish to control the world by proxy, and the effects of transhumanistic attitudes and technologies in a ...
'' series. The gameplay—combining
first-person shooter
First-person shooter (FPS) is a sub-genre of shooter video games centered on gun and other weapon-based combat in a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action through the eyes of the protagonist and controlling the p ...
,
stealth, and
role-playing
Role-playing or roleplaying is the changing of one's behaviour to assume a role, either unconsciously to fill a social role, or consciously to act out an adopted role. While the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' offers a definition of role-playing a ...
elements—features exploration and combat in environments connected to multiple city-based hubs, in addition to quests that can be completed in a variety of ways and flexible character customization. Conversations between characters feature a variety of responses, with options in conversations at crucial story points affecting how some events play out.
''Invisible War'' takes place twenty years after ''
Deus Ex
''Deus Ex'' is a series of role-playing video games, set during the mid 21st century. Focusing on the conflict between secretive factions who wish to control the world by proxy, and the effects of transhumanistic attitudes and technologies in a ...
''. The game follows a scenario whereby the first game's events led to a period of war and economic depression dubbed the "Collapse", which resulted in several factions attaining power and influence across the world. The player character, Alex D, is evacuated from Chicago to Seattle following a terrorist attack, soon becoming embroiled in a network of plots as the world's factions fight for control of the world. In addition to the series' recurring
cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a dystopian futuristic setting that tends to focus on a "combination of lowlife and high tech", featuring futuristic technological and scientific achievements, such as artificial intelligence and c ...
setting and
conspiracy theory motif, the story focuses on the theme of
terrorism
Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...
.
Development of ''Invisible War'' began following the success of ''Deus Ex''. The aim was to create a more accessible version of the original game's systems while preserving its essentials. Original designer
Harvey Smith directed the game, while
Alexander Brandon
Alexander Brandon (also known as Siren in the demoscene and tracker community) is an American musician, former member of Straylight Productions, who composed music mostly for games produced by Epic Games, or games based on Epic technology, inc ...
and Sheldon Pacotti returned respectively as composer and scenario writer. Additional music and voice work was provided by the rock band
Kidneythieves
Kidneythieves are an American industrial rock duo from Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1997 by vocalist Free Dominguez and guitarist/engineer Bruce Somers, and throughout their existence have worked with a revolving door of session m ...
. Due to being developed for PC and Xbox, the game's environments needed to be designed with the console's hardware limitations in mind. In later interviews, members of the team have faulted their decisions for the title.
The game was acclaimed for its graphics, narrative and the freedom of choice in both gameplay and story. Criticism was directed towards enemy
artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech r ...
, some of the design choices and problems with the PC port. The game has sold over one million copies worldwide as of 2011. Later opinions from both journalists and the game's staff have been polarized, with several websites calling ''Invisible War'' the weakest entry in the ''Deus Ex'' series. After several unsuccessful efforts to create a third ''Deus Ex'' game prior to Ion Storm's 2005 closure, a prequel to the first game, ''
Deus Ex: Human Revolution,'' was developed by
Eidos Montréal
Eidos may refer to:
* Eidos (philosophy), a Greek term meaning "form" "essence", "type" or "species". See Plato's theory of forms and Aristotle's theory of universals
* Eidos plc, a British software company, which created video game publisher Ei ...
and released in 2011.
Gameplay
''Deus Ex: Invisible War'' is an
action role-playing game with incorporated
first-person shooter
First-person shooter (FPS) is a sub-genre of shooter video games centered on gun and other weapon-based combat in a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action through the eyes of the protagonist and controlling the p ...
and
stealth mechanics.
Players take the role of Alex D, whose gender and general appearance can be customized at the beginning of the game.
The game has multiple
difficulty settings; these range from "Easy", which increases damage to enemies, to "Realistic", which raises enemy
health
Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...
while also decreasing available ammunition.
The player moves around the environment, being able to climb ladders and jump onto crates, and crouch to negotiate narrow spaces.
Items such as datacubes and holoprojectors can be accessed to expand upon the narrative and progress the story. Certain objects in the game can be carried or thrown, from small items to human bodies.
Each hub area of the game has a variety of missions given to the player by
non-playable character
A non-player character (NPC), or non-playable character, is any character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster ...
s (NPCs), which the player can choose to accept or ignore; these missions include
quests
A quest is a journey toward a specific mission or a goal. The word serves as a plot device in mythology and fiction: a difficult journey towards a goal, often symbolic or allegorical. Tales of quests figure prominently in the folklore of ev ...
linked to the main story and side quests unique to each hub area.
These objectives can be completed in a variety of ways; these include using stealth to infiltrate an area, opening access points using hacking, or launching an armed assault.
When talking with NPCs, the player has access to multiple dialogue options, with the option chosen influencing the course of the conversation.
There are a variety of melee and ranged weapons in the game, both lethal and non-lethal; the melee weapons include a combat knife, a baton, and a "
stun prod" shock device. Ranged weapons include a pistol, a shotgun, a rifle, an
SMG, and a rocket launcher. Other weapon types include a variety of grenades and bombs.
All guns found in the game share the same ammunition pool, which is represented by a bar, and each gun type uses different amounts from the pool.
Guns can be customized with items and pieces of equipment, such as outfitting a gun with a silencer or allowing it to shoot through glass silently. Other upgrades increase maximum damage and decrease ammunition use.
Items, weapons, ammunition, and equipment are purchased with credits, the in-game currency either gathered in the environment or earned through quests. Items range from tools such as disposable multitools for unlocking doors to canisters that replenish health or energy.
Defeated enemies drop items that can be collected, or can be found in the environment or in containers such as boxes and cabinets.
The player can carry up to twelve item types, with consumable items able to be stacked in a single slot.
During the course of the game, the player acquires biomods nanite-filled canisters that enhance their physical and mental attributes. There are two types of biomod canisters in the game: standard canisters and black market versions, both either found in the environment or purchased from certain NPCs. Standard and black market biomods cannot be installed in the same slot. Biomods are installed in five different slots representing different parts of the body—"Arm", "Cranial", "Eye", "Leg", and "Skeletal".
Each region has three enhancement options the player can activate. Some biomod enhancements are exclusive to either standard or black market biomods.
Biomod abilities range from enhancements to strength and agility to abilities linked to hacking terminals and taking control of hostile robots. Once activated, further biomod canisters can be used to upgrade existing abilities, or uninstall an ability to change it around, deleting and replacing the chosen enhancement with the new one. Biomod abilities tied to abilities such as cloaking use up the a portion of the player's energy bar when activated.
Synopsis
Setting
''Invisible War'' is set in the year 2072, twenty years after the events of the original ''
Deus Ex
''Deus Ex'' is a series of role-playing video games, set during the mid 21st century. Focusing on the conflict between secretive factions who wish to control the world by proxy, and the effects of transhumanistic attitudes and technologies in a ...
''; the ''Deus Ex'' series is set in a
cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a dystopian futuristic setting that tends to focus on a "combination of lowlife and high tech", featuring futuristic technological and scientific achievements, such as artificial intelligence and c ...
future rife with secret organizations and conspiracies such as the
Illuminati
The Illuminati (; plural of Latin ''illuminatus'', 'enlightened') is a name given to several groups, both real and fictitious. Historically, the name usually refers to the Bavarian Illuminati, an Enlightenment-era secret society founded on ...
and
Majestic 12
Majestic 12, also known as MJ-12 for short, is a purported organization that appears in UFO conspiracy theories. The organization is claimed to be the code name of an alleged secret committee of scientists, military leaders, and government offic ...
, an Illuminati splinter faction.
During the first game's events in 2052, original protagonist JC Denton—a clone designed to serve Majestic 12—was drawn into a secret war between the Illuminati and Majestic 12, led by industrialist Bob Page. Page intended to make himself a global dictator by first undermining the Illuminati by creating a pandemic to blackmail the world's elite into supporting Majestic 12, then merging himself with the
artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech r ...
(AI) Helios.
In the back-story revealed in the course of ''Invisible War'', a combination of all three possible endings of ''Deus Ex'' took place; JC kills Majestic 12 leader Bob Page, merges with Helios, destroys Majestic 12's base in
Area 51
Area 51 is the common name of a highly classified United States Air Force (USAF) facility within the Nevada Test and Training Range. A remote detachment administered by Edwards Air Force Base, the facility is officially called Homey Airport ...
to cripple the world communication network, then sides with the Illuminati to rebuild the world in the wake of these events.
JC's actions triggered a worldwide period of war and depression dubbed the "Collapse". Following the Collapse, major capitals organize themselves into city states, creating walled enclaves where the population can be watched and expansion is closely controlled.
The story moves between a variety of locations across the world, starting in
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
and moving on to
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the Capital city, capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, List of ...
,
Trier
Trier ( , ; lb, Tréier ), formerly known in English as Trèves ( ;) and Triers (see also names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle in Germany. It lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of red sandstone in the ...
and
Antarctica
Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest cont ...
.
A recurring feature are "Augmentations", advanced
nanotechnologies
Nanotechnology, also shortened to nanotech, is the use of matter on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scale for industrial purposes. The earliest, widespread description of nanotechnology referred to the particular technological goal o ...
that enhance the human body; the type used in ''Invisible War'' are dubbed "biomods".
Characters and factions
The main protagonist is "Alex D"; their full name is Alex Denton, a clone from the same program which created JC and Paul Denton. Spirited away shortly before the events of ''Deus Ex'', Alex is raised in Chicago before being inducted into the Tarsus Academy, a group controlled by the Denton-created ApostleCorp. At Tarsus, Alex is trained in the use of biomods.
Alex's gender is chosen at the beginning of the game, with their selected gender affecting how some people react to them in conversations.
Along with Alex, three other Tarsus students are encountered through the story: Billie Adams, a long-term friend of Alex; Leo Jankowski, a high-ranking and impulsive trainee; and Klara Sparks, a modest student who acts as Leo's friend and support. The students are overseen by Leila Nassif.
Returning characters from ''Deus Ex'' include JC Denton; his brother Paul, who is rendered comatose after an unsuccessful biomod infusion; and Tracer Tong, an ally of the Dentons.
There are several factions within ''Invisible War'' that Alex is contacted by and can choose to side with and represent different viewpoints on how humanity's post-Collapse society should develop.
The two factions handling reconstruction in city enclaves are a future version of the
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization that regulates and facilitates international trade. With effective cooperation
in the United Nations System, governments use the organization to establish, revise, and ...
(WTO), which builds and maintains the emergent city states, acting as the ''de facto'' government body; and the Order, a religion combining concepts from multiple faiths which has gained support from people outside the enclaves and is opposed to the WTO's policies.
Both the Order and the WTO are puppet organizations of the Illuminati, respectively led by Illuminati members Nicolette DuClare and Chad Dumier, the latter a veteran of the war against Majestic 12.
Two other factions are the
Knights Templar, a group led by former Order leader Saman that makes militant strikes against groups espousing biomod use; and the Omar, a cult of cybernetically-enhanced humans who share a
hive mind.
Plot
''Note: While the general plot of Invisible War follows a distinct path, many elements such as faction alliances and character interactions are subject to the player's decisions. The game also offers several subplots and explanations which the player may or may not encounter, depending on their actions within the game. This synopsis concentrates on the main, unavoidable plot thread of the game.''
The game opens after a terrorist attack on
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
by the Knights Templar: a nanite bomb turns the entire city into
grey goo
Gray goo (also spelled as grey goo) is a hypothetical global catastrophic scenario involving molecular nanotechnology in which out-of-control self-replicating machines consume all biomass on Earth while building many more of themselves, a sce ...
, with the staff and trainees of the city's Tarsus Academy facility barely escaping in time to Tarsus'
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
facility.
After that too is attacked by terrorists, Alex discovers with Billie's help that Tarsus has been observing their trainees in secret under the guidance of Nassif, escapes the facility and is subsequently offered missions by Tarsus, the Order, the WTO, and the Omar. During these missions, Alex learns that their biomods were created by ApostleCorp, and follows Nassif from
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
to
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the Capital city, capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, List of ...
, which is being disrupted by fighting between the factions. Alex's fellow students follow different paths during the narrative; Billie initially allies with the Order before joining the Knights Templar, Klara joins the WTO, while Leo becomes involved with the Omar and can become an unwilling convert.
After locating Nassif, Alex learns that they are part of JC's plan to distribute their biomod technology worldwide, and that JC is currently incapacitated due to his own augmentations clashing with Helios. Alex goes to
Trier
Trier ( , ; lb, Tréier ), formerly known in English as Trèves ( ;) and Triers (see also names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle in Germany. It lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of red sandstone in the ...
to use a teleportation gate to reach JC's hiding place in
Antarctica
Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest cont ...
. While in Trier, Alex meets up with Tong and is sent to save key figures from being killed by the Templars, learning of the Illuminati's involvement. After activating the teleportation gate and reaching Antarctica, Alex is confronted by Billie and then revives JC. JC explains his plan of connecting all of humanity to Helios using Alex's biomods, paving the way for an ideal democracy. Alex is sent to Cairo to revive Paul with their compatible biomods. There Alex has the option of saving Paul, killing him under orders from Dumier, or handing him over to Saman.
Brought by JC's agents to
Liberty Island
Liberty Island is a federally owned island in Upper New York Bay in the United States. Its most notable feature is the Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''), a large statue by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi that was dedicated i ...
, Alex learns that the island holds an old part of the pre-Collapse worldwide communication network which can be used by each faction. No matter what choices Alex has made up to now, they can choose to side with any faction, or kill all the leaders on Liberty Island. If Alex follows JC's plan, the biomods are distributed worldwide, giving Helios the ability to access all human thought, allowing it to govern humanity. If Alex sides with the Illuminati, they use the network to help create a global
surveillance state where communication and the economy are controlled. If Alex joins the Templars, they help unite humanity under a
theocracy
Theocracy is a form of government in which one or more deities are recognized as supreme ruling authorities, giving divine guidance to human intermediaries who manage the government's daily affairs.
Etymology
The word theocracy originates fr ...
where biomod use and those considered impure are ruthlessly suppressed. Killing all other factions on Liberty Island leads to global chaos, turning Earth into a wasteland dominated by the Omar.
Development
![Harvey Smith, Seoul 2006](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Harvey_Smith%2C_Seoul_2006.jpg)
Development of ''Invisible War'' began at series creator
Ion Storm
Ion Storm, L.P. was an American video game developer founded by video game industry veterans John Romero and Tom Hall, both formerly of id Software. Despite an impressive pedigree and high expectations, the company only produced one commercial ...
following the success of the original ''Deus Ex''. Most of the development team returned, eager to both tell a new story and refine the original gameplay. There were also relative newcomers who had worked on the original game's
PlayStation 2 (PS2) port.
Harvey Smith, lead designer for the original game, was chosen by the original director and series creator
Warren Spector
Warren Evan Spector (born October 2, 1955) is an American role-playing and video game designer, director, writer, producer and production designer. He is known for creating immersive sim games, which give players a wide variety of choices in how ...
to direct the game; Spector instead took on a supervisory role for both ''Invisible War'' and other projects within the company.
While Smith was tempted to act as both director and designer, he saw that it would be too much work, so brought on Ricardo Bare as lead designer. Bare had been involved in the later development of ''Deus Ex'', and despite his lack of experience as a designer was given the role when more qualified staff members were unavailable.
The music for the game was composed by
Alexander Brandon
Alexander Brandon (also known as Siren in the demoscene and tracker community) is an American musician, former member of Straylight Productions, who composed music mostly for games produced by Epic Games, or games based on Epic technology, inc ...
and Todd Simmons; Brandon had previously worked on the original game.
Brandon's guidance when composing the music for ''Invisible War'' was the sparse musical style of the ''
Thief
Theft is the act of taking another person's property or services without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it. The word ''theft'' is also used as a synonym or informal shorthand term for some ...
'' series, shifting away from the style used for the original game.
The voice acting style also underwent changes, with the aim being for more professional performances.
The improved voice acting was attributed to the team being given a larger budget.
The soundtrack included six tracks from the album ''
Trickster
In mythology and the study of folklore and religion, a trickster is a character in a story ( god, goddess, spirit, human or anthropomorphisation) who exhibits a great degree of intellect or secret knowledge and uses it to play tricks or otherwi ...
'' by
industrial rock
Industrial rock is a fusion genre that fuses industrial music and rock music. It initially originated in the 1970s, and drew influence from early experimental and industrial acts such as Cromagnon, Throbbing Gristle, Einstürzende Neubauten ...
band
Kidneythieves
Kidneythieves are an American industrial rock duo from Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1997 by vocalist Free Dominguez and guitarist/engineer Bruce Somers, and throughout their existence have worked with a revolving door of session m ...
; the band's lead singer Free Dominguez provided voice work for the idol character NG Resonance. Dominguez described the experience of recording her voice work being fun.
When creating the game, the team's main aim was to create an experience that emulated the original game's freedom of choice while giving mainstream players more options for defining the player character.
The gameplay drew inspiration from ''
Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss'', ''
System Shock'', ''
Dungeon Master'' and ''
Thief: The Dark Project''.
Due to the game being designed for both consoles and PC players, the team wanted to minimize the number of menus to navigate, maintaining the core feeling of a first-person shooter.
One of the aims was to improve the stealth elements, which the team felt was "broken" in ''Deus Ex''.
When designing the stealth, the team received input from the team developing ''
Thief: Deadly Shadows'', which was also in production at Ion Storm. They also had staff who had worked on ''
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell
''Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell'' is a series of stealth action-adventure video games, the first of which was released in 2002, and their tie-in novels that were endorsed by Tom Clancy. The series follows Sam Fisher, a highly trained agent of a ...
'', then regarded as one of the best recent stealth-focused games.
The original game's two different levelling systems of augmentations and skill points were combined into the biomod system.
The use of universal ammunition was implemented so players would not need to worry about collecting ammunition types for multiple gun types.
Spector later explained these changes as a means of helping sell the game to players outside the core fanbase; with both ''Invisible War'' and ''Thief: Deadly Shadows'', they needed a wider player base in order to make the games profitable.
A multiplayer mode, which had been added to the original game via a patch, was not included in ''Invisible War'' due to time and quality concerns.
The story was influenced by popular conspiracy theories, spy stories, and science fiction.
The original writer for ''Deus Ex'', Sheldon Pacotti, returned to write the game's script with newcomer Sarah Paetsch.
A major difference from the first game was the player's freedom to change factions throughout the game, something not available in the first game.
A core part of the experience was the branching narrative, giving the player multiple options of progress despite missions having a linear progression. Paetsch estimated that the game contained over 30,000 lines of voiced dialogue.
The game's subtitle referred to the unseen battle that took place both around people and within them.
The suggestion that all endings of ''Deus Ex'' should be part of the canon series of events was suggested by a staff member who worked on the original game's
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...
storyline.
The locations were chosen for their distinct feel and—in some cases—iconic landmarks. They also chose locations associated at the time with the organizations featured in-game, such as Seattle and the WTO. The Antarctica setting was influenced by the
John Carpenter
John Howard Carpenter (born January 16, 1948) is an American filmmaker, actor, and composer. Although he worked in various film genres, he is most commonly associated with horror, action, and science fiction films of the 1970s and 1980s. He ...
's film ''
The Thing''.
Rather than use JC as the main protagonist due to his actions in ''Deus Ex'' making him a grand figure in world history, the team created newcomer Alex, someone who would share
JC's roots and begin "at the bottom of the pyramid", as was a popular element of many "immersive sim" games at the time.
One of the themes included in the game was the nature of
terrorism
Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...
, and how people could be classified as terrorists or freedom fighters depending on circumstance.
While the original game was developed for Windows, the team developed ''Invisible War'' for console,
using their experience creating the ''Deus Ex'' PS2 port.
They chose the
Xbox
Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the ...
as it had the largest memory capacity. The biggest problem was the smaller processing power and RAM compared to PCs.
Due to the limited hardware of the Xbox, the environment sizes needed to be scaled down compared to the first game, but the team tried to make the smaller areas denser, with more interactive elements.
When creating the game, the team rebuilt all the systems from scratch from the engine to the render and sound system.
The game used a combination of the
Unreal Engine
Unreal Engine (UE) is a 3D computer graphics game engine developed by Epic Games, first showcased in the 1998 first-person shooter game '' Unreal''. Initially developed for PC first-person shooters, it has since been used in a variety of g ...
and the
Havok physics software.
The choice of Unreal was governed by several factors including familiarity with the engine and the wish to develop for both PC and console environments; while the basic structure of the Unreal Engine was used, the team replaced the renderer,
artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech r ...
(AI) programming and physics engine. Integrating Havok allowed for "richer" simulation of real-time physics.
The AI was designed to exhibit a wider range of responses than the original game, noticing disturbances, searching environments and being able to call in reinforcements.
A sequel to ''Deus Ex'' was revealed by Eidos in 2001 through job listings advertising for designers to work on the game.
Later that month at the 2001
Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Eidos confirmed that both the second ''Deus Ex'' and the next ''Thief'' game would be coming to consoles before arriving on PC; the explanation was that taking the restrictions of console hardware into account would make later ports to PC more effective.
Eidos officially announced the game E3 2002; the platforms listed were PC, Xbox and PS2.
It was later revealed that Ion Storm were struggling to work out how to port the game to PS2 given the extensive hardware differences between the three platforms, and were reluctant to do so due to these issues.
Following the game's release, it was clarified that no PS2 version would be developed.
As part of the promotion, the soundtrack was made available for download through the game's website.
A demo was released in November 2003.
The game was released in North America on December 2, 2003.
Following the North American release, Ion Storm released a patch to fix issues with the graphics and additional gameplay elements such as quick saves.
The game released in Europe on March 5, 2004.
The Xbox version was also released in Japan. First announced in March 2004, the game was released on June 17.
Reception
Sales
During its debut week in the United Kingdom, the game reached #3 in the charts, described as a respectable debut.
In their financial report in April 2005, Eidos reported that ''Invisible War'' was among the titles to have sold between 500,000 and one million copies since release, placing it among their successful titles.
As of April 2011, ''Invisible War'' has sold over 1.2 million copies worldwide, placing it above the original game in terms of copies sold.
Critical reception
''
Computer and Video Games'' called both versions of the game enjoyable despite elements of world building and gameplay not carried over from the original lessened the experience.
Eurogamer
''Eurogamer'' is a British video game journalism website launched in 1999 and owned by alongside formed company Gamer Network. Its editor-in-chief is Martin Robinson.
Since 2008, it is known for the formerly eponymous games trade fair EG ...
's Rob Fahay, while noting that its focus on some aspects of the first game over others left it at a disadvantage, still called it "excellent".
Adam Biessener and Justin Leeper of ''
Game Informer
''Game Informer'' (''GI'', most often stylized ''gameinformer'' from the 2010s onward) is an American monthly video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and associated consoles. It debuted in August 1991 w ...
'', respectively reviewing the PC and Xbox versions, praised the variety of choices in gameplay and the quality of the story and voice performances, calling both great examples of games within the science fiction genre.
''
GamePro'' praised the story, its extensive voice acting, the number of choices available in gameplay progression and the completion of objectives.
GameSpot
''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
's
Greg Kasavin
Gregory A. Kasavin (; born August 21, 1977) is an American writer and designer for Supergiant Games, and the former site director and executive editor at the gaming website ''GameSpot'' for over 10 years.
Early life and education
Kasavin atten ...
, who reviewed both versions, praised the game's ambition and the elements that worked, but said that people would focus on the faults with its narrative delivery and gameplay structure; he summed up the game as a "great and original experience that's well worthwhile".
Steve Butts of
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
said that, while some would say the gameplay made too many concessions towards casual players, it was still a well-built and enjoyable video game, praising most of the alterations made by the developers.
Ryan McCaffrey of ''
Official Xbox Magazine'' called the game a "brilliant RPG" despite noting its short length, praising its narrative, gameplay freedom, and in-game physics.
Kieron Gillen
Kieron Michael Gillen (; born 30 September 1975) is a British comic book writer and former video game and music journalist. In comics, Gillen is known for ''Phonogram'' and ''The Wicked + The Divine'', both co-created with artist Jamie McKelvie ...
, reviewing the game for ''
PC Gamer
''PC Gamer'' is a magazine and website founded in the United Kingdom in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future plc. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games m ...
'', praised the game's wide variety of choice despite some elements such as the biomod upgrade system not evolving. He noted that the elements that had not been directly carried over from ''Deus Ex'' would taint people's perception of the game.
General praise went to the variety of choice in its narrative and gameplay, despite the former being seen as lacking in places and the latter being held back by other factors such as the limitations of the Biomod upgrade system and its limited environment sizes. Poor AI behavior was also a recurring criticism.
The
Xbox
Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the ...
version was praised for its performance and graphics despite several reviewers noting distracting drops in frame rate and other technical issues.
The PC version was frequently criticized as having similar frame rate issues in addition to problems with the controls, the necessity for a powerful computer to run the game properly, and the fact that the game was scaled down to run on the
Xbox
Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the ...
.
Accolades
As part of his review, McCaffrey named the game as "Editor's Choice".
At the National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers 2003 awards ceremony, ''Invisible War'' was nominated for awards in the "Character Design" and "Lighting/Texturing" categories.
At the 2004
Game Developers Choice Awards, Pacotti and Paetsch were nominated in the "Excellence in Writing" category for their work on the game.
At that year's
Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences awards, the game was nominated in the "Computer Role-Playing Game of the Year" and "Console First Person Action Game of the Year" categories.
Legacy
''Invisible War'' has retrospectively been seen as the weakest mainline entry in the ''Deus Ex'' series compared to both the original game and subsequent titles.
IGN's Brian Albert, in a history of the series, felt that its technical shortcomings and science fiction aesthetics prevented ''Invisible War'' from finding the same appeal as the original game.
Neon Kelly of VideoGamer.com said the game was "widely regarded as a disappointment" due to the controversial design choices relating to its gameplay and console-focused structure.
Several retrospectives on the game have cited it as a disappointing game in the wake of the highly acclaimed original:
both Heather Alexandra of
Kotaku and Richard Cobbett of ''PC Gamer'' said that—while the game was not bad in itself—it failed to live up to the ''Deus Ex'' series traditions and worked against the brand.
In a dedicated retrospective of the game for Eurogamer, Tristan Donovan said that the game was "destined to spend its future living in the shadow of the game that came before it and, now, the game that came after it", despite it having enough elements to be considered an entry in the ''Deus Ex'' series.
Members of staff have also spoken out against their role in the game:
Spector openly regrets listening to the focus testers during early development as this influenced the shift in setting,
Brandon faulted the sound—the more professional voice acting and sparse musical style—as being foreign to the ''Deus Ex'' series,
while in multiple interviews Smith expressed disappointment with the design decisions taken with the game despite him still liking it.
In a conversation with Spector during a lecture at the
University of Texas
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
, Smith voiced his opinions on the game's development:
Future games
Following the release of ''Invisible War'', multiple attempts were made to create a third ''Deus Ex'' title, even after both Spector and Smith left Ion Storm. The two main projects were dubbed ''Deus Ex: Insurrection'', which used the same engine as ''Invisible War'' while moving away from its divisive mechanics; and ''Deus Ex 3'', which aimed to be an open world game with a branching narrative. Prospective development on the third ''Deus Ex'' game was halted when, following further staff departure and financial difficulties, the studio's owner
Eidos Interactive closed them down in 2005.
A separate project developed by
Crystal Dynamics
Crystal Dynamics, Inc. is an American video game developer based in San Mateo, California and part of Embracer Group. The studio developed the '' Gex'', ''Legacy of Kain'', and ''Tomb Raider'' series. Founded in 1992 by Madeline Canepa, Judy L ...
, intended as the fourth ''Deus Ex'' project following ''Insurrection'' and titled ''Deus Ex: Clan Wars'', was reworked as ''
Project Snowblind''.
''Invisible War'' was the last ''Deus Ex'' game developed by
Ion Storm
Ion Storm, L.P. was an American video game developer founded by video game industry veterans John Romero and Tom Hall, both formerly of id Software. Despite an impressive pedigree and high expectations, the company only produced one commercial ...
prior to its closure.
In 2007, the next entry in the ''Deus Ex'' series at the newly-established
Eidos Montréal
Eidos may refer to:
* Eidos (philosophy), a Greek term meaning "form" "essence", "type" or "species". See Plato's theory of forms and Aristotle's theory of universals
* Eidos plc, a British software company, which created video game publisher Ei ...
with the aim of revitalizing the ''Deus Ex'' series, with the game being both a prequel and a reboot of the series.
First announced shortly after beginning development,
''
Deus Ex: Human Revolution'' was released in 2011 to critical and commercial success.
A direct sequel to ''Human Revolution'', ''
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided'', released in 2016.
''Mankind Divided'' and other projects following ''Human Revolution'' form part of a project dubbed the "''Deus Ex'' Universe", with both games and additional media designed to expand upon the series setting.
References
External links
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