Warren Spector’sDeus Exis one of the most important PC games released during one of the most pivotal moments for the medium, joined by a class of all-timer video games that have each since gone on to take a place on the Mt. Rushmore of FPS innovation.Half-Life,Thief,System Shock 2, and thenDeus Exmoved the needle forward for what was possible in a first-person shooter and what modern interactive media was capable of. But it would beDeus Ex’s innovations, emphasis on immersion, and unparalleled degree of player agency that had the greatest impact, helping almost single-handedly to create the immersive sim genre and seeing its influence spill over into several other gaming genres.
Aside from its place as a groundbreaking title of its time,Deus Ex’s innovations continue to show up time and again in titles both expected and unexpected. Arkane’sPreyandDishonoredgames have as muchDeus ExDNA in them as most other first-personimmersive simtitles do, but there’s also a clear throughline fromDeus Ex’s branching pathways, impactful choices, and multi-faceted character progression to modern-day RPG masterpieces likeMass Effectand evenCyberpunk 2077.Deus Exteaches a valuable lesson about empowering the player and fostering ingenuity, and it’s one that still reverberates today.
Deus Ex and Its PC Gaming Cohort Reframed How Players Thought About Interactivity
The seismic shift brought on by Valve’sHalf-Lifewould end up being just the first wave of a coming deluge of innovation in the FPS genre. Hot on its heels was Warren Spector’sThief, which was quickly followed up the next year by the groundbreakingSystem Shock 2. But a year later, in 2000, Warren Spector took all the lessons learned from both theoriginalSystem ShockandThiefto deliverDeus Ex, inadvertently shaping gaming in the process.
Mechanics and gameplay elements that most players assume as standard today either debuted or reached a state of refinement not previously seen inDeus Ex.For the first time, players had an interactive world they could explore in just about any way they chose, with multiple potential pathways to victory and the only real limitations placed on the player being their own imaginations. Choices mattered, character progression had to be measured and precise to cater to how players wanted to play the game, and thecyberpunk worldofDeus Exfelt like it had been plucked straight from the future with gameplay to match. Players had more agency inDeus Exthan at any time in the history of the medium, and there was no going back.
From Immersive Sims to RPGs and Beyond, Deus Ex’s Influence Still Looms Large
Of course, the most obvious impact ofDeus Exwas quickly felt in the creation of the first-person immersive sim genre, but that’s far from the only realm of gaming where the title’s influence would reach. At its core,Deus Exwas as much a role-playing game as it was a first-person shooter, and the inherent value of player agency it communicates (and the impact it can have on true immersion) would arguably impact theRPG genremore than FPSes. Not long afterDeus Ex’s arrival, players would begin to see RPGs with branching pathways based on player choice and different options for tackling objectives that cater to certain progression pathways. WithoutDeus Ex, it’s hard to imagine that the entire BioWare catalog fromKnights of the Old Republiconward looks the same.
Similarly,Deus Ex’s continued relevance has helped usher in a new wave of indie immersive sim games that can stand toe-to-toe with their AAA counterparts. Games likePreyandDishonoredare the two most well-known immersive sims to come from the world of AAA publishing, but just as critically acclaimed are indie immersive sims likeCruelty Squad,Gloomwood,Shadows of Doubt, andFortune’s Run, with a growing list of in-development projects showcasing how playingDeus Exhelped shape the current generation of game developers. As it turns out, players love having options, and almost no game before it understood that concept quite likeDeus Ex.
