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Mixed or average reviews- based on 215 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 61 out of 215

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  1. A.R.
    Nov 3, 2007
    Forget the lobotomised combat, level design and character customization system. I could deal with these things, like the poor AI and graphics of the original. However, simultaneous to consolisation technically, the characters are all one-dimensional and unconvincing and the narrative is alltogether forgettable. I didn't just come to trust the original Tracer Tong's judgments, I made it so that he trusted me. I understood The Smuggler's motivations and situation. I returned to warn him in to leaving New York. Alex and Jaime had their reasons for leaving UNATCO, Carter had his own opinion, opposing and just as legit, about staying - Ideological reasons. I actually REMEMBER the story behind completely peripheral and ancillary characters like Sandra Renton when I ran into her again in LA. Jock made me respect his closed nature, but I sure had fun digging around in his HK apartment reading his Emails to figure him out (indeed, a location I only found after numerous run-throughs). The info was there, it was a detailed and subtle world inhabited by complex characters. I felt sorry for Nicolette when she reminisced at the old Chateau about her past. Even minor characters like Lucius Debeers presented an unclear, heavy moral dilemma above coffee wars. I can remember the deep philosophical insights of the prototype AI in its side-room. It's ideas made me feel for where our own world is headed. It wasn't just believable, it in fact, resonated with reality. I can't even recall the names of Invisible War's secondary characters, let alone their motivations and background stories, if they had any. I do remember that you could basically double-cross all the factions and nobody really cared, though. I remember that Klara was pretty much just a vapid, ambitious nonentity. But I only remember that 'coz she was hot. The game is half the length of the original and that half is not even half as detailed. While the consolitis is inexcusable, I think it's a microcosm for larger, sustained and crippling problems with the game's narrative design and setting establishment. I felt like I was controlling the narrative more than that the world was happening around me. I'm going to give this a three. It would be nonsensical to rate this against other FPS on the market before comparing to it's predecessor. It is, after all, a sequel. Expand
  2. Mar 16, 2011
    Enjoyable but terribly shallow - like going into the kiddie pool as an adult. The levels are atrociously tiny and the art direction looks like a saturday morning cartoon in the worst way possible, but there's just enough plot and other fun mechanics (biomods, scavenging, etc) to keep it worth playing.
  3. DavidW
    Jan 3, 2010
    Very disapointing and frustrating game. Completely unbalanced combat. You are either up against weak and incompetent opponents or over-powered Paladins that you cannot fight because there is not enough ammo available in the level to take them the only option is to run past them to the next area. All the levels are cramped and poorly designed. The AI is non existent; there were loads of times I thought "the AI should not be allowing me do this" or "why is that turret not firing at me? what kind of security is this?". The only feature I like is the option to choose whether to kill or render unconscious you opponents. Generally a pretty crap game overall IMO. Expand
  4. Jan 6, 2011
    I gave DX1 a 9, so this will get 8. What makes it slightly worse, is the level design that is somehow a bit ruined for the xbox. But it think this sequel also has one strength compared to the original: the plot runs smoother, and something important is always happening. The levels are not so boring long as in the end of original Deus Ex. Traditionally I'm a console hater, but universal ammo seems good to me, as I never enjoyed masturbating with 10 types of different ammo. Expand
  5. WarrenS.
    Dec 3, 2003
    I am very disappointed to have the sequel to Deus Ex be something as low quality as this. I apologize to the fans, and hope that the lack of graphical detail, gameplay complexity, adequate performance, quality AI, and general lack of polish will not deter you from considering Deus Ex 3. Do not worry, Harvey Smith will have nothing to do with it... we shall make a sequel that lives up to Deus Ex and surpasses this garbage DX:IW in every way. Expand
  6. SammyJ.
    Dec 3, 2003
    A game that led many to have high expectations, but with massive graphic reductions earlier in the year, with questionable design decisions it is hard for a fan of the original to enjoy anything in the game. Worth considering if you like slower paced action shooters, worth avoiding like the plague if you were expecting a worthy sequel to the original.
  7. EricH.
    Apr 1, 2007
    One of the worst, most bug riddled releases ever to be produced. Thsi game, sequal to one of the best, most open and free-form games ever made is a pure travesty. More over this dispicable nonesense is entirely the fault of Microsoft. Yes, you heard riight. After that big, fat cheque was cashed by the dev team to ensure that the XBOX version got priority, the PC version was destroyed. Because they had to make a powerful, potentially very capable game scale down to the pathetic likes of that hobbled console, we ended up with the worlds ugliest textures, hysterical physics, TINY levels (you cab run across some in 3 seconds!!! Literally!) and totally linear design. This last part alone is inexcusable - Deus Ex was one of the first games to offer real choice and real consequences - In this game, nothing you do matters. It is just a corrider FPS with conversations. There is a reason that Warren Spector (Lead DEV of this game) no longer works in the industry, and this game is it Expand
  8. AnthonyB.
    Jun 2, 2007
    Absolutely not a good game, not on it's own merit, -absolutely- not compared to the original Deus Ex. Bug riddled with ridiculously long load times, poorly designed levels and gameplay (universal ammo, tiny clausterphobic levels, horrible interface, few story choices or morality play), and ripped in half to fit on the XBOX console, this is just a bad, bad game, and a hideous example of "money > all" -- Warren Spector would turn over in his grave... the Warren Spector that doesn't suckle the tit of big money, that is. The one that made the original Deus Ex because he wanted to play a fun game, not the one that made this absurd "sequel in name only" to cash in on the console fad. Disgusting. Expand
  9. SeanW
    Dec 6, 2009
    Every bit as awful as you've heard, and a complete travesty on an absolutely brilliant original game. The good news is at least this seems to have spelled the end of Harvey Smith's burgeoning game-destroying, I mean game-designing career. I have never despised an individual game developer before, but his ham-handed ruination of Deus Ex was enough to do it. He should be flipping burgers instead, which he's far more suited to (although I wouldn't count on him being able to stick to the complex recipe required of most basic burgers). Hope DX3 is enough to erase this garbage from our collective memories. Expand
  10. Bass
    Jan 15, 2006
    Brisk's review (see below) is spot on. Although not completely the perfect sequel that we hardcore fans were hoping for, this is still one of the most enjoyable titles that you will ever play. Any game bearing the Deus Ex name is going to be undisputably brilliant, and Invisible War is yet another masterpiece from gaming iconic Warren Spector. In my opinion the original Deus Ex is arguable the greatest game ever made, and those who do not play this sequel are missing out on what is the continuation of a truely outstanding francise. Expand
  11. Feb 14, 2012
    A huge step down from the original deus ex. It's hard to believe that it's even by the same developers. There is still an interesting story, and there is some options. Unfortunately the world is tiny, and the lack of larger hub style, gameplay approach laden levels/worlds makes this less of a deus ex game, and more of a deus ex spin off. A good game? Absolutely. Holds a candle to deus ex and human revolution? Not even vaguely. Expand
  12. Aug 29, 2011
  13. Nov 22, 2011
  14. Stuart
    Jul 8, 2007
    I absolutely hate a lot of the design decisions, the unified ammo, the new biomod system, tiny levels (i blame the 64mb of ram in the xbox), long load times, lack of skills etc. I hated it to the point where I shelved the game for a very long time (over a year), once you get over the shortcomings (in relation to it predecessor) what lies beneath is one of the best gaming experiences out there. An engaging story, intelligent combat, biomods (FTW!!) etc combine to make it a truly memorable and engaging game. It will begin as one of the biggest disappointments to players and lovers (but I repeat myself) of the original game, but about 1/2 way through you will realize that it is truly a deserving sequel. For those who haven't played the original...jump in -you'll love every minute (including the first third or so that the DX1 players will spend begrudging). Expand
  15. Mike
    Mar 5, 2008
    This game in no way lives up to the original. Its horrible and most of the game play elements that made the first one great have been entirely cut out.
  16. AndrewC.
    Apr 4, 2007
    Compared to the first game this one is just terrible. It was too simplified, the story was boring compared to the first, and it feels a good bit shorter/easier. It's a game made for the Xbox, and it shows.
  17. SmellyTerror
    Aug 7, 2006
    Oh hell no. It runs fine on my machine, but gameplay that involves backtracking through areas over and over, through mulitple loading screens, is just stupid, horrible design. Yuck. Shots fly through people without hitting, the AI scripting is abysmal, the optional quests are dull, and the gameplay is repetitive. Loved Deus Ex, hate this.
  18. BakaD.
    Jun 25, 2007
    Admittingly, Invisible War does not even deserve the 10 I
  19. Oct 23, 2010
    Sometimes sequels work others they don't. This game is a shame because of how good the original was. I still have hopes the upcoming game does justice to how great the original was.
  20. Dec 19, 2012
  21. A.D.
    Apr 4, 2004
    All right.
  22. Anon
    Dec 3, 2003
    This is not a horrible game, but it is also not very good. I'm sure I might enjoy it if I got more than 20 FPS with my Radeon 9800, but I don't. When the graphics look worse than a game a year old but manage to give me half as many frames per second, I know something is very wrong. Add in dumbed down gameplay (one ammo type? no leaning? horrid AI?) and you've got a game that makes me thankful I can return it! Thank you Software ETC! Collapse
  23. EdwardH.
    Dec 3, 2003
    While it seems like my fellow reviewers are as mindless as the game, I'll try to put a bit of honesty into this section. Nope, this does not surpass the original. While everyone's favorite "hardcore" (haha, sarcasm is fun) gaming mag GamePro claims it's perfect, it hardly is. I noticed most of the people below didn't even buy the game, which explains why they talk about dynamic lighting (looks nice, but has zero effect on gameplay), havok physics (horribly implemented, and has no affect on gameplay, and odd design decisions (one ammo, minimal RPG elements, cramped levels?). If you liked the original, and consider yourself intelligent do not get this game. If you never even knew there was an original, and consider Halo to be the best thing since sliced bread then give this a shot. Consider it the lobotomized version of Deus Ex that chugs along at a horrid framerate. Expand
  24. Treva
    Mar 22, 2004
    Felt compelled to tell you people how much this game sucks because it dosen't support the MX series of Geforce chips SO I CANT PLAY!
  25. PatrickS.
    Sep 17, 2006
    It just wasn't what the hype was all about.
  26. FrobozzTheMad
    Aug 20, 2008
    DX2 while nice in concept was awful in many ways. As mentioned, the characters were flat and uninteresting, the systems (like ammo and combat in general) too simplified and the levels far too small. DX2 is a perfect example of what happens when a perfectly good computer game is redesigned into something it shouldn't be... i.e. a console game. The worst part about the game is that even with a powerful system and a good graphics card, the movement still seems clunky and unnatural. I admit, I consider the original DX one of the greatest games ever made and praise it along with the likes of System Shock 2 and Escape from Butcher Bay. DX2 is only a shadow of the original, and even if I give it the benefit of complete separation from it's predecessor, and treat it as it's own stand-alone game, It's barely worthy of a gamer's time. I ended up playing through it twice within about a 3-day period before retiring it to the dusbin of my CD case. While I load up and maybe play through the original about every year or so, DX2 hasn't seen the light of day since. Expand
  27. Biv
    Sep 3, 2009
    There's several areas that killed the game for me - most notably the atrocious level design. It's definately pretty for it's time, but everywhere is signposted in neon lights that don't actually give off any light. Pictures float where they haven't been aligned to the walls properly. There are holes in the scenery. Doors open in the wrong direction. Everywhere feels cramped and any sense of exploration is absent. Apartment blocks with only four rooms. 'Outdoor' areas that are actually enclosed in 40 foot-high walls. The first moment of disbelief was searching in Make Ballistics for a high-security lab that holds a prototype weapon - it was actually just around the corner from the reception desk. If not bad enough, the short corridor leading up to it ends abruptly before you ascent a short ladder to a balcony, where the lab is located. That's right, no stairs or elevator, a ladder inside a corporate building! This kind of junk should have never got past the planning stage. That said, there is glimmers of the opposite - the Cairo Arcology being notable and use of dynamic lighting. Encounters can be equally awkward. It seems that everyone wants to pour out every ounce of sensitive information they hold when bumping into them for the first time. Even worse, these are often in massive, monotonic paragraphs making these easily forgettable. These issues wouldn't be so bad if the core game mechanics were in place, but the game is shackled in shoddy AI, useless currency, and an almost unlimited supply of multi-tools and health kits to be found in every corner. Below average - another Daikatana. Exactly the sort of game that if purchased after release full price would leave people bummed and swayed toward piracy - and that sucks for all concerned. Expand
  28. BrianL.
    Dec 1, 2003
    This game can be summed up in five words: awful awful awful awful awful.
  29. MattW.
    Dec 3, 2003
    Wow, I felt obligated to respond after I saw "J. S." write such a phony review of a game he clearly has never played. If he had played it, he'd know the graphics aren't even in the same league of games like UT2003 or Call of Duty let alone Half-Life 2 or Doom 3. If he had played it, he'd know the Havok physics and lighting system do nothing to improve the game. If he had played it, he might have decided to not give it a 10. Actually, looking at most of these reviews makes me laugh as it's clear people haven't even played the demo let alone the full game. 10s? Have you seen the AI, the laughable physics, the shoddy graphics, and horrid interface? Wow, you folks really must have bad taste in games if that gets a 10 from you. Or maybe... maybe, you thought this was a 1-100 rating scale? If so, then yes... 10 sounds about reasonable. Expand
  30. ChrisC.
    Dec 3, 2003
    I cannot believe this is what came to be the sequel of one of the best games ever. They took out all of what was good, made bad AI even worse, and then locked the framerate at under 20 on high end systems. I'm not sure to laugh or cry... but this is one very mean joke on the parts of Ion Storm. Where's Deus Ex 2? This is garbage.
  31. Anon
    Dec 3, 2003

Generally favorable reviews - based on 44 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 44
  2. Negative: 0 out of 44
  1. One of the most captivating and thoroughly polished titles in recent times. It’s not perfect, however anyone who has an interest in well-crafted Sci-Fi storylines a la "Minority Report" will find themselves completely captivated with this game.
  2. A somewhat disappointing, but fun sequel.
  3. It absolutely defines mediocrity.