A few minutes ago, I completed Deus Ex the third. It feels as though a girlfriend has just walked out of my life. I am reacting.
Interesting. The game clearly has emotional power. Ok, so I knew this when I was playing it, as this earlier review shows. It has its faults: indeed, I stand by my criticism in that review of the damn boss fights. Still, I got through them, despite the boring restart–and–solve–the–same–puzzle–yet–another–bloody–time damned design. Admittedly, the final fight was a doddle; not sure why it was there. Not that it matters.
But, apart from this boo–boo, everything else worked. Most of the game was carefully balanced to present an atmospheric, well–plotted cyberpunk future. It’s plausible, too: if you’ve read my CV, you’ll know I’ve worked on devices that enhance the human body. I see no technical reason why the integration of technology and biology can’t continue.
I want to comment on the emotional power of a game. It was part of my life for a few weeks. Off–game, I wanted to get back in–game: it is addictive. I hadn’t realised how much it had grabbed me until I had chosen one of the four endings, and the game vamooshed.
The choices: meh. The voice–over afterwards: dismal. Of all times a game needed poetry, & and I got clunky, error–prone prose. That was schoolboy stuff, a missed opportunity.
I chose the corporate ending. It was that or the regulation and black market ending. I was never going for luddite or suicide, the other two choices. Why the corporate? The game did its work on the emotional front; it gave me loyalty to my in–game CEO!
So, ciao, Deus Ex Human Revolution Director’s Cut, until the next time. You were a good game. I hope you’re not crying on the train home. Watch the rain in the train window, make the street lights glitter.