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ONE TO WATCH: RPG
Deus Ex
Deus Ex is one of the best-looking games currently under development, not just because it runs on the Unreal engine, but because the visual design of the game is so inspired and so consistent. The look and feel of the game recall Blade Runner, Bullfrog's strategy game Syndicate, and other such dystopian near-futures, but Deus Ex has an especially unique look to it that most futuristic games lack.
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But what's more impressive than its graphics is how Deus Ex is supposed to play. It may look like a first-person shooter, but it's a role-playing game to the core, with emphasis on story, problem solving, and character advancement.
Deus Ex recalls Thief: The Dark Project, or a 3D first-person Fallout. Interplay's Fallout was one of the best role-playing games in the last several years, not only because of its distinct post-apocalyptic premise, but because the designers managed to create a game that could be played in a number of different ways.
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Most every puzzle in Fallout had multiple solutions and could be resolved through force, diplomacy, or subversion. Deus Ex seems to be operating on the same principle. On top of that, Deus Ex has some of the most detailed character models ever in a 3D game (complete with animated facial features), a great protagonist, and a cool story chock-full of conspiracy theories. It's about time the role-playing game genre took the next step, and Deus Ex looks like it might be the game to set the new standard.
Developer: ION Storm
Publisher: Eidos
Next: Another One to Watch
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