3 Grim Lessons from the Original Deus Ex Game That Are Still Relevant Today
The original Deus Ex game was an absolute tour de force of storytelling, in addition to its innovative gameplay mechanics and cutting edge (for the time) graphics.
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Even now, a full gaming generation later, JC Denton is an iconic figure that veteran gamers reminisce about like they’re remembering adventures with an old friend, and which writers study when trying to craft the best possible characters for future outings.
The world of the original Deus Ex is dark, gritty, and unforgiving. Notoriously dark, gritty, and unforgiving. It’s a setting where disease, violence, and corruption are evident everywhere you look, and where shadowy forces control the fate of the world and conspire, unseen, to do unspeakable things.
Now, almost nineteen years on from the game’s initial release date, there may still be some invaluable — although certainly grim — lessons that we can take from this masterpiece. Here are a few examples.
You’re being watched
In Deus Ex, it becomes evident early on that our hero, JC, is being watched everywhere he goes, by just about every major faction in the world, and plenty of minor ones, too. Uncanny encounters or comments reveal this fact, not to mention that his arrival is all too often expected by people who he has never met, but who seem to know his life story.
No one wants to feel that they’re under constant surveillance — but in today’s world, privacy issues are a major concern, arguably much more than they were in 2000.
From recent scandals regarding the NSA, to news stories on topics such as electronic-display-bins in London scanning people’s smartphones, it pays to be mindful of your privacy.
People are often not who they seem
Deus Ex is a game where your entire sense of the world, and of your allies and enemies, is subject to radical shift. People are simply not as they seem — and all too often you find that you’ve been misled by a false persona.
With web and credit card scams being an everyday reality of our world, not to mention the fact that predatory individuals often mask their true intentions, it’s important to try and establish that you know who you’re actually talking to in any given moment.
This applies both to your personal and professional life. If you’re running a business, Netverify helps increase completion of business transactions, while also reducing your risk of being defrauded by people wielding fake identities.
What seems like the clear path is often not the only — or even the best — option
Deus Ex is highly-esteemed in the gaming world, in large part because it featured a huge number of options and paths that the player could take, but which were not immediately apparent or clearly marked.
A hasty decision or moment of hesitation here or there could influence whether or not core characters remained alive later in the game. And your choice of ultimate allegiance would change the fate of the entire world.
Real life isn’t always going to be as dramatic as the world of Deus Ex, but all of your actions will play a powerful role in shaping your reality. What seems like the clear path to take in any given moment is often not the only — or even the best — option. It’s worth doing some deep thinking on the subject.