Gutless and limp, the cyberpunk world of Deus Ex implodes while attempting to leverage modern social politics. Overcooked conspiracy theories and unintentionally hilarious ties to Illuminati paranoia aside, what’s left uncomfortably connects to real world terrorist attacks and over-militarized police presence. Interpol counter-terrorism agent Adam Jensen, unknowingly left behind from the Matrix sequels, is a collection of polygons filled with bland words of no consequence.

Deus Ex’s narrative layers involve segregation and social bias against augmented people. Although constant narrative fuel, the story swoons over lackluster Alex Jones-like paranoia instead. Jensen’s investigations spread the globe in a hokey spy thriller oblivious to (or in avoidance of) the suggested bigotry. Rather than a statement piece, Deus Ex flounders when tasked with igniting its admittedly gorgeous future-fi with power or substance.

2/5