Deus Ex: Invisible War begins with a bang and makes no mistake as to what subject matter it is dealing with. The introductory sequence covers an evacuation in the city of Chicago, and as the local security robots scramble to look for the security risk, a single person walks out, activates a device, and levels all of downtown Chicago, including the perpetrator.





A few years ago, when Deus Ex originally came out, this Invisible War sequence would just be met with an escape key; next movie sequence, let's get on to the game, but in the post September 11th era, Invisible War's subject matter hits a lot closer to home. In part, it is this familiarity that makes up for the diverse and ambitious tangents it embarks on. Gone are the institutions like the United Nations, its UNATCO unit, the NSA and the men in black. Everything in Invisible War revolves around an event known as the Collapse, when JC Denton, the first Deus Ex's protagonist, shuts down a global system to prevent people from extending it to dominate and control humanity.





Invisible War, thus, becomes something like a shattered society. In the post-Collapse phase, affluence is juxtaposed with abject poverty. Cities are divided into new and old cities. Technology is prevalent in the former, slums and decay in the latter. The new cities are built into secluded enclaves by the WTO, the successor to the United Nations. The poorer masses have turned to religion and found their voice in a church known as the Order. And meanwhile, with nationalist governments gone, policing is done by corporations for the hire, like the Standard Security Corporation or SSC. The game itself has a more futuristic feel to it. While JC Denton's world was a vaguely knowable New York, this world is more like Blade Runner than the modern day.





The protagonist you assume is Alex D, a person born outside of the enclave system but incorporated inside due to natural abilities; chief among them, the ability to accept biomodifications. The son of foster parents, Alex D is trained by the Tarsus Academy, which eventually places trainees into various security roles in corporations. The story begins with Alex D's evacuation from the terrorist attack in Chicago, leaving family behind. Alex D is accompanied by Billie Adams, another Chicago native and Tarsus trainee, to the Tarsus facility in Seattle.





The interface you use is similar to the console version of Deus Ex. Key codes to doors are now used automatically - you walk up to the door with the key code in mind and you'll get to use it. Logins to computers are much more simplified - no more Unix nmap hacking. You can't use the computer unless you know the login. News terminals now speak out to you instead of the older visual kiosk. Meanwhile, Invisible War aggregates the entire interface into a roundish arc on the screen. All your weapons, inventory, health and bioenergy bars are displayed in this fashion to mimic a heads up display built into someone's eye.





The best way to describe this game is not to get into the plot details. I found Invisible War to be something like an experience. The plot is very intricate and it's designed to handle many approaches to the game. At one time, I was snooping around an apartment and accidentally broke into some place for no reason. I dispatched both occupants only to find out I had inadvertently fulfilled the bounty. The script was able to convincingly adapt to accommodate this scenario when I spoke to the person offering the bounty.





Invisible War, much like its predecessor, is all about multiple solutions to a problem. For example, many places are locked in Invisible War. As Alex D, you can elect to get by it with a multi-tool, question someone or read something to get the key code, sneak around it using air vents or bribe someone to give you the key code. If you elect to follow the last path, you'll have to find some other way to get the amount of credits. This might involve doing some other side objectives to raise the necessary amount of capital.





The same goes for evading enemies. You can use technology to disable robot drones. You can sneak around and hide in the shadows. You can use biomodifications to make yourself invisible. Or you can outright blow up the robots (and even then, you can ambush or go in guns blazing). These obstacles and solutions feel a lot like the original Deus Ex and fittingly, it feels loosely like the Thief and System Shock franchises that title was inspired from.





The biomodifications can enable you to craft superhuman skills into your character. Depending on the upgrade you choose, you can run faster, be immune to toxins, and regenerate your health. There are also black market biomodifications offered by a trading consortium known as the Omar. These people believe in extreme use of biomodifications and they market the sexy prohibited features like a neural interface to hack computers. What biomodifications you have on hand obviously also dictates what kind of solution you can try. If you can't hack computers, you'll most likely have to resort to some other skills in your repertoire.





There are secret societies and factions galore in Invisible War. At first, it can be overwhelming, as each side will want to recruit you to their cause but the game itself is fluid enough to handle changing allegiances. The neural intercom that Daedalus used to communicate with JC Denton in the first game is accessible to everyone and their dog. Expect to be bombarded by messages in the beginning. I did some work for the WTO only because it made my trip to Lower Seattle to see the Order all that much easier. The catch was, the game knew and someone told me it was still alright to join the Order afterwards.





Parts of Invisible War make me want to save my game and go back to the beginning again, so I can choose different biomodifications or play out missions differently for another side. I have a strong affinity towards the WTO but unlike the United Nations in the first Deus Ex, they are corporatists. The bottom line matters more to them than anything else and this makes me suspicious of their motives and their assignments for me.





The world portrayed in Invisible War is darker, more dangerous as a result of the Collapse. It feels a lot like the backdrop in the recently cancelled television show, Dark Angel; superhuman trainees unleashed upon a military-governed Seattle that is divided between third world and those clinging on to the vestiges of the first world. The lack of a trusted and recognized authority, like the United Nations, makes you feel like Alex D is alone. At least JC Denton had his brother Paul to guide him, but Alex D's relationship with Billie Adams is definitely not as intimate. As rhetoric between the Order and the WTO escalates into violence and seemingly random acts of terrorism are committed, Alex D is thrust into a so-called invisible war with mysterious agents, unknown motives and splinter cells.

Besides some minor performance hiccups, Invisible War was able to sufficiently pull me away into a new, different world and not let go. It is looking like every bit worth the wait Deus Ex fans have endured. The floodgates will open for Xbox and PC owners on December 4th.