The brilliance of Warren Spector’s dream project lies in how, despite its many issues, it works better than most modern titles that do everything “right.” Two decades later and people still reinstall it “just to check something,” only to once again experience a great level of gameplay freedom, plus some neat conspiratorial and deeply philosophical storytelling, and an immersive and prescient vision of our own - not so distant - future. Other games may look prettier and play smoother, but few dare to trust the one in control as much as this one did. In a nutshell, what is Deus Ex? It’s the only game where you can save humanity, betray your employers, merge with an AI god, and still get stuck on a ladder.