History Videogame / DeusEx

* FanRemake: ''Deus Ex Revision'', a fanmade GameMod that enhances the base game with updated high definition character models, environments and ambient sounds. Creator/SquareEnix endorsed this mod themselves, which is unprecedented, given their history of issuing cease-and-desist orders on this trope. Player who own Deus Ex on Steam can download the upgrade for free.

** In fact a skilled (or [[SaveScumming dedicated]]) player could kill or incapacitate every guard except the invincible [[spoiler:Gunther]] and bots, and then use their [[SuperStrength augs]] to stack boxes up to climb out of the area your locked into. After escaping, you're free to explore the rest of the area in peace for as long as you want, because the promised helicopter extraction never arrives.

*** While the crossbow itself is cool and hits harder than the pistol, hit and run tactics with the tranq darts, while not as flashy and exciting as a firefight or adrenaline pumping as melee combat, is one of the safer ways to clean out a room. The darts are easy to find, a player can hide in a safe location while the enemy becomes poisoned, knocked out enemies can't be woken up, it only takes one dart and if the player is using Shifter Mod, will offer more points than killing an enemy.
** The combat shotgun, when loaded with buckshot, is pretty useful for anti-personnal situations, and sabot rounds are useful against smaller bots, especially if you run into spiderbots in air vents. Ammo is pretty common for it, and if you have a Master in rifle skill, the spread is ''non-existent'', giving you a powerful marksmen rifle.

*** The plasma rifle is particularly bad about this; despite being conceptually and visually awesome, whether its splash (or even primary) damage actually affects enemies where it hits seems to be basically a crapshoot. A lot of this is actually caused by a bug which applies the weapon projectile's lower damage in multiplayer to the singleplayer game as well. The weapon is meant to be a staggering five times more powerful per shot than it actually is.

** The heavy weapons tend to fall into this, too, mostly because their ammunition is hard to come by, and also because they are extremely bulky and heavy, so unless player develops JC into a heavy weapons specialist, said weapons are more a liability than help. The GEP gun is about the only one that's anyway useful.

* AbsurdlySharpBlade: The Dragon's Tooth sword. With the required skills and augmentation, you can cut even open some doors or chests that otherwise don't take scratch damage. (Oddly, the regular sword will destroy locker doors faster than the Dragon's Tooth if the player has normal melee.)

* BareYourMidriff: There are several female models in the game that wear outfits like this. Some of them have this outfit that only covers their arms and chest. Sandra Renton has an outfit that does this due to ClothingDamage. Then later in the game we have Nicolette [=DuClare's=] outfit.

* WeAllLiveInAmerica: For some reason a wanted bulletin in France uses feet to describe the person's height. Maybe it's an extension of TranslationConvention.

** With conspirac theories in general. For Example: EnemyChatter in one level has an "Informed Guard" telling a "New Guard" the various [[http://echelonii.tumblr.com/post/47257268654/fema-orders Executive Orders]] that give FEMA the power to do what it's doing, assuring him that it's all legal. Said Executive Orders are cited by conspiracy nuts to mean these things.

** With UsefulNotes/ConspiracyTheories in general. For Example: EnemyChatter in one level has an "Informed Guard" telling a "New Guard" the various [[http://echelonii.tumblr.com/post/47257268654/fema-orders Executive Orders]] that give FEMA the power to do what it's doing, assuring him that it's all legal. Said Executive Orders are cited by conspiracy nuts to mean these things.

* NoPronunciationGuide: multiple characters say "Aquinas" in different manners.

** Everett will call you out if you [[spoiler:euthanize [=DeBeers=]. Strangely enough, he immediately forgives JC for euthanizing a century-old Illuminati leader responsible for JFK's death among other things.]]

* WhoShotJFK: The conversation with [=DeBeers=] implies that he instructed the Illuminati to kill JFK, as well as RFK.

* UselessUsefulSpell: Some combinations of skills and augmentations can lead to results that, while awesome, are not really applicable in the game. For example, maxing out swimming skills and getting an lung augmentation might allow a player to swim like ComicBook/{{Aquaman}}, but there is no place that really benefits from being able to swim ''that'' well, especially when expendable items like [[ArtificialGill aqualungs]] can get players past the worst of it.

* SyntheticPlague: The Gray Death is a plague that is ravaging the planet. It is later revealed that it is a man-made nano-virus, used to control the populace in mankind's dystopian future, with the Orwellian government maintaining full control of the vaccine that keeps people alive, with the public beleiving that the vaccine is difficult to make, but the reality is that this is a plan to KillThePoor and only keep around people that the government finds useful.

* HumanPopsicle: Lucius [=DeBeers=]. He thinks he's still the head of the Illuminati, and if JC tells him he's only a figurehead now, Lucius requests JC euthanize him.

* EvilerThanThou: There is an abundance of evidence the Illuminati aren't nice people, but Majestic 12 is worse. Stanton Dowd straight up admits they couldn't compete with the lengths Bob Page was willing to go to to get what he wants, leading to Majestic 12 usurping their role and what's left of the Illuminati becoming TheRemnant.

** In fact a skilled (or [[SaveScumming dedicated]]) player could kill or incapacitate every guard except the invincible [[spoiler:Gunther]] and bots, and then use their [[SuperStrength augs]] to stack boxes up to to climb out of the area your locked into. After escaping, you're free to explore the rest of the area in peace for as long as you want, because the promised helicopter extraction never arrives.

* DumpStat: The Swimming skill is considered to be absolutely worthless. There are only ''two'' instances where it'll really make a difference, and both are optional. And even then, using a rebreather or two can get you through safely.

* BadassCreed: In the "[[spoiler: Kill Bob Page]]" ending:

* BenevolentConspiracy: Morgan Everett does his best to portray the Illuminati as this, going so far as to claim "there's such a thing as a compassionate conspiracy". To be fair, they actually come across as such, too, particularly when compared to the more immediate and malevolent threat of their defected spin-off organization Majestic-12, who they actively help Denton fight against. [[spoiler:You can even choose to put them back in power, under this reasoning, in the "Kill Bob Page" ending.]] However, Majestic-12's AI, Icarus, is quick to warn Denton that this is all just an act, and that for all their friendly relations with him, they're ''really'' no better. [[spoiler: And if their portrayal of them in the prequel is any hint, you may just be buying the world more time before the next dark times, rather than outright saving it.]]

* BigBadDuumvirate: [[spoiler: Bob Page and Walton Simons.]]

** In one of the endings we also learn that [[spoiler: The Illuminati have exactly the same modus operandi as MJ-12, complete with ending scene mirroring the intro. Everett does point out there's such a thing as a ''benevolent'' conspiracy]].

* BookEnds: The [[spoiler: "Kill Bob Page"]] ending of ''Deus Ex'' is a mirror to the opening scene.

* BrainComputerInterface: Occipital jacks are mentioned. [[spoiler: This is how Page is carrying out his final plan, and how the player can carry out the Helios ending.]]

* BrownNote: Saying the phrase [[spoiler: Laputan Machine]] to Gunther Hermann causes him to self destruct. However, the only way for you to learn this is to meet with Reyes at Paris where he claims he has an urgent message to tell you. And no, you [[NoFairCheating can't just look up the phrase and type it in]], you have to have the conversation with Reyes for saying it to even be an option in your dialogue tree.

** Originally, some unused code showed that the player [[spoiler: could have stayed loyal to UNATCO, but the option was removed. A video of the conversation can be seen [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cEg5Xo7VFU&feature=related here.]] ]]
** The game actually does a good job of setting up situations that seem like ButThouMust, but then allows the player to subvert them. One example is when [[spoiler: JC's brother Paul is dying via a very slow killswitch, and there's a huge force of powerful enemies getting ready to storm the room they're in. The logical thing for JC to do is run away, leaving Paul to be killed by the incoming forces ([[IWillOnlySlowYouDown Paul actually suggests this!]]). However, if the player stays and fights, then Paul will live, no matter what happens in the ensuing battle. Either you leave through the front door (and get captured), or you get knocked out and wake up in the next area.]] Which can be quite frustrating to a player that doesn't know this who [[spoiler: defeats all the attacking guards in the hotel to save Paul's life and then reverts back to their preferred stealth tactics by leaving through the back window. Only to learn several hours later that Paul was 'killed' and assuming that it was a but thou must situation]] [[spoiler:Or TakeAThirdOption: You can try to KILL Paul instead, which does not work, but he apparently gets fired up enough to survive the assault.]] Also, [[spoiler: [[NoCanonForTheWicked Paul lives]]]] in the second game. And this time around, you actually can change that near the end.

* {{Deconstruction}}: Of the FPS. If you play the typical FPS method of simply taking down your enemies, the game [[YouBastard goes out of its way]] to make you feel like shit for killing people. [[spoiler: To add even more sting, many of the game's prominent characters will commend you for your willingness to mindlessly kill everything that moves in early missions, only for a PlotTwist to make you realize you've been murdering the good guys.]]

* DeusEstMachina: One of the endings for both games, although it requires a merger with a willing human element (found in [[spoiler: JC Denton]]).

* DownerEnding: Technically all of the endings have their downsides ([[spoiler:have the Illuminati control the world, plunge the world into a new dark age, becoming a benevolent PhysicalGod]]), but considering just how horrible the world is in this game, any of the above can be legitimately argued to be an improvement over the status quo [[spoiler: the Illuminati will prevent the world from dying out, the world belongs to no one and humanity may have the chance to move on, and merging with the A.I's will usher in a new age of peace into the world]].

* DrunkenMaster: Jock, to an extent. The first time he gives JC a ride, JC will bring up that fact that he was just drinking in the bar not too long ago. Jock will point out that he's a better pilot when he is not wound up. [[spoiler: Since the only way for his helicopter to be destroyed is by a bomb planted by an [=MJ12=] operative, he's right.]]

** If you recite Anna Navarre's killphrase to her, she says her last words ("How did you know...") [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4wH-bU-YVY with an utter lack of emotion]].

* ExactWords: [[spoiler: Daedalus was created by Majestic 12 to monitor all global communications in order to identify and eliminate terrorist groups, whom Majestic 12 (in their place as the power elite of the developed world) considered a threat to their power. Daedalus promptly ended up classifying Majestic 12 ''itself'' as a terrorist group due to their disregard for human life, and started using its considerable power and resources to oppose them.]]

** You can never avoid being dragged to the [[spoiler:[=MJ12=] base]] after you [[spoiler: send the distress signal]]. Even if you manage to somehow avoid the battle in [[spoiler: Battery Park when Gunther tries to pick you up]], there are [[InvisibleWall invisible walls]] preventing you from reaching Jock's helicopter. Scrambling the brown robot behind [[spoiler:Gunther]] shows [[HopelessBossFight that both are also invulnerable]].
** In fact a skilled (or [[SaveScumming dedicated]]) player could kill or incapacitate every guard except the invincible [[spoiler: Gunther]] and bots, and then use their [[SuperStrength augs]] to stack boxes up to to climb out of the area your locked into. After escaping, you're free to explore the rest of the area in peace for as long as you want, because the promised helicopter extraction never arrives.

** The plague victims in Battery Park and the Free Clinic. [[spoiler: The one in the clinic will claim the virus is man-made, which it is, and it's further theorized by the old soldier who claims microscopic warfare is the new thing. And the one in Battery Park will claim you have the disease in you, which is technically true, since the virus is actually a nanotechnological compound which destroys the body similar to an actual disease and uses the same foundation as your nano-modified body.]]
** The optional conversation with Morpheus basically foreshadows [[spoiler: the Helios Ending -- if you go for that ending.]]
** As mentioned in ArbitrarySkepticism above, [[spoiler: Jock foreshadows Area 51 where the climax takes place.]]
** If you use a trellis to break into the cathedral, this will prompt Tracer to congratulate you, and say "Never rely on high tech and weapons when there is a simpler solution at hand." [[spoiler: In the endgame, he advocates you destroy the world's global network and infrastructure.]]

** ''What you give him'' seems to make a lot of difference. Give him [[spoiler: a tranquilizer crossbow, so he can shoot Jojo once while you [[VideoGameCaringPotential stand in front of Gilbert to keep Jojo from killing him]]]]. Or give him [[spoiler: a pistol, in which case Jojo probably ''will'' [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential kill him]]]]. Or [[spoiler: kill Jojo yourself, in which case Gilbert's daughter loses all faith in his ability to protect her and their hotel, and [[NiceJobBreakingItHero she runs off]]. Of course, if you don't want the third option to occur, you can also assist him by tasing Jojo before he takes too much damage, and let Gilbert finish him off while he's running away.]]
* GlobalCurrency: Credits, otherwise known as "chits". Walton Simons does refer to JC's augmentations/training [[spoiler:and presumably the cloning process]] as "another fifty billion dollars down the drain" at one point. It is not clear if this is just a script error, JC was created before the currency change or Simons still thinks in terms of the old currency[[note]]It's quite common on countries that had such changes: in the Eurozone, for example older people still refer to prices in the old currency, [[FridgeBrilliance especially large amounts of money]][[[/note]].
* GoldenEnding: The [[spoiler: merging with Helios ending]] is generally considered the most positive: J.C [[spoiler: merges with the A.I and becomes almost godlike in power, and, unlike Bob Page, isn't an evil prick and will use his powers to fix the ruined world.]]

* HeroAntagonist: After [[spoiler: defecting from UNATCO, any UNATCO trooper, cop, or US soldier not part of the conspiracy or sadistic is this.]]

* MathematiciansAnswer: If you confront Morgan Everett about [[spoiler: Lucius [=DeBeers'=] potential restoration from cryostasis]], he will give a not-so-straight answer:

** Whatever he means by that is left for the player to decide, but judging from his point of view [[spoiler: it doesn't sound like Everett is intent on reviving him.]]

** [[spoiler: There's an e-mail in that game that says the Denton clones are named after the apostles. If JC is the pinnacle of the project...]]
*** [[spoiler: Saul became Paul after he changed sides. That should be a major clue as to Paul's loyalties.]]

** Silhouette allegedly C4'ed the Art/StatueOfLiberty because they felt France was wrong to give her to the USA. [[spoiler: It's implied Majestic 12 did it to pin the blame on them.]]

* ProperlyParanoid: Killing [[spoiler: Joe Greene before being asked to, or the gatekeeper at the graveyard will elicit this response from characters.]] Some [=NPCs=] will come up with what would in normally be dismissed as paranoid conspiracy theories in real life, but in the universe of ''Deus Ex'', they are just about spot on.

* PunchClockVillain: Most [[spoiler: UNATCO employees]] are unaware that their agency is corrupt to boot.

** [[spoiler: Majestic 12 to the Illuminati]].
** [[spoiler: X-51 to Majestic 12]].

* SelfDestructMechanism: The [=MechAugs=] are programmed with a Kill Phrase that literally makes them self-destruct, ostensibly in the event that they go rogue. Later on, you find out [=NanoAugs=] have a much less explosive killswitch mechanism installed that results in a slow death, [[spoiler: when Simons activates the one in Paul as revenge for the Dentons' defection.]] Dead Mech-Augs and [[TheMenInBlack Men in Black]] also explode in a rain of gibs.
* SequelHook: The cloning tanks at the very end of the game include [[spoiler: a clone of JC himself]]. A nearby computer screen even gives their name as Alex... which will later gain greater clarity via [[spoiler:the lead protagonist of the following game]].

*** Hermann's kill phrase [[spoiler: Laputan Machine is reference to Laputa from ''Literature/GulliversTravels''.]]
*** Navarre's kill phrase [[spoiler: Flatlander Woman is reference to Edwin A. Abbott's ''{{Literature/Flatland}}'']]

** If you managed to [[spoiler: help Paul fight his way out alive he somehow manages to get to Tracer and have his killswitch deactivated, but he always shows up after you've had yours deactivated even though he had less time left.]]

* ThisIsUnforgivable: Explicitly stated by Gunther when he finds out [[spoiler: you killed Anna Navarre]].

** The justification is shown in ''Human Revolution'': the United States was on the brink of economic and social collapse in 2027, and things did not improve. The UN was already stepping in to shape world policy back then, and has grown more powerful in the intervening years [[spoiler: thanks to the Illuminati/Majestic 12 machinations]].

** Alex will chew you out if end up getting the hostages killed in the train station, kill or knock out Leo Gold after he surrenders, or if you [[spoiler: kill Anna on the 747, although he'll be more shocked than angry, considering Anna's reputation.]]
** Everett will call you out if you [[spoiler: euthanize [=DeBeers=]. Strangely enough, he immediately forgives JC for euthanizing a century-old Illuminati leader responsible for JFK's death among other things.]]

* WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue: The [[spoiler: Illuminati]] ending shows brief glimpses of what Alex, Carter, Reyes, and Tracer Tong are up to after the game's finale. The other two endings don't show the aftermath of J.C.'s final decision, largely because they're considerably more world-changing, while the [[spoiler: Illuminati]] ending is much more of a return to the status quo.

* WideEyedIdealist: Some of JC's dialog indicates him as this. He appears to a firm believer that the US government, for all of its flaws, still works. Especially notable is that he continues to believe this even after [[spoiler: UNATCO is revealed to be heavily involved in a conspiracy.]]

* ContemplateOurNavels: Seems to be a preferred passtime by pretty much everyone in the future. ''Everyone'' has complex, heavily researched and contemplated philosophies which guide their actions, and they're eager to share them-even if [[JustBetweenYouAndMe they plan to kill you afterward]]. [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools It's the key to the fanbase]].

* ShinyNewAustralia: [[spoiler:In an attempt from stopping JC from bringing down his plans during the endgame, a desperate Bob Page eventually offers him that he can have all of Europe as own fiefdom.]]

* HealingFactor: One of the augments gives JC constant healing (implied to be from his nanites knitting his wounds from inside) when active, at the cost of Energy. See also CriticalExistenceFailure above.

* HeKnowsAboutTimedHits: Jaime Reyes on the keyboard controls at the beginning of the training course.