Deus Ex: The Fall – Falling Sideways

If we go by Steam, Deus Ex: The Fall is not a popular game. I wouldn’t be surprised if you found its name next to “disliked” in the dictionary. However, that was then, and while it seems it had a disastrous release on Steam. Nowadays, it plays fairly well, and looks a lot like Deus Ex: Human Revolution, albeit visually limited with restrictions to the gameplay. This is because of its origin as a mobile/tablet game, which speaks for itself. Even if I didn’t outright dislike or hate it like most people, it does have some problems, making it questionable if it’s even worth playing. Let me explain.

Kelso & Saxon
Deus Ex: The Fall is a direct continuation of the novel Deus Ex: Icarus Effect. And I mean direct, seeing as the game starts where the book ends. One of its best features is the story, but only if you have read the novel. Ironically enough though, it’s also the most disappointing aspect, as it is very short, and ends off a major cliffhanger that to this date has not been resolved. Leaving the fate of Kelso & Saxon in the dust (so far).

What I liked is that you get to know Kelso and Saxon a bit more, during a few moments of respite. You also get to feel the tension and desperation through their now fugitive status, with the bonus despair of both being hooked on neuropozyne. A drug that you need to function if you are augmented. Without it, life eventually leads to a horrible and probably screaming death. This is actually a major plot point of the narrative – finding a source for the drug, on top of seeking revenge for what the Tyrants, and the Illuminati did to them.

It’s a short one
The little we get, as mentioned since the game is very short, is okay and provides a few additional insights into the lore. You also get to meet a person that becomes an important character in the sequel Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, namely: Alex Vega. Very cool, even if her looks don’t match up. Let’s just say that she got a hefty tan for the sequel. 

Other than that, it isn’t too interesting, as you don’t get closer to anything, meaning the grand conspiracy nor the Tyrants. You just kinda fix a delivery plan for neuropozyne, and when doing so, stumbles upon a minor conspiracy involving the World Health Organization (WHO) in Panama (where you are). Then it ends, with you getting blasted with a “to be continued” when you step aboard a VTOL going to Australia. Just when things were getting good, too. And as I said initially, the story only works if you actually know the characters from the book, since it’s incredibly bare bones without that backstory to lean on. I can only imagine someone outside that knowledge would think, particularly when it ends so briefly with barely anything explained.

Sneaking & shooting
Deus Ex: The Fall plays almost identically to Deus Ex: Human Revolution. You sneak around, kill or knockout guards, and gain XP doing so, which leads to praxis unlocks (upgrades). There are also some minor exploring of the hub areas, and a few optional quests to chew through. It works well, considering what the game is based on. Yet, you are constantly reminded of its limitations. The map areas are small, and the combat itself feels a bit awkward at times. Another example of the constraints is that corpses and unconscious bodies vaporize into molecules within a few seconds. Very Death Stranding, but without the following nuclear explosion. To be honest, I expected a lot less, seeing as we even get dialogue choices that impact the story. Regardless of this somewhat impressive fact, it doesn’t make it exactly a great game. Mostly because it would have been so much cooler as a true spin-off game on a better system from the start (like the PC). 

It might not be entirely fair to think like this, but it’s hard not to. The story, and the gameplay is there, but everything feels substandard thanks to what it was made for. It’s especially hard when you love this franchise. Getting a “real” spin-off with these characters would have been a dream come true, but alas, it was not to be and this is what we got stuck with instead. Essentially, gameplay-wise, it lies just between “cool-more-Deus-Ex-gameplay” and “I-wish-this-was-a-real-game”, which in the end ruins the experience a bit, as this proximity of opposite feelings never let up. 

The Deus Ex look & sound
What works better is the look and sound. There isn’t much to complain about, considering what it was made for (once again). Some of the dialogue feels a bit phoned-in, and minor characters look absolutely atrocious, but overall, it’s not too bad. Deus Ex: The Fall keeps the style and tone of the dystopian future that was created in Deus Ex: Human Revolution, golden shine and all. In other words: it’s passable, even if the maps feel a bit cramped. But that’s more of a design issue, than a graphical one. Music is good, I especially liked the hard beats over in the nightclub.

Conclusion
I didn’t hate the game, but the enjoyment I felt came from knowing the characters from the book, as I really want to know their fates. Sadly, even that ended up in a letdown. The gameplay provided some light fun, but it mostly reminded me of the better titles in the series. So, in the end, who is this for? I would love to say any Deus Ex aficionado, but every facet of Deus Ex: The Fall ends up in disappointment. This means that I can’t really recommend it. It’s just so lackluster, despite showing more of the likable protagonists Saxon & Kelso. The only slight reason to play is if you, like me, desperately want more Deus Ex and have read the book (and liked it). If you have not read the book and do not feel the urge pulling at your brain, then there is decidedly no reason at all to dive in, ever. I’m not sure if the rating over at Steam is altogether fair still, but I give it a big “meh”, which is just above!

Thanks for reading.

/Thomas