Schooling in the 80s and 90s had never tried to teach me either, and I’d not caught up. Two things especially: philosophy and politics. I was also pretty ignorant about a lot of things. I feel like if it doesn’t, it’s going to be weirdly personal. I feel like it’s a game that will hold up. And I’ll write up my experience as it goes along, and I’ll be honest with myself, and with you, as I go. But what it seems I haven’t done is sit down and play it from start to finish since it first came out.

I’ve played the sequels, enjoyed them, but been certain they weren’t a patch on the original. And the many arguments we had after that. I’ve recalled the kid in a youth group I ran at the time, who was furious that he was forced to flip to the National Seccessionist Forces when his morality aligned squarely with UNATCO. I’ve talked about those magical moments of realising someone else played the same game but had a completely unique experience of it. From the hour-long phone calls with Kieron back in 2000, when he was my reviews editor, a man I’d yet to actually meet, to those angry Top 100 meetings, to the other day when a friend came around for dinner. It feels like so much more often, because I’ve talked about it so damned frequently. But all the way through? Honestly, maybe I’ve only done that the once. I mean, when last did I play it? Deus Ex came out 15 years ago this year, and I’ve certainly reinstalled it and gone back in a number of times over that decade and a half.

While I may pick another name if asked for my favourite game, when it comes to “best”, I always say Looking Glass/Ion Storm’s greatest moment. 1, and indeed become furious whenever it did not. “Deus Ex.” Back in the days when my passport still allowed me into PC Gamer Top 100 meetings, I would furiously argue that it should be no. When asked, “What is the best game ever?” I always give one reply.

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