Let’s Replay Deus Ex #74: JC, Host of Helios [Strobe Warning]

Channel:

Kikoskia

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Published on September 1, 2019 9:00:05 AM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pR21oMw2vWA

Game:

Deus Ex (2000)

Duration: 19:54

1,874 views

136

Be advised that this video may contains scenes not suitable for people who suffer from epilepsy. Viewer discretion is advised.

The final ending of the three is the one this JC would certainly like the least. Merging with Helios to help it rule the world with absolute reason and fairness means sacrificing his individuality and perhaps his free will. We also don’t know if Helios truly intends to be benevolent and if what remains of our mind could stop it from becoming a tyrant after the merge, but perhaps the chance of a world finally at peace is worth the terrible price.

The Helios ending is by far the shortest and simplest to achieve. Combat is at a minimum – so much so that it can avoided entirely if you’re fast – your objective is on the floor you start on and the only obstacle you need to overcome is a keypad, either with your many multitools or code found on the lowest level of sector four. Helios will guide you through the rest of the steps, though they’re simple enough that you could easily do it without the AI’s input. I’d almost go so far as to say it’s the most lacklustre ending in terms of challenge but it more than makes up for it with the final cutscene which still sends a chill down my spine every time I see it.

You may be wondering which of the three endings is canon. The answer is more complicated and messy than you’d think.

What can I say about Deus Ex that I haven’t already? It’s a game from my youth which is still a joy to play today for so many reasons. The graphics weren’t awe-inspiring at the time and the game still has that clunkiness I remember from back then, but those minor flaws are overshadowed by everything it got right. The world building and atmosphere is deep and well thought out, painting the bleak canvas of a future that could very well be ours. The story is engaging, the characters deep and interesting, the music spot on but it’s the freedom you have in achieving your objectives which makes Deus Ex shine. Yes, the story is ultimately linear but many are the ways through it, each with their own differences that make every playthrough unique. Your skill selection, augmentation choices, weapon loadout and which dialogue paths you take all have a say in the path you will forge through the content, not to mention whether you’re going for a non-lethal run or not. Every choice is viable – not I said viable there, not equal – and there’s always a way to progress no matter what tools you have your disposal. It’s this freedom and the near-dyspotian world that many games after Deus Ex have sought to emulate, including its sequel and the later prequels. Whether they succeeded or not is a matter of opinion but for me, nothing yet has come close to the original. It’s a game that I’ve loved playing though as much as I did during my first let’s play and my first playthrough all those years ago. That I’ll play through it again sometime in the future is guaranteed, for it always finds a way to draw me back.

With the start of Deus Ex reaching its end, it’s time for a new journey to start, but what? I shall say little of what is to come, save that we’re going to be taking the freedom of choice this game had and ramping it up to eleven. What I shall do with the blank canvas set before me remains to be seen but I can assure that I will know what’s to come while also having no idea what’s in store for me save adventure and lots of it.

See you next let’s play!

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