Deus (PC)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 1.5 stars Poor
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 3.5 (1.5 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  John Broady
• Reviewed on: 01/21/1997
• Updated on: 05/01/2000
• Released on: 12/31/1996
• Originally published on GameSpot: Deus (PC) Review

The year is 2165. The entire universe is ruled by a benevolent military organization called the Alien World Exploration, and things are calm except for one nagging problem: Small but dangerous groups of terrorists are wreaking havoc across the galaxies. The most dangerous of these groups, the "New Crusaders," have taken refuge on the planet Alcibiade. In Deus, you play the role of Trepliev 1, a bounty hunter charged with eliminating the threat of terrorism. As the game begins, you find yourself parachuting to Alcibiade, where a misty, beautifully detailed world unfolds in front of you. Great premise; auspicious beginning. Expectations rise...

...Only to be dashed. The first challenge you face is fighting one of the planet's natives, a stereotypical low-tech tribal thug who runs around in circles and takes an occasional jab at you with his knife. You move in to fight him and discover an absurdly weak fighting engine: movements are sluggish, and it's nearly impossible to tell when you've scored a hit, or even where to aim for that matter. If you manage to kill the native before slamming your fist through your monitor in frustration, you move on to another character and do it again. And again. And again.

The rest of the game is riddled with the same problems. This is a fighting/shooting game in which it's hard to fight or shoot with any accuracy. There's simply no sense of engagement. To make matters worse, the insane control layout makes this game slightly harder to master than Microsoft Flight Simulator; more than 25 keys are used to control your actions.

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