Deus Ex Games In Order

Deus Ex is a beloved cyberpunk RPG series that’s best recognized for its dystopian themes and immersive sim gameplay qualities.

The series was initially created by developer Ion Storm but has since been under the care of Eidos-Montréal starting in 2011.

Our goal here is to answer the question, “how many Deus Ex games are there?” by compiling a list of all Deus Ex games in chronological order.

By the end, we’ll have a much better understanding of how the franchise has evolved and where it is headed in the future.

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Main Series

The franchise originated with the release of the original Deus Ex by Ion Storm and Eidos Interactive in 2000, an action RPG set in a cyberpunk dystopian world in the year 2052.

In it, players assume control over JC Denton, an agent of a secret anti-terrorist group called UNATCO as he’s given superhuman abilities via cutting-edge nanotechnology.

Harnessing these powers, Denton sets out to take down hostile forces across the world via gameplay that combines first-person shooter, stealth, and RPG mechanics.

What makes this game stand out is the open-ended design of its missions, with many tasks supporting a variety of solutions with unique outcomes based on the player’s choices.

Upon release, Deus Ex received critical acclaim and was celebrated for its top-notch writing and emphasis on freedom of choice.

Ion Storm would go on to develop a sequel titled Deus Ex: Invisible War, a follow-up set 20 years after the original Deus Ex.

The story centers on protagonist Alex D as he’s evacuated from Chicago to Seattle following a terrorist attack and quickly becomes embroiled in an ongoing fight for control of the world.

Invisible War expands upon Deus Ex’s FPS, stealth, and RPG gameplay while introducing bigger city-based hub areas, flexible character customization, and dynamic dialogue that shapes the story.

From a development standpoint, the goal was to create a more accessible version of the original’s gameplay systems while preserving its cyberpunk identity.

In this regard, the game was quite successful and received favorable reviews despite alienating some fans by targeting more casual audiences.

There wouldn’t be a new Deus Ex installment for the next 8 years until 2011 when Square Enix gained ownership of the IP and tasked Eidos-Montréal with creating a new entry.

Despite being the third game in the series, Deus Ex: Human Revolution acts as a prequel to the original Deus Ex while maintaining its core gameplay tenents.

This included a continued focus on FPS and stealth gameplay complemented by player customization, RPG progression, dynamic dialogue interactions, and large explorable environments.

In it, players follow a cyber-enhanced agent named Adam Jensen as he investigates a mystery surrounding controversial bio-augmentations.

Following its release, Human Revolution received widespread critical acclaim and is attributed with modernizing the franchise by incorporating contemporary themes in its story.

A sequel to Human Revolution was released five years later in the form of Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, a follow-up that sees you reprising your role as Adam Jensen.

Set two years after Human Revolution in the year 2029, the game sees Jensen entrenched in a conflict between augmented and non-augmented people following a terrorist attack.

Building off of the series’ cyberpunk and conspiracy theory motifs, Mankind Divided incorporates themes of transhumanism and discrimination as well.

Gameplay-wise, Jensen’s advanced augmentations allow for more robust combat and stealth options throughout the game’s intricately layered environments.

Aside from some controversies surrounding Mankind Divided’s marketing and pre-order campaigns, it was generally well-received for its narrative storytelling and immersive sim design.

Spin-Off Games

Positioned as a spin-off to the series, Deus Ex: The Fall is an action RPG developed by N-Fusion Interactive for PC and mobile.

The story takes place after the events of the spin-off novel Deus Ex: Icarus Effect and follows fugitives Ben Saxon and Anna Kelso as they hide from the Illuminati’s operatives.

Gameplay combines FPS combat with stealth and RPG elements reminiscent of the main series while presenting players with new customizable abilities and an explorable rendition of Panama City.

Despite being initially conceived as an episodic narrative with multiple parts, The Fall failed to catch on and future episodes were never released.

To this point, reviews for the game were quite mixed as some critics felt the mobile version detracted from the overall experience and failed to recreate the magic of the mainline games.

The next spin-off would be Deus Ex Go, a turn-based puzzle game developed by Square Enix Montréal for PC and mobile.

Created in the same vein as titles like Hitman Go and Lara Croft Go, the game looks to distill the core components of Deus Ex and adapt them to a turn-based puzzle framework.

In it, players must navigate Adam Jensen across a board game environment while avoiding obstacles, manipulating objects, and solving puzzles.

Similar to the main series, Jensen can hack objects in his surroundings such as turrets and platforms to either bypass or eliminate enemies.

Upon release, Deus Ex Go was met with positive reviews for successfully capturing the look and feel of the Deus Ex series while incorporating brain-teasing puzzle gameplay.

Arguably the strangest Deus Ex spin-off, Breach was originally an alternative game mode in Mankind Divided that was later released as a standalone free-to-play game.

The story takes place in the virtual world of the Neural SubNet where a hacker named ShadowChild has gathered special hackers called Rippers to exploit a security weakness.

The player’s goal is to hack into the servers by attacking their defenses, solving puzzles, and upgrading their skills and equipment.

Breach’s gameplay shares some similarities with Mankind Divided, particularly augmentations and weapons that feel analogous to Jensen’s while emphasizing more arcade-inspired combat.

While the concept had potential, Deus Ex: Breach ultimately failed due to its reliance on RNG micro-transactions for upgrading gear to even obtaining more weapon ammo.

Another unexpected Deus Ex spin-off that serves as more of a tech demo than a full-fledged title is Deus Ex: Mankind Divided – VR Experience.

As its name suggests, the game was intended to showcase certain aspects of Mankind Divided, specifically its environments, from an immersive virtual reality perspective.

To this point, it was made available as a free download compatible with Windows systems running HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and OSVR headsets.

After loading in, players can explore various environments from Deus Ex: Mankind Divided in VR as well as examine certain 3D character models up-close.

Despite its limited scope, the VR experience was not well-received as players experienced motion sickness, had issues getting it to run, and took issue with its general lack of features.

DLC Expansions

The Missing Link – An add-on expansion that explains what happened to Adam Jensen during his three-day disappearance after leaving Hengsha for the second time in the story.

Desperate Measures – A single-mission DLC that was originally released as a pre-order bonus but later made available as a free download.

System Rift – A full-length story DLC in which Jensen links up with a former colleague to hunt down information about the mysterious Santeau Group

A Criminal Past – A second full-length story DLC set before the events of Mankind Divided that has you playing through Adam Jensen’s first mission for TF29.