DEUS EX MACHINA 2

About

DEUS EX MACHINA 2 is a single player action game. It was developed by Automata Source and was released on March 11, 2015. It received neutral reviews from players.

In Deus Ex Machina 2, players continue to unravel a mysterious conspiracy in a cyberpunk world, using advanced technology and stealth to complete missions. As Adam Jensen, they'll explore a global network, interact with characters, and make impactful decisions that affect the story's outcome. With enhanced graphics and improved gameplay mechanics, this sequel offers a deeper and more immersive experience than its predecessor.

Genres & Tags

Indie

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

47%

Audience ScoreBased on 57 reviews

music9 positive mentions

graphics4 negative mentions

The game features great music and narration, particularly from Christopher Lee, which enhances the overall experience.
It offers an interesting and surreal narrative that explores the stages of life, making it a unique artistic piece.
For fans of the original Deus Ex Machina, this sequel provides a nostalgic experience with modernized visuals and audio.

The gameplay is almost non-existent, requiring little to no interaction, making it feel more like a music video than a traditional game.
Many players found the graphics and controls to be poor, with significant design flaws that detract from the experience.
The game lacks meaningful choices or challenges, leading to a repetitive and ultimately dull experience.

music
61 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
78%
7%
The music in the game is a standout feature, with many reviewers praising its quality and variety, ranging from excellent to mediocre. While some describe the experience as more of an interactive music video or artistic narrative rather than a traditional game, others note that the soundtrack significantly enhances the overall experience, despite some criticisms regarding its connection to gameplay. Overall, the music is seen as the primary draw, with many suggesting it could be enjoyed independently from the visuals.
- “It's kind of like listening to an album of music accompanied by a long, quasi-interactive endless runner.”
- “The music is really quite good, and there are lots of different styles of music used.”
- “More art piece than game, Deus Ex Machina 2 guides through the stages of life set to a soundtrack that dominates the game.”
- “The soundtrack is a garbage-fire of poorly-rhymed lyrics set over middling music composed by a desperate composer trying to get paid to feed his meth habit, all the while trying to play to a set of shallow faux political propaganda.”
- “It's really more like an awful music video than a game.”
- “At the low price it's sold at, it might be worth a flutter if you understand that what you're getting is roughly an hour-long music album with some interactive backing, but judged as a game it doesn't stand up in its current state.”
story
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The story aspect of the game is described as surreal and interesting but ultimately falls flat due to its cryptic nature and lack of meaningful gameplay. Many reviewers note that it feels more like an interactive music video than a traditional game, with a linear narrative that lacks depth and connection between stages of life. Additionally, the remake is criticized for altering or omitting key story elements from the original, diminishing its impact as a standalone title.
- “More of an interactive music video/story than a game, telling the tale of living through life.”
- “I enjoyed the retelling of the story, but this game feels a bit rushed with everything.”
- “For those who have no idea what the original is like, this game is a short linear story, mildly guided in a simple fashion by the player.”
- “The storyline is so cryptic it is very easy to tune out of it.”
- “The story falls flat once you get out of the womb, which is about six minutes in.”
- “The plot is a simple walk through of stages of life, with no real clear connection between them.”
gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The gameplay in Deus Ex Machina 2 is largely criticized for being minimal to nonexistent, with many reviewers noting that it feels more like a video experience than an interactive game. While the remaster features updated audio and visuals, it lacks substantial gameplay mechanics, leaving players with little control and engagement. Overall, it is not recommended for those seeking a traditional gaming experience.
- “Deus Ex Machina 2 is the sequel to the ancient retro game that people barely saw or heard of, and it stands out as one of the first games to fuse audio with gameplay, which was extremely rare and unheard of at the time.”
- “A lot of work went into the game's graphics, models, lighting, and gameplay, but that's really about it.”
- “There is technically some gameplay; your character moves down hallways, and you can move it left and right to avoid danger.”
- “A lot of work did go into the game's graphics, models, lighting, and gameplay, but that's really about it.”
- “This game had no gameplay or achievement, as it was literally a video paired up with a couple of cassettes.”
- “Gameplay is pretty much non-existent, as are the controls, I would even say.”
graphics
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
37%
36%
The graphics of the game have received largely negative feedback, with many users describing them as subpar, ugly, and reminiscent of outdated 90s 3D environments. While some appreciate the effort put into the visuals and acknowledge that they serve their purpose, the overall consensus is that the graphics lack sophistication and fail to evoke any strong emotional response. Comparisons to better-executed visuals from other games further highlight the disappointment in this aspect.
- “A lot of work did go into the game's graphics, models, lighting, and gameplay, but that's really about it.”
- “Listening to some great music straight from the early 80's while watching trippy graphics and absorbing one of the best takes on the seven ages of man was fab.”
- “I also played through the first 'Deus Ex Machina' earlier today - the 30th anniversary edition - its overall tone seemed a bit more sci-fi and yet contained more cues to point to the period contemporary to when it was made (1984). I thought the artwork in that game using animated sketchwork was actually more evocative than the 3D models in this game.”
- “I have seen better graphics and better concepts executed with more competency by high-school level developers than in this game.”
- “The graphics aren't evocative, they're just ugly.”
- “The graphics also aren't great - in some sections, like danger warning and old age, their simplicity works well, but often they just look like unnaturally cornered indoor environments of the type you expected from 3D games in the 90s.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews indicate that character development is significantly hindered by poor character design, graphics, and soundtrack, leading to an overall negative impression of the characters' growth and depth.
- “The character development feels shallow and uninspired, making it hard to connect with anyone in the game.”
- “I was hoping for a rich backstory and meaningful choices, but the characters are one-dimensional and forgettable.”
- “The lack of growth and depth in the characters left me feeling detached from the story.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of "War Crimes Are Easy" to be tedious, as it requires slowly navigating through numerous courtroom images that lack meaningful engagement or impact.
- “Grinding in this game feels like a never-ending chore, as I slowly and tediously walk through a bunch of images in a courtroom that don't contribute to the gameplay.”
- “The repetitive nature of grinding makes it feel more like a job than a game, draining the fun out of the experience.”
- “I find myself stuck in an endless loop of grinding, where progress is painfully slow and the rewards just aren't worth the effort.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is criticized for feeling disjointed, resembling a collection of random episodes rather than a cohesive experience, and the accompanying music is described as strange and lacking in atmospheric depth.
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's replayability is significantly hindered by a design limitation that prevents the cassette player from being controlled by the computer, resulting in players completing the entire game in a single run. This lack of variability and control diminishes the incentive to replay the game.
- “Originally, this was because the cassette player wasn't controlled by the computer, so it couldn't change anything or shut off the tape. Why on earth this limitation was retained, I have no idea, because it seriously harms the replay value - you will complete the entire game on your first run, guaranteed.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is lacking, as players feel disconnected due to the absence of feedback when matching pairs of objects, which diminishes the sense of accomplishment or engagement.