Thread by @FreyjaErlings

So Deus Ex was more optimistic than reality huh

And really, for all that the game utterly mires itself in big conspiracy theories, the first time you meet a "terrorist" he's shockingly reasonable. Of course, it's because you start out on the wrong side, but hey

Then he says this so I shoot him in the head but you know, whatever

This is a neat little rhetorical trick the game is pulling, though; by positing the first and bottoming on this, it makes the first seem less reasonable by comparison.

When it... really is not.

I miss this subgenre. Deus Ex and SS2. Bioshock was not a good "successor"

Oh for - one day.

Another day another hitter of a tweet

People read this see me say "the writing is very clever", immediately try to explain to me "No actually it's very clever also these are the Good Guys," thus missing what makes it clever

The game is making a point; he's not wrong. But it also wants to make him seem like a kook. Why my reaction?

Because starting with a softball and swerving into antisemitism is a neonazi recruitment strategy. Make it seem MORE reasonable after starting strong.

When Deus Ex came out this worked as it intends. In today's climate it doesn't.

And if you see someone doing this in real life they are NOT a friend, an underdog or a good guy.

I have a policy. So I shot.

That's ridiculous you say.

We live in ridiculous times says I.

For the record: Also kill the actual genocidal dictators in this game for me~