There’s a lot to be said about Deus Ex. But there’s also plenty of time to get back to playing this classic, too. And if you’re revisiting this after a while, maybe consider a few mods. Why play the same vanilla all over again? It’s the 21st century, people! Here’s some of the best Deux Ex community mods well worth trying out.
15. New Vision
Check Out This Mod While the game has much to offer in terms of story and gameplay, graphics were never really its strong suit. The graphics weren’t even particularly great for its time, and here we are 20+ years later… and to say it hasn’t aged well would probably be an understatement. But the New Vision mod is a great way to revamp some of the game’s graphics. It replaces most of the original environment textures with higher quality counterparts. And it’s noticeable.
14. Project HDTP
Check Out This Mod Project HDTP is another great mod for giving Deux Ex a graphical makeover. And it covers even more than New Vision does. While New Vision focuses more on improving the game’s environments, Project HDTP focuses instead on providing character remodels and retextures. Keep in mind that gaming GPUs back then didn’t really allow for higher resolution textures. So for a game this old, you’re going to want any upgrades you can get.
13. Shifter
Check Out This Mod Now that we’ve suped-up the graphics, here are tons of ways to revitalize the original Deus Ex. Especially if it isn’t your first experience with the game. And if you’re looking to get into some of the more serious mods, Shifter is a great place to start. The mod takes on the slogan “Removing the suck from Deus Ex.”, adding a number of gameplay improvements that are just the bee’s knees. Replaceable augmentations is one example, making it possible to make adjustments as you go. The mod adds some new content as well like new weapons and random NPC inventories.
12. Biomod
Check Out This Mod If you like the changes introduced by Shifter, you might want to pair it with Biomod as well. Biomod is actually built to work as an expansion of Shifter, focusing on further improving the game’s augmentation system. On top of the features already included in Shifter, one of the biggest changes in Biomod is to the Swimming skill – which new players would usually have to spend skill points on before learning that it’s absolutely useless. It’s instead replaced with the Athletics skill, which impacts other physical activities like running and jumping, making it a much more useful skill to upgrade.
11. HX
Check Out This Mod HX is one of the more interesting mods on this list. It’s a great option for when you’d like to enjoy some Deus Ex with a friend. I’m not sure how a co-op Deux Ex campaign would play out, but just the thought of that is interesting enough to encourage me to give it a shot. It’s definitely an original idea. And will probably make for some good fun regardless of how good (or bad) it might be.
10. Soccer Mod
Check Out This Mod If you find that you prefer to play with friends, there’s actually a Soccer Mod for Deus Ex too. You heard that right: the mod actually lets you play soccer within Deus Ex. How crazy is that? Okay fine, this one might have nothing to do with the game itself. But the modder’s originality and effort earns it a spot on the list.
9. Malkavian Mod
Check Out This Mod Speaking of fun mods, if you’re looking to take a break from all of Deux Ex’s seriousness without straying too far from the original game, the Malkavian Mod is probably the best way to do so. There’s not much in the description, but the game’s wiki page describes it well enough: Just take note that the Malkavian Mod isn’t meant to be serious at all. And if anything, it’ll probably leave you with loads of meme-worthy Deus Ex content.
8. 2027
Check Out This Mod Going back to the serious stuff – there are tons of options for expanding and even altering the game’s storyline as well. 2027 is one such example, acting as an unofficial prequel to the game. You’ll be able to explore missions in Paris and Moscow as a mercenary in this nonlinear campaign that further encourages explorative gameplay.
7. ZODIAC
Check Out This Mod ZODIAC is another popular overhaul for Deus Ex, this time letting you play as JC’s augmented brother Paul. In this case, ZODIAC refers to the mysterious organization Paul uncovers throughout the story. Which is an exciting plot of government secrets and nuclear warfare. Other than the new storyline, the mod also includes new weapons, characters, and music to complete the experience.
6. The Nameless Mod
Check Out This Mod The Nameless Mod should be far from nameless. It completely overhauls the game’s setting, characters, storyline, and even weapons. The mod is huge, containing 59 new maps including a few secret ones as well. Not to mention 20 new weapons to try, new music, and a completely new set of dialogue lines between the characters. The Nameless Mod has been recognized as one of the best overhauls for Deus Ex as well, so you can’t go wrong with this one.
5. Redsun 2020
Check Out This Mod Redsun 2020 takes us to the opposite end of the world, taking place in Japan. The story sees you playing as UNATCO’s newest agent Joseph as you’re captured and taken to Otemachi Labs. It’s there that you’re contacted by a mysterious character called Redsun who triggers your journey to escape and get back home. The beginning events kick off a great storyline in gang-ridden Japan, and a deeper plot involving betrayal… and again, chemical weapons.
4. DXChallenge
Check Out This Mod Instead of overhauling everything about the game, DXChallenge makes things a bit harder by adding specific in-game challenges to complete throughout the vanilla campaign. It’s a sort-of checklist of sorts, specifically for a challenge run where you’re tasked to either complete the campaign with no kills, no knockouts, or without using any lockpicks for example. It’s tough. This one is particularly great for veteran players looking for a challenge, as failing any selected challenges will cause you to immediately die in the game.
3. Hotel Carone
Check Out This Mod Now this mod offers an additional set of missions to play through after the events at LaGuardia Airport, giving you a glimpse of an alternative storyline where JC stays with UNATCO a bit longer. Many fans felt that JC left UNATCO a bit too soon. And this mod gives them exactly what they asked for, allowing you to spend a bit more time as one of their agents. If you just need more Deus Ex story time, then Hotel Carone is worth the install.
2. Terminus Machina
Check Out This Mod Terminus Machina is another popular Deus Ex mod, but this one is definitely not for newer players. Other than being one of the best, it’s also known as the hardest Deus Ex mod out there. The mod introduces a number of new features including item crafting and new skills, as well as a completely new storyline set in a post-apocalyptic USA. It’s tougher than it appears, but oh so worth the time.
1. GMDX
Check Out This Mod It’s no surprise that GMDX is taking the top of the list. It’s probably the single most recommended mod for Deus Ex to this day. Many have described GMDX as the best way to experience the game. It introduces a variety of fixes/enhancements to make the base game much more polished than the original. Small things, but noticeable all together. Other than aesthetic enhancements, the mod also features new weapons, skills, augmentations, game mechanics, and even an improved AI system. GMDX, simply put, keeps within the scope of what the developers intended the game to be… but better.
